"I bore my beauteous babes away "With many a gushing tear, "I left the blooming banks of Tay, "And brought my darlings here. "I watch'd my little houshold cares, "And form'd their growing youth; "And fondly train'd their infaut years "To love and cherish truth." Thy blooming BIRTHA here I fee," When BIRTHA did the queftion hear, Then pafs'd o'er good Sir ARDOLPH's face, But foon compos'd, with manly grace "For him my heart too much has bled, "for him, my darling fon, "Has forrow preft my hoary head; "But Heav'n's high will be done; "Scarce eighteen winters had revolv'd, "Too high I priz'd my native land, "Too dear his fame I held, "T'oppose a parent's ftern command, "And keep him from the field. "He left me-left his fifter too, "Yet tears bedew'd his face"What could a feeble old man do?"He burft from my embrace. "O thirft of glory, fatal flame? "O laurels dearly bought! "Yet fweet is death when earn'd with fame"So virtuous EDWY thought. "Full manfully the brave boy ftrove, "A deadly wound my fon receives, "A fpear affails his fide : "Grief does not kill-for ARDOLPH lives "To tell that EDWY died. "His long lov'd mother died again. "I would have died-I fought to die; "But Heaven reftrain'd the thought, "And to my paffion clouded eye "My helpless BIRTHA brought. "When lo! array'd in robes of light, "A nymph celeftial came; "She clear'd the mifts that dimm'd my fight"RELIGION was her name. "She prov'd the chastisement divine, RELIGION taught me to sustain "What nature bad me feel; "And piety reliev'd the pain "Which time can never heal. He ceas'd-with forrow and delight Then weeping cries - Thou noble Knight "O ARDOLPH, might I dare afpire "And tho' I want a worthier plea "Thy beauteous BIRTHA!"-" Gracious Power, "How could I e'er repine," Cries ARDOLPH, "fince I see this hour? "Yes- -BIRTHA fhall be thine." A little tranfient gleam of red Shot faintly o'er her face, And every trembling feature fpread M 3 The tender father kindly fmil'd' And fondly eyed his darling child, O then to paint the vaft delight But every kind and gracious foul, The more the Knight his BIRTHA knew, The virgin too was fond to charm Unlike the dames of modern days, Then Beauty but on merit fmil'd, No venal father gave his child The ardour of young ELDRED's flame The fond impatience of his breaft When oft Sir ELDRED prefs'd the day "It little recks the woes which wait "And tho' the flatterer, Hope, deceives, "So look'd my bride, fo fweetly mild, "On me her beauty's flave; "But whilft fhe look'd, and whilft fhe fmil'd, "She funk into the grave. "Yet, O forgive an old man's care, Forgive a father's zeal : "Who fondly loves muft greatly fear, "Who fears muft greatly feel. |