Poems and Plays by Mr. Jerningham. In Four Volumes ... The Ninth Edition |
 | 1. |
 |
THE VENETIAN MARRIAGE. |
| II. |
| IV. |
 | Poems and Plays |  |
120
THE VENETIAN MARRIAGE.
The western sun's expiring ray
To Venice gave a milder day;
Till by degrees the ling'ring light
Serenely soften'd into night.
Camilla then, with fearful soul,
To th' Adriatic margin stole,
Where in a bark, at Love's command,
Placentio took his faithful stand:
Possessing now his future bride,
He bade the bark securely glide,
Which far unlike that gally show'd
That down the silver Cydnus row'd,
Beneath whose purple sails were seen
Proud Ostentation's gaudy Queen,
Who sure of conquest, vain of mind,
All languishingly lay reclin'd!
Here Beauty undefil'd by art,
Whose bosom own'd a tender heart,
Beneath the sails from home remov'd,
And trusted to the man she lov'd.
To Venice gave a milder day;
Till by degrees the ling'ring light
Serenely soften'd into night.
Camilla then, with fearful soul,
To th' Adriatic margin stole,
Where in a bark, at Love's command,
Placentio took his faithful stand:
Possessing now his future bride,
He bade the bark securely glide,
Which far unlike that gally show'd
That down the silver Cydnus row'd,
Beneath whose purple sails were seen
Proud Ostentation's gaudy Queen,
121
All languishingly lay reclin'd!
Here Beauty undefil'd by art,
Whose bosom own'd a tender heart,
Beneath the sails from home remov'd,
And trusted to the man she lov'd.
A soothing calmness lull'd the deep,
And hush'd each wavy surge to sleep:
The air along the sultry day,
Scorch'd by the summer's fervent ray,
Was freshen'd by a recent show'r,
While silence solemniz'd the hour.
And hush'd each wavy surge to sleep:
The air along the sultry day,
Scorch'd by the summer's fervent ray,
Was freshen'd by a recent show'r,
While silence solemniz'd the hour.
The still solemnity impress'd
With awful thoughts Camilla's breast:
For now by prompting Love impell'd,
Now by Timidity withheld,
The words she to her lips applied
Recoil'd, and unaccented died.
Placentio too, alike subdued,
They sail'd along in silent mood,
And stillness reign'd from shore to shore,
Unbroke—but by the dashing oar.
With awful thoughts Camilla's breast:
For now by prompting Love impell'd,
Now by Timidity withheld,
The words she to her lips applied
Recoil'd, and unaccented died.
122
They sail'd along in silent mood,
And stillness reign'd from shore to shore,
Unbroke—but by the dashing oar.
At length the Fair dissolv'd the charm—
‘Ah, wonder not I feel alarm:
‘Confiding in thy love I came,
‘And risk'd for thee my virgin fame:
‘Ah tell me to what place we sail,
‘For in my bosom fears prevail:—
‘Yet answer not this idle fear,
‘Where'er thou art, bright Honour's there.’
‘Ah, wonder not I feel alarm:
‘Confiding in thy love I came,
‘And risk'd for thee my virgin fame:
‘Ah tell me to what place we sail,
‘For in my bosom fears prevail:—
‘Yet answer not this idle fear,
‘Where'er thou art, bright Honour's there.’
‘The plan I form,’ the Youth replied,
‘To Innocence is close allied,
‘And fearful of thy virgin fame
‘As of her babe the tender dame.
‘—These waves, that wander to the sea,
‘Wash in their pilgrimage a tree,
‘Which spreads its lowly branches wide,
‘And dips them in the passing tide:
‘There, in a shed compos'd of reeds,
‘An aged hermit tells his beads:
‘He, gen'rous Sage! will join our hands
‘In wedlock's unremitting bands.
‘Then to Valclusa we'll repair,
‘Where Laura's soul informs the air:
‘Where Petrarch's spirit hovers round,
‘The guardian of the sacred ground,
‘Forbidding still the fiend of art,
‘That shrewd perverter of the heart,
‘The snake, Inconstancy, to rove
‘Within the paradise of Love.
‘To Innocence is close allied,
‘And fearful of thy virgin fame
‘As of her babe the tender dame.
‘—These waves, that wander to the sea,
‘Wash in their pilgrimage a tree,
123
‘And dips them in the passing tide:
‘There, in a shed compos'd of reeds,
‘An aged hermit tells his beads:
‘He, gen'rous Sage! will join our hands
‘In wedlock's unremitting bands.
‘Then to Valclusa we'll repair,
‘Where Laura's soul informs the air:
‘Where Petrarch's spirit hovers round,
‘The guardian of the sacred ground,
‘Forbidding still the fiend of art,
‘That shrewd perverter of the heart,
‘The snake, Inconstancy, to rove
‘Within the paradise of Love.
‘As when the winter's storms are fled
‘The fearful snow-drop lifts her head,
‘So may that whiter flow'r, thy breast,
‘Wake into life, from fears releas'd,
‘Mild as these twilight breezes blow,
‘Still as the waves on which we flow!’
‘The fearful snow-drop lifts her head,
‘So may that whiter flow'r, thy breast,
‘Wake into life, from fears releas'd,
124
‘Still as the waves on which we flow!’
‘Ye walls where first I drew the air!’
