 | Ouâbi : or the virtues of nature |  |
22
CANTO II.
What time red Sirius sheds his baneful pow'r,
And fades the verdant beauties of the grove;
When thirsty plants droop for the cooling show'r,
And not a leaf the sleeping zephyrs move,
And fades the verdant beauties of the grove;
When thirsty plants droop for the cooling show'r,
And not a leaf the sleeping zephyrs move,
Azâkia wander'd from her sultry home,
Amid the stream her languid limbs to lave,
Now on the sedgy banks delights to roam,
Now her light body curls the shining wave.
Amid the stream her languid limbs to lave,
Now on the sedgy banks delights to roam,
Now her light body curls the shining wave.
While thro the woods the sachem chas'd the deer,
Celario mourns Azâkia's long delay,
Oft at her absence drops th' empassion'd tear,
Counting the tedious moments' leaden way.
Celario mourns Azâkia's long delay,
Oft at her absence drops th' empassion'd tear,
Counting the tedious moments' leaden way.
When half the scorching day its course had run,
The wand'rer seeks her lov'd abode again,
Nor thinks how sad existence lingers on,
Unsooth'd by love, and worn by anxious pain.
The wand'rer seeks her lov'd abode again,
Nor thinks how sad existence lingers on,
Unsooth'd by love, and worn by anxious pain.
Celario greets her with a lover's care,
And sees new beauties grace her modest form,
Repeats his fond complaint, his late despair,
And dwells enraptur'd on each glowing charm:
And sees new beauties grace her modest form,
Repeats his fond complaint, his late despair,
And dwells enraptur'd on each glowing charm:
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Till, quite regardless of Ouâbi's name,
His yielding soul to desp'rate love resign'd,
Urg'd with insidious voice his daring flame,
By ev'ry art assail'd her soften'd mind.
His yielding soul to desp'rate love resign'd,
Urg'd with insidious voice his daring flame,
By ev'ry art assail'd her soften'd mind.
CELARIO.
Not bright Hesper beams more fair
To the love-lorn traveller,
Than those eyes, where beauty warms,
Than that voice, where softness charms,
Than that bosom's gentle swell,
And those lips, where raptures dwell,
To this faithful heart of mine,
Truly, only, wholly thine.
To the love-lorn traveller,
Than those eyes, where beauty warms,
Than that voice, where softness charms,
Than that bosom's gentle swell,
And those lips, where raptures dwell,
To this faithful heart of mine,
Truly, only, wholly thine.
Now Ouâbi hunts the deer,
Love and bliss inhabit here;
Here the downy willows bend,
Elms their fringed arms extend,
While the sinking sun improves
Ev'ry scene, which fancy loves.
Let thy heart my refuge be,
And my hopes repose on thee;
Grant me all those matchless charms,
Yield the heav'n within thy arms.
Love and bliss inhabit here;
Here the downy willows bend,
Elms their fringed arms extend,
While the sinking sun improves
Ev'ry scene, which fancy loves.
Let thy heart my refuge be,
And my hopes repose on thee;
Grant me all those matchless charms,
Yield the heav'n within thy arms.
AZÂKIA.
Does the turtle learn to roam,
When her mate has left his home?
Will the bee forsake her hive?
In the peopled wigwam thrive?
Can Azâkia ever prove,
Guardless of Ouâbi's love!
While the shivers from the tree,
Which the warrior broke with me,
Straight as honor, bright as fame,
Have not felt the wasting flame!
Think of all his guardian care,
How he train'd thy steps to war;
How, when press'd by ev'ry harm,
Stretch'd his life-protecting arm;
Rais'd thee from the trembling ground,
Drew the arrow from thy wound,
Brought thee to his peaceful plain,
Cloth'd thy cheek with health again!
When her mate has left his home?
Will the bee forsake her hive?
In the peopled wigwam thrive?
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Guardless of Ouâbi's love!
While the shivers from the tree,
Which the warrior broke with me,
Straight as honor, bright as fame,
Have not felt the wasting flame!
Think of all his guardian care,
How he train'd thy steps to war;
How, when press'd by ev'ry harm,
Stretch'd his life-protecting arm;
Rais'd thee from the trembling ground,
Drew the arrow from thy wound,
Brought thee to his peaceful plain,
Cloth'd thy cheek with health again!
Shall I from such virtue part?
Must I break that gen'rous heart?
Ev'ry pang, which kills thy rest,
Then will pierce his faithful breast,
His and thine I cannot be:
Must I break his heart for thee?
Must I break that gen'rous heart?
