BY MR. JERNINGHAM,
ARMODIUS breath'd the sural air, nor found

His ruddy health with length of years decrease :
By duty prompted, Amabella crown'd

His silver forehead with the wreath of peace :

H

By partial Nature fram'd in Beauty's mould,

Adorn'd with every grace, unspoil'd by art, To Friendship's cișcle still did she unfold

The lovelier beauties of a feeling heart,

Endear'd to all dae met, each welcome day,

By Fortune's hand, with various blessings fraught: When, lo! her gaiety's accustom'd ray

Was quench'd, untimely, with the gloom of thought,

* The subject of this poem is founded on a circumstance that happened during the late war. A young lady, not meeting with the concurrence of her relations in favour of an officer for whom she expressed her regard, was prevailed upon, by his solicitations, to consent to a clandestine marriage, which took place on the day he set out to join his regiment abroad, where he was unfortunately killed in an engagemens.

What fix'd the bosom-thorn, affliction knows,

Where Peace fat brooding as the gentle dove; What blasted on her cheek the summer rose,

Or now disease, or unsuccessful love,

Remain'd unknown. 'Twas by the many guefs'd,

That love to her soft vows had prov'd unkind i Beyond the power of her weak frame oppress'd,

Insanity o’erthrew her lovely mind.

At length recovering, yet to grief devote,

To solitude she gave th' unsocial day; Like a pale vot’ry from the world remote,

Unchear'd, unvisited of Pleasure's ray.

Oft did Harmodius (at her state dismay'd)

Solicit from his child her secret pain :
Her vague reply still from his question stray'd,

And each repeated effort proy'd in vain.

To spoed the moments of the loitering hour,

And by their plaintive strains perchance allurid, Within a spacious myrtle-woven hower,

Two turtle doves the pensive fair secur’d.

• Ye little captives,' would she often say,

• Tho’ here secluded from the fields of air, • Thro' yonder vernal grove forbid to stray,

• And join the kindred train that wanton there;

• 'Gainst

you

the gunner never lifts his arm, · Nor o'er this mansion does the falcon fail ; • You live unconscious of the storm's alarm,

• The rain impetuous, and the beating hail.

Nor

• Nor here, by kind Compaffion unimpress’d,

The school-boy ever rears his impious hand, • To fill with agony the feather'd breast,

• And raze the little domes that love had plann'd,"

Their harmless joys disease too foon effac'd :

One fatal morn, her Turturella's mate
She found, with flagging wing subdu'd, oppress’d,

And juft, juft finking at the blow of Fate :

While down her cheek Compassion's shower distillid,

She gently rais’d it to her anxious breast;
But Death's cold blaft life's crimson current chill'd,

And thus the fair her breathless bird address'd:

Ill-fated turtle, round whose peaceful bower
! The jocund loves so lately wont to play ;
How funk, alas ! in youth's exulting hour;
• To fell disease, to death th' untimely prey !

How filent is the voice, which, void of art,

• Along the tender day was heard to coo ! | How still, how frozen is the constant heart,

• Which to it's dear companion beat so true!

That dear companion, that now widow'd dove,

"To screen from every harm be mine the care; : ! And while the mourns her ne'er-reviving love,

• Her grief to me the mourner will endear :

Like thee, a widow too, condemn’d to mourn ;
• No more to me does life unfold it's charms!
Death, death forbids him ever to return !'
She said and funk into th' attendant's arms.

Her, Her, swift relapfing to her former state,

With boding fears, approach'd the serving train : This scene's dread period tremblingly they wait,

Nor were their boding fears indulg'd in vain.

Awakening from her trance, around the threw,

Diftressful fair, her much disorder'd eyes ; And wildering said Repeat that kind adieu !

« Ah, no! from love to war, to death he flies.

• Did ye not hear the clash of hostile spears?,

• Ah, mark ye not that breaft-plate stain'd with gore • What groan was that which pierc'd these fearful ears?

• He falls, he falls !--my warrior is no more!

• Nor was, O Heaven ! his Amabella near,

"To soothe his pain, and echo figh to figh;
Drop on the gaping wound a balıny tear,
« Kiss his cold lip, and close his fading eye!'

Of her distress th' alarm's Harmodius taught,

With treinbling iteps approach'd th' unconscious fair : · Give me,' he cry'd, with grief paternal fraught,

• Give me, O Amabel! to soothe thy care.

Say, what affliction has thy foul impressid ?

Reveal what storm thy bosom'd calmness breaks ! • Reveal--and thus relieve this anguith'd breaft!

« The tender father to his daughter speaks!"

AMABELLA.

• Ah, what avails the praise the brave obtain !

“ Thro' his wilite bosom rulh'd the hostịle steel; « 'Twas his to swell the number of the slain,

• And mine Amiation's keenest point to feel!'

HAR