3519 
 Ibe
 
 THE LIBRARY 
 
 OF 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY 
 
 OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 LOS ANGELES 
 
 FREDERIC THOMAS BLANCHARD 
 ENDOWMENT FUND
 
 EASTERN ECLOGUES; 
 
 WRITTEN DURING A 
 
 o 
 
 u 
 
 R 
 
 THROUGH 
 
 Arabia^ Egypt ^ and other Parts o^Afia and Africa^ 
 
 IN THE YEAR M.DCC.LXXVII. 
 
 Jhvn a JOramtfj^ miute iyum MeJ^ol- 
 
 jLfu/ ??t4/^l fA^4^Ji^^^ /la^n /^^<r<z^, f SA^ /u/ufc &mfJ recover ^enn ^i^/rJ)u^t, 
 
 7^C^.,',.: /. 7./., S/. 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 PRINTED FOR J. DODSLEY, PALL-MALL. 
 
 M.DCC.LXXX.
 
 C 3 ] x-^ 
 
 
 ADVERTISEMENT. 
 
 THE Plan on which thefe Poems are conduded,. 
 has been purfued by fo many able Pens, that an 
 Author could have little Succefs to hope for on common" 
 Topics. In other Climes, where new Subjedls ocur, it 
 may be adopted without any Imputation of Prefump- 
 tion, or the Idea of attempting to rival celebrated 
 Writers. This Confideration has given Birth to- the fol- 
 lowing Trifles. It has been the Fortune of our Traveller 
 to be tempted, by a near Approach to thofe diftant Scenes, 
 to fketch from the Life, and to depid Nature in her 
 more retired Views. His Pictures may then put in their 
 Claim to Originality, whatever Deficiencies they may 
 have in Point of Coloring and Execution. Touched 
 
 A 2 ' only 
 
 853618
 
 4 ADVERTISEMENT. 
 
 only at Intervals, in the Courfe of a novel and perilous 
 Journey, if they pave the Way for the favourable Recep- 
 tion of the Journey itfelf, the Value which he affixes to 
 them w^ill be fully anfwered. An impartial Public has a 
 Title to the Labors of Individuals, which may tend to 
 its Information ; and the Remembrance of its paft Indul- 
 gence will be a Spur to him to render the Work, which 
 he is now preparing, as perfedl as his unequal Talents 
 will admit of. 
 
 T O
 
 [ 5 ] 
 
 T O 
 
 Mrs. I R W IN. 
 
 IT AMP of my life! and fummit of my praife ! 
 
 ^ * The bright reward of all my toillbme days ! 
 
 After unnumber'd ftorms and perils brav'd, 
 
 The port in which my Pnipwreck'd hopes were fav'd ; 
 
 Who, when my youth had plealure's round enjoy 'd, 
 
 Came to my craving foul, and fill'd the void. 
 
 To thee, whole feeling heart and judgment chafte, 
 
 Give thee of Fancy's luxuries to taile ; 
 
 To thee I dedicate thele rambling lays, 
 
 And hold thy iinlles beyond a monarch's bays ! 
 
 See, on our bliis the nuptial year decline, 
 
 And ftill the fun which lit it, (eems to fhine ! 
 
 Crown'd
 
 6 TO MRS. IRWIN. 
 
 Crown'd is our union with a fmiling boy, 
 And thou ftill courted hke a virgin coy. 
 Ye fhades of lovers ! witnels what we feel- — 
 To modern couples vain were the appeal ! 
 Tho' human joys are ever on the wing, 
 Tho' fmall the fcope of life's enchanted ring ; 
 Tho' Time advances with a courfer's pace, 
 And ftill muft rob thee of fome charm or grace ; 
 No fights ungrateful can falute our eyes. 
 Who ufe no optics but what love fupplies ! 
 Who but in this betray a partial fide, 
 Still each to each, the bridegroom and the bride l 
 
 April 1779. 
 
 EASTERN
 
 [ 7 ] 
 
 EASTERN ECLOGUES, ^c. 
 
 ECLOGUE I. 
 
 ALEXIS: OR, THE TRAVELLER. 
 
 SCENE: The Ruins of Alexandria. 
 TIME: MORNING. 
 
 To THOMAS PEARSON, Efq; 
 
 WHERE mould'ring piles conceal the fculptor's 
 hand. 
 And Egypt's pride lies fcatter'd o'er the ftrand ; 
 Relics of antient tafte ! by Time betray'd. 
 The tow'ring column, and the gay arcade : 
 
 Fragments of marble in confufion plac'd, ^ 
 
 Disjoin'd by wars, by ignorance defac'd : 
 
 Alexis oft the facred haunt would tread. 
 
