THE

BLEEDING ROCK:

А

LEGENDARY TALE.

W

HERE beauteous Belmont rears its modest brow, ,

To view na's filver waves below,
Liv'd LINDAMIRA; fair as Beauty's Queen,
The fame sweet form, the same enchanting mein,
With all that softer elegance of mind
By genius heighten'd, and by tafte refin'd.
Yet early was the doom'd the child of

care,
For love, ill-fated love subdu'd the fair.
Ab! what avails each captivating grace,
The form enchanting, or the finith'd face ;
Or what each beauty on the heaven-born mind,
*The foul superior or the taste refin'd?
Beauty but Terves destruction to insure,
And sense, to feel the pang it cannot cure,

Each neighb'ring youth aspir'd to gain her hand,
And many a suitor came from many a land,
But all in vain each neighb'ring youth afpird,
And distant fuitors all in vain admir’d.
Averse to hear, yet fearful to offend,
The lover she refus'd she made a friend :
Her meek rejection wore so mild a face,
More like acceptance feem'd it than disgrace.

Young POLYDORE, the pride of rural swains, Was wont to visit Belmont's blooming plains. Who has not heard how Polydore cou'd throw Th' unerring dart to wound the Aying doe? How leave the swiftest at the race behind, How mount the courser, and outstrip the wind? With melting sweetness, or with magic fire, Breathe the soft fute, or strike the louder lyre ? From thar fam'd lyre no vulgar music fprung, The Gracęs tun'd it and Apollo strung.

Apollo too was once a shepherd swain,
And fed the flock, and grac'd the rustic plain,
He taught what charms to rural life belong,
The focial sweetness, and the fylvan song:
He taught fair Wisdom in her

grove

to wobe, Her joys how precious and her wants how few! The favage herds in mute attention stobd, And ravish'd Echo fill'd the vocal wood The facred Sisters, stooping from their sphere, Forgot their golden harps, intent to hear. Till Hcaven the scene survey'd with jealous eyes, And Jove in envy, call'd him to the skies.

Young Polydore was rich in large domains, In smiling pastures, and in iowery plains : With these he boalted each exterior charm, To win the prudent, and the cold to warm ;

To ad the tenderness he never felt,
In forrow soften, and in anguilh melt.
The figh elaborate, the fraudful tear,
The joy dissembled, and the well-feign'd fear,
All these were his; and his the treacherous art
That fteals the guileless and unpractis'd heart.

Too foon he heard of Lindamira's fame, 'Twas each enamour’a Shepherd's fav'rite theme : Return'd the rising, and the setting fun, The Shepherd's fav’rite theme was never done. They prais'd her wit, her worth, her shape, her air! And even inferior beauties thought her fair.

Such sweet perfection all his wonder mor'd;
He faw, admir’d, nay fancied that he lov d:
But Polydore no real paffion knew,
Loft to all truth in feigning to be true.
No sense of tenderness could warm a heart,
Too proud to feel, too selfish to impart.

Cold as the snows of Rhodope descend,
And with the chilling waves of Hebrus blend;
So cold the breaft where Vanity presides,
And mean self-love the bosom-feelings gu:des,

Too well he knew to make his conquest sure, Win her soft heart, yet keep his own secure. So oft he told the well imagin'd tale, So oft he swore how should he not prevail ? Too unsuspecting pot to be deceiv’d, The well-imagined tale the nymph believ'd ; She lov'd the youth, she thought herself belov'd Nor blush'd to praise whom every maid approv'd.

Alas! that youth from Lindamira far
For newer conquefts wages cruel war ;
With other nymphs on other plains he roams,
Where injur'd Lindamira never comes ;
Laughs at her easy faith, insults her woe,
Nor pities tears himself had taught to flow.

And now her eye's foft radiance feem'd to fail, And now the crimion of her cheek

grew pale ; The lilly there, in faded beauty, Thews Its fickly empire o'er the vanquish'd rose. Devouring forrow marks her for his prey, And now and certain mines his filent way. Yet, as apace her ebbing life declin’d, Increasing ftrength fustain'd her firmer mind. • O had my heart been, hard as his,” she cried, • An hapless vi&im thus I had not died : “ If there be gods, and gods there surely are, « Infulted virtue doubtless is their care. “Then hasten righteous Heaven! my tedious fate, “ Shorten my woes, and end my mortal date : “ Quick let your power transform this failing frame, " Let me be any thing but what I am ! « And fince the cruel woes I'm doom'd to feel, « Proceed, alas! from having lor'd too well; 6. Grant me some form where love can have no part, " Nor human weakness reach my guarded heart. " If pity has not left your bleft abodes,

Change me to flinty adamant, ye Gods ; “ To hardelt rock, or monumental stone, " Rather than let me know the

I've known, 66 So shall I thus no farther torments prove, " Nor taunting rivals say, she died for love.' " For sure if aught can aggravate our fate, " 'Tis scorn, or pity from the breast we hate." She said,--the Gods accord the fad request; For when were pious pray’rs in vain addresi ?