Familiar letters and poems on several occasions By Mary Masters |
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An Epitaph found at Soulac, the Ancient Noviomagus,
a Town in Guienne, a Province of
France.
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 | Familiar letters and poems on several occasions |  |
An Epitaph found at Soulac, the Ancient Noviomagus, a Town in Guienne, a Province of France.
It is inscribed in Latin, that carries the Marks of Roman Antiquity; it is to be met with in M. de Lourbe's Chronique de Bourdelouse, p. 5. from thence it was translated into English by the Rev. Mr T---n, and versify'd at his Request as follows. D. M.
Stay Passenger, who curious art to know,
The most amazing Height of Human Woe!
Pity two faithful Lovers hapless Doom,
Who lie enclos'd within this Marble Tomb;
Here Marcus Lucius rests, and by his Side,
I Sardica am plac'd, ill-fated Bride!
Since this, my Love, will not our Griefs relate,
Oh, take from me the Story of our Fate.
His vital Breath he first receiv'd at Rome,
And sultry Africk was my native Home;
The Youth with Love, my blooming Form inspir'd,
And my fond Heart with mutual Love was fir'd.
Oh that I ne'er the tender Tye had known,
Or he not left fair Africk's Coast so soon;
For having bravely overcome his Foes,
He with the conq'ring Army homeward goes;
And I, that neither might be doom'd to grieve,
With dearer Lucius, my dear country leave;
But when embark'd, what dreadful Storms arise,
Darken the Day, and ruffle all the Skies!
Drove by its Force, to Pirates made a Prey,
We both are sold: But oh! a diff'rent Way;
To Noviomagus, now, a Slave I'm brought,
But Lucius by another Master bought:
Divided in our Lots; unequal Chance!
To Lusitania He, and I to France;
In various Seas, and to a distant Shore,
Eleven long Years he tugs the lab'ring Oar:
O vile employ!—My Love, approach more near,
While I thy hard, thy cruel Fate declare.
The most amazing Height of Human Woe!
291
Who lie enclos'd within this Marble Tomb;
Here Marcus Lucius rests, and by his Side,
I Sardica am plac'd, ill-fated Bride!
Since this, my Love, will not our Griefs relate,
Oh, take from me the Story of our Fate.
His vital Breath he first receiv'd at Rome,
And sultry Africk was my native Home;
The Youth with Love, my blooming Form inspir'd,
And my fond Heart with mutual Love was fir'd.
Oh that I ne'er the tender Tye had known,
Or he not left fair Africk's Coast so soon;
For having bravely overcome his Foes,
He with the conq'ring Army homeward goes;
And I, that neither might be doom'd to grieve,
With dearer Lucius, my dear country leave;
But when embark'd, what dreadful Storms arise,
Darken the Day, and ruffle all the Skies!
292
We both are sold: But oh! a diff'rent Way;
To Noviomagus, now, a Slave I'm brought,
But Lucius by another Master bought:
Divided in our Lots; unequal Chance!
To Lusitania He, and I to France;
In various Seas, and to a distant Shore,
Eleven long Years he tugs the lab'ring Oar:
O vile employ!—My Love, approach more near,
While I thy hard, thy cruel Fate declare.
To many Masters now he falls by Turns,
But, still a Slave, his wretched Bondage mourns.
One fav'ring Night he broke his Chains at last,
And to the Ocean's Side in secret past.
In Woods and Wilds at Liberty he roves,
And treads at large the unfrequented Groves;
Till, carelessly secure, too far he stray'd,
And by a Band of Thieves was Captive made.
Detain'd, alas! in their injurious Hands,
And forc'd to execute their base Commands:
By them he's Sold, after he'd borne a while,
Their harsh Injunctions, and their lawless Toil:
Sold to my Master's Son, whose Vessel near
To the Dalmatian Coast, then chanc'd to Steer;
To this lov'd Son my Master, ever kind,
Me for a Wife, at his return design'd.
He comes, I run, as Custom bids, to meet,
And with a Kiss th'intended Husband greet:
But his new Servant, following, near I view,
And stop, surpriz'd, as if the Man I knew;
Tho' pale and wasted, yet the much lov'd Face,
Through all the languid Lineaments I trace!
Tumultuous Joy, my flutt'ring Spirits press,
I faint, I almost die, with its Excess!
To my Support the ravish'd Lucius flies,
And dost thou live!—My long lost Dear he cries;
Struck with a Sight so strange, all stood amaz'd,
On him, on me, and on each other gaz'd;
Till by my Master's Order I relate,
The Story of our Love's disast'rous Fate:
The sad Narration, soft Compassion moves,
He hears, he pities, and will bless our Loves;
He kindly says that Lucius shall be mine,
And Marriage Rites our faithful Hands shall join;
O give me Joy! the happy Day is set,
'Tis come, the Feast prepar'd, our Friends are met;
At Dinner plac'd, and full of sweet Content;
But now attend the wonderful Event!
A youth in our adjoining Orchard sees
A perching Bird, among the neighb'ring Trees:
In the next House he stood,—his Bow he drew,
The fatal Arrow through the Casement flew;
Alas, for me, and this poor suff'ring dear!
Tears drown my Words!—Ah, Lucius, draw more near.
But, still a Slave, his wretched Bondage mourns.
One fav'ring Night he broke his Chains at last,
And to the Ocean's Side in secret past.
In Woods and Wilds at Liberty he roves,
And treads at large the unfrequented Groves;
Till, carelessly secure, too far he stray'd,
And by a Band of Thieves was Captive made.
293
And forc'd to execute their base Commands:
By them he's Sold, after he'd borne a while,
Their harsh Injunctions, and their lawless Toil:
Sold to my Master's Son, whose Vessel near
To the Dalmatian Coast, then chanc'd to Steer;
To this lov'd Son my Master, ever kind,
Me for a Wife, at his return design'd.
He comes, I run, as Custom bids, to meet,
And with a Kiss th'intended Husband greet:
But his new Servant, following, near I view,
And stop, surpriz'd, as if the Man I knew;
Tho' pale and wasted, yet the much lov'd Face,
Through all the languid Lineaments I trace!
Tumultuous Joy, my flutt'ring Spirits press,
I faint, I almost die, with its Excess!
To my Support the ravish'd Lucius flies,
And dost thou live!—My long lost Dear he cries;
294
On him, on me, and on each other gaz'd;
Till by my Master's Order I relate,
The Story of our Love's disast'rous Fate:
The sad Narration, soft Compassion moves,
He hears, he pities, and will bless our Loves;
He kindly says that Lucius shall be mine,
And Marriage Rites our faithful Hands shall join;
O give me Joy! the happy Day is set,
'Tis come, the Feast prepar'd, our Friends are met;
At Dinner plac'd, and full of sweet Content;
But now attend the wonderful Event!
A youth in our adjoining Orchard sees
A perching Bird, among the neighb'ring Trees:
In the next House he stood,—his Bow he drew,
The fatal Arrow through the Casement flew;
295
Tears drown my Words!—Ah, Lucius, draw more near.
While now we feast, with innocent Delight,
He shoots, and kills us in each other's Sight.
We both are struck with one relentless Dart,
Which pierc'd with deadly Point thro' either Heart;
To us at last this dreadful Chance befel,
And is, I think, what Sardica would tell.
He shoots, and kills us in each other's Sight.
We both are struck with one relentless Dart,
Which pierc'd with deadly Point thro' either Heart;
To us at last this dreadful Chance befel,
And is, I think, what Sardica would tell.
| Familiar letters and poems on several occasions | |