• While Guilford's wife: thee rather I obey,"
· Than o'er mankind extend imperial sway.
• When we lie down in fome obfcure retreat,
• Incens'd Maria may her rage forget; ›

And I to death my duty will improve,

L

• And what you miss in empire add in love !--don't
Your godlike foul is open'd in your look,

• And I have faintly your great meaning spoke. - Wat
For this alone I'm pleas'd I wore the crown,
To find with what content we lay it down.
Heroes may win, but 'tis a heav'nly 'race
• Can quit a throne with a becoming grace.'

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K

Thus fpoke the fairest of her fex, and chear'd bee
Her drooping lord, whofe boding bofom fear'd
A darker cloud of ills would burst, and shed
Severer vengeance on her guiltless head.
Too juft, alas! the terrors which he felt;
For, lo! a guard !-forgive him if he melt-
How fharp her pangs, when fever'd from his fide!
The most fincerely lov'd and loving bride
In fpace confin'd, the Mufe forbears to tell ;
Deep was her anguish, but fhe bore it well:
His pain was equal, but his virtue lefs ;
He thought in grief there could be no excefs.
Penfive he fat, o'ercaft with gloomy care,
And often fondly clafp'd his abfent fair;
Now, filent, wander'd thro' his rooms of ftate,
And ficken'd at the pomp, and tax'd his fate,
Which thus adorn'd, in all her fhining ftore, to
A fplendid wretch, magnificently poor.
Now on the bridal-bed his eyes were caft,
And anguish fed on his enjoyments past;"
Each recollected pleasure made him smart,
And ev'ry transport stabb'd him to the heart.

That happy moon which fummon'd to delight, That moon which fhone on his dear nuptial night!

Which saw him fold her yet untasted charms,
(Deny'd to princes) in his longing arms;
Now fees the tranfient bleffing fleet away,
Empire and love, the vifion of a day!

I

Thus, in the British clime, a fummer-storm
Will oft the fmiling face of heav'n deform;
The winds with violence at once defcend,
Sweep flow'rs and fruits, and make the foreft bend
A fudden winter, while the fun is near,
O'ercomes the season, and inverts the year.
But whither is the captive borne away,
The beautecus captive from the chearful day?
The scene is chang'd, indeed! before her eyes
Ill-boding looks and unknown horrors rife ;
For pomp and splendour, for her guard and crown,
A gloomy dungeon, and a keeper's frown:
Black thoughts, each morn, invade the lover's breast;
Each night a ruffian locks the queen to rest.

Ah, mournful change, if judg'd by vulgar minds!
But Suffolk's daughter it's advantage finds.
Religion's force divine is beft difplay'd

In deep desertion of all human aid:

To fuccour in extremes is her delight,

And chear the heart when terror strikes the fight.
We, disbelieving our own fenfes, gaze,

And wonder what a mortal's heart can raife b

To triumph o'er misfortunes, fmile in grief.3 9.ÅÏ
And comfort those who come to bring relief:

We gaze; and, as we gaze, wealth, fame, decay,powd
And all the world's vain glories fade away!
Against her cares the rais'd a dauntless mind;

And with an ardent heart, but most resign'd,
Deep in the dreadful gloom, with pious heat,
Amid the filence of her dark retreat,

Addrefs'd her God— Almighty Pow'r Divine run dow 'Tis thine to raise, and to deprefs is thine

• With honour to light up the name unknown,
Or to put out the luftre of a throne.

In my short fpan, both fortunes I have prov'd;
And tho' with ill frail nature will be mov'd,

I'll bear it well (O ftrengthen me to bear!)
And if my piety may claim thy care;
If I remember'd, in youth's giddy heat,
⚫ And tumult of a court, a future ftate,
• O favour, when thy mercy I implore,

For one who never guilty fceptre bore !
• 'Twas I receiv'd the crown; my lord is free:
If it must fall, let vengeance fall on me ;
Let him furvive, his country's name to raise,
And in a guilty land to speak thy praise!
O may th' indulgence of a father's love,,
Pour'd forth on me, be doubled from above!
• If these are safe, I'll think my pray'rs fucceed,
And bless thy tender mercies whilst I bleed.'
'Twas now the mournful eve before that day
In which the queen to her full wrath gave way;
Thro' rigid juftice rufh'd into offence,

And drank, in zeal, the blood of innocence.

