THE STATUES: OR, THE TRIAL of CONSTANCY▪
[]IN a fair iſland, in the ſouthern main,
Bleſt with indulgent skys, and kindly rain,
A Princeſs liv'd, of origin divine,
Of bloom coeleſtial, and imperial line.
IN that ſweet ſeaſon when the mounting Sun
Prepares, with joy, his radiant courſe to run,
[6] Led by the Graces, and the dancing Hours,
And wakes to life the various race of flow'rs;
The lovely Queen forſook her ſhining court,
For rural ſcenes, and healthful Sylvan ſport,
IT ſo befel, that, as in chearful talk,
Her Nymphs and She purfu'd their ev'ning walk,
On the green margin of the oozy deep,
They found a graceful Youth diſſolv'd in ſleep,
His charms the Queen ſurvey'd with fond delight,
And hung enamour'd o'er the pleaſing ſight;
By her command the youth was ſtrait convey'd,
And (ſleeping) ſoftly in her palace laid.
NOW ruddy morning purpled o'er the skies,
And beamy light unſeal'd the ſtranger's eyes,
Who cry'd aloud, Ye Gods unfold this Scene!
Where am I? what can all theſe wonders mean?
[7]
SCARCE had he ſpoke, when, with officious care,
Attendant nymphs a fragrant bath prepare;
He roſe, he bath'd, and on his lovely head,
Ambroſial ſweets, and precious oyl they ſhed;
To deck his poliſh'd limbs, a robe they brought,
In all the various dies of beauty wrought;
Then led him to the Queen, who, on a throne
Of burniſh'd gold, and beamy diamonds ſhone:
But O what wonder ſelz'd her beauteous gueſt!
What love, what extaſy his ſoul poſſeſt!
Entranc'd he ſtood, and on his falt'ring tongue,
Imperfect words, and half form'd accents hung▪
Nor leſs the Queen the blooming youth admir'd,
Nor leſs delight, and love, her ſoul inſpir'd.
O Stranger! ſaid the Queen, if hither driv'n,
By adverſe winds, or ſent a gueſt from Heav'n;
To me the wretched never ſue in vain,
This fruitful iſle with joy approves my reign;
[8] Then ſpeak thy wiſhes, and thy wants declare,
And no denial ſhall attend thy pray'r:
She paus'd, and bluſh'd; the youth his ſilence broke,
And kneeling, thus the charming Queen beſpoke:
O GODDESS! for a form ſo bright as thine,
Speaks thee deſcended of coeleſtial line▪
Low at your feet a proſtrate King behold,
Whoſe faithleſs ſubjects ſold his life for gold;
I fly a cruel tyrant's lawleſs hand,
And ſtorms have drove my veſſel on your ſtrand:
But why do I complain of Fortune's frowns?
Or what are titles! honours! ſceptres! crowns!
To this ſweet moment? whilſt in fond amaze,
On ſuch tranſporting excellence I gaze!
Such ſymetry of ſhape! ſo fair a face!
Such finiſh'd elegance! ſuch perfect grace!
Hear then my only wiſh, and O approve
The ardent pray'r, which ſupplicates thy love.
[9] From Neptune, know, O Prince, my birth I claim,
Replies the Queen, and Lucida's my name;
This iſland, theſe attendant nymphs he gave
The fair-hair'd daughters of the azure wave:
But he whoſe fortune gains me for a bride,
Muſt have his conſtancy ſeverely try'd;
One day each moon am I compell'd to go
To my Great Father's wat'ry realms below,
Where coral groves coeleſtial red diſplay,
And blazing di'monds emulate the day;
In this ſhort abſence if your love endures,
My heart and empire are for ever your's;
And hoary Neptune, to reward your truth,
Shall crown you with immortal bloom and youth;
But inſtant death will on your falſhood wait,
Nor can my tenderneſs prevent your fate:
Twice twenty times in wedlock's ſacred band,
My Royal Father join'd my plighted hand;
[10] Twice twenty noble youths, alas! are dead,
Who in my abſence ſtain'd the nuptial bed;
Your virtues, Prince, may claim a nobler throne;
But mine is yielded on theſe terms alone.
Delightful terms! reply'd the raptur'd youth,
Accept my conſtancy, my endleſs truth:
Perfidious, faithleſs men, enrag'd he cry'd!
They merited the fate by which they dy'd:
Accept a heart incapable of change;
Thy beauty ſhall forbid deſire to range.
No other form ſhall to my eye ſeem fair;
No other voice attract my liſt'ning ear;
No charms but thine, ſhall e'er my ſoul approve;
So aid thy vot'ry, potent God of love.
NOW loud applauſes thro' the palace ring;
The duteous ſubjects hail their God-like King;
To feaſtful mirth they dedicate the day,
Whilſt tuneful voices chant the nuptial lay:
[11] Love-dittied-airs, hymn'd by the vocal quire,
Sweetly attemper'd to the warbling wire.
But when the Sun deſcending ſought the main,
And low-brow'd night aſſum'd her ſilent reign,
They to the marriage-bed convey'd the Bride,
And laid the raptur'd Bridegroom by her ſide.
Now roſe the morn, and with auſpicious ray,
Diſpell'd the dewy miſts, and gave the day;
When Lucida, with anxious cares oppreſt,
Thus wak'd her ſleeping lord from downy reſt,
Soul of my ſoul, and monarch of my heart,
This day, ſhe cry'd, this fatal day, we part;
Yet, if your love uninjur'd you retain,
We ſoon ſhall meet in happineſs again,
To part no more, but rolling years employ,
In circling bliſs, and never-fading joy:
Alas! my boding ſoul is loſt in woe!
