 | Poems on Several Occasions |  |
21
AMINTOR and ANNA.
Curst with a conscious feeling mind,
The poor Amintor lay,
Within a cheerless Jail confin'd,
And sigh'd his hours away.
The poor Amintor lay,
Within a cheerless Jail confin'd,
And sigh'd his hours away.
To save a friend of means bereft,
Amintor enter'd bail;
Friends oft prove false—Amintor's left
To languish in a jail.
Amintor enter'd bail;
Friends oft prove false—Amintor's left
To languish in a jail.
Where are those friends, Amintor, where
Your summer days could boast?
Like insects now they disappear,
Kill'd by a wint'ry frost.
Your summer days could boast?
Like insects now they disappear,
Kill'd by a wint'ry frost.
No friend, save one, now anxious came
To heal misfortune's wound:
That friend, true to his peace and fame,
Was in his Anna found.
To heal misfortune's wound:
That friend, true to his peace and fame,
Was in his Anna found.
Hymen and Cupid wove the chain,
That link'd her to his heart;
With her he half forgot his pain,
Nor felt Affliction's dart.
That link'd her to his heart;
With her he half forgot his pain,
Nor felt Affliction's dart.
Tho' all the charms that Beauty knows,
Were in her form exprest,
Yet faint her outward charms to those
That lodg'd within her breast.
Were in her form exprest,
Yet faint her outward charms to those
That lodg'd within her breast.
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Her words, sweet as when Peace is giv'n
To a departing soul,
Or angel-accents sent from heav'n,
Into his bosom stole.
To a departing soul,
Or angel-accents sent from heav'n,
Into his bosom stole.
“Cease, cease these unavailing sighs,
“Let Hope your brow unbend;
“Goodness supreme our patience tries,
“It strikes but to amend.
“Let Hope your brow unbend;
“Goodness supreme our patience tries,
“It strikes but to amend.
“Affliction's cloud once overblown,
“Joy, doubly Joy appears;
“The morn o'ercast, the noon-tide sun
“A stronger brightness wears.
“Joy, doubly Joy appears;
“The morn o'ercast, the noon-tide sun
“A stronger brightness wears.
“Virtue essay'd still mounts the higher,
“And nobler worth assumes;
“As gold, when dross-rid by the fire,
“More pure and bright becomes.
“And nobler worth assumes;
“As gold, when dross-rid by the fire,
“More pure and bright becomes.
“While innocence and goodness reign
“In my Amintor's breast,
“Our fate with courage we'll sustain,
“And leave to heav'n the rest.”
“In my Amintor's breast,
“Our fate with courage we'll sustain,
“And leave to heav'n the rest.”
Chearful with him, she still appears
The messenger of Hope;—
When from him—to her smother'd tears,
She gives a boundless scope.
The messenger of Hope;—
When from him—to her smother'd tears,
She gives a boundless scope.
The rose, that erst with blooming grace
Had with the lilly shone,
By Grief was wither'd:—In her face
The lilly reign'd alone.
Had with the lilly shone,
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The lilly reign'd alone.
Their loves one darling babe had crown'd,
His parents best delight;
The only comfort Anna found
Each lonely widow'd night.
His parents best delight;
The only comfort Anna found
Each lonely widow'd night.
Like Magdalen, all radiant Grace,
The Smiler at her breast,
She oft with bended eye wou'd trace
Amintor's self imprest;
The Smiler at her breast,
She oft with bended eye wou'd trace
Amintor's self imprest;
Then—eager clasp, and gaze and weep,
And pour the honey'd kiss,
Whilst sad remembrance pierc'd full deep,
With scenes of bury'd bliss.
And pour the honey'd kiss,
Whilst sad remembrance pierc'd full deep,
With scenes of bury'd bliss.
Soon as the lark salutes the day,
Each morning Anna flies,
To chase corroding spleen away,
And bless Amintor's eyes.
