He in the fofteft terms repaid her love,

And vow'd, nor age, nor absence, should remove
His conftant faith, and fure fhe could not blame

A fhort divorce due to his injur'd fame.

The debt discharged, then fhould her foldier come Gay from the field, and flufh'd with conqueft, home; With equal ardour her affection meet,

And lay his laurels at his mistrefs' feet.

He ceased, and fighing took a kind adieu;

Then urged his steed; the fierce Grifippo flew ;
With rapid force outstripp'd the lagging wind,

And left the blissful fhores, and weeping fair behind;
Now o'er the feas purfued his airy flight,

Now fcower'd the plains, and climb'd the mountain's height.

Thus driving on at speed the Prince had run
Near half his course, when, with the setting fun,
As through a lonely lane he chanced to ride,
With rocks and bushes fenced on either fidé,
He fpied a waggon full of wings, that lay
Broke and o'erturn'd across the narrow way.
The helpless driver on the dirty road

Lay struggling, crush'd beneath the incumbent load.
Never in human shape was seen before
A wight fo pale, fo feeble, and fo poor,
Comparisons of age would do him wrong,

For Neftor's felf, if placed by him, were young.
His limbs were naked all, and worn fo thin,

The bones feem'd ftarting through the parchment fkin,

His eyes half drown'd in rheum, his accents weak,
Bald was his head, and furrow'd was his cheek.

The confcious steed stopp'd fhort in deadly fright, And back recoiling ftretch'd his wings for flight. When thus the wretch with fupplicating tone, And rueful face, began his piteous moan, And, as he fpake, the tears ran trickling down. "O gentle youth, if pity e'er inclin'd "Thy foul to generous deeds, if e'er thy mind "Was touch'd with foft diftrefs, extend thy care "To fave an old man's life, and ease the load I bear. "So may propitious heaven your journey speed, "Prolong your days, and all your vows fucceed."

Moved with the prayer the kind Porfenna staid,
Too nobly-minded to refuse his aid,
And, prudence yielding to fuperior grief,
Leap'd from his steed, and ran to his relief;
Removed the weight, and gave the prifoner breath,
Juft choak'd, and gasping on the verge of death.
Then reach'd his hand, when lightly with a bound
The grizly Spectre, vaulting from the ground,
Seized him with fudden gripe, th' astonish'd Prince
Stood horror-ftruck, and thoughtless of defence.

"O King of Ruffia," with a thundering found Bellow'd the ghaftly Fiend, "at length thou'rt found.

}

"Receive

fee

"Receive the ruler of mankind, and know,
"My name is Time, thy ever dreaded foe.
"These feet are founder'd, and the wings you
"Worn to the pinions in pursuit of thee;
"Through all the world in vain for ages fought,
"But Fate has doom'd thee now, and thou art caught."
Then round his neck his arms he nimbly caft,
And seized him by the throat, and grasp'd him fast;
'Till forced at length the foul forfook its feat,

And the pale breathless corfe fell bleeding at his feet.

Scarce had the curfed spoiler left his prey,
When, fo it chanced, young Zephyr pass'd that way;
Too late his prefence to affift his friend,

A fad, but helpless witness of his end.

He chafes, and fans, and strives in vain to cure
His ftreaming wounds; the work was done too fure.
Now lightly with a foft embrace uprears

The lifeless load, and bathes it in his tears;
Then to the blifsful feats with speed conveys,
And graceful on the moffy carpets lays

With decent care, close by the fountain's fide,
Where first the Princess had her Phoenix fpied.
There with fweet flowers his lovely limbs he ftrew'd,
And gave a parting kiss, and fighs and tears bestow'd.

To that fad folitude the weeping Dame,
Wild with her lofs, and fwoln with forrow, came.

There

There was she wont to vent her griefs, and mourn

Thofe dear delights that must no more return.
Thither that morn with more than ufual care
She sped, but oh what joy to find him there!]
As just arrived, and weary with the way,
Retired to foft repofe her Hero lay.
Now, near approaching fhe began to creep
With careful steps, loth to disturb his fleep;
'Till quite o'ercome with tenderness she flew,
And round his neck her arms in transport threw.
But, when the found him dead, no tongue can tell
The pangs fhe felt; fhe shriek'd, and fwooning fell.
Waking, with loud laments the pierced the skies,
And fill'd th' affrighted forest with her cries.
That fatal hour the palace gates fhe barr'd,
And fix'd around the coaft a stronger guard :
Now rare appearing, and at diftance feen,

With crowds of black misfortunes placed between ;
Mischiefs of every kind, corroding care,

And fears, and jealousies, and dark despair.
And fince that day (the wretched world muft own
These mournful truths by fad experience known)

No mortal e'er enjoy'd that happy clime,
And every thing on earth fubmits to Time.

H 2

No. XLII.

THE FATAL SISTERS.

FROM THE NORSE TONGUE.........GRAY.

To be found in the Orcades of Thormodus Torfous; Hafnice, 1697, folio; and alfo in Bartholinus :

Vitt er orpit fyrir valfalli, &c.

In the eleventh century Sigurd, Earl of the Orkney Islands, went with a fleet of fhips and a confiderable body of troops into Ireland, to the affiftance of Sictryg with the filken beard, who was then making war on his father-in-law, Brian, King of Dublin: the Earl and all his forces were cut to pieces, and Sictryg was in danger of a total defeat ; but the enemy had a greater lofs in the death of Brian their king, who fell in the action. On Chriftmas-day (the day of the battle), a native of Scotland faw, at a distance, a number of perfons on horseback riding full speed towards hill, and feeming to enter it. Curiofity led him to follow opening in the rocks, he faw

them, till looking through an twelve gigantic figures refembling women: they were all employed about a loom and as they wove, they fung the

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