Imagens da página
PDF
ePub

To forrow and to fhame; for thou must weep
With Lacedæmon, muft with her fuflain
Thy painful portion of oppreffion's weight.
Thy fons behold now worthy of their names,
And Spartan birth, Their growing bloom must pine
In fhame and bondage, and their youthful hearts
Beat at the found of liberty no more,

On their own virtue, and their father's fame,
When he the Spartan freedom hath confirm'd,
Before the world illuftrious fhall they rife,
Their country's bulwark, and their mother's joy,
Here paus'd the patriot. With religious awe
Grief heard the voice of virtue. No complaint
The folemn filence broke. Tears ceas'd to flow:
Ceas'd for a moment; foon again to fiream.
For now, in arms before the palace rang'd,
His brave companions of the war demand
Their leader's prefence; then her griefs renew'd,
Too great for utt'rance, intercept her fighs,
And freeze each accent on her fault'ring tongue.
In fpeechless anguifh on the hero's breaft
She finks. On ev'ry fide his children prefs,
Hang on his knees, and kifs his honour'd hand.
His foul no longer ftruggles to confine

Its ftrong compunction. Down the hero's cheek,
Down flows the manly forrow.
Great in woe,

Amid his children, who inclofe him round,

He ftands indulging tenderness and love.

In

In graceful tears, when thus, with lifted eyes,
Addrefs'd to Heaven Thou ever-living Pow'r,
Look down propitious, fire of gods and men !
And to this faithful woman, whofe defert
May claim thy favour, grant the hours of peace.
And thou, my great forefather, fon of Jove,
O Herculus, neglect not these thy race!
But fince that fpirit I from thee derive,
Now bears me from them to refiftless fate,
Do thou fupport their virtue! Be they taught,
Like thee, with glorious labour life to grace,
And from their father let them learn to die.

Characters of Teribazus and Ariana.

AMID the van of Perfia was a youth

Nam'd Teribazus, not for golden ftores, Not for wide paftures travers'd o'er with herds, With bleating thoufands, or with bounding fleeds, Nor yet for pow'r, nor fplendid honours fam'd. Rich was his mind in ev'ry art divine, And thro' the paths of science had he walk'd The votary of wisdom. In the years When tender down invefls the ruddy check, He with the Magi turn'd the hallow'd page Of Zoroafter; then his tow'ring foul High on the plumes of contemplation foar'd, And from the lofty Babylonian fane

Vol. VI, 22.

C

With

With learn'd Chaldæans trac'd the myftic fphere;
There number'd o'er the vivid fires that gleam
Upon the dulky bofom of the night.

Nor on the fands of Ganges were unheard
The Indian fages from fequefter'd pow'rs,
While, as attention wonder'd, they disclos'd
The pow'rs of nature; whether in the woods,
The fruitful glebe or flow'r, or healing plant.
The limpid waters, or the ambient air,
Or in the purer element of fire.

The fertile plains where great Sefoftris reign'd,
Myfterious Egypt, next the youth furvey'd,
From Elephantis, where impetuous Nile
Precipitates his waters to the fea,

Which far below, receives the fevenfold ftream.
Thence o'er th' Ionic coaft he ftray'd; nor pafs'd
Miletus by, which once enraptur'd heard,
The tongue of Thales; nor Priene's walls,
Where wildom dwelt with Bias; nor the feat
Of Pittacus, along the Lefbian fhore.

Here too melodious numbers charm'd his ears.
Which flow'd from Orpheus, and Mufæus old,
And thee, O father of immortal verfe!
Mæonides, whose strains thro' ev'ry age
Time with his own eternal lip fhall fing.
Back to his native Sufa then he turn'd
His wand'ring steps. His merit foon was dear
To Hyperanthes, generous and good;

And

And Ariana, from Darius, fprung-
With Hyperanthes, of th' imperial race
Which rul'd th' extent of Afia, in disdain
Of all her greatnefs oft, an humble ear
To him would bend, and liften to his voice.
Her charms, her mind, her virtue he explor'd
Admiring. Soon was admiration chang'd
To love, nor lov'd he fooner than defpair'd,
But unreveal'd and filent was his pain ;
Nor yet in folitary fhades he roam'd,

Nor fhunn'd refort: but o'er his forrows caft
A fickly dawn of gladnefs, and in fmiles
Conceal'd his anguish; while the fecret flame
Rag'd in his bofom, and its peace confum'd.

Ariana and Polydorus come by Night into the Perfian Camp.

N fable pomp, with all her ftarry train,

IN

The night affum'd her throne. Recall'd from war, Her long-protracted labours Greece forgets.

Diffolv'd in filent flumber; all but thofe,
Who watch'd th' uncertain perils of the dark,
An hundred warriors: Agis was their chief.
High on the wall intent the hero fat,
As o'er the furface of the tranquil main
C 2

Along

Along its undulating breaft the wind
The various din of Afta's hoft convey 'd,

In one deep murmur fwelling in his ear:
When, by the found of footsteps down the pafs
Alarm'd, he calls aloud: What feet are thofe,
Which beat the echoing pavement of the rock?
With speed reply, nor tempt your inflant fate.
He faid, and thus return'd a voice unknown ;
Not with the feet of enemies we come,
But crave admittance with a friendly tongue.

The Spartan anfwers: Thro' the midnight fhade.
What purpofe draws your wand'ring fteps abroad?
To whom the franger: We are friends to Greece,
And to the prefence of the Spartan king
Admiffion we implore. The cautious chief
Of Lacedæmon hesitates again;

When thus, with accents mufically fweet,
A tender voice his wond'ring ears allur'd :
O gen'rous Grecian, liften to the pray'r
Of one diftrefs'd! whom grief alone hath led
In this dark hour to these victorious tents,
A wretched woman, innocent of fraud.

The Greek defcending thro' th' unfolded gates"
Upheld a flaming brand. One firft appear'd
In fervile garb attir'd; but near
his fide
A woman graceful and majeftic flood:
Not with an afpect rivalling the pow'r
Of fatal Helen, or the wanton charms

Of

« AnteriorContinuar »