 And hold fweet converfe with the mighty dead. 
 
 Alexis, by no vain caprice purfued. 
 
 Who many a race and many a land had viewM j i o 
 
 5 From
 
 [ 8 ] 
 
 From northern climes, where Phoebus faintly fmiles, 
 To where his beams enrich the fpicy ifles ; 
 On hoftile fhores by tempefts had been caft, 
 And many a painful pilgrimage had paft ! 
 
 O ! deeply vers'd in all the clafHc lore, 15 
 
 Mirror of deeds and characters of yore ! 
 Whate'er the fage or legiflator taught, 
 The hero labor'd, or the artiPc wrought, 
 Judge ! critic ! poet ! may the Mufe afpire 
 To touch a theme more worthy of thy lyre ! 20 
 
 Now riling Phoebus leaves the Cyprian fliore, 
 Sprung from the wave whence Venus fprang before. 
 Dimm'd is the orb that giow'd on Pharos' height, 
 And polifli'd domes relied the orient light ; 
 V/hen lone Alexis from the port retreats, 25 
 
 To wooe the Mufes in their wonted feats, 
 V/here ufelefs aquedudls obflrud the way. 
 And gaping catacombs their wombs betray ; 
 Where long canals their thirfty beds extend. 
 And tow'rs unrooPd, no more the town defend ; 30 
 
 Wonders of art decay'd ! he penlive ftrays, 
 'Till Pompey's well-known * pillar he furveys. 
 
 * A pillar of Granite, which flill bears his name, and which, for beauty and 
 fize, remains without a rival. It is of the Corinthian order, and the fhaft of 
 the pillar meafures 90 feet in height, of a fingle flone, exclufive of the pe- 
 deilal, which is 20 more. 
 
 Strait
 
 [ 9 ] 
 
 Strait o'er his mind a pleafing forrow reigns, 
 While thus he vents it in no fervile ftrains. 
 
 " lUuftrious trophy of a Hero's fame ! 35 
 
 Th' Egyptian honor ! and the Roman lliame ! 
 That Rome who drove a Patriot from her breaft, 
 This land v/ho thus her vidim's w^rongs redreft. 
 What tho' fuccefs has fandlify'd the crime, 
 And Julius triumphs to the clofe of time ; 40 
 
 What tho' when Pompey fled Pharfalia's field, 
 Rome loft her prop, and Liberty her fliield ; 
 Yet iliall the Great lament his fate fevere, 
 Which check'd a rival in his bold career : 
 Yet fhall a ftone this truth important tell — 45 
 
 His name may flourifh who obfcurely fell ! 
 
 Prepare, ye Loves ! your myrtles ever-green. 
 To wreathe the * column of Egyptia's Queen. 
 Hither advance, ye pow'rs of wit and wine ! 
 And hang your various chaplet on her fhrine. 50 
 
 * An obelifk of Granite, commonly called Cleopatra's Needle. It is 60 
 feet in height, of a fingle ftone, and infcribed with hieroglyphics. There were 
 two of thefe elegant monuments ftanding together, but fome years ago one of 
 them was torn up by the root by a violent ftorm, and lies at prefent half buried 
 in the fand. 
 
 ' B For
 
 [ '° ] 
 
 For laughing Anthony your homage pay, ■ 
 
 Who fet for love, and threw a world away ! 
 
 No meaner conquefts could his foul approve, 
 
 His empire, beauty ! and ambition, love ! 
 
 O'er realms enflav'd let proud Auguftus reign, 55 
 
 And live immortal in the Mantuan ftrain ; 
 
 A lot more envy'd fhall await the pair, 
 
 Whofe fame fhall be the faithful lovers' care ; 
 
 Still in their talk the tender tale be found. 
 
 Still frefli the afpic's bite, and faulchion's wound ! 60 
 
 Around his tomb let daring fpirits throng. 
 While Ammon's glories elevate the fong ! 
 The bright achievements feal'd with hoftile blood. 
 On Indus' banks, and Granic's adverfe flood j 
 The noble feelings which the man befpoke, 65 
 
 When Porus bow'd, and Perfia own'd the yoke : 
 A kingdom render'd back with fuch a grace,. 
 Such pity to Darius' captive race : 
 Thefe bloom ftill vivid in the -f- Painter's hues. 
 And deck th' hiftoric page and tragic Mufe, 70 
 
 • Le Brun. 
 
