In lazy fleep the night rolls fwift away,
And neither clime laments his abfent ray.
When the pure foul is from the body flown,
No more fhall Night's alternate reign be known;
The fun no more fhall rolling light beftow,
But from the Almighty streams of glory flow.
Oh! may fome nobler thought my foul employ,
Than empty, tranfient, fublunary joy.
The stars fhall drop, the fun fhall lose his flame,
But thou, O God! for ever shine the fame.
WITH each perfection dawning on her mind,
All beauty's treasure op'ning on her cheek,
Each flatt'ring hope fubdu'd, each with refign'd,
Does gay Ophelia this lone manfion feek.
Say, gentle maid, what prompts thee to forfake
The paths thy birth and fortune ftrew with flow'rs?
Through Nature's kind endearing ties to break,
And watte in cloifter'd walls thy penfive hours?
Let fober thought restrain thine erring zeal,
That guides thy footsteps to the vestal gate,
Left thy foft heart, (this friendship bids reveal)
Like mine, unblett, fhould mourn, like mine, too
Does fome angelic lonely-whifp'ring voice,
Some facred impulfe, or fome dream divine,
Approve the dictates of thy early choice?
Approach with confidence the awful fhrine.
There, kneeling at yon altar's marble base,
(While streams of rapture from thine eye-lid fteal,
And fmiling Heav'n illumes thy foul with grace)
Pronounce the vow thou never canft repeal.
Yet, if mifled by falfe entitled friends,
Who fay-"That Peace, with all her comely train, "From starry regions to his clime defcends, "Smooths every frown, and softens every pain:
"That veftals tread Contentment's flow'ry lawn, "Approv'd of Innocence, by Health carefs'd: "That, rob'd in colours bright, by Fancy drawn, "Celestial Hope its finiling at their breast :"
Sufpect their fyren fong and artful style,
Their pleafing founds fome treach'rous thought con-
Full oft does pride with fainted voice beguile,
And fordid int'reft wear the mask of zeal.
A tyrant abbefs here perchance may reign,
Who, fond of pow'r, affects the imperial nod,
Looks down disdainful on her female train,
And rules the cloister with an iron rod.
Reflection fickens at the life-long tie,
Back-glancing Mem'ry acts her busy part,
It's charms the World unfolds to Fancy's eye,
And sheds allurement on the wishful heart,
Lo! Difcord enters at the facred porch,
Rage in her frown, and terror on her creft: Ev'n at the hallow'd lamps the lights her torch, And holds it flaming to each virgin breast.
But, fince the legends of monaftic blifs
By fraud are fabled, and by youth believ'd, Unbought experience learn from my distress,
Oh! mark my lot, and be no more deceiv'd.
Three luftres fcarce with hafty wings were fled,
When I was torn from ev'ry weeping friend,
A thoughtless victim to the temple led,
And (blush, ye parents!) by a father's hand.
Yet then what folemn fcenes deceiv'd my choice,
The pealing organ's animating found,
The choral virgins' captivating voice,
The blazing altar, and the priests around;
The train of youths array'd in pureft white,
Who fcattered myrtles as I pafs'd along;
The thousand lamps that pour'd a flood of light,
The kifs of peace from all the vestal throng:
The golden cenfer tofs'd with graceful hand,
Whofe fragrant breath Arabian odour shed:
Of meek-ey'd novices the circling band,
With blooming chaplets wove around their head.
-My fmiling foul was caught in rapture's flame, While facred ardour glow'd in ev'ry vein : Methought applauding angels fung my name, And Heaven's unfullied glories gilt the fane.
This temporary transport foon expir'd,
My drooping heart confefs'd a dreadful void : E'er fince, alas! abandon'd, uninfpir'd,
I tread this dome to mifery allied.
No wakening joy informs my fullen breast, Through opening skies no radiant feraph fmiles ; No faint defcends to footh my foul to reft,
No dream of blifs the dreary night beguiles.
Here haggard Difcontent ftill haunts my view;
The fombre Genius reigns in ev'ry place;
Arrays each virtue in the darkeft hue,
Chills ev'ry prayer, and cancels ev'ry grace.
I meet her ever in the cheerlefs cell,
The gloomy grotto, and unsocial wood:
I hear her ever in the midnight bell,
The hollow gales, and hoarse-refounding flood.
This caus'd a mother's tender tears to flow,
(The fad resemblance Time fhall neʼer erase)
When having feal'd th' irrevocable vow,
I haften'd to receive her laft embrace.
Full well the then prefag'd my wretched fate,
Th' unhappy moments of each future day;
When lock'd within this terror-fhedding grate,
My joy-deferted foul would pine away.
Yet ne'er did her paternal voice unfold
This cloister'd scene in all its horror dreft;
Nor did the then my trembling steps with-hold,
When here I entered a reluctant guest.
Ah! could fhe view her only child betray'd,
And let fubmiffion o'er her love prevail;
Th' unfeeling priest, why did she not upbraid?
Forbid the vow, and rend the hov'ring veil?
Alas! fhe might not her relentless lord
Had feal'd her lips, and chid her ftreaming tear;
So anguish in her breaft conceal'd its hoard,
And all the mother sunk ́in dumb despair.
But thou, who own'ft a father's facred name,
What act impell'd thee to this ruthless deed?
What crime had forfeited my filial claim,
And given (oh blafting thought!) thy heart to bleed?
If then thine injur'd child deferv'd thy care,
Oh hafte, and bear her from this lonesome gloom!
In vain no words can footh his rigid car;
And Gallia's laws have rivetted my doom.
Ye cloifter'd fair-ye cenfure-breathing faints,
Suppress your taunts, and learn at length to fpare,
Though 'mid these holy walls I vent my plaints,
And give to forrow what is due to pray'r!
I fled not to this manfion's deep recefs
To veil the blushes of a guilty fhame,
The tenor of an ill-spent life redress,
And snatch from infamy a finking name.
Yet let me to my fate fubmiffive bow;
From fatal fymptoms, if I right conceive,
This ftream, Ophelia, has not long to flow;
This voice to murmur, and this breaft to heave.
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