Her mantle, like the sky in April, blue,
Hung on a blossom'd branch that near her grew;
For, long disporting in the silver stream,
She shunn'd the blazing daystar's sultry beam;
And, ere she could conceal her naked charms,
Sleep caught her trembling in his downy arms:
Borne on the wings of Love he flew, and press'd
Her breathing bosom to his eager breast.
At his wild theft the rosy morning blush'd,
The rivulet smiled, and all the woods were hush'd.
"Of these fair parents, on this blissful coast,
(Parents like Mirth and Pleasure who can boast!)
I with five sisters, on one happy morn,

All fair alike, behold us now! were born.
When they to brighter regions took their way,
By Love invited to the realms of day,

To us they gave this large, this gay domain,
And said, departing, "Here let Beauty reign."
Then reign, fair prince! in thee all beauties shine,
And ah! we know thee of no mortal line.'

She said the king with rapid ardour glow'd,
And the swift poison through his bosom flow'd:
But, while she spoke, he cast his eyes around
To view the dazzling roof and spangled ground;
Then turning with amaze from side to side,
Seven golden doors, that richly shone, he spied,
And said, 'Fair nymph (but let me not be bold),
What mean those doors that blaze with burnish'd
gold?'

'To six gay bowers,' the maid replied,' they lead, Where spring eternal crowns the glowing mead; Six fountains there, that glitter as they play, Rise to the sun with many a colour'd ray.' 'But the seventh door,' said he, 'what beauties 'O, 'tis a cave; a dark and joyless place, [grace?'

A scene of nameless deeds and magic spells, Where day ne'er shines, and pleasure never dwells:

Think not of that. But come, my royal friend,
And see what joys thy favour'd steps attend.'
She spoke; and pointed to the nearest door:
Swift he descends; the damsel flies before;
She turns the lock; it opens at command!
The maid and stripling enter hand in hand.
The wondering youth beheld an opening glade,
Where in the midst a crystal fountain play'd*;
The silver sands, that on its bottom grew,
Were strown with pearls and gems of varied hue;
The diamond sparkled like the star of day,
And the soft topaz shed a golden ray;
Clear amethysts combined their purple gleam
With the mild emerald's sight-refreshing beam;
The sapphire smiled like yon blue plain above,
And rubies spread the blushing tint of love.
"These are the waters of eternal light,'
The damsel said; the stream of heavenly sight;
See, in this cup,' she spoke, and stoop'd to fill
A vase of jasper with the sacred rill,

See, how the living waters bound and shine,
Which this well polish'd gem can scarce confine!”
From her soft hand the lucid urn he took,
And quaff'd the nectar with a tender look:
Straight from his eyes a cloud of darkness flew,
And all the scene was open'd to his view;
Not all the groves, where ancient bards have told
Of vegetable gems and blooming gold;

Not all the bowers which oft in flowery lays
And solemn tales Arabian poets praise-

* Sight.

Though streams of honey flow'd through every

mead,

Though balm and amber dropp'd from every reed;
Held half the sweets that Nature's ample hand
Had pour'd luxuriant o'er this wondrous land,
All flowerets here their mingled rays diffuse,
The rainbow's tints to these were vulgar hues;
All birds that in the stream their pinion dip,
Or from the brink the liquid crystal sip,
Or show their beauties to the sunny skies, [dyes;
Here waved their plumes that shone with varying
But chiefly he that o'er the verdant plain [train;
Spreads the gay eyes which grace his spangled
And he who, proudly sailing, loves to show
His mantling wings and neck of downy snow;
Nor absent he who learns the human sound,
With wavy gold and moving emeralds crown'd;
Whose head and breast with polish'd sapphires
glow,

And on whose wing the gems of Indus grow.
The monarch view'd their beauties o'er and o'er,
He was all eye, and look'd from every pore.
But now the damsel calls him from his trance;
And o'er the lawn, delighted, they advance:
They pass the hall adorn'd with royal state,
And enter now with joy the second gate*.
A soothing sound he heard (but tasted first
The gushing stream that from the valley burst),
And in the shade beheld a youthful quire
That touch'd with flying hands the trembling lyre:
Melodious notes, drawn out with magic art,
Caught with sweet ecstasy his ravish'd heart;
A hundred nymphs their charming descants play'd,
And melting voices died along the glade;

* Ilearing.

The tuneful stream that murmur'd as it rose,
The birds that on the trees bewail'd their woes,
The boughs, made vocal by the whispering gale,
Join'd their soft strain, and warbled through the

vale.

The concert ends and now the stripling hears A tender voice that strikes his wondering ears; A beauteous bird, in our rude climes unknown, That on a leafy arbour sits alone,

Strains his sweet throat, and waves his purple wings,

And thus in human accents softly sings

'Rise, lovely pair, a sweeter bower invites Your eager steps, a bower of new delights; Ah! crop the flowers of pleasure while they blow, Ere winter hide them in a veil of snow. Youth, like a thin anemone, displays His silken leaf, and in a morn decays. See, gentle youth! a lily-bosom❜d bride; See, nymph! a blooming stripling by thy side. Then haste, and bathe your souls in soft delights, A sweeter bower your wandering steps invites.' He ceased; the slender branch, from which he flew,

Bent its fair head, and sprinkled pearly dew. The damsel smiled; the blushing youth was pleased,

And by her willing hand his charmer seized: The lovely nymph, who sigh'd for sweeter joy, To the third gate* conducts the amorous boy: She turns the key; her cheeks like roses bloom, And on the lock her fingers drop perfume.

His ravish'd sense a scene of pleasure meets, A maze of joy, a paradise of sweets;

* Smell.

But first his lips had touch'd the' alluring stream
That through the grove display'd a silver gleam.
Through jasmine bowers and violet scented vales
On silken pinions flew the wanton gales,-
Arabian odours on the plants they left,
And whisper'd to the woods their spicy theft:
Beneath the shrubs, that spread a trembling shade,
The musky roes and fragrant civets play'd.
As when, at eve, an eastern merchant roves
From Hadramut to Aden's spikenard groves,
Where some rich caravan, not long before,
Has pass'd,with Cassia fraught,and balmy store,-
Charm'd with the scent that hills and vales diffuse,
His grateful journey gaily he pursues—
Thus pleased, the monarch fed his eager soul,
And from each breeze a cloud of fragrance stole.
Soon the fourth door* he pass'd with eager haste,
And the fourth stream was nectar to his taste.
Before his eyes, on agate columns rear'd,
On high a purple canopy appear'd;
And under it, in stately form, was placed
A table with a thousand vases graced;
Laden with all the dainties that are found
In air, in seas, or on the fruitful ground.
Here the fair youth reclined with decent pride,
His wanton nymph was seated by his side:
All that could please the taste the happy pair
Cull'd from the loaded board with curious care;
O'er their enchanted heads a mantling vine
His curling tendrils wove with amorous twine;
From the green stalks the glowing clusters hung,
Like rubies on a thread of emeralds strung;

VOL. I.

* Taste.

I I