Ben The wanderer THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES THE WANDERER; O R, EDWARD TO ELEONORA, P O E M. Amour! cruel Amour ! tcs amertumes ct tes douceurs font egalement lunettes et les mortels pendent toujours ou de tes maux, ou de tes rcmedes ! Printed for G. "K.t A R s L E Y, at Johnfon's Head, No. 46, Fleet-flreet. MDCCLXXXV. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE EARL PERCY, COLONEL j AND TO THE OTHER OFFICERS OF HIS MAJESTY'S FIFTH (or NORTHUMBERLAND) REGIMENT OF FOOT, THE FOLLOWING P O EM IS INSCRIBED: AS A SMALL MARK OF THE RESPECT AND ESTEEM OF THEIR MOST DEVOTED, MOST FAITHFUL, AND OBEDIENT HUMBLE SERVANT, aothOftober, 1784. The A U T II O R. 865721 ADVERTISEMENT. HPHE Compofition of the following Poem has been the employment of its Author when at a lofs for amufement, or when no fburce of it could be found, fo innocent and fatisfa&ory. He now, with diffidence, fub- mits it to the Public ; and while from the candid and liberal Critic he will be proud of the acknowledgment of any merit it may poflefs, to him, he will be equally grateful for the correction of its errors. ARGUMENT. D W A R D and Eleonora, celebrated for their un- happy attachment and misfortunes, flourifhed in Scotland about the end of the thirteenth century. With exquiflte beauty, and elegance of form, Eleonora had the fofteft heart, and moft interefting manner. Ed- ward was bold, fiery, and impetuous his heart was full of fenfibility ; but his paffions were violent, and ungovernable. Soon after his birth, his Father, in a conteft with a neighbouring Baron, had been deprived of his pofleffions, and his life ; and had left his fon friendlefs, and unprotected. Touched with the help- lefs condition of Edward, a powerful Baron took him under A R G U M E N T. mider his care,, and adopted him as his own. As he advanced in years, he ftiewed a vigour of genius, that, it was hoped, would repair the fortunes of his houfe,, and do honour to his country. He frequently fignalized himfelf againft the Englifh, and gradually grew into the efteem of his countrymen, by his dauntlefs valour, and paffionate attachment to Liberty. At the age of twenty, at the Caftle of his Patron, he firft beheld his Eleonora. Her beauty, her voice, her manner, gave him fenfations to which hitherto he had been a ftranger, and infpired him with an attachment, which ended in mutual ruin. In the long conteft with Edward the Firft, Edward and his Patron took up arms againft that Monarch, in defence of the freedom of their country; and foon after,, by the affiftance of his friends, he obtained the terri- ARGUMENT. territories of which his Father had been deprived. ; The Father of Eleonora, having joined the oppofite party, removed his Daughter from the Caftle of Balarno to England, where foon, her connexion with Edward was difcovered by its confequences. Enraged at the dif- hoiiour of his Daughter, he turned his arms againft Edward, whom, with the afliftance of the Englifh King, he expelled from his lately acquired poffeffions ; at the fame time obtaining an. edict, which condemned him to perpetual exile. His Patron had fallen in battle, and his party was now ruined. Driven from his native country, he wan- dered over a great part of Europe j his mind diffracted with love, ambition, and an ardent defire of revenge. For ever deprived of his Eleonora, all his friends being either flain, or imprifoned, he funk under the preffure of ARGUMENT. of accumulated misfortunes, and died of a broken heart, in fome part of Norway, about the twenty- fourth year of his age. The following epiftle is fuppofed to have been written in his exile. The unfortunate object of his love was (hut up in an old Caftle in an unfrequented part of Scotland, where fhe pafled the remainder of her days in cherifli- ing the remembrance of Edward, and in weeping over their mutual fufferings, and mifconducl:. THE . C 7 3 THE WANDERER, &c. \ S o'er the world's extended wafte I roam, Far from my friends, my country, and my home, An haplefs Wanderer ! ever doom'd to prove The pang fevere of difappointed Love ; Still thy idea clouds my lonely way, Whether o'er Afric's burning fands I ftray, Or on the hills of cold Siberia caft, Tempt the fierce rigour of the Northern blaft ! B In [ * ] In vain I fly thee ! fource of all my woe ! Thy form purfues me wherefoe'er I go ; 10 Thofe fatal charms which once, in happier days* I fondly priz'd beyond a Nation's praife, With fad remembrance haunt my tortur'd brain y Fire all my breaft, and rage thro' every vein ; Bid Fame no longer wafte her fmiles on me y And bold Ambition leave my foul for thee I Ah, Eleonoral lovely, peerlefs Maid, In whom my foul its kindred form furvey'd ! Say thou, dear object of my every thought, Canft thou deftroy the charm thyfelf haft wrought ? 