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An Epistle from Alexias, a noble
Roman, to his wife, whom he left on
his wedding-day, with a design to visit
the eastern churches.
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 | The miscellaneous works (1739) |  |
An Epistle from Alexias, a noble Roman, to his wife, whom he left on his wedding-day, with a design to visit the eastern churches.
All health to thee, still dearer than my life,
My lovely mistress, and more charming wife!
Warn'd by a heav'nly vision from thy bed,
And tender arms, yet unenjoy'd, I fled.
Haste, cries the shining form, without pretence,
Astonish'd man, 'tis heav'n commands thee hence;
The mighty message leaves thee no defence.
Haste, and the rest to providence resign,
This deed shall in immortal legends shine.
My lovely mistress, and more charming wife!
Warn'd by a heav'nly vision from thy bed,
And tender arms, yet unenjoy'd, I fled.
151
Astonish'd man, 'tis heav'n commands thee hence;
The mighty message leaves thee no defence.
Haste, and the rest to providence resign,
This deed shall in immortal legends shine.
Mute with surprize, I took my sudden flight,
Assisted by the covert of the night.
The friendly pow'r conducts me to the shore
Of those lov'd regions I must view no more;
The winds to sea the destin'd vessel bore.
The deep, and all its stormy dangers past,
We reach the happy Asian coasts at last:
To all the Christian churches there as sent,
With pious zeal to visit them I went.
Assisted by the covert of the night.
The friendly pow'r conducts me to the shore
Of those lov'd regions I must view no more;
The winds to sea the destin'd vessel bore.
The deep, and all its stormy dangers past,
We reach the happy Asian coasts at last:
To all the Christian churches there as sent,
With pious zeal to visit them I went.
Another heav'nly charge constrains me then
To quit the dear society of men;
In some remote and humble hermitage,
Far from the world to spend my blooming age.
Now thro' uncouth and pathless woods I stray,
Frequented only by the beasts of prey,
Who trembling haste at my approach away.
O'er Libya's scorching sands, or Scythian snows,
Undaunted, innocence and virtue goes.
All night, unguarded, in the woods I lie,
The stars my lamps, the clouds my canopy.
With wholesome fruits my hunger I suffice,
My thirst a bounteous silver spring supplies.
To heav'n alone in this retreat I live,
And all my hours to strict devotion give;
Deep contemplation, sacred hymns, and pray'r,
In solemn turns, my constant leisure share.
To quit the dear society of men;
In some remote and humble hermitage,
Far from the world to spend my blooming age.
Now thro' uncouth and pathless woods I stray,
Frequented only by the beasts of prey,
Who trembling haste at my approach away.
O'er Libya's scorching sands, or Scythian snows,
Undaunted, innocence and virtue goes.
All night, unguarded, in the woods I lie,
The stars my lamps, the clouds my canopy.
With wholesome fruits my hunger I suffice,
My thirst a bounteous silver spring supplies.
To heav'n alone in this retreat I live,
And all my hours to strict devotion give;
152
In solemn turns, my constant leisure share.
Sometimes, my sinking forces to renew,
The scenes of everlasting pain I view,
The dreadful fate to curst apostates due:
My shudd'ring fancy seeks the shades below,
The realms of death, and dismal seats of woe;
I trace the burning banks, the sulph'rous streams,
And tremble at the never-dying flames.
The scenes of everlasting pain I view,
The dreadful fate to curst apostates due:
My shudd'ring fancy seeks the shades below,
The realms of death, and dismal seats of woe;
I trace the burning banks, the sulph'rous streams,
And tremble at the never-dying flames.
A nobler view my virtue now excites,
And pleasure's charming name my soul invites;
The boundless joys, the crown, the vast reward,
In heav'n, for stedfast piety prepar'd.
My tow'ring thoughts in raptur'd sallies rove,
Thro' all the wide resplendent worlds above;
I view the inmost glories of the skies,
And paradise lies open to my eyes;
Whole floods of joy come pouring on my soul,
And high the flowing tides of pleasure roll.
And pleasure's charming name my soul invites;
The boundless joys, the crown, the vast reward,
In heav'n, for stedfast piety prepar'd.
My tow'ring thoughts in raptur'd sallies rove,
Thro' all the wide resplendent worlds above;
I view the inmost glories of the skies,
And paradise lies open to my eyes;
Whole floods of joy come pouring on my soul,
And high the flowing tides of pleasure roll.
These blissful prospects urge my virtue on,
No toil too great for an immortal crown!
No path that leads to happiness is hard,
Short the fatigue, eternal the reward!
The course of some few fleeting minutes o'er,
And I shall gain the long expected shore;
And from these dark tempestuous coasts remove
To the calm skies, and peaceful climes above.
No toil too great for an immortal crown!
No path that leads to happiness is hard,
Short the fatigue, eternal the reward!
The course of some few fleeting minutes o'er,
And I shall gain the long expected shore;
And from these dark tempestuous coasts remove
To the calm skies, and peaceful climes above.
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With transport there, with transport all divine,
My lov'd Emilia, shall my soul meet thine:
To endless years our raptures we'll improve,
And spend a whole eternity in love.
My lov'd Emilia, shall my soul meet thine:
To endless years our raptures we'll improve,
And spend a whole eternity in love.
| The miscellaneous works (1739) | |