Without one hope; there, stifling sighs, she melts In silent tears. The sullen groan of winds, Which shake the roof, the beating rain she bears O Love! to vernal sweets, to summer's air, Sole ruler, oft a tyrant. Stealing steps * * She could no more. A parting cloud reveal'd The Moon. Before the silver light she dropp'd On her bare knee, enfeebled by the cold; There fix'd and freezing, from that awful pow'r Of chastity she seem'd invoking help; When, newly-waken'd by her piercing moan, With smarting limbs Themistocles had left His pillow; keener his internal pang, To see an image of despair, the work Of his fallacious art. On his approach, At once the worn remains of spirit fled From her cold bosom, heaving now no more. The twilight glimmers on the rear of night; His painful arms uplift her from the floor, And to her couch with decency of care Commit her lifeless charms. To sense restor❜d, Just as the Morn's exploring eye unclos'd, Acanthè, faint and speechless, by a sign Forbids his presence; cautious he retires. Whole days, whole nights, she saw A soothing thought to seek for health and peace So kind a father of his only joy." We have not been able to persuade ourselves to omit the few extracts which succeed, short as they are. They are a collection of choice flowers, which altogether make up a fragrant wreath. "An April Zephyr, with reviving sweets From gay Eubœa's myrtle-border'd meads, Perfumes his breath, scarce ruffling in his course Artemisia's quitting Mardonius is thus mentioned: "She departs. Behind her, like the sinking globe of day, She leaves a trail of radiance on his soul." Of Melissa, the poet says, "She o'er the dead through half the solemn night The death of Masistius is thus beautifully described : "In death, resembling sweetest sleep, his eyes Of whom his friend Mardonius thus speaks; I "Not us'd to weep, * * humbled at thy loss, Melt like a maiden, of her love bereav'd The funeral dirge over Ariana is sweet. The two last lines are peculiarly tender. ation. "On gently-moving air Her eye reveal'd the beauties of her mind; 'Once like the fresh-blown lily in the vale, The smile of kindness on her wasted cheek.' Themistocles is thus described contemplating an embark “He said, and, moving tow'rds the beach, observes The embarkation. Each progressive keel His eye pursues. O'erswelling now in thought, His own deservings, glory, and success, Rush on his soul like torrents, which disturb A limpid fount. Of purity depriv'd, The rill no more in music steals along, But harsh and turbid through its channel foams." We have had frequent occasion to mention our author's power of local description, in which there is a minuteness and distinctness of delineation, which, as before remarked, we in vain look for in the characters of his poem. The cave of the furies and the conjuration of the seven assassins are executed with a decided and powerful hand. "There was a cavern in the bowels deep Growth immemorial, which forbade the winds To this, the fabled residence abhorr'd Conducts the sev'n assassins. There no priest They reach the sisters three, tremendous forms, Display their scorpion curls; within their grasp To render horrour visible, diffus'd Such light, as Hell affords. Beside a chasm, A vessel; o'er the brim their naked arms They stretch'd; he pierc'd the veins; the envenom'd blood, A fit libation mix'd for Hell, he pour'd Down the deep clift; then falt'ring, half dismay'd 6 At his own rites, began: Ye injur❜d men, Of wealth and honours violently spoil'd, These dreadful goddesses you swear, his death By day, by night, with poison, sword, or fire; There is a tender and mellow beauty in the lines we shall next extract. "By his Cleora, Hyacinthus sat. The youthful husband o'er the snowy breast Disclose maternal to an infant new The pillow smooth of lilies. Wan, her cheek We conclude our extracts with the following chaste picture of a Grecian marriage. "To Calauria's verge He pass'd; beneath a nuptial chaplet gay Fell down his shoulders. Up the shelving lawn. A nation's rev'rence, to the advancing chief In sweet composure unreluctant yields Her bridal hand, who down the vaulted isle, From the observations we have made, and the copious extracts we have given, we think our readers will be able to form |