20 Tear thy lov'd image from my troubl'd breaft, Reftore me to myfelf, and heal my wounded reft ! Ah, no ! thefe ever-ftreaming tears proclaim My woes deep-rooted in my inmoft frame ; For [ 9 J For while o'er worlds unknown I wildly rove, And eager ftrive to fteal one thought from love ; Where'er I turn thy fatal form appears, Wakes me to madnefs, or demands my tears ; Where'er I roam, I feek for peace in vain, Ah, vainly feek one interval from pain ! 30 Ere I beheld thee with indifference blefl, No idle for row harbour'd in my breaft ; Like the calm lake unruffi'd and ferene, When every breeze is hufh'd along the plain ; If o'er its breaft fome rambling Zephyr ftray, The quivering waves its gentle touch obey, And quivering, circling, iilent fink away : So oft the transient pain of fancied woes Ruffled the ftillnefs of my minds repofe ; io Then fir ft I faw thy lovely form appear, 40 Then firft thy fatal name alTail'd my ear: I faw thee fair ! and eagerly refign'd For thee each object of my tranquil mind. In vain Concealment ftrove to quench the flame, The more conceal'd, the fiercer it became* ; Abfent from thee, I felt yet unknown fears, I wept nor knew the reafon of my tears Still in my ear thy pleading accents hung, Oft flow'd thy name from my unconfcious tongue How thrilPd each nerve thro' this enraptur'd frame, 50 When firft thofe eyes approved thy Edward's flame ! Thofe eyes, inform' d by Nature to impart, Love's fofteft feelings to an Hermit's heart ; * Qncque magi s tegitur, te&us magis asftuat ignis. OVID. Bright Bright as that ray, whofe ever-glorious light, Difpell'd the horrors of primaeval night ; O, \vith what rapture glow'd my breaft the while, Touch'd by the magic of thy lovely fmile ! That heavenly fmile ! whofe light'ning can controul The wildeft tumult of th' impaffion'd foul ; Whofe rays have kindl'd, when by Grief fuppreft, 60 The torch of Hope in paje Misfortune's breaft ; And to its fruitful fource compell' d to fly The mournful tenant of Affliction's eye ! While on thofe lips my foul enraptur'd hung, Each fenfe fufpended, and each nerve unftrung, Love ! Love alone, engrofs'd my wayward brain, Ambition figh'd, and Honour fued in vain, Nor Fame, nor Wealth, had longer charms for me ; Fame, Wealth, Ambition, I refign'd for thee ! C Then Then Hope's gay fmile beam'd o'er my future years, 70 But Reafon, trembling, mingled fmiles with tears ; For, thro' the veil of Hope, her eye perceiv'd My heart by Pain in Pleafure's garb deceiv'd ; Illufive Hope ftill led my foul aftray, The Syren fmil'd, and Paffion fmooth'd the way ! But foon the dear illufion ceas'd to pleafe, And bafelefs prov'd the dream of future eafe ; Each opening profpect droop 'd its tow'ring head, And all the glitt'ring train of Fancy fled ! Now, in thefe wilds, where Silence holds her reign, 8 o And Nature's tear bedews th' unfertile plain, Too well in thefe forfaken climes I find The fad refemblance of my defert mind ; For now with grief, with every care oppreft, Each nobler paffion flies my gloomy bteaft, Each [ 13 ] Each hope that charm' d when life's gay morning fmil'd, And leaves Defpair fole tenant of the wild. Oft when the morn emits its earlieft ray I wander forth, regardlefs of my way ; Amid the horrors of Norwegian fnows, 90 Where wild and loud the ruthlefs tempeft blows ; Where diftant funs difpenfe their languid ray. And Winter's mantle faddens all the day : Far where no trace of human kind is known, I fly to find one lonely fpot my own. For now methinks thefe languid looks difclofe To every eye the nature of my woes ; Oft from yon cliff, whofe wild ftupendous form Wars with the torrent, and defies the ftorm, My eager eyes the wat'ry wafte explore, 100 To catch one glance of Caledonia's fhore ; Far, Far, where the ocean feems to prop the fides, Methinks I fee the well-known