3319 
 
 THE DESERTER 
 
 E. JEKKINGHAM
 
 THE LIBRARY 
 OF 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY 
 
 OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 LOS ANGELES 
 
 FREDERIC THOMAS BLANCHARD 
 ENDOWMENT FUND 
 
 <,
 
 THE 
 
 DESERTER: 
 
 P O E M- 
 
 ri^ 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 Printed for J. ROBSON at the Feathers in New Bond Street. 
 
 MDCCLXX. 
 
 [Price One Shilling.}.
 
 
 T O 
 THE RIGHT HONOURABLE^ 
 
 Lord Viscount 
 N U N E H A M, 
 
 THIS LITTLE POEM, 
 AS AN OFFERING OF FRIENDSHIP, 
 
 IS INSCRIBED, 
 BY HIS AFFECTIONATE SERVANT 
 
 Edward Jerningham. 
 
 959103
 
 THE 
 
 DESERTER. 
 
 I. 
 
 COnceal'd beneath illuftrious deeds, 
 A fimple tale I rear : 
 A tale that foft-ey'd Pity reads, 
 And honors with a tear. 
 
 ir. 
 
 The Spaniard left the hoftile plain, 
 
 To feek his native land, 
 Beneath the fails that fwept the mainj 
 
 Cabeysa join'd the band:
 
 ( 2 ) 
 
 III. 
 
 Who as he met his country's foes. 
 
 Within the field of Fame, 
 Above his rank obfcure arofe 
 
 And grac'd his humble name : 
 
 IV, 
 
 Yet not the early wreath of Fame 
 With haughtinefs was twin'd: 
 
 Nor pride nor ficklenefs could claim 
 The empire of his mind : 
 
 V. 
 
 The lowly hut, beneath whofe roof 
 
 He figh'd a fad adieu, 
 Received him (time and diftance-proof) 
 
 To love and Mary true;
 
 ( 5 ) 
 
 VI. 
 
 This hamlet-fair, by Fortune fcorn'dj 
 Seem'd Nature's fav'rite child, 
 
 With hand profufe by her adorn'd 
 — The flow'ret of the wild ! 
 
 VII. 
 
 Her neat but homely garment prefs'd 
 
 The pvire, the feeling heart, 
 Oft fought in vain behind the veil. 
 Of decorated art : 
 
 VIII. 
 
 " If fliaring all thy cares ((he faid) 
 " Has paled my beauty's rofe, 
 
 " Ah know ! for thee the h^urt that bled, 
 " With all its paiiion glows :
 
 ( 4 ) 
 
 IX. 
 
 " Blefl moment to my wilh that gives 
 ^' The long long abfent youth ! 
 
 " He lives — th'endear'd Cabeysa lives, 
 " And love confii'ms the truth. 
 
 X, 
 
 " When thy brave comrades fell around, 
 " What pow'r s benignant care, 
 
 " Secur'd thee from the fatal wound : 
 " And Mary from defpair? 
 
 XI. 
 
 " Oft in the troubling dream of night 
 
 " I faw the rufliing fpear, 
 ** Nor did the morn's awak'ning light 
 
 " Difpel the ling ring fear.
 
 ( 5 ) 
 XII. 
 
 " Thy tender fears (the youth replied) 
 
 " Ah give them to the air ! 
 " To happinefs we're now alUed, 
 
 " And pleafure be our care : 
 
 XIII. 
 
 " Let us purfue the joy begun, 
 
 *' Nor lofe by dull delay : 
 " Say, Mary, fhall to-morrow's fun 
 
 " Illume our nuptial day ? 
 
 XIV. 
 
 With look declined £he blulh'd confent — 
 
 Referve that takes alarm, 
 And Love and Joy their influence lent 
 
 To raife meek Beauty's charm. 
 C
 
 ( ^ ) 
 
 XV. 
 
 The guefts, to hall the wedded pair, 
 
 Beneath their roof repair'd, 
 With them the Uttle feafl to fhare 
 
 Their fcanty purfe prepar'd : 
 
 XVI. 
 
