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Next morn he wak'd her with a song,

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Behold," he said, "the new-born day!

The lark his matin peal has rung,

Arise, my love, and come away."

Together through the fields they stray'd,
And to the murm'ring riv'let's side;
Renew'd their vows, and hopp'd and play'd,
With honest joy and decent pride.

When oh! with grief the Muse relates
The mournful sequel of my tale;

Sent by an order from the fates,
A gunner met them in the vale.

Alarm'd, the lover cry'd, "My dear,
Haste, haste away, from danger fly;
Here, gunner, point thy thunder here;
O spare my love, and let me die."

At him the gunner took his aim;

His aim, alas! was all too true: O! had he chose some other game!

Or shot as he was wont to do!

Divided pair! forgive the wrong,
While I with tears your fate rehearse;

I'll join the widow's plaintive song,

And save the lover in my verse.

THE SWALLOWS.

By the Rev. RICHARD JAGO, M.A.

IN TWO PARTS.

PART I.

WRITTEN SEPTEMBER, MDCCXLVIII.

ERE yellow Autumn from our plains retir'd, And gave to wintry storms the varied year, The Swallow race, with foresight clear inspir'd,

To Southern climes prepar'd their course to

steer.

On DAMON's roof a grave assembly sat;

His roof, a refuge to the feather'd kind; With serious look he mark'd the nice debate,

And to his DELIA thus address'd his mind,

Observe yon twitt'ring flock, my gentle maid,

Observe, and read the wondrous ways of heav'n! With us through summer's genial reign they staid, And food and lodging to their wants were giv❜n:

But now, through sacred prescience, well they The near approach of elemental strife; [know The blustry tempest, and the chilling snow,

With every want and scourge of tender life!

Thus taught, they meditate a speedy flight;

For this ev'n now they prune their vig'rous For this consult, advise, prepare, excite, [wing; And prove their strength in many an airy ring.

No sorrow loads their breast, or swells their eye, To quit their friendly haunts, or native home; Nor fear they, launching on the boundless sky,

In search of future settlements to roam.

They feel a pow'r, an impulse all divine!

That warns them hence; they feel it, and obey; To this direction all their cares resign,

[way.

Unknown their destin'd stage, unmark'd their

Well fare your flight! ye mild domestic race!
Oh! for your wings to travel with the sun!

Health brace your nerves, and Zephyrs aid your

Till your long voyage happily be done! [pace,

See, DELIA, on my roof your guests to-day; To-morrow on my roof your guests no more! Ere yet 't is night, with haste they wing away, To-morrow lands them on some safer shore.

How just the moral in this scene convey'd !
And what without a moral would we read ?
Then mark what DAMON tells his gentle maid,

And with his lesson register the deed.

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