They went by chance amidft their talk
To the church-yard to take a walk;
When Baucis haftily cry'd out,
My dear, I fee your forehead fprout!
Sprout! quoth the man; what's this you tell us?
I hope you don't believe me jealous :
But yet, methinks, I feel it true;
And really yours is budding too-
Nay, now I cannot ftir my foot;
It feels as if 'twere taking root.
Defcription would but tire my mufe;
In fhort, they both were turn'd to yews.
Old goodman Dobfon of the green;
Remembers he the trees has feen;
He'll talk of them from noon till night,
And goes with folks to fhew the fight;
On Sundays, after ev'ning pray'r,
He gathers all the parish there;
Points out the place of either yew;
Here Baucis, there Philemon grew:
Till once a parfon of our town
To mend his barn cut Baucis down;
At which 'tis hard to be believ'd
How much the other tree was griev'd,
Grew fcrubby, dy'd a-top, was ftunted;
So the next parfon stubb'd and burnt it.
The Story of TERIBAZUS and ARIANA.
MID the van of Perfia was a youth
Nam'd Teribazus, not for golden ftores,
Not for wide pastures, travers'd o'er with herds,
With bleating thousands, or with bounding steeds,
Nor yet for pow'r, nor fplendid honours fam'd.
Rich was his mind in ev'ry art divine,
And through the paths of science had he walk'd
The votary of wisdom. In the years,
When tender down invefts the ruddy cheek,
He with the Magi turn'd the hallow'd page
Of Zoroaftres; then his tow'ring foul
High on the plumes of contemplation foar'd,
And from the lofty Babylonian fane
With learn'd Chaldæans trac'd the mystic sphere ;
There number'd o'er the vivid fires, that gleam
Upon the dusky bosom of the night.
Nor on the fands of Ganges were unheard
The Indian fages from fequefter'd bow'rs;
While, as attention wonder'd, they disclos'd
The pow'rs of nature; whether in the woods,
The fruitful glebe, or flow'r, or healing plant,
The limpid waters, or the ambient air,
Or in the purer element of fire.
The fertile plains, where great Sefoftris reign'd,
Myfterious Egypt, next the youth furvey'd
From Elephantis, where impetuous Nile
Precipitates his waters, to the fea,
Which far below receives the fev'nfold ftream.
Thence o'er th' Ionic coaft he ftray'd, nor pafs'd
Milétus by, which once inraptur'd heard
The tongue of Thales; nor Priene's walls,
Where wisdom dwelt with Bias; nor the feat
Of Pittacus along the Lefbian fhore.
Here too melodious numbers charm'd his ear,
Which flow'd from Orpheus, and Mufæus old,
And thee, O father of immortal verfe,
Mæonides, whofe ftrains through ev'ry age
Time with his own eternal lip fhall fing.
Back to his native Sufa then he turn'd
His wandring fteps. His merit foon was dear
To Hyperanthes generous and good.
And Ariana, from Darius fprung
With Hyperanthes, of th' imperial race,
Which rul'd th' extent of Afia, in difdain
Of all her greatnefs oft an humble ear
To him would bend, and liften to his voice.
Her charms,, her mind, her virtue he explor'd
Admiring. Soon was admiration chang'd
To love, nor lov'd he fooner, than despair'd.
But unreveal'd and filent was his pain;
Nor yet in folitary fhades he roam'd,
Nor fhun'd refort: but o'er his forrows caft
A fickly dawn of gladnefs, and in fmiles
Conceal'd his anguifh; while the fecret flame
Rag'd in his bofom, and its peace confum'd:
His heart fill brooding o'er these mournful thoughts.
Can I, O wifdom, feek relief from thee,
Who doft approve my paffion? From the pow'r
Of beauty only thou wouldst guard my heart.
But here thyfelf art charm'd, where foftnefs, grace,
And ev'ry virtue dignify defire;
Yet thus to love difpairing is to prove
The fharpeft forrow, which relentless fate
Can from her ftore of woes inflict on life:
But doft not thou this moment warn my foul
To fly the fatal charmer? Do I paufe?
Back to the wife Chaldæans will I go,
Or wander, on the Ganges; where to heav'n
With thee my elevated foul fhall tow'r,
With thee the fecrets of the earth unveil.
There no tumultuous paffion fhall moleft
My tranquil hours, and ev'ry thought be calm.
O wretched Teribazus! all confpires
Again thy peace. Our mighty lord prepares
To overwhelm the Grecians. Ev'ry youth
Attends the war, and I, who late have pois'd
With no inglorious arm the foldier's lance,
And near the fide of Hyperanthes fought,
Muft join the throng. How therefore can I fly
From Ariana! who with Afia's queens
The fplendid camp of Xerxes will adorn.
Then be it fo. Again I will adore
Her gentle virtue. Her delightful tongue,
Her graceful sweetness fhall again diffofe
Refiftless magic through my ravish'd heart;
And thus when love, with double rage inflam'd,
Swells to diftraction in my tortur'd breast,
Then-but in vain through darkness do I search
My fate: defpair and fortune be my guides.
The hour arriv'd, when Xerxes firft advanced
His arms from Sufa's gates. The Perfian dames
(So were accuftom'd all the eaftern. fair)
In fumptuous cars accompanied his march;
And Ariana grac'd the beauteous train."
From morn till ev'ning Teribazus guards
Her paffing wheels; his arm her weight fuflains.
With trembling pleasure often, as fhe mounts
Th' imperial chariot; his affiduous hand
From each pure fountain wafts the living flood:
Nor feldom by the fair one's foft command
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