Return'd (assur'd) the beauteous Fair;
‘Ye turrets which but dimly seen
‘Encrease the terrour of the scene!
‘Ye stately tow'rs! and rising spires!
‘From you Camilla now retires.
‘Thou tomb whose pious urn contains
‘My sacred Parents' cold remains!
‘Ye partners of my tender years,
‘Whom youthful sympathy endears!
‘Ye joys that crown my native coast!—
‘Well for Placentio all are lost.’
Return'd (assur'd) the beauteous Fair;
‘Ye turrets which but dimly seen
‘Encrease the terrour of the scene!
‘Ye stately tow'rs! and rising spires!
‘From you Camilla now retires.
‘Thou tomb whose pious urn contains
‘My sacred Parents' cold remains!
‘Ye partners of my tender years,
‘Whom youthful sympathy endears!
‘Ye joys that crown my native coast!—
‘Well for Placentio all are lost.’
She ceas'd—and on her pensive soul
Again an awful musing stole,
Such as the twilight scene excites,
Such as the feeling heart delights;
For as the coy nocturnal flow'r
No more its sweets at eve withholds,
So the meek heart at th' evening hour
Its sensibility unfolds.
Again an awful musing stole,
Such as the twilight scene excites,
Such as the feeling heart delights;
125
No more its sweets at eve withholds,
So the meek heart at th' evening hour
Its sensibility unfolds.
The mild enlivener of the night
Now yields her kind directing light!
As from the wood's deep bosom sprung,
Her sober radiance round she flung,
The trees that slept along the shore
With light's soft veil she mantled o'er;
The bending tow'r of old renown
She rounded with a silver crown:
The antique fane now rose to view,
Envelop'd in the purest hue:
Behold the lustre spreading wide
Illuminates the ocean-tide,
While placid beams serenely gay
Like star-drops on her bosom play!
This beauteous soul-subduing sight,
Diffusing round a calm delight,
With sympathetic touch imprest
The seat of Love, Placentio's breast:
‘Behold,’ he cried, with Pleasure's voice,
‘Thou Beauty's flow'r, Affection's choice!
‘Behold how Nature decks the night,
‘And cloaths her scenes with vestal light!
‘Methinks kind Heav'n displays its pow'r
‘To decorate thy nuptial hour.’
Now yields her kind directing light!
As from the wood's deep bosom sprung,
Her sober radiance round she flung,
The trees that slept along the shore
With light's soft veil she mantled o'er;
The bending tow'r of old renown
She rounded with a silver crown:
The antique fane now rose to view,
Envelop'd in the purest hue:
Behold the lustre spreading wide
Illuminates the ocean-tide,
While placid beams serenely gay
Like star-drops on her bosom play!
126
Diffusing round a calm delight,
With sympathetic touch imprest
The seat of Love, Placentio's breast:
‘Behold,’ he cried, with Pleasure's voice,
‘Thou Beauty's flow'r, Affection's choice!
‘Behold how Nature decks the night,
‘And cloaths her scenes with vestal light!
‘Methinks kind Heav'n displays its pow'r
‘To decorate thy nuptial hour.’
At length they reach the sacred cell
Where Wisdom, Peace, and Virtue dwell;
There, bent beneath the weight of age,
They find prepar'd th' expecting Sage.
He hail'd them in a friendly tone,
And bade them call his cell their own:
Where rose an altar form'd of moss,
Crown'd with a simple wooden cross!
There too a taper, mildly bright,
Supplied a pompous glare of light.
No holy relick rich-enchas'd
This humble low-roof'd temple grac'd:
But flowrets from the neighb'ring wood
The unambitious altar strew'd:
For incense they exhal'd perfume,
For ornament they gave their bloom.
Where Wisdom, Peace, and Virtue dwell;
There, bent beneath the weight of age,
They find prepar'd th' expecting Sage.
He hail'd them in a friendly tone,
And bade them call his cell their own:
Where rose an altar form'd of moss,
Crown'd with a simple wooden cross!
127
Supplied a pompous glare of light.
No holy relick rich-enchas'd
This humble low-roof'd temple grac'd:
But flowrets from the neighb'ring wood
The unambitious altar strew'd:
For incense they exhal'd perfume,
For ornament they gave their bloom.
The Hermit spoke—‘Hail, virtuous pair,
‘May sorrow now your bosom spare!
‘Tho' youth be yours, yet well I know
‘You've tasted deep of human woe:
‘Control, and Art, and Baseness join'd
‘To cancel what your hearts design'd:
‘But now Misfortune's reign is o'er,
‘And Pleasure opens all her store.’
‘May sorrow now your bosom spare!
‘Tho' youth be yours, yet well I know
‘You've tasted deep of human woe:
‘Control, and Art, and Baseness join'd
‘To cancel what your hearts design'd:
‘But now Misfortune's reign is o'er,
‘And Pleasure opens all her store.’
See now the youthful Pair unite
To meet the hymeneal rite:
Pronouncing, as they lowly bow,
Warm from the heart, the hallow'd vow:
At length the Hermit joins their hands
In willing and unvenal bands,
Unspotted bands! which mutual Love,
And Confidence, and Virtue wove.
To meet the hymeneal rite:
128
Warm from the heart, the hallow'd vow:
At length the Hermit joins their hands
In willing and unvenal bands,
Unspotted bands! which mutual Love,
And Confidence, and Virtue wove.
| Poems and Plays | |