 Tho' no dchcious wines were pour'd, 
 
 Mirth took his deftin'd place, 
 The hand-maid Neatnefs fpread the board, 
 
 And fage Content faid grace. 
 
 XVII. 
 
 Scarce thro' one hafty week had Love 
 
 His grateful bleflings Ihed, 
 When blifs (as flies the frighted dove) 
 
 Their humble manfion fled :
 
 ( 7 ) 
 xviir. 
 
 'Twas at Bellona's voice it flew, 
 
 That caird to war's alarms ; 
 Bad the youth rife to valor true, 
 
 And break from Mary's arms: 
 
 XIX. 
 
 But flie ftill drained him to her heart, 
 
 To lengthen the adieu : 
 " Ah what, (fhe faid) fhou'dft thou depart, 
 
 " Shall I and forrow do ? 
 
 XX. 
 
 ** Say, valiant youth, when thou'rt away 
 " Who'll raife my drooping head ? 
 
 " How fhall I chace the fears that fay 
 " Thy lov'd Cabeysa's dead ?
 
 ( 8 ) 
 
 XXI. 
 
 " With thine my fate I now involve, 
 
 " Intent thy courfe to fleer, 
 " No vv^ords fhall fhake my firm refolve, 
 
 " Not cv'n that trickhng tear : 
 
 XXII. 
 
 " Fram'd for each fcene of foft delight, 
 " (He faid) thy gentle form, 
 
 " As Ihrinks the lily at the blight, 
 " Will droop beneath the Ilorm: 
 
 XXIIL 
 
 " Bleft in thy prefence ! ev ry pain 
 " (She added) brings its charm, 
 
 '* And love, tho' falls the beating rain, 
 " Will keep this bofom warm.
 
 ( 9 ) 
 
 "xxiv. 
 
 Her zeal (the fupplement of flrength) 
 
 Upheld her many a day, 
 But Nature's pow'rs fubdued at length, 
 
 On Sicknefs' couch ihe lay : 
 
 XXV. 
 
 Three painful days unfeen fhe lay 
 
 Of him fhe held fo dear : 
 " Ah does he thus my love repay ? 
 
 She faid — and dropt a tear : 
 
 XXVI. 
 
 " Cabeysa, at a league's remove, 
 " Dwells on the tent-fpread hill : 
 
 " Ah wherefore did he vow true love, 
 " And not that vow fulfil ? 
 D
 
 ( lo ) 
 XXVIL 
 
 Yet not deficiency of truth 
 
 Forbad to yield relief, 
 Stern pow'r with-held the tender yonth, 
 
 And duty to his chief: 
 
 XXVIII. 
 
 "Who wifely-counfel'd drew a line, 
 To check the hand of Stealth, 
 
 That ravag'd wide th' encircling vine, 
 The humble peafant's wealth : 
 
 XXIX. 
 
 To pafs the line, it was ordain'd, 
 
 Whoever fhou'd prefume, 
 Shou'd a Deferter be arraign'd, 
 
 And meet the coward's doom:
 
 ( " ) 
 
 XXX. 
 
 This law by equity approv'd, 
 
 And to the peafant dear, 
 Soon to the brave Cabeysa prov'd 
 
 Deftrudively fevere : 
 
 XXXI. 
 
 Now Mary's image haunts his foul, 
 In Woe's dark tints array'd, 
 
 While to his breaft compafTion flole, 
 And all her claims difplay'd : 
 
 XXXII. 
 
 " For me her native home, (he faid) 
 " For me each weeping friend, 
 
 " For me a father's arms fhe fled— 
 " And fhall not love attend I
 
 ( 12 ) 
 
 XXXIII. 
 
 " Say, for a chofen lover's fake, 
 " What more cou'd woman do ? 
 
 " And now that health and peace forfake, 
 " Shall I forfake her too ? 
 
 XXXIV. 
 
 " Now flretch'd upon the naked ground, 
 " Opprefs'd with pain and fear, 
 She cafts a languid eye around, 
 " Nor fees G a b e y s a near ; 
 
 XXXV. 
 