 Ye
 
 [ " ] 
 
 Ye pow'rs of commerce ! here your fuccor bring, 
 
 To happier themes accord the fiiver firing. 
 
 Behold the port to which blue Neptune gave 
 
 A boundlefs empire o'er the fubjed: wave ! 
 
 Behold the mart where freighted navies meet, 75 
 
 Plenty's full horn, and trade's unrival'd feat ! 
 
 From ev'ry foil where ev'ry produd: came, 
 
 And flamp'd imperial with its founder's name : 
 
 Thefe, yet unfung, fublimer views difplay'd. 
 
 And, more than conqueft, deify his fhade ! 80 
 
 And muft thefe relics haften to decay, 
 And like inferior objeds pafs away ? 
 Shall future times recover from their dufl 
 The canker'd coin and mutilated bufl ? 
 Of Csefar all and Ammon that remain, 85 
 
 To puzzle fome Virtu's conjeA'ring brain ! 
 O death to think ! mull now the abjed race 
 Of Turk and Arab lord it in their place ? 
 O'er proftrate arts muft barb'rous Goths afpire ? 
 More fell to learning than the fignal fire, 90 
 
 Sages and Bards which to oblivion doom'd, 
 .And Ptolemy's enlighten'd ftore confum'd." 
 
 B2 Thus
 
 [ " ] 
 
 Thus plain'd the youth, 'till Sol's increafing heat 
 Warns him to ihelter in fome cool retreat. 
 Now to a * convent's porch he points his way, 95 
 
 Whofe fcanty groves have made the defart gay. 
 Soon as the bearded fathers meet his eye. 
 Kings ! warriors ! poets ! from his mem'ry fly : 
 Men who, reclufe, no lefs his wonder claim. 
 Studious of good, yet carelefs of a name ! 100 
 
 Line ^y. " Gay pats my flioulder, and you vanifh quite, 
 
 " Streets, chairs, and coxcombs rufh upon my fight." 
 
 Pope's Epiftle to IVIifs Blount. 
 
 * A convent of four Francifcan friars, which ftands amid the ruins of 
 Alexandria. The induftry of thefe holy men has been attended with great 
 fuccefs, in the culture of their little garden, which abounds with grapes, 
 oranges, and all kinds of vegetables. The irreproachable manners of the 
 monks throughout Turkey, and the patience with which they fubmit to the 
 infolence of the Mahometans, muft imprefs the traveller with a favorable 
 idea of the fincerity of their vocation. 
 
 ECLOGUE
 
 [ 13 ] 
 
 ECLOGUE IL 
 
 SELIMA: or, THE FAIR GREEK. 
 
 SCENE: A Seraglio in Arabia Felix. 
 TIME: NOON. 
 
 To the Hon. Mrs. S. MONCKTON, 
 
 TJ^AST by the vale that bofoms Sennaa's pride, 
 
 -^ By jftreams meander'd, and with fliades fiipply'd j 
 
 Shades, which the boughs of breathing fpices throw. 
 
 And flreams that through eternal verdure flow ; 
 
 Where in one form the feafons fhine confeft, c 
 
 And blend to rule o'er Araby the bleft ; 
 
 A manfion, pervious to no prying eye, 
 
 Adorns the mead, and lifts its head on high : 
 
 Rear'd by a lordly Khan with cofl profufe, 
 
 For pleafure deftin'd, and for beauty's ufe. lo 
 
 Alas ! what pleafure know thefe lonefome walls — 
 
 Care gnaws the fex whom jealoufy inthrals ! 
 
 Thou ! to each finer fenfe of feeling known, 
 In ev'ry thought and word and adion ihown ; 
 
 Whether
 
 [ 14 ] 
 
 Whether thy converfe virtue's charms refound, 15 
 
 Digrefs with fancy, or with wit abound, 
 
 Attend, Sophia ! to the tale I bring, 
 
 For lonely meads forfake the courtly ring. 
 
 The' grace thy fteps, tho' tafte thy lyre fuftain, 
 
 Quit the gay dance, and hufli thy fweeter drain ; 20 
 
 The wrongs of injur'd beauty I rehearfe, 
 
 And well thy fympathy fhall pay the verfe ! 
 
