In vain loft Eloïfa weeps and prays, Her heart ftill dictates, and her hand obeys. Relentless walls! whofe darksome round contains Repentant fighs, and voluntary pains: Ye rugged rocks! which holy knees have worn; Ye grots and caverns fhagg'd with horrid thorn! 20 Shrines! where their vigils pale-ey'd virgins keep, And pitying faints, whose statues learn to weep Tho' cold like unmov'd and filent grown, I have not yet forgot myself to stone. All is not Heav'n's while Abelard has part, Still rebel nature holds out half my heart; Nor pray'rs nor fafts its stubborn pulse restrain, Nor tears for ages taught to flow in vain.

!

you,

Soon as thy letters trembling I unclose, That well-known name awakens all my woes. 30 Oh name for ever fad! for ever dear! Still breath'd in fighs, ftill ufher'd with a tear. I tremble too, where'er my own I find, Some dire misfortune follows close behind. Line after line my gushing eyes o'erflow,

Led thro' a fad variety of woe:

Now warm in love, now with'ring in my bloom,

Loft in a convent's folitary gloom!

251

35

There stern Religion quench'd th’unwilling flame, There dy'd the best of paffions, Love and Fame. 40

Yet write, oh write me all, that I may join Griefs to thy griefs, and echo fighs to thine. Nor foes nor fortune take this pow'r away; And is my Abelard less kind than they? Tears still are mine, and those I need not spare, 45 Love but demands what else were fhed in pray'r; No happier task these faded eyes pursue; To read and weep is all they now can do.

Then share thy pain, allow that fad relief; Ah, more than fhare it, give me all thy grief. 59 Heav'n first taught letters for fome wretch's aid, Some banish'd lover, or fome captive maid; Theylive,they speak,they breathe what love infpires, Warm from the foul, and faithful to its fires, The virgin's wish without her fears impart, Excufe the blush, and pour out all the heart, Speed the foft intercourfe from foul to foul, And waft a figh from Indus to the Pole.

Thou know'ft how guiltlef firft I met thy fame, When Love approach'& me under Friendfhip'sname; My fancy form'd thee of angello kin, Some emanation of th'all-beauteous Mind.

55

Those smiling eyes, attemp'ring ev'ry ray,
Shone fweetly lambent with celeftial day.
Guiltless I gaz'd; heav'n liften'd while you fung; 6 §
And truths divine came mended from that
tongue.
From lips like those what precept fail'd to move
Too foon they taught me 'twas no fin to love:
Back thro' the paths of pleafing fenfe I
Nor wish'd an Angel whom I lov'd a Man.
Dim and remote the joys of faints I fee;
Nor them that heav'n I lofe for thee.
envy

ran,

How oft, when prefs'd to marriage, have I said, Curfe on all laws but those which love has made! Love, free as air, at fight of human ties, 75 Spreads his light wings, and in a moment flies. Let wealth, let honour, wait the wedded dame, Auguft her deed, and facred be her fame; Before true paffion all those views remove, Fame, wealth, and honour! what are you to Love?

NOTES.

VER. 66. And truths divine, etc.] He was her Preceptor in Philofophy and Divinity.

IMITATIONS.

Love will not be confin'd by Maisterie:
When Maifterie comes the Lord of Love anon

Flutters his wings and forthwith is he gone.

70

VER. 75.

Clauser. P

The jealous God, when we profane his fires,
Those restless paffions in revenge inspires,
And bids them make mistaken mortals groan,
Who seek in love for aught but love alone.
Should at my feet the world's great master fall, 85
Himself, his throne, his world, I'd fcorn'em all:
Not Cæfar's emprefs would I deign to prove;
No, make me mistress to the man I love.

90

If there be yet another name more free,
More fond than mistress, make me that to thee!
Oh! happy state! when fouls each other draw,
When love is liberty, and nature, law:
All then is full, poffeffing, and poffefs'd,
No craving void left aking in the breast:
Ev'n thought meets thought,ere from the lips it part,
And each warm with springs mutual from the heart.
This fure is blifs (if blifs on earth there be)
And once the lot of Abelard and me.

100

Alas how chang'd! what fudden horrors rife!
A naked Lover bound and bleeding lies!
Where, where was Eloïfe? her voice, her hand,
Her ponyard had oppos'd the dire command.
Barbarian, ftay! that bloody stroke restrain;
The crime was common, common be the pain.
· VOL. II.

с

I can no more; by fhame, by rage fupprefs'd, 105 Let tears and burning blushes speak the rest.

III

Canft thou forget that fad, that folemn day, When victims at yon altar's foot we lay? Canft thou forget what tears that moment fell, When, warm in youth, I bade the world farewell? As with cold lips I kifs'd the facred veil, The shrines all trembled and the lamps grew pale: Heav'n scarce believ'd the Conqueft it survey'd, And Saints with wonder heard the vows I made. Yet then, to those dread altars as I drew, 115 Not on the cross my eyes were fix'd but you: Not grace, or zeal, love only was my call, And if I lose thy love, I lose my all. Come! with thy looks, thy words, relieve my woe; Thofe ftill at least are left thee to bestow. Still on that breaft enamour'd let me lie, Still drink delicious poifon from thy eye, Pant on thy lip, and to thy heart be prefs'd; Give all thou canst and let me dream the rest.

120

125

Ah no! inftruct me other joys to prize,
With other beauties charm my partial eyes,
Full in my view fet all the bright abode,
And make my foul quit Abelard for God.

--