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AMABELLA, A POEM.
LONDON: PRINTED FOR J. ROBSON, BOOKSELLER, AT THE FEATHERS IN NEW BOND STREET.
M DCC LXVIII.
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TO MRS. MONTAGU, THIS LITTLE POEM (WROTE AT HER SUGGESTION, IN THE FORM OF AN ELEGIAC DIALOGUE) WITH THE GREATEST ESTEEM FOR HER JUDGMENT, IS INSCRIBED BY HER RESPECTFUL HUMBLE SERVANT,
EDWARD JERNINGHAM.
ADVERTISEMENT.
[]THE ſubject of this poem is founded on a cir⯑cumſtance 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 mar⯑riage; which took place on the day he ſat out to join his regiment abroad, where he was unfortu⯑nately killed in an engagement.
AMABELLA.
[]HARMODIUS breath'd the rural 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:
BY partial nature fram'd in beauty's mould,
Adorn'd with ev'ry grace, unſpoil'd by art,
To friendſhip's circle ſtill did ſhe unfold,
The lovelier beauties of a feeling heart.
[8]
ENDEAR'D to all ſhe met, each welcome day,
By fortune's hand, with various bleſſings fraught:
When, lo! her gayety's accuſtom'd ray
Was quench'd, untimely, with the gloom of thought.
WHAT fix'd the boſom-thorn, affliction knows,
Where peace ſat brooding as the gentle dove:
What blaſted on her cheek the ſummer roſe,
Or ſlow diſeaſe, or unſucceſsful love,
REMAIN'D unknown.—'Twas by the many gueſs'd,
That love to her ſoft vows had prov'd unkind:
Beyond the pow'r of her weak frame oppreſs'd,
Inſanity o'erthrew her lovely mind.
[9]
AT length recov'ring, yet to grief devote,
To ſolitude ſhe gave th' unſocial day;
Like a pale vot'ry from the world remote,
Uncheer'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 prov'd in vain.
To ſpeed the moments of the loit'ring hour,
And by their plaintive ſtrains perchance allur'd,
Within a ſpacious myrtle-woven bow'r,
Two turtle doves the penſive fair ſecur'd.
[10]
"YE little captives, wou'd 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 ſail;
"You live unconſcious of the ſtorm's alarm,
"The rain impetuous, and the beating hail.
"NOR here, by kind compaſſion 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 plan'd."
[11]
THEIR harmleſs joys diſeaſe too ſoon effac'd:
One fatal morn, her Turturella's mate
She found, with flagging wing ſubdued, oppreſs'd,
And juſt ſinking at the blow of fate:
WHILE down her cheek compaſſion's ſhow'r diſtill'd,
She gently rais'd it to her anxious breaſt;
But death's cold blaſt life's crimſon current chill'd,
And thus the fair her breathleſs bird addreſs'd:
"ILL-FATED turtle, round whoſe peaceful bow'r,
"The jocund loves ſo lately wont to play:
"How ſunk, alas! in youth's exulting hour,
"To fell diſeaſe, to death th' untimely prey:
[12]
"How ſilent 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 its dear companion beat ſo true!
"THAT dear companion, that now widow'd dove,
"To ſcreen from every harm, be mine the care;
"And, while ſhe 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 its charms,
"Death, death forbids him ever to return!"
She ſaid—and ſunk into th' attendant's arms.
[13]
HER ſwift relapſing 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:
AWAKNING from her trance, around ſhe threw,
Diſtreſsful fair, her much diſorder d deyes;
And wild'ring 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 breaſt-plate ſtain'd with gore?
"What groan was that which pearc'd theſe fearful ears?
He falls, he falls—my warrior is no more:
[14]
"NOR was, Oh heav'n! his AMABELLA near,
"To ſooth his Pain and echo ſigh to ſigh,
"Drop on the gaping wound a balmy tear,
"Kiſs his cold lip, and cloſe his fading eye."
OF her diſtreſs th' alarm'd HARMODIUS taught,
With trembling ſteps approach'd th' unconſcious fair:
"Give me, he cried, with grief paternal fraught,
"Give me, Oh AMABEL'! to ſooth thy care:
"SAY what affliction has thy ſoul impreſs d?
"Reveal what ſtorm thy boſom'd calmneſs breaks?
"Reveal—and thus relieve this anguiſh d breaſt:
"The tender father to his daughter ſpeaks.
AMABELLA.
[15]"AH what avails the praiſe the brave obtain!
"Thro' his white boſom ruſh'd the hoſtile ſteel:
"'Twas his to ſwell the number of the ſlain,
"And mine affliction's keeneſt point to feel."
HARMODIUS.
"HER roving thought no trace of reaſon bears:
"To her rack'd mind, Oh heav'n! thy peace impart:
"A loving parent bathes thy cheek with tears;
"HARMODIUS holds thee to his breaking heart."
AMABELLA.
"To thee, I grateful kneel, Oh generous ſeer!
"Who doſt, to one unknown, thy care extend:
"Along thy path may Peace her olives rear,
"And heav'n, in battle, ſhield thy deareſt friend:
[16]
"FOR me, who droop beneath misfortune's ſhow'r,
"I had a father,—now, alas! a foe,—
"Thou'lt bluſh to hear,—in ſorrow's darkeſt hour,
"He leaves his child, abandon'd to her woe:
"BUT to thy heart, that's fram'd of ſofter mould,
"What can, to thee, a wretch like me endear!
"The ſpring, the motive of thy love unfold:
"Say, ſay, for me why flows that friendly tear!
"YET ſoft awhile,—methinks that hoary brow—
That plaintive voice—Ah bear with my diſtreſs!—
"Or much remembrance is effac'd, or now,
"A tender father's tear-dew'd cheek I preſs."
HARMODIUS.
[17]"ON knees of gratitude, I bleſs the ſkies,
"That AMABELLA to herſelf reſtore."
AMABELLA.
"Ah wherefore doſt thou joy! thy daughter dies:
"Support me to yon couch—I can no more—"
"I FEEL, I feel, the pulſe of life retire!
"Ah deign to hear thy dying child reveal,
"What, in rebellion to thy juſt deſire,
"Lock'd in her breaſt, ſhe dar'd ſo long conceal:
"BY thee, unſanction'd, did I plight my love,
"And, all to thee unknown, a bride became."
HARMODIUS.
[18]"HARMODIUS will to both a father prove."
AMABELLA.
"To him thy pardon thou canſt ne'er proclaim:
"THREE fleeting hours had ſcarcely call'd me bride,
"When he was ſummon'd to the martial plain:
"And there,—forgive theſe tears,—in beauty's pride,
"The much lamented valiant youth was ſlain.
"WHAT tho' unworthy of thy care I prove,
"To thy remembrance let thy child be dear;
"Thy kind compaſſion let the daughter move,
"When this weak frame ſhall preſs th' untimely bier."
[19]
MORE wou'd ſhe ſay,—her voice began to fail,
From her faint eye life's ling'ring ſpark retir'd,
The rip'ning cherry on her lip grew pale,
She heav'd a ſigh, and in that ſigh expir'd.
FINIS.
- Citation Suggestion for this Object
- TextGrid Repository (2016). TEI. 4583 Amabella a poem. University of Oxford Text Archive. University of Oxford, License: Distributed by the University of Oxford under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License [http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/]. https://hdl.handle.net/11378/0000-0005-D782-5