Ev'ry pang, which kills thy rest,
Then will pierce his faithful breast,
His and thine I cannot be:
Must I break his heart for thee?
The marriage contract of the North American Indians is not necessarily during life, but while the parties continue agreeable to each other. The ceremony is performed by their mutually breaking small shivers or sticks of wood in the presence of their friends, which are carefully deposited in some safe place, till they wish a separation; when with like ceremony the sticks are thrown into the sacred fires, and the marriage consequently dissolved. Mrs. Brooks observes, that the greatest obstruction to the conversion of the Canadian Indians to christianity, was their reluctance at forming marriages for life.
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CELARIO.
All the turtle's charms are thine,
All her constant love is mine;
Ev'ry sweet, the bee bestows,
On thy fragrant bosom grows:
May each bliss descend on thee,
Be thy griefs reserv'd for me.
All her constant love is mine;
Ev'ry sweet, the bee bestows,
On thy fragrant bosom grows:
May each bliss descend on thee,
Be thy griefs reserv'd for me.
Yes! I must thy choice approve;
Give Ouâbi all thy love;
But with thee I cannot stay,
Soon, ah! soon I must away,
Where Scioto's waters flow,
Or the fiery Chactaws glow,
Or the snowy mountains rise,
Frozen by Canadian skies:
There for refuge will I fly
From the ruin of that eye;
Yet this heart with love will glow
Mid the northern mountains' snow,
On the Chactaws' southern plain
Feel the chill of cold disdain.
Give Ouâbi all thy love;
But with thee I cannot stay,
Soon, ah! soon I must away,
Where Scioto's waters flow,
Or the fiery Chactaws glow,
Or the snowy mountains rise,
Frozen by Canadian skies:
There for refuge will I fly
From the ruin of that eye;
Yet this heart with love will glow
Mid the northern mountains' snow,
On the Chactaws' southern plain
Feel the chill of cold disdain.
AZÂKIA.
Why, ungrateful youth, ah! whyMust the poor Azâkia die!
If you leave this blissful plain,
Never shall we meet again.
Tho' to great Ouâbi true,
Yet this soul resides with you;
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While the body wastes to air.
Not the golden source of light,
Not the silver queen of night,
Not the placid morning dream,
Not the tree-reflecting stream,
Ever can a charm display,
When thy heav'nly form's away.
E'en while she spake the great Ouâbi came,
Celario's cheek betrays the conscious glow;
But chaste Azâkia, pure from ev'ry shame,
Nor checks her tears, nor hides her blameless woe.
Celario's cheek betrays the conscious glow;
But chaste Azâkia, pure from ev'ry shame,
Nor checks her tears, nor hides her blameless woe.
With soften'd accent, and expressive eye,
The faultless chief regards her quiv'ring fear,
His gentle voice repels the swelling sigh,
His fond endearment stops the rolling tear.
The faultless chief regards her quiv'ring fear,
His gentle voice repels the swelling sigh,
His fond endearment stops the rolling tear.
Celario listens with averted mien,
Struck to the soul, by secret guilt oppress'd,
In sullen silence wanders round the green,
While the soft sorrower all her grief express'd.
Struck to the soul, by secret guilt oppress'd,
In sullen silence wanders round the green,
While the soft sorrower all her grief express'd.
AZÂKIA.
Far from Azâkia's kindly eyesThe lov'd, the lost Celario flies:
For other friends desires to roam,
And scorns Ouâbi's lib'ral home!
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OUÂBI.
Dear youth, by bounteous nature blest,
Thou chosen brother of my breast,
What other friends can claim thy care,
For who can hold thee half so dear!
Does not the chain of friendship bind
Thy virtues with Ouâbi's mind!
And this warm heart's expanding flame,
Still kindle at Celario's name!
My faithful warriors all are thine,
And all thy treach'rous foes are mine.
Perhaps some wrong, thy soul disdains,
Disgusts thee to these hated plains;
By yon bright ruler of the skies,
The wretch, who wrong'd thee, surely dies.
Thou chosen brother of my breast,
What other friends can claim thy care,
For who can hold thee half so dear!
Does not the chain of friendship bind
Thy virtues with Ouâbi's mind!
And this warm heart's expanding flame,
Still kindle at Celario's name!
My faithful warriors all are thine,
And all thy treach'rous foes are mine.
Perhaps some wrong, thy soul disdains,
Disgusts thee to these hated plains;
By yon bright ruler of the skies,
The wretch, who wrong'd thee, surely dies.
The strength'ned foe their arms prepare,
Tomorrow leads me to the war;
This night we claim thee, as a guest,
To join the sacred warrior-feast.
