She leapt down the rocks Streaming among the streams; - Which slopes to the western gleams : The Earth seemed to love her, With his trident the mountains strook ; All Erymanthus shook. And the black south wind The urns of the silent snow, And earthquake and thunder The bars of the springs below: "O, save me! O, guide me, For he grasps me now by the hair!" And divided at her prayer; ARETHUSA. And under the water Fled like a sunny beam; As an eagle pursuing Down the streams of the cloudy wind. Under the bowers Where the Ocean Powers Sit on their pearlèd thrones, — Weave a net-work of colored light, Are as green as the forest's night: - Under the ocean-foam, And up through the rifts They passed to their Dorian home. Down one vale where the morning basks, Like friends once parted, They ply their watery tasks. 95 At sunrise they leap Beneath the Ortygian shore; - When they love, but live no more. THE COTTER'S SATURDAY NIGHT. - Burns. INSCRIBED TO ROBERT AIKEN, ESQ. My loved, my honored, much respected friend! The lowly train in life's sequestered scene; ween! November chill blaws loud wi' angry sugh; THE COTTER'S SATURDAY NIGHT. 97 The toil-worn cotter frae his labor goes, This night his weekly moil is at an end, Collects his spades, his mattocks, and his hoes, Hoping the morn in ease and rest to spend, And weary o'er the moor his course does homeward bend. At length his lonely cot appears in view, His clean hearth-stane, his thriftie wifie's smile, The lisping infant prattling on his knee, Does all his weary, karking care beguile, An' makes him quite forget his labor an' his toil. Belyve, the elder bairns come drapping in, To help her parents dear, if they in hardship be. With joy unfeigned, brothers and sisters meet, The father mixes a' wi' admonition due. G Their master's an' their mistress's command The younkers a' are warned to obey; And mind their labors wi' an eydent hand, An' ne'er, tho' out o' sight, to jauk or play : "And, O, be sure to fear the Lord alway! And mind your duty, duly, morn and night! Lest in temptation's path ye gang astray, Implore his counsel and assisting might: They never sought in vain, that sought the Lord aright!" But, hark! a rap comes gently to the door; Jenny, wha kens the meaning o' the same, Tells how a neebor lad cam o'er the moor, To do some errands, and convoy her hame. The wily mother sees the conscious flame Sparkle in Jenny's e'e, and flush her cheek; With heart-struck, anxious care inquires his name, While Jenny hafflins is afraid to speak; Weel pleased the mother hears, it's nae wild, worth less rake. Wi' kindly welcome Jenny brings him ben; The father cracks of horses, pleughs, and kye. The youngster's artless heart o'erflows with joy, But blate and laithfu', scarce can weel behave; The mother, wi' a woman's wiles, can spy What makes the youth sae bashfu' and sae grave; Weel pleased to think her bairn 's respected like the lave. O happy love, where love like this is found! |