And from my eyes the tears unbidden flow.
[12]
JOY of my life, diſmiſs thoſe needleſs fears,
Reply'd the King, and ſtay thoſe precious tears;
Shou'd lovely Venus leave her native sky,
And at my feet, imploring fondneſs, lie,
Ev'n ſhe, the radiant Queen of ſoft deſires,
Shou'd, diſappointed, burn with hopeleſs fires.
THE heart of Man, the Queen's experience knew
Perjur'd, and falſe, yet wiſh'd to find him true:
She ſigh'd, retiring; and, in regal ſtate,
The King conducts her to the palace gate,
Where ſacred Neptune's chryſtal chariot ſtands,
The wond'rous work of his coeleſtial hands;
Six harneſs'd ſwans the bright machine convey,
Swift thro' the air, or pathleſs wat'ry way;
The birds with eagle-ſpeed the air divide,
And plunge the goddeſs in the ſounding tide.
[13]
SLOW to the court the penſive King returns,
And ſighs in ſecret, and in ſilence mourns;
So in the grove ſad Philomel complains,
In mournful accents, and melodious ſtrains;
Her plaintive woes fill the reſounding lawn,
From ſtarry-veſper, to the roſy dawn.
THE King, to mitigate his tender pain,
Seeks the apartment of the virgin train,
With ſportive mirth ſad abſence to beguile,
And bid the melancholly moments ſmile;
But there deſerted, lonely rooms he found;
And ſolitary ſilence reign'd around:
He call'd aloud, when, lo! a hag appears,
Bending beneath deformity and years;
Who ſaid, My Liege, explain your ſacred will,
With joy your ſovereign purpoſe I fulfil.
[14] My will! deteſted wretch! avoid my ſight,
And hide that hideous ſhape in endleſs night.
What? does thy Queen, o'er-run with rude diſtruſt,
Reſolve by force to keep a husband juſt?
YOU wrong, reply'd the hag, your royal wife,
Whoſe care is love, and love to guard your life;
The race of mortals are by nature frail,
And ſtrong temptations with the beſt prevail.
Be that my care, he ſaid; be thine, to ſend
The virgin train, let them my will attend.
THE Beldam fled, the chearful Nymphs advance,
And tread to meaſur'd airs, the mazy dance;
The raptur'd Prince, with greedy eye ſurveys
The bloomy maids, and covets ſtill to gaze;
No more recals the image of his ſpouſe,
(How falſe is Man!) nor recollects his vows;
[15] With wild inconſtancy for all he burns,
And ev'ry Nymph ſubdues his ſoul by turns.
At length a maid ſuperior to the reſt,
Array'd in ſmiles, in virgin beauty dreſt,
Receiv'd his paſſion, and return'd his love,
And ſoftly woo'd him to the ſilent grove.
ENCLOS'D in deepeſt ſhade of full-grown wood,
Within the grove a ſpacious grotto ſtood,
Where forty youths in marble ſeem'd to mourn,
Each youth reclining on a fun'ral urn;
Thither the Nymph directs the Monarch's way;
He treads her footſteps, joyful to obey;
There, fir'd with paſſion, claſp'd her to his breaſt,
And thus the tranſport of his ſoul expreſt:
DELIGHTFUL beauty! deck'd with ev'ry charm
High fancy paints, or glowing love can form,
[16] I ſigh, I gaze, I tremble, I adore,
Such lovely looks ne'er bleſt my eyes before!
Here, under covert of th' embow'ring ſhade,
For Love's delights, and tender tranſports made,
No buſy eye our raptures to detect,
No envious tongue to cenſure or direct,
Here yield to Love, and tenderly employ
The ſilent ſeaſon in extatick joy.
WITH arms enclaſp'd, his treaſure to retain,
He ſigh'd and ſtrove, but ſtrove and ſigh'd in vain;
She ruſh'd indignant from his fond embrace,
Whilſt rage, with bluſhes, paints her virgin face;
Yet ſtill he ſues, with ſuppliant hands and eyes;
Whilſt ſhe to magick charms for vengeance flies.
A LIMPID fountain murmur'd thro' the cave;
She fill'd her palm with the tranſlucent wave,
[17] And, ſprinkling, cry'd, Receive, falſe man, in time▪
The juſt reward of thy deteſted crime.
THY changeful ſex in perfidy delight,
Deſpiſe perfection, and fair virtue ſlight;
Falſe, fickle, baſe, tyrannick, and unkind,
Whoſe hearts nor vows can chain, nor honour bind,
Mad to poſſeſs, by paſſion blindly led,
And then as mad, to ſtain the nuptial bed;
Whoſe roving ſouls no excellence, no age,
No form, no rank, no beauty, can engage:
Slaves to the bad, to the deſerving worſt,
Sick of your twentieth love, as of your firſt.
Theſe STATUES, which this hallow'd grot adorn,
Like thee were Lovers, and like thee forſworn;
Whoſe faithleſs hearts no kindneſs cou'd ſecure,
Nor for a day preſerve their paſſion pure;
Whom neither love, nor beauty, cou'd reſtrain,
Nor fear of endleſs infamy and pain.
[18] Now feel the force of heav'ns avenging hand,
And here inanimate for ever ſtand!
SHE ſpoke—amaz'd the liſt'ning monarch ſtood;
And icy horror froze his ebbing blood!
Thick ſhades of death upon his eyelids creep,
And clos'd them faſt in everlaſting ſleep;
No ſenſe of life, no motion he retains,
But fix'd, a dreadful monument remains!
A STATUE now! and if reviv'd once more,
Wou'd prove, no doubt, as CONSTANT as before▪
FINIS.