Thy wretched fingers now no more shall deck And love, best gift of Heav'n, not long enjoy'd. Her streaming eyes, wrung hands, and flowing hair; And her torn fan gives real signs of woe. Stream eyes no more, no more thy tresses rend. Cease, Celia, cease; restrain thy flowing tears, He's dead. Oh! lay him gently in the ground! 20 And may his tomb be by this verse renown'd; Here Shock, the pride of all his kind, is laid, 30 Who fawn'd like man, but ne'er like man betray'd. 32 GONDIBERT. A POEM.* [CONTINUED FROM SIR WILLIAM DAVENANT.] The Argument. The Duke to solitude and shades retires: AND I. now the gentle Duke, with all his train, And Rhodalind, to splendid courts repair, Where Aribert designs a son to gain, Whose worth the greatest of his peers declare. II. He gives him honours won by merit true, *Though we do not pretend to give the following as the production of Mr. Gay, yet as we had them from a person of undoubted veracity, who assures us that they were found among his papers after his decease, and as many marks of correction were made in them, so there is little doubt that they have undergone the inspection of that celebrated author. Considering these things, and that the imitation seemed too good to be lost, we have, on mature deliberation, given these Cantosa place in this Work, and have the greatest hopes that they will prove agreeable to our readers. Gay's Works, Vol. IV. edit. 1773. And promise still of empire doth renew, Him Gondibert with duteous speech addrest, IV. The wounds of love deep in his bosom fix'd: With conscious worth and tenderness commix'd, V. He thinks on bloody battles vainly fought, VI. Yet deems he Arnold's fate untimely slain, A happier chance than theirs who live in vain, And oft' he wishes that his partial lot Volume 11. M 10 20 VIII. Birtha---whom far beyond ambition's flame He priz'd ;---whose love by him alone possest, IX. Each object now a splendid grace assumes, And strives to tempt him with the pleasing glare: x. All gay and rich,---but far above the rest 30 As the fair moon that, bright'ning in the east, Outshines the stars which deck her ev'ning throne. 40 XI. On Gondibert she fix'd her ardent eye; On him her thought, on him her soul, was bent; Yet oft' her bosom heav'd an anxious sigh, And oft' her mind presag'd some sad event. XII. But he, ere yet his solemn troth he plights, XIII. A pilgrimage he feigns, (with ease believ'd) 50 The easy king, thus piously deceiv'd, Grants his request, and lauds the just design. XIV. But he, to Birtha constant, soon withdrew Receives him there, and hails its ancient lord. I XV. 'Twas where in early youth he wont retire, From hence he soon dispatch'd a trusty slave XVII. To Hurgónil, his sister Orna's knight, Among the rest, a chief there was who late |