 | Miscellaneous poems |  |
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MARIA.
NOT A FICTION.
Daughters of vanity, attend;
Ye sons of riot, hear
The lovely, lost Maria's end,
And drop a silent tear.
Ye sons of riot, hear
The lovely, lost Maria's end,
And drop a silent tear.
List to the solemn passing bell,
On the dead silence fall,
In awful notes that seem to tell,
This is the end of all.
On the dead silence fall,
In awful notes that seem to tell,
This is the end of all.
Maria once was young and gay,
In beauty's bloom and pride;
Sweet as the fragrant breath of May,
And innocent beside.
In beauty's bloom and pride;
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And innocent beside.
Her form was faultless, and her mind,
Untainted yet by art,
Was noble, just, humane and kind,
And virtue warm'd her heart.
Untainted yet by art,
Was noble, just, humane and kind,
And virtue warm'd her heart.
But ah, the cruel spoiler came,
Admir'd her charms and youth:
He feign'd to feel love's pow'rful flame,
And vow'd eternal truth.
Admir'd her charms and youth:
He feign'd to feel love's pow'rful flame,
And vow'd eternal truth.
Free from disguise herself, she thought
Her lover as sincere;
To hide her tenderness ne'er sought,
But told it without fear.
Her lover as sincere;
To hide her tenderness ne'er sought,
But told it without fear.
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She said she lov'd, one fatal hour;
The villain, pleas'd to find
The lovely creature in his power,
Poison'd her artless mind.
The villain, pleas'd to find
The lovely creature in his power,
Poison'd her artless mind.
He talk'd of bonds by nature made,
The dearest of all ties;
The heedless girl, by love betray'd,
Believ'd his specious lies.
The dearest of all ties;
The heedless girl, by love betray'd,
Believ'd his specious lies.
Her honour gone, reduc'd to shame,
He leaves the ruin'd fair:
Unmanly boaster—blasts her fame,
And laughs at her despair.
He leaves the ruin'd fair:
Unmanly boaster—blasts her fame,
And laughs at her despair.
Her father hear'd the horrid tale;
Anger inflam'd his breast;
Repentant pray'rs would nought avail;
All nature was suppress'd.
Anger inflam'd his breast;
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All nature was suppress'd.
In vain with tears she bath'd his feet,
And vow'd to err no more:
He said her home should be the street,
And thrust her from his door.
And vow'd to err no more:
He said her home should be the street,
And thrust her from his door.
Her sex her miseries insult;
Contempt she meets from all;
Some boast their virtue, and exult
In poor Maria's fall.
Contempt she meets from all;
Some boast their virtue, and exult
In poor Maria's fall.
Wretched, forsaken, and undone;
No friend to take her part,
To teach her future crimes to shun,
Or sooth her aching heart;
No friend to take her part,
To teach her future crimes to shun,
Or sooth her aching heart;
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At first, oh! horrible to name!
She's infamous for bread,
Till, lost to every sense of shame,
She meets it without dread.
She's infamous for bread,
Till, lost to every sense of shame,
She meets it without dread.
Awhile in Folly's giddy maze,
Thoughtless, her time she spends;
While pleasure seems to wait her days,
And by each step attends.
Thoughtless, her time she spends;
While pleasure seems to wait her days,
And by each step attends.
But vice soon robb'd her lovely face
Of all its wonted bloom,
While black remorse and pale disease
Her tender frame consume.
Of all its wonted bloom,
While black remorse and pale disease
Her tender frame consume.
That bloom she now supplies by art,
And cheerfulness she feigns;
But still her lacerated heart
Feels agonizing pains.
And cheerfulness she feigns;
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Feels agonizing pains.
Cold blew the wind; descending snow
Clad nature all in white;
Maria, now the child of woe,
Brav'd the tempestuous night.
Clad nature all in white;
Maria, now the child of woe,
Brav'd the tempestuous night.
Passing her vile betrayer's door,
The sight past scenes recalls:
With tears her languid eyes run o'er;
Low on the ground she falls.
The sight past scenes recalls:
With tears her languid eyes run o'er;
Low on the ground she falls.
“And must these steps,” she weeping cried,
“Support my aching head?
Oh! would to Heav'n that I had died,
Ere innocence was fled.
“Support my aching head?
Oh! would to Heav'n that I had died,
Ere innocence was fled.
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And thou, false man, whose specious lies
My easy heart did gain;
Come, see the lost Maria dies,
Through famine, grief and pain.
My easy heart did gain;
Come, see the lost Maria dies,
Through famine, grief and pain.
Oh come, and take my parting sigh,
And hear me vow to Heaven,
As I forgive thee, so may I,
Hereafter be forgiven.
And hear me vow to Heaven,
As I forgive thee, so may I,
Hereafter be forgiven.
But oh, my father! nature sure
Might plead within thy breast;
Why didst thou thrust me from thy door?
Why leave me when distress'd?
Might plead within thy breast;
Why didst thou thrust me from thy door?
Why leave me when distress'd?
Hadst thou but pardon'd my first fault,
Hadst thou but been my friend,
I'd ne'er through grief and shame been brought,
To this untimely end.
Hadst thou but been my friend,
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To this untimely end.
Or had some gen'rous woman strove,
A fallen wretch to raise,
I now, with gratitude and love,
Had liv'd to speak her praise.”
A fallen wretch to raise,
I now, with gratitude and love,
Had liv'd to speak her praise.”
A poor man passing, heard her mourn,
But little was his store;
He thought, to share it, in return
Just Heav'n would give him more.
But little was his store;
He thought, to share it, in return
Just Heav'n would give him more.
He gently rais'd her on her feet,
And led her to his home;
A poor straw bed, and matted seat,
Were all that grac'd the room.
And led her to his home;
A poor straw bed, and matted seat,
Were all that grac'd the room.
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Some milk with hand humane he brought,
And cheer'd the dying fair;
With pious pray'rs to sooth her sought,
And chac'd away despair.
And cheer'd the dying fair;
With pious pray'rs to sooth her sought,
And chac'd away despair.
Bless! bless him, Heav'n! for what he's done!
For I've no power, she cried:
The accent falter'd on her tongue;
She grasp'd his hand, and died.
For I've no power, she cried:
The accent falter'd on her tongue;
She grasp'd his hand, and died.
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