So when thy king, Assyria, fierce and proud, Three human victims to his idol vow'd; Rear'd a vast pyre before the golden shrine Of sulphurous coal, and pitch-exsuding pine; Loud roar the flames, the iron nostrils breathe, And the huge bellows pant and heave beneath; Bright and more bright the blazing deluge flows, And, white with sevenfold heat, the furnace glows. And now the monarch fixt with dread surprise Deep in the burning vault his dazzled eyes. "Lo! three unbound amid the frightful glare, Unscorcht their sandels, and unsinged their hair! And now a fourth with seraph-beauty bright Descends, accosts them, and outshines the light! Fierce flames innocuous, as they step, retire! And slow they move amid a world of fire!" He spoke, to heaven his arms repentant spread, And, kneeling, bow'd his gem-incircled head.
AMPHIBIOUS nymph, from Nile's prolific bed, Emerging TRAPA lifts her pearly head;
Fair glows her virgin cheek and modest breast,
A panoply of scales deforms the rest;
Her quivering fins and panting gills she hides,
But spreads her silver arms upon the tides;
Slow as she sails, her ivory neck she laves,
And shakes her golden tresses o'er the waves;
Charm'd round the nymph, in circling gambols glide
Four nereid-forms, or shoot along the tide ;
Now all as one they rise with frolic spring,
And beat the wondering air on humid wing ;
Now all descending plunge beneath the main,
And lash the foam with undulating train;
Above, below, they wheel, retreat, advance,
In air and ocean weave the mazy dance;
Bow their quick heads, and point their diamond eyes
And twinkle to the sun with ever-changing dyes.
Two sister-nymphs, the fair AVENAS, lead, Their fleecy squadrons on the lawns of Tweed; Pass with light step his wave-worn banks along, And wake his echoes with their silver tongue; Or touch the reed, as gentle love inspires, In notes accordant to their chaste desires.
"Sweet echo! sleeps thy vocal shell,
Where this high arch o'erhangs the dell;
While Tweed with sun-reflecting streams
Checkers thy rocks with dancing beams ?—
Here may no clamors harsh intrude,
No brawling hound or clarion rude;
Here no fell beast of midnight prowl,
And teach thy tortured cliffs to howl!
Be thine to pour these vales along
Some artless shepherd's evening song;
While night's sweet bird, from yon high spray,
Reponsive, listens to his lay.
And if, like me, some love-lorn maid
Should sing her sorrows to thy shade,
Oh, sooth her breast, ye rocks around!
With softest sympathy of sound.”
From ozier bowers the brooding halcyons peep,
The swans pursuing cleave the glassy deep,
On hovering wings the wondering reed-larks play,
And silent bitterns listen to the lay.-
Three shepherd-swains beneath the beechen shades
Twine rival garlands for the tuneful maids;
On each smooth bark the mystic love-knot frame,
Or on white sands inscribe the favor'd name.
Green swells the beech, the widening knots improve,
So spread the tender growths of living love;
Wave follows wave, the letter'd lines decay,
So love's soft forms uncultured melt away.
SPRING! with thy own sweet smile and tuneful
Delighted BELLIS calls her infant throng.
Each on his reed astride, the cherub-train
Watch her kind looks, and circle o'er the plain;
Now with young wonder touch the sliding snail,
Admire his eye-tipt horns, and painted mail;
Chase with quick step, and eager arms outspread,
The pausing butterfly from mead to mead;
Or twine green oziers with the fragrant gale,
The azure harebel, and the primrose pale,
Join hand in hand, and in procession gay
Adorn with votive wreaths the shrine of May.
So moves the goddess to the Idalian groves,
And leads her gold-hair'd family of loves.
These, from the flaming furnace, strong and bold,
Pour the red steel in many a sandy mould;
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