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His ball is but a jury, to decide
Upon the merit of his fancied bride.
If fweet Serena, on this fignal night,
Shines the first idol of the public fight;
If gallantry's fixt eyes pronounce her fair,
By the fure fign of one unceasing ftare;
And if, prophetic of her nobler doom,
Each rival beauty shudders at her bloom;
The die is caft-he weds-the point is clear;
She cannot flight the vows of such a Peer.

Thus argued in his mind the festive Earl,
And, left he lightly choose an aukward girl,
Wifely conven'd on this important cafe,
Each fashionable judge of female grace.
Here Beaux-Efprits in various figures lurk,
Of Jew and Gentile, Bramin, Tartar, Turk,
But of the manly masks, a youthful Bard
Seem'd moft to challenge Beauty's foft regard:
Adorn'd with native elegance, he wore,
In fimpleft form, the minstrel drefs of yore:
They call him Edwin, who around him throng,
Edwin, immortaliz'd in Beattie's fong;
And, footh to fay, within a comely frame,
He bore a heart that answer'd to the name.
For this neat habit deck'd a generous youth,
Of gentleft manners, and fincereft truth.
Tho' on his birth propitious fortune fmil'd,
No proud parental folly spoil'd the child;
And genius, more beneficently kind,
Bleft with fuperior wealth his manly mind.
Of years he barely counted twenty-one ;
But, like a brilliant morn, his opening life begun.

Mean

Mean while the Earl, his puny love to raise,
Hunted the circling whifper of her praise;
Heard envy own her lively charms, tho' loth,
Heard taste atteft them with a modifh oath
And, nuptial projects thickening in his mind,
Now his fair partner in the dance rejoin'd.
As now the sprightly mufic paus'd, my Lord
Eager refolv'd to touch a fofter chord;
Secure of all repulfe, he vainly meant
Half to difplay, half hide his fond intent,
And, in diffembled paffion's flowery tropes,
To fport at leisure with the Virgin's hopes:
For this he fram'd a motley speech, replete
With amorous compliment and vain conceit.
The labour'd nothing with complacent pride
He spoke; but to his fpeech no Nymph replied:
For in the moment, the loft Fair devotes

Her willing ear to more attractive notes.

The minstrel happen'd near the nymph to walk, Rapt with a bofom-friend in fecret talk, And, at the inftant when the Earl began Half to unfold his matrimonial plan, Edwin, in whifpers, from the crowd retir'd, Chanc'd to repeat the fonnet fhe infpir'd: The founds tho' faint her recollection caught, Drew her quick eye, and fixt her wondering thought. Loft in this fweet furprife, fhe could not hear A fingle accent of the amorous Peer. Spleen faw the moment that he fought to gain, And perch'd triumphant on the Noble's brain. With jealous envy ftung, and baffled pride, "Contemptuous girl!" with fudden rage he cried,

D 2

" If

"If here to happier youths thy views incline,
"I want not fairer nymphs who challenge mine.
"Thy breast in vain with penitence may burn;
"But, once neglected, I no more return."
Thus loudly speaking, with diftemper'd heat,
Rudely he turn'd, with rancorous fcorn replete.
Serena, ftartled at th' injurious found,

Survey'd th' infulting Peer, who fternly frown'd;
Shame and refentment thro' her bofom rush,
Swell every vein, and raise the burning blush.
Love, new-born love, but in its birth conceal'd,
Nor to the nymph herself as yet reveal'd,
And just difdain, and anger's honest flame,
With complicated power convulse her frame :
Contending paffions every thought confound,
And in tumultuous doubt her foul is drown'd.

HAYLEY.

SECT.

XXXIII.

EDWIN COMPLETES SERENA'S FELICITY.

THE difappointed Earl, with fullen air,

On happier Edwin, who approach'd the Fair,
Darts such a glance of rage and envious hate,
As Satan caft on Eden's blifssful state,
When on our Parents first he fixt his fight,
And undelighted gaz'd on all delight:

So doom'd to look, and doom'd fuch pangs to feel,
Scornful he turn'd on his elastic heel.

"O lovely mildnefs! oh angelic maid!
"Deferving homage, tho' to fcorn betray'd;

"Rife

"Rife ftill, fweet fpirit, rife thefe wrongs above,
"Turn from injurious pride to faithful love;
"Tho' on my brow no coronet may fhine,
"Wealth I can offer at thy beauty's fhrine,
"And, worthier thee, a heart that worships thine."
Thus with new-kindled love's aspiring flame
Spoke the fond youth conceal'd by Edwin's name,
The gallant Falkland, rich in inborn worth,

By fortune bleft, and not of abject birth.
Warmly he spoke, with that indignant heat,
With which the generous heart ne'er fails to beat,
When worth insulted wakens virtuous ire,

And injur'd beauty fets the foul on fire.
Quick to his voice the startled virgin turn'd,
With wonder, hope, and joy, her bosom burn'd;
With sweet confufion, flurried and amaz'd,
On his attractive form helgaz'd.

Full on her thought the friendly vifions rufh'd;
Blushing she view'd him, view'd him still and blush'd;
And, foft affection quickening at the fight,
Perchance had fwoon'd with fulness of delight,
But that her father's voice with quick controul,
Recall'd the functions of her fainting foul.
When on the diftant feat, where, fondly fixt,
He view'd the nymph as in the dance fhe mixt,
He indistinctly heard, with wounded ear,
The spleenful outrage of the angry Peer.

Swift at th' imperfect found, with choler wild,
He fprung to fuccour his infulted child;
But ere his fury into language broke,

Love calm'd the ftorm that arrogance awoke..

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The fudden burft of Falkland's tender flame,
His winning manners, his diftinguifh'd name.
His liberal foul, by fortune's fmile careft,
All join'd to harmonize the father's breast.
His fiery thoughts fubfide in glad surprise,
And to the generous youth he warmly cries:
"Ingenuous Falkland! by thy frankness won,
My willing heart would own thee as my fon;
"But on thy hopes Serena muft decide :—
"Haste we together from this house of pride.”

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So fpoke the Sire; for, to her votary kind,
Sophrofyne infpir'd his foften'd mind,
Speaking, he fmil'd, to fee that on his word
The lover hung, and bleft the founds he heard ;.
That his embarrafs'd child his fentence caught,
With each tumultuous fign of tender thought;
Whose blushes, fpringing from the sort, declare
The dawn of fondnefs in the modeft Fair.
Th' enchanted Youth with ecftacy convey'd
Forth from the troubled feast the trembling Maid.
As the keen failor, whom his daring foul
Has drawn, too vent'rous, near the freezing pole ;
Who, having flighted Caution's tame advice,
Seems wedg'd within impervious worlds of ice
If, from each chilling form of peril free,
At length he reach the unincumber'd fea,
With joy fuperior to his trapnent pain,
Rushes exulting o'er th' expanfive main :
Such ftrong delight Serena's bofom fhar'd,
When sweet reflection to her heart declar'd,

That

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