 Amid the thoughtlefs and obfequious throng, 
 That liftlefs drag the load of life along ; 
 That plung'd in baths perfum'd, and rofeate bow'rs, 25 
 In polifh'd flavVy lofe their wanton hours ; 
 A nymph of other hue this Haram held. 
 In charms of perfon who her peers excel'd ; 
 But chief of all thofe fofter charms poiTeft, 
 Which calm, adorn, exalt the female breaft ! 30 
 
 Unrival'd in her mafter's love fhe reign'd, 
 But love unfought her noble foul difdain'd : 
 Of jealous bonds fhe felt the galling weight. 
 And figh'd for freedom in a regal ftate I 
 
 Oft when bright Cynthia chas'd the midnight fhade, ^^ 
 Through gloomy walks fhe folitary ftray'd ; 
 
 Her
 
 [ IS 3 
 
 Her golden bed for dewy fkies forfook, 
 
 Her vocal virgins for the murm'ring brook. 
 
 On the moift bank would pafs the night reclin'd, 
 
 'Till came her lord his abfent love to find ; 40 
 
 With foft complaints her cold delay to chide, 
 
 And hufh thofe griefs fhe ftrove in vain to hidcr 
 
 Once as at noon th' accuftom'd dome {he fought, 
 With curious fkill, and rich materials wrought ; 
 In each recefs where fcented fountains play, 45 
 
 And give, enforc'd, a coolnefs to the day ; 
 Sick of the fcene, her comrades' fole delight, 
 From vice and folly fhe averts her fight. 
 Here might you fee, in pride of beauty's blaze, 
 A female lift'ning to an eunuch's praife ; cq 
 
 There, where a glafs the chryftal bath fupply'd, 
 One naked bent enamor'd o'er the tide ; 
 A damfel here, applauded, wake the lyre 
 To notes of low, libidinous defire ; 
 
 While there a groupe, with pi^tur'd terrors pale, 55 
 
 Imbibe the wonders of a fairy tale. 
 Each as her fancy prompts, the time employs. 
 And gives a loofe to vifionary joys ! 
 
 While
 
 [ '6 ] 
 
 While fome at chefs exert their adive powers, 
 
 The reft in flumbers cheat the fultry hours. 60 
 
 Th' Arabian berry circles round the room, 
 
 And from the lighted tube afcends perfume. 
 
 Nor abfent here the grateful juice of lime, 
 
 Nor each rare fruit that crowns the happy clime. 
 
 Loft to the croud, fair Selima apart 65 
 
 Thus breatk'd the fbrrows of a burthen'd heart. 
 
 " Ah ! why to youth and beauty was I born, 
 If clouded thus the promife of my morn ? 
 Ah ! why from Greece to thefe rude regions brought. 
 If not by pomp and golden fhackles caught ? 70 
 
 When pleafure fuits, and health confirms my bloom, 
 Why here in folitude my days confume ? 
 A folitude that no diverfion knows, 
 Save when lewd paflion chafes dull repofe : 
 When, ftung by luft, a tyrant feeks my arms, 75 
 
 And claims by gold thefe violated ckarms. 
 O fKameful ftate ! O undeferv'd remove 
 From focial converfe ! and tmblemifh'd love ! 
 Witnefs, ye joys ! that never will return, 
 Thefe tears bear witnefs to the change I mourn. 80 
 
 5 Ye
 
 [ '7 J 
 
 Ye pines ! which circle Ida's facred brow, 
 How oft your barks have told a lover's vow ! 
 Ye dreams ! that gufK meand'ring down his fide, 
 Ye knew the vow as fpotlefs as your tide ; 
 The vow which Cleon to my ear prefer'd, 85 
 
 The vow which Selima with rapture heard I 
 Sad is the thought, and fatal to my reft, 
 Which {hews me ravifli'd from a parent's breaft ; 
 By harden'd pirates hurry'd to the main. 
 While age ftretch'd forth her fuppliant arms in vain ! 90 
 Hard is the lot which threw me on this fKore, 
 My freedom barter' d for a grafp of ore ; 
 With pamper' d flaves to fwell a Haram's pride, 
 From earth fecluded ! and to heav'n deny'd I 
 But fooner, deareft Cleon ! be forgot 95 
 
 That fad idea, and this cruel lot ; 
 A mother's woe, my defolated youth. 
 Than all thy graces, tendernefs and truth ! 
 Ah ! fhould thy faith have prompted thee to roam 
 In fearch of her whofe bofom was thy home ; 100 
 
 Perhaps, poor youth ! my fortune may be thine — 
 One curfe may blend whom love forbade to join ! 
 
