William Hayley

“ THE STAG. BALLAD THE FOURTH. Blest be the boy, by virtue nurst, Who knows not aught of fear's controul, And keeps, in peril's sudden burst, The freedom of an active soul. Such was a lively Tuscan boy, Who lived the youthful Tasso's friend, Friendship and verse his early joy, And music, form'd with love to blend. Love had inspir'd his tender frame, His years but two above eleven, The sister of his friend his flame! A lovely little light of Heaven! Born in the same propitious year, Together nurst, together taught; Each learn'd to hold the other dear, In perfect unison of thought. ”

“ When bringing to his simple cot A Goat of signal grace, He, to his foreign guest, display'd The ornament she wore; It was a splendid silver toy, It's folds her neck embrace, And it's rich centre, highly wrought, This grateful motto bore: Dear animal! This trinket wear, Mark of thy mental beauty! For teaching to an English fair, A mother's highest duty! "Good shepherd thou hast much to tell, Some curious tender tale, Thy kindness I with joy accept, To rest beneath thy roof; For now I see an evening storm Is sweeping o'er the vale, And here in this thy airy nest I well can sleep aloof." ”

“ THE SWAN. BALLAD THE TENTH. Kind Heaven will oft a lesson give If mortals are inclined to learn; To shew how simplest things that live, To kindness make a rich return. Tho' fiction speaks of dying notes, Sung by the swan in death resign'd; Is there a tribe, that flies or floats, Of sense, or feeling, less refin'd? Yet simple as this bird we deem, My faithful ballad shall attest, One Swan displayed on Thames's stream, A feeling and a friendly breast Cecilia liv'd on Thames's bank, A young and lovely married fair; To creatures kind of every rank, A favourite Swan had own'd her care. ”

“ The Baya, dear nymphs, is a delicate bird, Of intelligent zeal, in our climate unknown; A bird, in the service of lovers preferr'd To the turtle, that Venus regards as her own. The Baya not only will bear in his beak The letter a youth to his nymph would convey; But if from her person some jewel he seek, This bird, at his nod, gently plucks it away. It chanc'd in Circassia a lovely young maid, On her beautiful neck wore a crescent of gold, Hermossan, her lover, the trinket survey'd, And wish'd in his bosom the gem to infold. ”

“ Fair Azima suffers from sorrow and rage, But what can her rage or her sorrow achieve; Hermossan is absent: her father's weak age Only leaves her in fruitless affliction to grieve. Her bird in sweet sympathy seems to lament, And to cheer her, in vain, his kind frolics he tries, When she says, "O my ring!" on her wishes intent, To seek it far off, from her window he flies. In each flight, with new hope, she perceives her heart burn 'Till that hope she so often has cherished in vain, That she welcomes with tears his unjoyous return, And her health wastes away with vexation and pain. ”

“ How keen her anguish to survey, The tide fill half the cove; Forth from its seat, with savage sway, Her Halcyon's nest it drove. The nest now floats, and from the shore, The tortur'd parent sprung, With wildest terror hovers o'er, And shrieks around her young! Selina marks the barbarous sea, The leaky nest divide; And bold her little friends to free, She plunges in the tide! The tender sinking tribe she caught, But ah! she caught too late! More rapid, than her generous thought, Was unrelenting fate. ”

“ To meet a burst of mortal bliss That might o'erset the brain Of such a tender feeling soul, Most delicately fair." "Ah sir! old shepherd as I seem, I know the sex full well, In truth I studied nought beside, In all my early life; And underneath the cope of Heaven, No lady can there dwell, More worthy of the fondest care, Than your angelic wife." The good old man so charm'd his guest, As they familiar grew, The stranger to his guidance bent, Tho' born of spirit high: At last the long'd-for hour was come, On what slow wings it flew! ”

“ Near to a forest's side, That shook with many a monster's roar, With hasty caution hied. But suddenly, full in his way, A Panther he descries; Athwart his very road she lay, And fixt his fearful eyes. With backward step, and watchful stare If refuge there may be; He hopes to gain, with trembling care, The refuge of a tree. A fruitless hope—the Panther moves, Perceiving his intent, And vain his utmost caution proves Her purpose to prevent. But no fierce purpose to destroy The dreadful beast impells; Her gesture, blending grief and joy, Far other motive tells. ”

