Two

In softest bands by love were join'd; 'Til tired of home Columbo grew, And pensive sigh'd for something new; For distant realms prepar'd to part,When spoke the partner of his heart: "Why should my dear Columbo rove, And leave me widow'd in the groveWhat ill can worse than absence prove? Yet let the toils, the perils, cares, Which fate for travellers prepares, Retard thy speed-attend the spring, And wait the zephyr's aiding wing; What haste?-this hour, ill omen'd found! The raven's croak was heard around;

Hawks, nets, and ills of ev'ry kind
Henceforth shall haunt my boding mind;
And what does Heav'n at home deny
That thou canst wish, or Heav'n supply?"

These words in doubt Columbo hold,
Still weakly vain, and rashly bold;
At length his restless wish prevails,
And love, and fear, and prudence fails :
When thus he spoke with cheerful air—
"From Turturella far be care,

No more let tears those eyes distain,
Whate'er I seek three days shall gain;
Returning then, to thee I'll tell
Whate'er I saw, or me befell:
Amusing thus the pensive day,
Who little see, can little say,
Of rich description full, my tale
Shall oft thy listening ear regale ;
The scenes I'll paint so strong, so true,
In fancy thou shalt travel too."

This said, Farewell dissolves his heart, And wet with mutual tears they part.

As Turturella pensive sate,

In fancy wand'ring with her mate,
Far as her utmost ken she sees

A bird approach by slow degrees;
Not form'd for flight he seem'd, nor song,
But stopp'd by turns, and limp'd along:
Her pains who feels can tell alone,
The bird for chang'd Columbo known;
Her mate, with pearly tears to greet,
Down from her nest she flew to meet.

Awhile with silent grief opprest,
At length she softly him addrest:
"Oh! tell me, dear Columbo, tell
What scenes you saw, what woes befell;
Why wounded thus Columbo mourns,
And ere th' appointed day returns?"
With falt'ring voice Columbo cry'd,
"From thee no more my heart I hide-
Scarce from this peaceful grove I past
When sudden clouds the skies o'ercast;
I saw the storm, for shelter sought,
A single tree that shelter brought,
Thin leav'd, and pervious to the show'r,
I felt the rig'rous season's power.
The cloud dissolv'd, benumb'd with cold,
Again my dripping wings unfold;
In neighb'ring fields some corn I view,
And, hov'ring near, a turtle too;
By flatt'ring hopes deluded there,
I struggled in the fowler's snare :
The turtle tutor❜d to betray,
Beneath the bait a net there lay.
Unwonted strength despair supply'd,
I broke the snare my feet that ty'd;
With less than half my tail I fled,
And trail'd behind a broken thread,
A remnant of the snare, when lo!
A vulture sees me, dreadful foe!
Just as he stoop'd to snatch the prey,
From heav'n an eagle wing'd his way ;
I, while the sons of rapine fight,
Improv'd the lucky hour in flight;

The ruins of a cot were near, I thought my dangers ended here; Deceitful thought! a playful boy (The cruel race in sport destroy) Whirl'd round the sling, the rapid stone Laid bare my pinion to the bone. Yet reach I living this abode, What signal mercies Heav'n bestow'd! Left in this grove to sigh alone, What fate has Turturella known?" "More signal yet, by far," said she, "The mercies Heav'n bestow'd on me." "Alas! what woes," Columbo cry'd, "In this short absence hast thou try'd? What near escapes to equal mine? Amazing marks of love divine!"

"The woes averted from my head
Are those which thou hast felt," she said;
"No near escapes 'twas mine to prove,
What more amazing mark of love!
In ease and safety more I gain

Than life to thee, preserv'd with pain,
See then the mercies that I meant,
Which Heav'n to give me, gave Content!
Learn hence the gifts of Jove to prize,
And, ere misfortunes teach, be wise."

W

FABLE XIV.

WHEN summer deckt each sylvan scene, And sunshine smil'd along the green, When groves allur'd with noon-tide shade, And purling brooks refresh'd the glade; An empty form of empty show, A flutt'ring insect, call'd a Beau, In gaudy colours rich and gay,

A mere papilio of the day,

Was seen around the fields to rove,

And haunt, by turns, the stream and grove :

A silver zone entwin'd his head,

His belly shone with lively red,

His wings were green, but studded o'er
With gold-embroider'd spots before.
Around him various insects came,

Of diff'rent colour, diff'rent name;