The lightning flies; the thunder roars;
And big waves lash the frighten'd shores.
Struck with the horror of the sight,

She turns her head, and wings her flight;,
And trembling vows, she'll ne'er again
Approach the shore, or view the main.

Once more at least look back, said I;
Thyself in that large glass descry:
When thou art in good-humour drest;
When gentle reason rules thy breast;
The sun upon the calmest sea
Appears not half so bright as thee:
'Tis then, that with delight I rove
Upon the boundless depth of love:
I bless my chain; I hand my oar;
Nor think on all I left on shore.

But when vain doubt, and groundless fear
Do that dear foolish bosom tear;
When the big lip, and wat❜ry eye
Tell me, the rising storm is nigh:
'Tis then, thou art yon angry main,
Deform'd by winds, and dash'd by rain;
And the poor sailor, that must try
Its fury, labours less than I.

Shipwreck'd, in vain to land I make; While Love and Fate still drive me back: Forc'd to dote on thee thy own way,

I chide thee first, and then obey.

Wretched when from thee, vex'd when nigh,

I with thee, or without thee, die.

LOVE AND FRIENDSHIP:

A PASTORAL.

BY MRS. ELIZABETH SINGER.1

AMARYLLIS.

WHILE from the skies the ruddy sun descends,
And rising night the ev'ning shade extends;
While pearly dews o'erspread the fruitful field,
And closing flowers reviving odors yield;
Let us, beneath these spreading trees, recite
What from our hearts our Muses may indite.
Nor need we, in this close retirement, fear,
any swain our am'rous secrets hear.

Lest

SILVIA.

To ev'ry shepherd I would mine proclaim: Since fair Aminta is my softest theme:

A stranger to the loose delights of love,

My thoughts the nobler warmth of friendship prove:
And, while its pure and sacred fire I sing,
Chaste goddess of the groves, thy succour bring.

AMARYLLIS.

Propitious God of Love, my breast inspire With all thy charms, with all thy pleasing fire: Propitious God of Love, thy succour bring; Whilst I thy darling, thy Alexis sing; Alexis, as the opening blossoms fair,

1 Afterwards the celebrated Mrs. Elizabeth Rowe. It is said Mr. Prior once made his addresses to this lady.

Lovely as light, and soft as yielding air.
For him each virgin sighs; and on the plains
The happy youth above each rival reigns.
Nor to the echoing groves, and whisp'ring spring,
In sweeter strains does artful Conon sing;
When loud applauses fill the crowded groves,
And Phoebus the superior song approves.

SILVIA.

Beauteous Aminta is as early light, Breaking the melancholy shades of night. When she is near, all anxious trouble flies; And our reviving hearts confess her eyes. Young love, and blooming joy, and gay desires, In ev'ry breast the beauteous nymph inspires: And on the plain when she no more appears, The plain a dark and gloomy prospect wears. In vain the streams roll on the eastern breeze Dances in vain among the trembling trees. In vain the birds begin their ev❜ning song, And to the silent night their notes prolong: Nor groves, nor crystal streams, nor verdant field Does wonted pleasure in her absence yield.

AMARYLLIS.

And in his absence, all the pensive day,
In some obscure retreat I lonely stray;
All day to the repeating caves complain,
In mournful accents, and a dying strain.
Dear lovely youth, I cry to all around:
Dear lovely youth, the flattering vales resound.
8

VOL. I.

SILVIA.

On flow'ry banks, by ev'ry murm'ring stream, Aminta is my Muse's softest theme:

'Tis she that does my artful notes refine :

With fair Aminta's name my noblest verse shall shine.

AMARYLLIS.

I'll twine fresh garlands for Alexis' brows,
And consecrate to him eternal vows:

The charming youth shall my Apollo prove:
He shall adorn my songs, and tune my voice to love.

TO THE

AUTHOR OF THE FOREGOING PASTORAL.

By Silvia if thy charming self be meant;
If friendship be thy virgin vows' extent;
O! let me in Aminta's praises join:
Hers my esteem shall be, my passion thine.
When for thy head the garland I prepare,
A second wreath shall bind Aminta's hair:
And when my choicest songs thy worth proclaim,
Alternate verse shall bless Aminta's name ;
My heart shall own the justice of her cause,
And Love himself submit to Friendship's laws.
But, if beneath thy numbers' soft disguise,
Some favour'd swain, some true Alexis lies;
If Amaryllis breathes thy secret pains,

And thy fond heart beats measure to thy strains,
Mayst thou, howe'er I grieve, for ever find
The flame propitious, and the lover kind:
May Venus long exert her happy power,
And make thy beauty, like thy verse, endure;
May ev'ry god his friendly aid afford,

Pan guard thy flock, and Ceres bless thy board.

But, if by chance the series of thy joys Permit one thought less cheerful to arise, Piteous transfer it to the mournful swain, Who loving much, who not belov'd again, Feels an ill-fated passion's last excess,

And dies in woe, that thou mayst live in peace.

TO A LADY:

SHE REFUSING TO CONTINUE A DISPUTE WITH ME,

AND LEAVING ME IN THE ARGUMENT.

AN ODE.

SPARE, gen'rous Victor, spare the slave,
Who did unequal war pursue;
That more than triumph he might have,
In being overcome by you.

In the dispute whate'er I said,

My heart was by my tongue belied; And in my looks you might have read How much I argu'd on your side.