 C Perhaps
 
 [ i8 ] 
 
 Perhaps a flave, thou cut'ft the Turkifh main, 
 And feel'ft my abfence heavier than thy chain !" — - 
 
 More had her grief — when lo ! to crown her fears, lo^ 
 Her dreaded fuitor at the porch appears. 
 Around their Lord the nymphs fequacious throng ; 
 One tries to lure him with an am'rous fong : 
 His praifes fome in foothing ftrains repeat, 
 Thefe kifs his robe, and thofe embrace his feet. lio 
 
 While he, by all their little arts unmov'd, 
 In hafte advances to his coy belov'd. 
 The envy'd token in her lap he threw. 
 And, inly fighing, Selima withdrew. 
 
 ECLOGUE
 
 [ 19 ] 
 
 ECLOGUE III. 
 
 RAMAH: or, THE BRAMIN. 
 
 SCENE: The Pagoda of Con J EVE RAM*. 
 TIME: EVENING. 
 
 To ROBERT PATTON, Efq. 
 
 TTlGH on the top of that religious fane, 
 
 -■- -*• Whofe fpires from far attradl the zealot-train, 
 
 Pride of Gentoos ! mid fuperftition's night 
 
 Which fhines a beacon to the Pagan's fight, 
 
 A Bramin ftood — expos'd to ev'ry eye, 5 
 
 The roof his bed, his canopy the fky; 
 
 For three long days he here the clime defy'd. 
 
 Revenge his ftudy, and diftrefs his pride. 
 
 O'er woes impending runs his lab'ring mind. 
 
 And omens thicken in the coming wind ! 10 
 
 • Conjevcram is a very flourifhing town in the Carnatic, and famous for 
 its lofty and capacious pagoda. The curious reader will find a particular de- 
 fcription of this heathen temple, and the frequent fiegcs it fuftained, in Mr. 
 Orme's elegant Hiftory of the War of Indoftan. The melancholy event on 
 which this Poem is founded, occurred within the obfervation of the Author, 
 who was an accidental wicnefs to this extravagance of enthufiafm, in the fpring 
 of the year 1771. 
 
 C 2 Friend I
 
 [ 20 ] 
 
 Friend I to whofe love my Mufe her being oweSy 
 Which knew her lifping, and which riper knows, 
 If e'er fhe favor with the public found, 
 To which mull all the little praife redound j 
 With her awhile to tragic fcenes retire, * 15 
 
 Scenes which miftaken principles infpire. 
 And tho' to thee familiar is the tale 
 
 Where fraud and folly through the Eaft prevail^ . . 
 
 Ambition's guilt and Supcrftition's fchool 
 Are ftill contemn'd, where truth and reafon rule ! 20 
 
 The fun had fet behind Myforean hills, 
 And left the theatre of human ills : 
 The meteor Bigotry his light fucceeds, 
 And fenfe retreats,, and man devoted bleeds I 
 See pious Ramah with its rage pofTeft, 25 
 
 Whom zeal-taught frenzy numbers with the blcfl. 
 Tho' bow'd his frame, his ftrength with fafting fpent^ 
 His wav'ring foul afllimes her dire intent : 
 Of aught but bright rewards he fcorns to think. 
 And ventures to the Pagod's fearful brink. 30 
 
 The cruel fiiouts of thoufands rend the air 
 To fteel his mind, and flatter his defpair : 
 
 He
 
 [ " ] 
 
 He ftands in ad: to fpring amid the croud, 
 But utters firft thefe dying words aloud. 
 
 " Ye Gods ! protestors of the Indian race, ^S 
 
 Now trembles not your empire to its bafe ? 
 Say, on what fpot your altars fhall be found. 
 While mad Ambition walks his guilty round ? 
 Lo ! by the Ganges' confecrated flood 
 The facred Cow diftains the earth with blood ; 40 
 
 Selected form of purity divine ! 
 Mute interceflbr at your holy fhrine J 
 I fee ! I fee ! the fated ruin fpread, 
 The ftream polluted at the fountain-head ! 
 Religion changing thro' the land her vow; 45 
 
 The Mofque afpiring o'er the Pagod's brow : 
 But chief the holy temples of Tanjore 
 Defil'd, where Mahomet ne'er trod before ! 
 
