Round is its figure; and four iron gates

Divide mankind, by order of the Fates.
Thither in crouds come to one common grave,

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The young, the old, the Monarch, and the Slave. 20
Old age and pains, thofe evils man deplores,
Are rigid keepers ofth' eternal doors;
All clad in mournfull blacks, which fadly load
The facred walls of this obfcure abode :
And tapers, of a pitchy fubftance made,
With clouds of fmoke increase the difmal shade.
A Monster void of reafon and of fight,
The Goddefs is, who fways this realm of night:
Her pow'r extends o'er all things that have breath,
A cruel Tyrant, and her name is DEATH.
The fairest object of our wondring eyes,
Was newly offer'd up her facrifice;
Th'adjoyning places where the altar ftood,
Yet blushing with the fair Almeria's blood.
When griev'd Orontes, whofe unhappy flame
Is known to all who e'er converse with Fame,
His mind poffefs'd by fury and defpair,
Within the facred Temple made this prayer.

Great Deity! who in thy hands do'ft bear
That iron fcepter which poor mortals fear;
Who wanting eyes thy felf, refpecteft none,
And neither fpar'ft the Laurel, nor the Crown!
O thou, whom all mankind in vain withstand,
Each of whofe blood must one day stain thy hand!
O thou, who, ev'ry eye that fees the light,
Closest for ever in the fhades of night!
Goddess attend, and hearken to my grief,

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To which thy pow'r alone can give relief.

Alas,

Alas, I ask not to defer my fate,

But with my hapless life a fhorter date,

And that the earth would in its bowels hide
A wretch, whom Heav'n invades on ev'ry fide :
That from the fight of day I could remove,
And might have nothing left me but my love.
Thou only comforter of minds opprefs'd;
The port where weary'd fpirits are at reft;
Conductor to Elysium, take my life;
My breaft I offer to thy facred knife:
So juft a grace refufe not, nor defpife
A willing, tho' a worthless facrifice.
Others, (their frail and mortal state forgot,)
Before thy altars are not to be brought
Without constraint; the noife of dying rage,
Heaps of the flain of ev'ry fex and age,
The blade all reeking in the gore it fhed,
With fever'd heads and arms confus'dly spread;
The rapid flames of a perpetual fire,

The groans of wretches ready to expire:
This tragick fcene in terror makes them live,
Till that is forc'd, which they fhould freely give;
Yielding unwillingly what Heav'n will have,
Their fears eclipfe the glory of their grave:
Before thy face they make indecent moan,
And feel a hundred deaths in fearing one;
Thy flame becomes unhallow'd in their breast
And he a murderer who was a Priest.

But against me thy ftrongest forces call,
And on my head let all the tempeft fall;
No mean retreat shall any weakness show,
But calmly I'll expect the fatal blow;

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My

My limbs not trembling, in my mind no fear,
Plaints in
my mouth, nor in my eyes a tear.
Think not that time, our wonted fure relief,
That univerfal cure for ev'ry grief,

Whose aid fo many Lovers oft have found
With like fuccefs can ever heal my wound:

Too weak the pow'r of Nature, or of Art
Nothing but death can ease a broken heart.
And that thou may'ft behold my helpless ftate,'
Learn the extremeft rigour of my fate.

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Amidst th'innumerable beauteous train,
Paris, the Queen of Cities, does contain,
(The fairest town, the largeft, and the best)
The fair Almeria shin'd above the reft.
From her bright eyes to feel a hopeless flame
Was of our youth the most ambitious aim;
Her chains were marks of honour to the brave,
She made a Prince whene'er fhe made a Slave.
Love, under whose tyrannick pow'r I groan,
Shewd' me this Beauty e're 'twas fully blown;
Her tim❜rous charms, and her unpractis'd look,
Their first affurance from my conqueft took ;
By wounding me the learn'd the fatal art,
And the first figh she had was from my heart:
My eyes with tears moift'ning her fnowy arms, 105
Render'd the tribute owing to her charms.
But, as I fooneft of all mortals paid.

My vows, and to her beauty altars made;
So, among all thofe flaves that figh'd in vain,
She thought me only worthy of my chain.
Love's heavy burden my fubmiffive heart.
Endur'd not long, before fhe bore her part;

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My

My violent flame melted her frozen breast,
And in foft fighs her pity the express'd;
Her gentle voice allay'd my raging pains,

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And her fair hands fuftain'd me in my chains!
Ev'n tears of pity waited on my moan,

And tender looks were caft on me alone.

My hopes and dangers were lefs mine than hers,
Thofe fill'd her foul with joys, and these with fears:
Our hearts united had the fame de fires,
And both alike burn'd with impatient fires.

Too faithfull memory! Igive thee leave
Thy wretched mafter kindly to deceive;
Oh, make me not poffeffor of her charms,
Let me not find her languish in my arms;
Paft joys are now my fancy's mournfull themes;
Make all my happy nights appear but dreams:
Let not fuch blifs before my eyes be brought;

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O hide thofe fcenes from my tormenting thought;

And in their place difdainfull beauty show;

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If thou would'ft not be cruel, make her fo:
And, fomething to abate my deep despair,
O let her seem less gentle, or lefs fair.
But I in vain flatter my wounded mind,
Never was Nymph fo lovely, or fo kind:
No coold repulfes my defires fupprefs'd,
I feldom figh'd but on Almeria's breast:
Of all the paffions which mankind destroy,
I only felt excess oflove and joy:

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Unnumber'd pleasures charm'd my fenfe, and they

Were, as my love, without the leaft allay.

As pure, alas! but not fo fure to laft,

For, like a pleafing dream, they all are past.

From Heav'n her beauties like fierce light'nings came
Which break through darkness with a glorious flame;
A while they fhine, a while our minds amaze,
Our wond'ring eyes are dazled with the blaze;
But thunder follows, whofe refiftless rage

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None can withstand, and nothing can afswage; 150
And all that light which thofe bright flashes gave
Serves only to conduct us to our grave.

When I had just begun love's joys to tafte
(Thofe full rewards for fears and dangers paft)
A fever feiz'd her, and to nothing brought
The richest work that ever Nature wrought.
All things below, alas, uncertain stand;
The firmest rocks are fix'd upon the fand:
Under this law both Kings and Kingdoms bend,
And no beginning is without an end.

A facrifice to Time, Fate dooms us all,

And at the Tyrant's feet we daily fall :

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Time, whose bold hand will bring alike to duft, Mankind, and Temples too in which they trust.. Her wafted fpirits now begin to faint, 165 Yet patience ties her tongue from all complaint, And in her heart as in a fort remains;

But yields at laft to her refiftles pains.

Thus while the fever, am'rous of his prey,
Through all her veins makes his delightfull way, 170
Her fate's like Semele's, the flames destroy

That beauty they too eagerly enjoy.
Her charming face is in its fpring decay'd
Pale grow the roses, and the lillies fade;
Her skin has loft that luftre which surpass'd
The Sun's, and well deferv'd as long to last:

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Her