Ah Fear! ah frantic Fear! I see, I see thee near. I know thy hurried step; thy haggard eye! Thou who such weary lengths hast past, 'Gainst which the big waves beat, Hear drowning seamen's cries,in tempests brought? Which thy awakening bards have told: Ne'er be I found, by thee o'eraw'd, O thou, whose spirit most possest Teach me but once like him to feel: Coliins. THE PASSIONS. WHEN Music, heavenly maid! was young, From the supporting myrtles round Sweet lessons of her forceful art, Would prove his own expressive power. First Fear his hand, its skill to try, Next Anger rush'd; his eyes, on fire, With woful measures wan Despair-- But thou, O Hope, with eyes so fair, And bade the lovely scenes at distance hail : A soft responsive voice was heard at every close; And Hope, enchanted, smil'd, and wav'd her golden hair. And longer had she sung ;-but, with a frown, He threw his blood-stain'd sword in thunder down; The war-denouncing trumpet took, And blew a blast so loud and dread, Were ne'er prophetic sounds so full of wo! And, ever and anon, he beat The doubling drum, with furious heat. And, though sometimes, each dreary pause beDejected Pity, at his side, Her soul-subduing voice applied, [tween, Yet still he kept his wild unalter'd mien, While each strain'd ball of sight seem bursting from his head. Thy numbers, Jealousy, to nought were fix'd; Of differing themes the veering song was mix'd: With eyes up-rais'd, as one inspir'd, Pale Melancholy sat retir'd; And, from her wild sequester'd seat, Pour'd through the mellow horn her pensive soul: Through glades and glooms the mingled measure stole, Or, o'er some haunted stream, with fond delay, Round au holy calm diffusing, Love of peace, and lonely musing, In hollow murmurs died away. But O! how alter'd was its sprightlier tone When Cheerfulness, a nymph of healthiest hue, Her bow across her shoulder flung, Her buskins gemm'd with morning dew, Blew an inspiring air, that dale and thicket rung! The hunter's call, to Faun and Dryad known. The oak-crown'd sisters, and their chaste-ey'd Satyrs and sylvan boys were seen Peeping from forth their alleys green : Brown Exercise rejoic'd to hear; [queen, [spear. And Sport leap'd up, and seiz'd his beechen Last came Joy's ecstatic trial: He, with viny crown advancing, First to the lively pipe his hand addrest; But soon he saw the brisk awakening viol, Whose sweet entrancing voice he lov'd the best: They would have thought, who heard the strain, They saw, in Tempe's vale, her native maids, Amidst the festal sounding shades, To some unwearied minstrel dancing; While, as his flying fingers kiss'd the strings, Love fram'd with Mirth a gay fantastic round: Loose were her tresses seen, her zone unbound; And he, amidst his frolic play, As if he would the charming air repay, Shook thousand odours from his dewy wings. O Music! sphere-descended maid, |