 With crimes be mark'd that inaufpicious day, 
 When o'er our bounds the Tartar forc'd his way. 50 
 
 Nor hills nor floods can flop thofe robbers fell, 
 Whom views of conquefl: or of gold impel I 
 Then vanifli'd all the plenty of the plain, 
 Fear feiz'd the maiden and defpair the fwain : 
 
 Colconda's
 
 [ " 3 
 
 Golconda's gems difFus'd their novel rays, 55 
 
 And guilt was circled with the diamond's blaze. 
 
 Nor 'fcap'd our Pagods facrilegious hands — 
 
 Not Jaggernaut on lone Orixa's fands ; 
 
 Not * Tripetti, whofe feafts a treafure yield, 
 
 Had faith to guard them, or had Gods to fliield I 60 
 
 The mooned ftandard fcatters terror wide. 
 
 And fortune marfhals on th' invader's fide : 
 
 Then peace affrighted fled the hoftile fhore, 
 
 And truth and love and friendfhip were no more ! 
 
 But foon th' all-righteous Gods reveng'd our caufe, 65 
 And Chriftians fent, to give our tyrants laws ; 
 With daring keel o'er ocean's wilds to ftray, 
 In turn to difpoffefs them of their prey. 
 How oft the ftrand with Moorifli blood was dy'd, 
 While rapine's vaffals endlefs flreams fupply'd ! 70 
 
 Not long the fons of Lufltania hold 
 Their conquefts, founded on the luft of gold ; 
 
 * Tripetti is fitiiated in a northem pafs of tlie Carnatic, and is reforf^d to 
 from all parts of the I'afi: for its annual fair, the duties of which produce an 
 immcnfc revenue. This is the moft celebrated mart in India for horfcs, where 
 n.any thoufands of thcfc noble animals are yearly cxpofcd for fale. 
 
 ' The
 
 [ =3 ] 
 
 The f Hollander iniidious fpreads his toils, 
 
 Fawns like a friend, and feizes on the fpoils. 
 
 His ill-got fccptre bloflbms but to fade, 75 
 
 By fraud fecur'd, and with injuftice fway'd. 
 
 Wither'd its force — two rivals now appear, 
 
 There the proud Gaul, the gcn'rous Briton here I 
 
 With various chance each army charg'd the foe, 
 
 While Alia waited the decifive blow. 80 
 
 Succefs at length fuperior valor crown'd, 
 
 And Britain reign'd, and bleft the nations round ! 
 
 Alas ! how devious are a mortal's ways — 
 Him honor quits, and avarice betrays. 
 Ah ! what avails that Lawrence led his bands 85 
 
 To fnatch from ruin our devoted lands ! 
 On injur'd heirs that Clive, like Ammon's {on^ 
 Beflow'd the kingdoms which his fword had won ! 
 
 t The manner in which the Dutch extirpated the Portuguefc from their 
 fettlements in India, is a difgrace to hiftory, and cannot but excite the detefta- 
 lion of every reader. But while their power is annihilated on the Continent, 
 every lover of his country muft conlider with plealure the condufl and fuccefs 
 of the Englifla in this quarter. Acquired at firft by felf-defence againft the 
 attacks of native and foreign enemies, a commercial company continue to 
 fupport an extenfive and remote empire, as much by the cxercife of moderation 
 and juftice as by the terror of their arms. 
 
 That
 
 [ H ] 
 
 That Pigot's councils lent to vid'ry wings, 
 
 And fix'd the limits of contending kings ! 90 
 
 Vain is the hero's, vain the ftatefman's toil, 
 
 If hard oppreflion curfe the gen'rous foil ; 
 
 If local rulers loofe the Tartar's hand 
 
 To grafp at crowns, and defolate the land ! 
 
 Too long thefe eyes have view'd the growing ill, 95 
 Then welcome, death ! this fruitlefs plaint to ftill. 
 If for their fins fo many of our tribe 
 Have pennance fram'd, no colors can defcribe; 
 If fome from Sind to Dehli's far abode 
 Have meafur'd with their lengths the flinty road; io« 
 If others' courage wilder feats have dar'd, 
 Nor bow'd by famine, nor by torture fcar'd ; 
 Him no falfe pride impels when Ramah falls, 
 Whom not his own but country's danger calls : 
 Calls, by a timely facrifice to move loe 
 
 Remorfe below, or vengeance from above ! 
 But mark me — death the prophecy fhall feal, 
 Ye bafe apoftates to Britannia's weal ! — 
 Nought but diflrefs, commotion and difgrace 
 Attend your favor to the Tartar race, 11.0 
 
 That
 
 [ =5 ] 
 
 That weight remov'd which poiz'cl Indoftan's fcale fi 
 Againft your Crofs the Crefcent fhali prevail : 
 'Till late you find 'twas not in vain he bled, 
 Whofe curfes lighted on the guilty head." 
 