 " Now, now fhe weeps at my delay, 
 
 " And fhall negled; be mine? 
 " Submit, ye fears, to Pity's fway ! 
 
 He fpoke— and crofs'd the line.
 
 ( 15 ) 
 
 XXXVI. 
 
 Soon at his fight the fair refum'd 
 
 Each captivating grace : 
 On her pale cheek the rofe rebloom'd, 
 
 And fmiles illum'd her face. 
 
 XXXVII. 
 
 Yet to that cheek return'd in vain 
 Bright Health's vermilion dye, 
 
 For bitter tears that cheek fhall (lain, 
 And dim her brilliant eye : 
 
 XXXVIII. 
 
 The youth returning thro' the gloom, 
 
 At midnight's fecret hour, 
 Was feiz'd — and to dilhonour's tomb 
 
 Doom'd by the martial pow'r. 
 E
 
 ( 14 ) 
 XXXIX. 
 
 To meet his fate at wake of day 
 
 (Love's vidlim) he was led, 
 No weaknefs did his cheek betray, 
 
 While to the chief he faid : 
 
 XL. 
 
 ** If in the battle death I've dar'd, 
 
 " In all its horror dreft, 
 •* Think not this fcene, by thee prepar'dj 
 
 *' Sheds terror on my breaft : 
 
 XLI. 
 
 " Yet, at Maria's haplefs fate, 
 
 " My fortitude impairs, 
 " Unmanned I fink beneath the weight 
 
 " Of her oppreflive cares :
 
 ( 15 ) 
 
 XLIL 
 
 " Ah ! when her grief-torn heart fhall bleed, 
 
 " Some little folace grant, 
 " Oh guard her in the hour of need 
 
 " From the rude hand of want : 
 
 XLIII. 
 
 Now, kneeling on the fatal fpot, 
 
 He twin'd the darkening band: 
 The twelve, who drew th'unwelcome lot, 
 
 Reludlant took their Hand : 
 
 XLIV. 
 
 And now the murm'ring throng grew dumb, 
 
 'Twas filence all — fave where, 
 At intervals, the mournful drum 
 
 Struck horror on the ear :
 
 ( I6 ) 
 
 XLV. 
 
 Now, with their death-fraught tubes uprear'd, 
 
 The deflin'd twelve were feen — 
 And now the explofion dire was heard 
 
 That clos'd C a b E y s a's fcene. 
 
 XLVI. 
 
 Another fcene remain'd behind 
 
 For Mary to fupply — 
 She comes 1 mark how her tortur'd.mind 
 
 Speaks thro' th^expreffive eye: 
 
 XL VII. 
 
 " Forbear — will ye in blood (Ihe faid) 
 
 " Your cruel hands imbrue ? 
 " On me, on me your vengeance Ihed, 
 
 " To me alone 'tis due :
 
 ( ^7 ) 
 
 XLVIII. 
 
 *' Relent — and to thefe arms again 
 " The valiant youth reftore. 
 
 " I rave — already on the plain 
 " He welters in his gore. 
 
 XLIX. 
 
 Advancing now, flae pierc'd the crov/d, 
 
 And reacli'd the fatal place, 
 Where, lifting from the corfe the fhroud, 
 
 No femblance cou'd (he trace. 
 
 L. 
 
 " Is this — oh blading view ! (fhe cried) 
 " The youth who lov'd too well ! 
 
 " His love for me the law defied, 
 " And for that love he fell. 
 F
 
 ( ^8 ) 
 
 LT. 
 
 " When will the grave thia form receive I 
 " The grave to ^hich he's fled ? 
 
 *' There, only there I'll ceafe to grieve. 
 She fpoke — 
 
 And join'd the dead. 
 
 FINIS.
 
 This book is DUE on the last date stamped below. 
 
 Form L9-32m-8,'57(,CS680s4)444
 
 ■ III mill Mil nil II iiiiii ill 
 
 3 1158 C 
 
 D 000 001