“Pale are his cheeks, where Love was wont to play, "And clos'd those radiant eyes that late outshone the

day."

The woe-foreboding voice she heard, And wishing, trembling, pray'd for morn— When lo the bleeding corse appear'd By savage rocks all rudely torn! Where were ye, Nymphs, O tell me where, Daughters of Nereus fresh, and fair? And why, sweet silver-footed Queen, Would'st thou not leave thy coral cave, And sooth the rough remorseless wave, Ere Death had seiz'd thy best, thy boldest swain?—

With haggard eyes, all-streaming blood,
Distracted Hero saw her lover slain,

And thrice indignant view'd the guilty main,
And thrice accus'd each merc'less watery God.
Aye me in vain!-For "see, she cry'd,
"My dear Leander's beck'ning shade!

"And canst thou live, O lost, O wretched maid ? ·
"Shall envious Fate so fond a pair divide?

"Forbid it Love !"-Then head-long from the tower Deep in the ruthless flood she plung'd to rise no more!

With scenes of woe, O cursed Power,
How are thy greedy eyes regal'd ?
How did thy heart exult of yore,

When Heaven's vindictive rod assail'd

The Queen of arts?—With giant-stride
Contagion stalks, and lo the bride,

The virgin-bride unpity'd dies!

Clasp'd to his daughter's throbbing breast,

The father breathes his soul to rest,

And sorrowing sons compose the widow'd mother's eyes!

Scar'd by the Damon's spotted hand,

The eagle scream'd, the famish'd vulture fled, The hungry wolf forsook th' unburied dead, And pale diseases shiv'ring left the land! What cries and piercing shrieks resound Through ev'ry street, at ev'ry fane? Yet ah! they weep, they weary heaven in vain ! Death and distraction stare on all around! The wretched few, whom pois'nous Pest'lence spares, Of moody madness die, and heart-distracting fears.

These are thy deeds, O fell Despair,
Thou tyrant of the tortur'd soul,
Sister of pale-ey'd Grief and Care,
At whose command impetuous roll
Passion's rough tides, and swelling high
Burst through each dear and sacred tye,
And ev'ry pleasing thought o'erwhelm ;
Anon the crazy bark is born,

Of winds, and waves, and rocks the scorn, For Reason shrinks appall'd, and trembling quits the helm !

O fly, thou first-born child of Hell,
To some far distant, dreary, doleful plain,
Where starting Fear, and agonizing Pain,
And black Remorse, and sullen Sorrows dwell:
Where, arm'd with poison, racks, and death,
Stern Horror rears his gorgon head:

And writhing dreadful on their iron-bed

The purple Furies grind their cankʼred teeth;
While perch'd on stubs of trees the shriek-owl sings,
And screaming deadly hoarse night-ravens flap their
wings!

Thither embost with vary'd woe,
Misfortune's pallid slave retires-

Hark, hark he raves !—Thy tablet shew,
Charg'd with damn'd ghost, and sulph'rous fires.
Oh mercy, Heaven !-Upstaring stands

His grisly hair; his nerveless hands
Shake; o'er his face the curdled blood,
From his swoln heart, with tidings flies,
"Give me another horse," he cries,

"Oh bring the poison'd bowl, let loose life's crimson " flood!"

Sad, sacred wretch!-Thou power divine, Whose god-like word from chaos dark and dread Bad Discord fly, and Light sweet-smiling spread Her orient wing, controul this breast of mine! And still when gloomy thoughts prevail, Oh short, and partial be their sway!

And beam'd from thee, let pleasure's gladsome ray The mournful progeny of grief dispel.

So shall the chequer'd scenes of life delight,

As morning brighter peers preceded still by night.

ODE IX.

ΤΟ

DESPAIR.

BY MRS. CHARLOTTE SMITH.

THOU spectre, of terrific mien,

Lord of the hopeless heart and hollow eye,
In whose fierce train each form is seen
That drives sick Reason to insanity!
I woo thee with unusual prayer,
"Grim visaged, comfortless Despair :"
Approach; in me a willing victim find,
Who seeks thine iron sway-and calls thee kind!

Ah! hide for ever from my sight

The faithless flatterer Hope-whose pencil, gay,
Portrays some vision of delight,

Then bids the fairy tablet fade away ;

While in dire contrast, to mine eyes

Thy phantoms, yet more hideous, rise,

And Memory draws, from Pleasure's wither'd

flow'r,

Corrosives for the heart-of fatal power!