 He fpake — and headlong darted from the height, 115 
 Swift as the falling meteor cleaves the night. 
 The hollow pavement to the fall refounds ; 
 The body ftreams with undiftinguifh'd wounds : 
 The martyr's end the temple's records own, 
 And leaves a leflbn to the Britifh throne ! 120 
 
 t The balance of power fhould be the principal objeft of every ftate, and 
 the reftoration of the king of Tanjore fliews the Company to be attentive 
 thereto. Policy, as well as humanity, enforced this meafure j which, it is to be 
 hoped, will obviate the prophecy of our Bramin, notwithftanding there is rea- 
 fon blended with his fanaticifm. 
 
 D ECLOGUE
 
 [ 26 ] 
 
 ECLOGUE IV. 
 
 THE ESCAPE: or, THE CAPTIVES. 
 
 SCENE: The Suburbs of Tunis. 
 TIME: NIGHT. 
 
 To JAMES IRWIN, Efq. 
 
 I 
 
 TWO youths of noble birth, whofe wayward fate 
 Had doom'd to languifli in a captive ftate ; 
 
 Who to Iberia daily fent in vain 
 Soft fighs and wiflies o'er the parting main : 
 Whofe fond remembrance ftill would backward go, 5 
 And from the contrail edge the prefent woe : 
 To whom e'en Hope but lent a glim'ring ray — 
 Thefe wake the tear, and afk the clofing lay ! 
 And wilt thou, Irwin ! to the call attend. 
 Which, more than brother, indicates the friend? to 
 
 Wilt thou, in liberal notions chiefly great, 
 Sufpend the cares that ftill on * office wait ? 
 
 * This gentleman has long held a confiderable employment in the fervice 
 of the EiUl India Company, at Bengal. 
 
 2- And
 
 [ 27 1 
 
 And while the Captives* forrows touch thy breafl, 
 And gen'rous rage, and painful thought fuggeft ; 
 Like them tho' 'fcap'd the chain he whilom drew, 1 5 
 Lament the fortune which a brother knew I 
 
 Deep in a corner of the fpacious bay- 
 Where raofque-crown'd Tunis owns a pirate's fway ; 
 To fan the air where ftill the fea-breeze flies, 
 The fumptuous palace of the monarch lies. 20 
 
 Here arch'd piazzas rife on ev'ry fide, 
 With marble pav'd, and fofas rich fupply'd. 
 Whate'er can minifter to filken eafe. 
 Beauty to foothe, and melody to pleafe ; 
 The fong, the dance, the bath, the opiate bowl, 25 
 
 Here flow fucceflive, and bewitch the foul. 
 Nor lefs the fragrant gardens charm the fight^ 
 Shades of repofe, and fcenes of foft delight : 
 Where not a fhrub but keeps its vernal prime, 
 And not a fount but mollifies the clime. 30 
 
 To rear the flow'r, to drefs the bow'r of joy, 
 A thoufand flaves their daily toil employ : 
 And in this fenfual Eden's ample round, 
 The toil of thoufands is unequal found ! 
 
 D 2 Here
 
 [ 28 ] 
 
 Here were our youths their wonted taiks aflign'd, 35 
 And here- in gentler bondage long they pin'd. 
 While their late crew feverer treatment bore, 
 Chain'd to the toilfome labor of the oar. 
 But daring thoughts engage each manly breaft, 
 Plann'd by their chiefs, and whifper'd to the reft. 40 
 Bold the attempt which liberty infpires, 
 And fond affedlion for a mafler fires I 
 This night is fix'd to feize their anch'ring prey. 
 And pufh o'er ocean their advent'roiis way. 
 
 Full Luna now her friendly ray difplay'd, 45 
 
 To bear the lover to his waking maid ; 
 The flying captive on his road to light. 
 While {lumber feals the watchful dragon's fight ; 
 When forth the Spaniards to the terrace ftole, 
 Beneath whofe height th' encircling waters roll. 5® 
 
 A cord they fix, and undifmay'd attend, 
 Swift to the welcome galley to defcend. 
 And now their eyes a fairer view explore. 
 Where freedom beckons, and their native fhore ;, 
 All to the lover or the hufband dear, 55 
 
 Beams on their mind, and fpeaks the union near ! 
 