While danger all my steps attend,
Let mild Azâkia find a friend.
Tomorrow leads me to the war;
This night we claim thee, as a guest,
To join the sacred warrior-feast.
While danger all my steps attend,
Let mild Azâkia find a friend.
CELARIO.
Native reason's piercing eye,Melting pity's tender sigh,
Changeless virtue's living flame,
Meek contentment, free from blame,
Open friendship's gen'rous care,
Ev'ry boon of life is here!
28
Loaths the morning's purple ray,
And the azure hour of rest
Plants a scorpion in my breast;
But I'll with thee to the war,
Only solace for my care:
Tho' I cannot heave the blow,
Yet will bend the supple bow,
Fatal to the flying foe.
OUÂBI.
Yes! and that great, undaunted mind,With equal strength and vigor join'd,
Would lead thee with regardless haste
Thro' yon illimitable waste;
But yet thy wounded body spare,
Unfit to meet the toils of war;
Unfit the ambush'd chiefs to find,
To follow swifter than the wind,
Or, if by num'rous foes subdued,
To fly within the tangling wood:
With my Azâkia then remain,
'Till her lov'd warrior comes again.
Thus great Ouâbi sooths with gentle care
The guilty anguish of Celario's breast,
Dissuades his purpose from the coming war,
And calms his stormy passions into rest.
The guilty anguish of Celario's breast,
Dissuades his purpose from the coming war,
And calms his stormy passions into rest.
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Now the brave hero seeks the distant foe,
And leads his warriors with unequall'd grace,
Adorn'd with paint their martial bodies glow,
A firm, unconquer'd, unforgiving race.
And leads his warriors with unequall'd grace,
Adorn'd with paint their martial bodies glow,
A firm, unconquer'd, unforgiving race.
Such as when Julius sought Britannia's plain,
With fearless step approach'd her pensile shore,
Whose naked limbs the varying colours stain,
Who dare the war, and scorn the conq'ror's pow'r.
With fearless step approach'd her pensile shore,
Whose naked limbs the varying colours stain,
Who dare the war, and scorn the conq'ror's pow'r.
Mean time Azâkia for her sachem mourns,
Her troubled heart to ceaseless pangs resign'd;
Now to Celario's ardent love returns,
Now native virtue brightens in her mind.
Her troubled heart to ceaseless pangs resign'd;
Now to Celario's ardent love returns,
Now native virtue brightens in her mind.
Unbending honor gains her spotless breast;
Forms the resolve to guard his fatal charms,
To seek some nymph with radiant beauty blest,
To win his love, and grace his envi'd arms.
Forms the resolve to guard his fatal charms,
To seek some nymph with radiant beauty blest,
To win his love, and grace his envi'd arms.
On the young ZISMA all her hopes repose,
Who next herself adorn'd the peopled glade;
Like the green bud beneath the op'ning rose,
With bright Azâkia shone the rising maid.
Who next herself adorn'd the peopled glade;
Like the green bud beneath the op'ning rose,
With bright Azâkia shone the rising maid.
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To the fair stranger gentle Zisma flies,
Prevents each wish, each luxury prepares,
Dwells on his beauties with unweari'd eyes,
And lures with siren voice his froward cares.
Prevents each wish, each luxury prepares,
Dwells on his beauties with unweari'd eyes,
And lures with siren voice his froward cares.
Much he admires, and much his soul approves;
But when was love by frigid prudence sway'd!
In the torn breast, which burning passion moves,
Can the cold law of reason be obey'd!
But when was love by frigid prudence sway'd!
In the torn breast, which burning passion moves,
Can the cold law of reason be obey'd!
Still to Azâkia all his thoughts retire,
Her slender form, her love-exciting face,
Her gentle voice, each tremb'ling nerve inspire,
And ev'ry smile robs Zisma of a grace.
Her slender form, her love-exciting face,
Her gentle voice, each tremb'ling nerve inspire,
And ev'ry smile robs Zisma of a grace.
Oft tears of transport from his eyes distil,
Oft rays of hope thro' dark'ning sorrows beam,
Now at her feet the subject of her will,
Now wild as loud Ontario's rushing stream.
Oft rays of hope thro' dark'ning sorrows beam,
Now at her feet the subject of her will,
Now wild as loud Ontario's rushing stream.
Revenge is a principle, in which they are very careful to educate their young warriors, considering it one of their first virtues; yet this revenge is rather a deliberate sentiment of the mind, than a rash ebullition of passion; for they suppose that a man who always feels a disposition to punish injuries, will not be readily inclined to commit them.
See Wm. Penn's Letters. | Ouâbi : or the virtues of nature | |