Each morning Anna flies,
To chase corroding spleen away,
And bless Amintor's eyes.
A long, long day—No Anna's seen;—
Her absence causes dread;
When silent, Grief cuts far more keen—
She presses a sick bed.
Her absence causes dread;
When silent, Grief cuts far more keen—
She presses a sick bed.
The tidings brought, he raving cries,
“Oh wretch accurst!—For Thee,
“For Thee the faithful Anna dies,
“Her fated end I see.
“Oh wretch accurst!—For Thee,
“For Thee the faithful Anna dies,
“Her fated end I see.
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“'Tis thy accursed hand that throws
“The deadly murd'rous dart,
“'Tis Thou art author of her woes;
“Thou, Thou hast broke her heart.”—
“The deadly murd'rous dart,
“'Tis Thou art author of her woes;
“Thou, Thou hast broke her heart.”—
No more, Amintor, now complain,
Thy Anna's amply blest;
Of Fortune and her glitt'ring train,
To utmost wish possest:
Thy Anna's amply blest;
Of Fortune and her glitt'ring train,
To utmost wish possest:
A kinsman Carle, whose griping hand,
When living was unkind,
Dying, bequeath'd her all his land,
Sore griev'd 'twas left behind.
When living was unkind,
Dying, bequeath'd her all his land,
Sore griev'd 'twas left behind.
From her forsaken couch she springs,
And low, enraptur'd bends—
Whilst on rejoicing Angels wings,
Her gratitude ascends.
And low, enraptur'd bends—
Whilst on rejoicing Angels wings,
Her gratitude ascends.
“Thanks, thanks, all gracious Heav'n!—Oh, grant,
“This flood of joy I bear;
“Thy mercy sends me all I want,
“Henceforth I'll not despair.
“This flood of joy I bear;
“Thy mercy sends me all I want,
“Henceforth I'll not despair.
“Is Anna then ordain'd to give
“Amintor liberty?
“For his lov'd sake I wish to live,
“For him well pleas'd wou'd die.”
“Amintor liberty?
“For his lov'd sake I wish to live,
“For him well pleas'd wou'd die.”
To Providence the grateful tear
Bursts from her uprais'd eyes;
Nor hecatombs to Heav'n appear,
Such pleasing sacrifice.
Bursts from her uprais'd eyes;
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Such pleasing sacrifice.
How faint the richest diamonds show!
How languid all their fires!
To those in Beauty's eyes which glow,
When virtuous Joy inspires?
How languid all their fires!
To those in Beauty's eyes which glow,
When virtuous Joy inspires?
With transport wild, she eager flew
To make Amintor blest:
She saw Amintor—Thrilling view!
In shrouded garment drest.
To make Amintor blest:
She saw Amintor—Thrilling view!
In shrouded garment drest.
Frantic that morn he rav'd—“I ne'er
“Shall Anna see again;”
He falls a prey to black Despair;
His heart-strings burst in twain.
“Shall Anna see again;”
He falls a prey to black Despair;
His heart-strings burst in twain.
The weakness which from Virtue grows,
Can Justice faulty deem?—
Such weakness Virtue only knows,
When Virtue's in extreme.
Can Justice faulty deem?—
Such weakness Virtue only knows,
When Virtue's in extreme.
Let callous bosoms moralize,
And frigid rules lay down,
They feel not who are over-wise,
Or dart the Stoic frown.
And frigid rules lay down,
They feel not who are over-wise,
Or dart the Stoic frown.
Like Niobe a while she stands,
Then sinks upon the floor,
She lifts her eyes—She wrings her hands,
And never rises more.—
Then sinks upon the floor,
She lifts her eyes—She wrings her hands,
And never rises more.—
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One such example here below,
(In heav'n let Virtue trust)
Does an hereafter plainly show;
God cannot be unjust.
(In heav'n let Virtue trust)
Does an hereafter plainly show;
God cannot be unjust.
| Poems on Several Occasions | |