“ He promis'd, for his mother's sake, Not to recall his exil'd snake, Nor wander to his wood; He was a boy of manly soul, And true to honour's just controul, He made his promise good. Nature, to these divided friends Now in their separate lot attends; Time decks them as he flies; The child, a graceful stripling grows, And freedom on the snake bestows, A formidable size. And now it chanc'd the Arcadian youth, Renown'd for courage, love and truth! Had sought a favourite maid; Led by her tender charms to roam, Forgetting distance from his home, Abroad too late he stay'd. ”

“ With pity's just, and dauntless, haste, She mounts the ladder rightly plac'd, She rears the guardian fork; Her heart expands, with hope elate, That she shall kindly snatch from fate Each tender little Stork. Dear virtuous damsel, vainly brave, Thou must resign thy hopes to save These innocents from death! The faithless ladder breaks—the maid Escaping by angelic aid, Now scarce retains her breath. Forgetting selfish fear, her eye Is fixt upon the scene on high, With anguish and despair; The dauntless bird, with wond'rous skill, A parent's duty to fulfil, Toils in the troubled air. ”

“ THE HALCYON. BALLAD THE TWELFTH. Not only men of stormy minds, The storms of trouble know, All creatures of this earth must find A share of earthly woe! Ye whose pure hearts with pity swell, For pain by all incurr'd; Hear how affliction once befell, Serenity's sweet bird. Ye fair, who in your carols praise The Halcyon's happy state; Hear in compassionate amaze, One Halcyon's hapless fate. A nymph, Selina is her name, Lovely in mind and mien, When spring, however early, came, Was fond of walks marine. ”

“ Thro' his cheek her sure arrow has sped; It fastens his flesh to the tree. Too soon of her conquest secure, She runs within reach of his claw, But in tortures he cannot endure, He has struck her to earth with his paw. Lo! anxious the peasant descends: Good peasant no more be afraid! Heaven sent her the bravest of friends, In the boy who has rush'd to her aid. Before thou couldst spring to the ground, Her boy made her triumph complete; And contriving a marvellous wound, He has stretch'd her foe dead at her feet. ”

“ In brains that burn from Afric suns, Mad jealousy will rise, Till thro' the heart the frenzy runs, And bursts all tender ties. A Lybian of this far fam'd clan, Had dream'd his wife untrue, And soon the madd'ning wretch began His child with hate to view. That child, which till his fatal dream Was from base slander bred; The happy sire, with joy extreme, Had fondled, blest, and fed. And never infant more deserv'd To prove his father's joy: Of two years old, and nobly nerv'd, A brave Herculean boy. Nature, with passion, long at strife, Contended in his breast ”

“ Cornelia scarce could stand, for she Began her guardian to entreat; Seizing his busy arm, to flee Far from the fawn before her feet. The youth her painful terror saw, And with a manly sterness said, In a firm voice, inspiring awe, "Cornelia I must be obeyed." "True love is brave, whate'er may chance— Behind this tree's protecting bole Stand thou—nor fear the Stag's advance, But trust to thy Fortunio's soul!" The faithful maid, in double dread, Fear'd to offend him more than death; And now, as near the fierce foe sped, Behind the tree, she pants for breath. ”

“ It seem'd her guest, so frequent here, The damsel us'd to roam; And deem'd this little cove so dear, Her palace and her home. When April's sun the coast had warm'd, New joy the nymph possest: She saw her favourite bird had form'd, A curious downy nest. How did her tender heart rejoice, What prayers she then preferred, That she might with her tuneful voice, Delight the brooding bird. Gay nature smil'd, the prayer she blest, Selina softly sung; And felt delight of higher zest; She nurst the callow young. But Oh! when human pleasures rise, To enviable height ”

“ Said her lover, "whenever his skill is complete." The extent of his talents the youth wish'd to find, As the bird with new lessons be daily carest; To his skill and obedience this charge he assigned, To bring him the crescent from Azima's breast. The bird who himself lov'd the damsel to court, On her shoulder first perch'd with endearment and joy; With his beak he then snapt it's strong silken support, And bore from her bosom the glittering toy. The nymph half in anger the plunderer chac'd, But she fail'd to regain or the gem, or the cord ”

“ Both he deem'd must now expire, By the vicious monster crush'd: For his rage, with forceful art, Still he fail'd to turn, or tame: Fear and pity fill'd his heart, And convuls'd his manly frame, "Fly!" he cried, in accents weak, As the rampant courser sped; "Fly!" was all, that he could speak, Toss'd beneath the monster's head. But without her child to fly, Brave Marcella now disdained: As her darling's guard to die, This her only hope remained. ”