land arife. Ah me, what tumults then aflail my foul, Wild as the billows that beneath me roll ! How chang'd my lot fince that all-glorious day, When my keen fword oppos'd a tyrant's fway ? When Bards, infpir'd for me, awak'd the lyre, And warm'd my breaft with all a patriot's fire ; When hovering o'er me, in her flaming car, no The red-ey'd fpirit of the direful war Nerv'd my young arm, tho' hoft on hoft arofe, To hurl her thunder on my country's foes ! Then glory, roaming o'er the field of fame, Beam'd on the opening honours of my name, Led me triumphant thro' the battle's wild, And VicYry, perch'd upon my helmet, finil'd ! Now Now loft to hope, while all my fires decay, Friendlefs, unfhelter'd, o'er the world I ftray ; Unworthy deem'd of every human care, 120 A Man of Sorrow ! guided by Defpair ! In vain for me the Spring difplays her ftore, My happy days with Spring return no more ; O now farewel the joys I once porTeft, When Spring returning faw no happier breaft ; Now Spring fhall come with wonted luftre mine, And wake to gladnefs every heart but mine * ! Tho' droops my foul beneath our private woe, Still for my Country one fad tear fhall flow ; Once happy land! where Freedom foar'd along, 130 Borne on the wings of Ofllan's towering fong; * O primavera gioventu del anno Bella Madre de fiori, Sec. &c. GUARIIH. D Then 16 Then, Rome's bold fpirit glow'd in Scotland's veins, Then, fhone thy fons on war's embattl'd plains, Then nobly fir'd! a tyrant's pow'r withftood ; And fed young Freedom with a tyrant's blood! Here dwells that Freedom, which, yet unfubdued, Thro' every toil thy daring fons purfued, On thefe rude rocks, all barren, bleak and bare, With mien undaunted, and majeftic air ; Towering aloft, behold the Goddefs ftand, 140 And breathe her daring ipirit o'er the land ! Smiling to fee her hardy fons arife. And ftubborn-breafted, brave the polar fkies ! When Heaven offended in its anger hurl'd Difcord, and Rapine, o'er the antient world ; When Roman virtue with her Cato died, And Confcript-fathers bow'd to Ca^far's pride ; When When loft Philippi gave new caufe to mourn Brutus from life, and from his country torn ; Then blood-ftain'd Freedom rais'd her drooping head, 150 And from the walls of Rome indignant fled, Spurning the fetters of Imperial fway, O'er tracklefs wilds fhe bent her deveous way ; Her Parent, Nature, in the defert fmil'd, And Freedom rais'd her ftandard in the wild ! Fir'd with my theme, I catch a glorious flame, And burn to raife my long-neglected name, Ambition's current nobly fpurns controul, And wakes the native vigour of my foul, Affumes the fway ignoble Love poffefs'd, 160 And reigns a while the fovereign of my breaft ! Yet foon with unavailing fighs I feel O'er every fenfe th' alluring foftnefs fteal, Quick Quick thro' each vein the fatal poifon move. Unman my foul, and give me back to love ! Again I view thee ! in idea bleft, Catch the warm figh, and pant upon thy breaft ! What can Ambition's every fource afford ? What, tho' the proftrate world fhould call me Lord, Yet He whofe fword on Cannae's fatal plain 170 Wak'd pale-ey'd terror in Rome's ev'ry vein ; Even He the world's great empire did refign, Loft in the folds of meaner charms than thine. Were Heav'ns rich joys referv'd alone for me, This rebel heart would fly from Heav'n to thee, If mine the tranfport which thy charms beftow, Ev'n Heavln itfelf, without one pang, forego ! When o'er my head Misfortune held her dart, And when (Tie pierc'd this agonized heart, Didft C 19 ] Didft thou not clafp me to thy faithful breaft, 180 Soothe every care, and hufh my foul to reft ; Ah ! then muft he, who now thy woes fhould {hare, Who now fhould prove thy refuge from defpair : Muft he whofe arms have oft with rapture preft Thy lovely form to this enamour' d breaft ; On which reclin'd you blam'd the too fliort night, Loft in the wild delirium of delight ; Muft he forfake thee, and unkindly leave, To fad defpair the generous heart you gave ! Ah ! ever doom'd, diftra&ion in thy air, 190 Thy locks difhevel'd, and thy bofom bare. In lone complaints to figh the night away, Fly from thyfelf, and dread the coming day ; Doom'd its return, unceafing to proclaim, With tears of anguifh, and the blum of fhame. E O O Mifery ! thou, whofe all-fubduing power, This heart acknowledg'd in life's