The fun went down in clouds, and feem'd to mourn
The fad neceffity of his return;

The hollow wind, and melancholy rain,
Or did, or was imagin'd to complain;

The tapers caft an inauspicious light;

Stars there were none, and doubly dark the night.
Sweet Innocence in chains can take her rest;

Soft flumber gently creeping thro' her breast,
She finks; and in her fleep is re-enthron'd,

0 11

Mock'd by a gaudy dream, and vainly crown'd. Enz
She views her fleets and armies, feas and land,

And stretches wide her fhadow of command. :

With royal purple is her vifion hung;

By phantom hofts are shouts of conqueft rung;

Low

Low at her feet the fuppliant rival lies on note odv
Our pris'ner mourns her fate, and bids her rife. 20g mert
Now level beams upon the waters play'd; ohno zagiM
Glanc'd on the hills, and weftward caft the fhade;
The bufy trades in city had began r

To found, and fpeak the painful life of man. 91 sat. A

In tyrants breafts the thoughts of vengeance rouże,
And the fond bridegroom turns him to his fpoufe.

T

At this firft birth of light, while morning breaks, '
Our spouseless bride, our widow'd wife awakes a "no cl
Awakes and smiles; nor night's imposture blames ;⠀⠀⠀ I «A
Her real pomps were little more than dreams!

A short-liv'd blaze, a lightning quickly o'er,

That dy'd in birth, that fhone, and were no more!an: bmA She turns her fide, and foon refumes a state

Of mind well fuited to her alter'd fate;

Serene, tho' ferious; when dread tidings come

140

(Ah, wretched Guilford !) of her instant doom. Die 15.9 Sun, hide thy beams! in clouds as black as night

Thy face involve; be guiltless of the fight!

Or hafte more swiftly to the western main,

Nor let her blood the confcious day-light stain !etall¢ £ Oh, how fevere ! to fall fo new a bride,

Yet blushing from the priest, in youthful pride;

«S padh When Time had juft matur'd each perfect grace,find wor And open'd all the wonders of her face l To leave her Guilford dead to all relief, Fond of his woe, and obftinate in grief Unhappy fair! whatever fancy drew,

247

(Vain promis'd bleffings!) vanish from her view. do ha♪
No train of chearful days, endearing nights;
No fweet domeftick joys, and chafte delights;"
Pleasures that bløffom e'en from doubts and fears,
And blifs and rapture rifing out of cares:
No little Guilford, with paternal grace,
Lull'd on her knee, or fmiling in her face;

Who,

Who, when her dearest father fhall return,
From pouring tears on her untimely urn,
Might comfort to his filver hairs impart,
And fill her place in his indulgent heart;
As where fruits fall quick-rifing bloffoms fmile,
And the blefs'd Indian of his cares beguile.
In vain these various reafons jointly prefs
To blacken death, and heighten her distress;
She thro' th' encircling terrors darts her fight
To the blefs'd regions of eternal light,

And fills her foul with peace: to weeping friends.
Her father and her lord fhe recommends,
Unmov'd herself. Her foes her air furvey,

And rage to fee their malice thrown away.

She foars! now nought on earth detains her care-
But Guilford, who still struggles for his fhare:
Still will his form importunately rife,

Clog and retard her transport to the skies.
As trembling flames now take a feeble flight,
Now catch the brand with a returning light;
Thus her foul onward, from the seats above
Falls fondly back, and kindles into love.
At length fhe conquers in the doubtful field;
That Heav'n. fhe feeks will be her Guilford's field.
Now Death is welcome! his approach is flow;

'Tis tedious longer to expect the blow.

Oh, mortals! fhort of fight, who think the past
O'erblown misfortune ftill fhall prove the laft;
Alas! misfortunes travel in a train,
And oft in life form one perpetual chain;
Fear buries fear, and ills on ills attend,

Till life and forrow meet one common end.

She thinks that she has nought but death to fear, And death is conquer'd. Worfe than death is near: Her rigid trials are not yet compleat ;

The news arrives of her great father's fate. 3 I

She