“ Him, many a deadly snake to feed, Sansado would engage; And more, by many a noxious weed, Exasperate their rage. And now the settled day arrives, Fixt for their savage joy; To risk two unprotected lives, Poor Neela and her boy. For if, so jealous rage decreed, One reptile wounds the child; Neela upon that couch must bleed, They think she has defil'd. God save thee Neela in a strife, By nature's heart abhorr'd: And God defend each hapless wife, Who has a jealous lord! ”

“ She sees them gasp for breath; Tho' fiercer flames around her sprung, She settles on her dying young, And welcomes social death! "My glorious bird," exclaims the maid, Who her brave fav'rite survey'd, While she expir'd above: "I will not at thy lot repine, But rather pray it may be mine, To die with those I love!"
THE PANTHER. BALLAD THE SIXTH. Maternal love! thou wond'rous power, By no base fears controul'd, Tis truly thine, in danger's hour, To make the tender bold! And yet, more marvellous! thy sway, Amid the pathless wild, Can humanize the beast of prey! ”

“ Neela yet kind and calm, Beholds a knot of Snakes, that fill A basket made of palm! No fear her blameless mind alarms: But quick with scornful joy, One basely holds her by the arms; One grasps her fondling boy. The sire himself, with gesture wild, His thoughtless offspring takes ”

“ In her chamber she oft her lov'd ruby would hide. And exclaim, my Anglama, "go seek for my ring!" However concealed the quick bird was so keen, He never once failed to bring back the lost gem; To his mistress he gave it with gesture serene, Her sweet-meats repaid him; he lived upon them. How often the sport of an innocent breast, Is by Providence favour'd for some gracious end, And gentle dumb creatures, with kindness carest, That kindness repay in the shape of a friend! But little sweet Azima dreamt, as she taught, Her bird thus to play with a jewel so dear ”

“ The reptile, ever at his side, Obeys him waking, and with pride, Would watch him, while he slept! Once ere her darling was awake, The anxious mother saw the snake, So twin'd around his arm, She begged her husband to convey The fondling serpent far away, For fear of casual harm. The happy father of the child, Himself a being bravely mild, To her request attends; Conscious such comrades could not part Without great anguish of the heart, He fear'd to wound the friends. ”

“ But of a fearless heart, she deem'd The royal bird her friend, Nor thought its rage, tho' fierce it scream'd, Would to her vale descend. With plunder borne thro' distant air, She saw it stain the rock, Yet trusted it would nobly spare Her little neighbouring flock. Ah Jessy, oft the fancied friend, Commits a cruel wrong; Weak neighbours seldom should depend On kindness from the strong. No manly guard hast thou with thee A savage foe to scare, For thy good man far off to sea The distant billows bear. ”

“ The Horse we cherish as a friend, To sickness and to health. Bless them, who shield a steed from woe. By age from toil releas'd! And hated be the proud, who shew No mercy to their beast! A wretch once doom'd, tho' rich and strong, His faithful horse to bleed, But tell his fate, my moral song, For that atrocious deed! An antient knight, of Kentish race; Of his athletic frame Prone to indulge the passions base, Sir Geoffrin his name, Against a priest indulg'd his rage, Who charitably good, To shield a widow's helpless age, His avarice withstood. ”

“ The marble Fido in their sight, Enhanc'd their nuptial bliss; And Lucy every morn, and night, Gave him a grateful kiss.
THE ELEPHANT. BALLAD THE SECOND. Say, nature, on whose wond'rous reign Delighted fancy dwells, Of all thy numerous brutal train What animal excells? What quadruped most nobly vies In virtue with mankind, Like man deliberately wise, And resolutely kind? Beneath a form vast and uncouth Such excellence is found: Sagacious Elephant! thy truth, Thy kindness is renown'd. ”

“ Seizes his friend in silent dread, And lifts him to the skies. High as his trunk the man can bear, Th' astonish'd man he bore, Who vainly struggled in the air, And trembled more and more. So wild, so swift, the monster past, All deem'd him mad and fled.— Thro' a high window gently cast, With terror almost dead, The astounded gard'ner view'd with awe The savage speed away ”

“ But Hero guarded from their beak, The visage of his lord!" "When first my eyes on Hero glanc'd, One vulture he had slain: The second scar'd as I advanced, Flew off in fearful pain." "Enchanted with a guard so brave, So faithful to the dead: The wounded dog to soothe and save, With beating heart I sped." "He lick'd my hand, by me carest, But him with grief I saw Half famish'd, and his gallant breast Gor'd by the vulture's claw!" "Tho' anxious o'er his wounds I bend; By kindness or by force, I could not tempt this generous friend. ”