 - But
 
 [ 29 
 
 3 
 
 But while on expedlation's brink they (land, 
 
 While doubts contrad, and hopes their breads expand. 
 
 Known to the Mufe, each confcious youth eflays 
 
 To paint his love, and reach his charmer's praife. 60 
 
 Perez began. A virgin was his theme. 
 Bright as her orb, yet cold as Cynthia's beam I 
 
 " O thou ! to whom my youthful vows belong. 
 Strength of my fword ! and goddefs of my fong ! 
 Who oft my chivalry with fmiles haft paid, 65 
 
 And deign'd to grace the midnight ferenade : 
 Be thou propitious to this teeming hour, 
 Which gives a captive to thy boundlefs pow'r. 
 Love, more than Freedom, tempts him o'er the wave. 
 To own his tyrant, and refume the flave : 70 
 
 To him all thoughts of liberty were vain, 
 Who, fcap'd from bondage, feeks a ftronger chain I 
 
 Let Marcia then her Perez' claim approve, 
 His truth perfuade her, and his fuif'rings move. 
 And you, my rivals ! who that claim difdain'd, 75 
 
 ScofF'd at my lot, and by my abfence reign'd ; 
 Or in the lifts, or in your am'rous fuit. 
 For love and honour Perez will difpute. 
 
 In
 
 t 3° 3 
 
 In vain you poize the htnce, or breathe the vow — 
 
 The fair-one twines the wreath for Perez:' brow !" 80 
 
 Sebaftian then. Him fills a dearer name, 
 Soft as her light, and chafte as Dian's fame ! 
 
 " And will to thee Sebaftian be reilor'd. 
 With fmiles be welcom'd, as with fighs deplor'd f 
 Will love o'erpay thee with a late embrace, 85 
 
 Wife of my choice ! and guardian of my race ! 
 See, if the thought diffolve me not to tears, 
 My manhood fhake, and waken all my fears. 
 No babes, perhaps, may lifp a fire's return — 
 The mother's truft tranfmitted to an urn ! 90 
 
 Or if fo hopelefs, fo fevere my fate, 
 Thofe children now may weep their orphan ftate ! 
 
 But let Sebaftian brighter profpedls fway, 
 Lefs dark his mind when darker far his day ! 
 Lo ! Freedom wings him to the blifsful fpot, 95 
 
 Where hous'd in peace, his chains will be forgot. 
 Him Leonora waits in matchlefs charms. 
 To ftrain an exile in her widow'd arms ; 
 Of parent ! fpoufe ! with each endearing tic 
 
 This vacuum in his being to fupply 1" 100 
 
 He
 
 [ 31 ] 
 
 He faid ; and faw the objed in his reach : 
 The friendly galley- ftrikes upon the beach. 
 Swift by the cord the Captives downward glide — 
 The bark drops filent with the ebbing tide. 
 Now, unobferv'd, the lower fort they gain, 105 
 
 Now fhoot the narrow outlet to the main. 
 To crown their hopes the wind from Tunis blows ; 
 They pafs the Cape where ancient Carthage rofe : 
 Onward their courfe with toil unceafing ply, 
 'Till Murcia's mountains faintly tinge the fky. 110 
 
 Touch'd at the fight, they caft their cares behind, 
 While all their country ruflies on their mind ! 
 
 N I S.
 
 In the Prefst and fpeedily mil be, puhliJJjed, 
 
 SERIES OF ADVENTURES, 
 
 IN THE COURSE OF A 
 
 Voyage up the RED-SEA, 
 
 On the Coafts of ARABIA and EGYPT; 
 
 AND of A 
 
 Route through the Defarts of THEBAIS, 
 
 Hitherto unknown to the EUROPEAN Traveller, 
 IN THE YEAR M.DCC.LXXVII. 
 
 By EYLES IRWIN, 
 
 IN THE SERVICE OF THE HONORABLE THE EAST INDIA COMPANY. 
 
 lUuftrated with MAPS and CUTS.
 
 -I 
 
 from whichttwas^orrowe^ 
 
 ~<T\ '
 
 Slocklon, Colli. 
 
 Yji Ti-win - 
 
 35l9 Eastern 
 V~>e ecTngues 
 
 anflW APR 1^9 195!' 
 
 PR 
 
 3519 
 
 I5e