APRIL.

Solvitur acris byems grata vice veris et Favonî :
Trabuntque siccas machinæ carinas ;

Ac neque jam stabulis gaudet pecus, aut arator igne;
Nec prata canis albicant pruinis.

Now blooming April's come in lovely hue,
And hoary winter's now spent all his ire,
Save that at ev'n he sometimes does renew
Th' unequal fight, and lights the vaulted fire.

HORACE.

With ice, the piercing blast, and howling storm,
The wintry pastimes now away are fled;
Away those chequer'd scenes which once did form
The joy of youth, tho' mix'd with latent dread.

Th' accumulating snowballs now no more
Along the hoary ground by youth are roll'd;
Nor is the schoolboy seen as oft before,

To whip his whirling top with fingers cold.

No person now the curling stone does throw,
Nor do boys glide along the glafsy plain;
No nimble scaters drawn up in a row,

Their skill exert, shouts of applause to gain.

The river swell'd with copious rills, does flow
With force impetuous thro' the chequer'd vale;
Nor are it's sides pent in with ice and snow,
Nor does it murmur in its frozen cell.

Pleas'd nature now her frowns aside does lay.
And o'er her face afsumes a wreathed smile;
Ev'n at this time, how pleasant 'tis to stray
Along the fields, clad in their humble stile.

Already do the trees their leaves expand,

The birds chear with their notes the early dawn;
And nature's carpet, shortly will demand
The gentle foot, spread out upon the lawn.

Now is the time for him who loves to muse,
Abroad to wander in the sunny vale,
While yet the springing herbs do sip the dews,
And birds with matin song delight the dale.
すべ

VOL. XIV.

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There let him stray, indulging serious thought,
And let him, when in nature's book he reads,

Think on the winter drear that's with death brought,
And on the spring eternal that succeeds.

Banks of Etrick,

March 29. 1793.

ANACREONTIC.

For the Bee.

I FAIN Would strike a louder string,
Of arms and martial feats would sing;
How Wolf subdued the Gallic pride,
And like the conqu'ring Theban died.
How foremost in the ranks of war,
The sword of Scotland flam'd afar;
Dealt wild destruction to the foe,
And laid the howling Indian low:
From Pindus', from Castalia's streams,.
Deep read in forms, and learn'd in names;
I bid the muse ascend sublime,

And build the everlasting rhime;

But forms and long learn'd words are vain,
Harsh and uncouth the stubborn, strain;
But when I sing the pow'r of love,
Soft melody delights the grove;
Fragrant blooming flow'rs arise,
Breathing incense to the skies;
Soft as evening zephyrs blow,
The ambling easy numbers flow;
And by this proof convinc'd I
O love I have no muse but thee!

SONNET.

For the Bee:

see,

PROTEUS.

As he who wand'ring o'er the dreary waste
Of parch'd Arabia's wide extended plains,
At the black clouds that bode the coming blast,
Appal'd, feels sudden horror freeze his veins.
Should he, perchance, descry some happier isle,
Where all is peace the howling blasts among,
Hies him where painted landscapes ever smile,
List'ning with rapture to the woodland song.
Such is thy voice, O friendship! to his soul

A. L.

Who long has wander'd in affliction's way, Who, while misfortune's clouds around him roll, Has watch'd in vain sweet pleasure's tardy ray; Thy heavenly voice can ev'ry charm restore, Dispels misfortune's gloom, and bids him sigh no more. ASCANIUS ALTER.

ORIGIN OF THE PRIORY OF THE TWO LOVERS.

In the twelfth century lived one of those titled barbarians who prided themselves in that prerogative of impunity which was one of the characteristics of the feudal government, and which was indeed quite worthy of such a system. The sole delight of this haughty baron seemed to be in frequent and capricious displays of savage despotism. He was continually conceiving the most absurd ideas of amusement; and his gothic imagination ever selected that which bordered most on the ferociousness of credulity. To a brutal rage for singularity, like this, we may doubtless trace the origin of those whimsical services that were appendant to our ancient fiefs, and which the enlightened legislatures of modern times ought universally to eradicate.

Our baron was happy in all those extravagant freaks in which high birth and unbounded riches could enable him to indulge. An only daughter he had, named Genevieve, whom the chronicles of those times have handed down to us as a paragon of beauty. It may be imagined, in course, that a crowd of rivals contended for the honour and happiness of her hand. Nor can we suppose the peerlefs Genevieve herself unsusceptible of the tender passion. Baldwin, a young chevalier in the neighbourhood, had certainly no reason to doubt it. Amiable he was, and amiable did he appear in the eyes of the charming maid.

Ardent and reciprocal was the passion they cherished. His, however, the young chevalier studiously concealed from every eye. His patrimony was too slender to encourage aspiring hopes, and in conjugal alliances does in

terest too often preside with fatal sway.-Through no other medium did the father of Genevieve view her lover. To a thousand exalted qualities, the liberal gifts of nature, he was totally insensible.,

Baldwin was convinced then, that he never could be the husband of the beautiful Genevieve. But does love ever reason? He listens-he attends only to the tender sentiment, and no obstacle does that sentiment perceive. Has love then sufficient resources in himself?-Every day the tenderness of the two lovers increased; and increasing it seemed to become irresistible. The baron is not long unacquainted with their mutual pafsion. He surprises the young chevalier with his daughter. He could perceive the ingenuous frankness of modesty in the one, with ardour and inexpressible extacy in the other. In the first suggestions of fury, he would have sacrificed Baldwin to immediate vengeance. Genevieve throws herself at her father's feet; the bedews them with her tears; "I will not survive him! (cries the beauteous maid :) save him, my father hurt him not, or I die with him-I perish on the spot!"-The old baron was not unaffected by her tears; yet still his savage temper had the ascendant. Pointing to a hill near his castle, "Young man, (said he,) you have been presumptuous enough to think one moment of my daughter. Nevertheless she shall be your wife, if you will carry her, without stopping, to the top of yonder hill; but the least repose fhall cost you the prize."-The chevalier does not suffer him to finish. He flies to his mistrefs, takes her in his arms, and runs towards the hill, exclaiming, "You fhall be mine! you shall be mine !"-A crowd of vafsals afsisted at a scene that was at once so barbarous and so singu lar.

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Love has very justly been painted with a bandage over his eyes. Baldwin, in the excessive ardour of his pafsion, had not perceived the extreme difficulty of his undertaking. His eyes, his whole soul was fixed upon Genevieve.

He ascended the hill with inconceivable swiftnefs; he had wings; he felt the heart of his mistress palpitate against his own. "I tremble, my dear friend! (said fhe,) you will not reach, you will not reach the top;moderate your impetuosity."

"Fear nothing,fear nothing, my adorable Genevieve! You know not the power of love. I could reach, I could gain the skies!"

The whole assembly utter vows to heaven for the amiable pair. In a thousand ways they exprefs their encouraging approbation. But the lover's strength begins to fail-he perceives it himself. "My dear, dear Genevieve! speak to me; repeat to me, repeat that you love me. Fix your eyes on mine,-yes! I shall feel more than mortal powers you revive me-you strengthen me again."

Nature, however, abandons him. Love is now his only support, and what cannot love atchieve? Baldwin now looks toward the summit of the hill, and measures it with his eyes, which he had not done before,

"Ah! is it not very high?" said his (terrified mistrefs.

"I fhall reach it-I shall reach it."

How justly has it been observed that love is capable of performing miracles! Baldwin, indeed, was no longer It was the genius of love that triumphed over insurmountable obstacles. The cries of the spectators resounded on every side. They trembled, they mounted,

a man.

they panted with the young chevalier, who was now intently