earlieft hour ; Whofe fatal dart with aim unerring thrown, Even in my cradle mark'd me as thy own : O from thy {lores of forrow hadft thou brought 200 Some keener pang with poignant anguifh fraught ; Some untried pang thy vengeance had preferv'd, To ftrike for crimes, as yet unknown, referv'd. Hadft thou on me thine utmoft rancour fhed, Exhaufted all thy quiver on my head ; Oh did I Singly bleed, not all thy art, Could wring one figh from this diffracted heart ; But now in vain I ftrive thy wrath to bear, Since Eleonora falls fad victim of defpair ! O thou whom beauty's varied charms adorn, 210 Mild as the Zephyr of the vernal morn ! When When Love, in more than wonted foftnefs dreft > With fmiles affaiFd thy unfuipe&ing breaft ; Had I, regardlefs of myfelf, reveal'd The various woe beneath his fmile conceal'd ; Then would have flow'd, for other's woes alone, The tear that now is dropping o'er thy own ; Peace in thy breaft have rear'd her fav'rite flower, And Pleafure fhar'd with thee her envied power. Such was thy lot, till cruel Edward ftole 220 Virtue's mild Sceptre from thy guiltlefs foul ; In evil hour the ruthlefs fpoiler came, Seduc'd thy heart, and gave thee all to fhame ! Yet ah ! while mufing o'er thy varied woe, No vain remorfe this ftubborn breaft can know ; For, when to Fancy's eye thy form appears, Beauty's warm beams emerging from thy tears Again Again my fond impaffion'd bofom fire. And rouze each thrilling tumult of defire : I mourn thy woes, which Mem'ry brings to view, 230 Yet midft my tears I kindle all anew. Reafon gives way to Paffion's wild controul, And all thy beauties burft upon my foul ! My Love appears, array'd in every charm, With joy long loft this frozen breaft to warm : Drives from my mind all thought of former pain,. And calls me back to Love and blifs again ! Yet Mifery foon, in ten-fold terrors dreft, Flies to aflert her empire o'er my breaft ; While all her fiends their ready aid impart 240 To drag thy fatal image from my heart In vain they ftrive ! tho' ruin'd and oppreft, Still malt thou find a fhelter in niy breaft ; Still Still (hall thy dear idea there remain, And Love with Mifery hold divided reign ! Come Eleonora ! thou for whom I live, For whom alone with ceafelefs tears I grieve ; Come and recall paft pleafures to my fight, Grant me once more to tafte of rich delight ; Once more to fink into thy folding arms, Grow to thy breaft, and riot on thy charms ; Once more to feal the wild impaffion'd kifs, And drink diftraction from the cup of blifs ! Ah no ! ah no ! to thee thofe joys are o'er, And Love's illufions mock thy foul no more; Too long beneath their fafcinating fway, Reafon and virtue proftrate captives lay. Now let me turn, where to thofe weeping eyes, Thy peace deftroy'd, and bleeding fame arife! F ,*4 3 And then behold Love's idle train retire, 260 And the laft rofes of thy cheek expire ; Whofe charms oiice beaming with celeftial day, Turn'd Reafon giddy at the bright difplay Where once they fhone, fee Difappointment low'r. And Life's foft foother fink beneath her power ; Prepar'd for guiding, thro' the vale of pain, Thy trembling Spirit to her dark domain ! Can I forget when late with wandering {pent, As near yon fhore my languid fteps I bent, The wearied fun-beams on the waters lay r 270 And twitt'ring Swallows fkimm'd the watery way : Calm was the fea, the winds were heard no more, While lazy furges feebly reach'd the fhore ; Slept every breeze, and clear the boundlefs fky, All Nature finil'd, and all feem'd bleft -but I Even Even then thy woes as weeping Fancy drew Thy well-known image ftole upon my view, How chang'd from her, who in Balarno's grove Ravifh'd my foul with all the blifs of Love ! Pale, and dejeded in her penfive air . , 280 Appear 'd the ftillnefs of refign'd defpair ! One tear which Sorrow had forgot to freeze, Beam'd in that eye whofe luftre yet could pleafe, With her foft hair the lovely tear me dry'd, And thus the wretch in broken accents figh'd : " How long, Great Heaven, on this poor helplefs head " Wilt thou the rigour of thine anger fhed, " Lo, a pale victim fhrinks beneath thy rod, " Loft to herfelf, her father, and her God ! " Forgive the frailty of a wretched maid, 190 " Whofe artlefs foul, by guilty love betray 'd, " Seeks " Seeks its loft peace in penitence and pray'r,