Jemingham 
 The nun
 
 THE LIBRARY 
 
 OF 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY 
 
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 LOS ANGELES 
 
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 USONia HIHdWVd
 
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 A N 
 
 ELEGY. 
 
 By the AUTHOR of the MAGDALENS, 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 Printed for R, and J. Dodsley, at TuUy's-Head, Pail-Mall. 
 
 MDCCLXIV. 
 
 [Price Six Pence.]
 
 T O T H E 
 
 RIGHT HONOURABLE 
 
 PHILIP STANHOPE, 
 
 Earl of CHESTERFIELD. 
 
 THIS ELEGY IS, 
 
 WITH THE GREATEST RESPECT, 
 
 INSCRIBED, BY HIS LORDSHIP's 
 
 OBLIGED AND HUMBLE SERVANT, 
 
 THE AUTHOR,
 
 f 5 ) ^^// 
 
 T^ 
 
 y9t/ 
 
 THE 
 
 NUN. 
 
 WITH each Perfedion dawning on her Mind, 
 All Beauty's Treafure opening on her Cheek, 
 Each flatt'ring Hope fubdued, each Wifli refign'd, 
 Does gay Ophelia this lone Manfion feek? 
 
 Say, gentle Maid, what prompts Thee to forfake 
 The Paths, thy Birth and Fortune ftrew with Flow'rs ? 
 Thro' Nature's kind endearing Ties to break, 
 And wafte in cloyfter'd Walls thy pendve Hours ? 
 
 Let fober Thought reflrain thine erring Zeal, 
 That guides thy Footfteps to the Veftal Gate, 
 Left thy foft Heart (this Friendfliip bids reveal) 
 Like mine unbleft fhou'd mourn like mine too late. 
 
 A 2 Does 
 
 865124
 
 (4) 
 
 Does fome angelic lonely-whifp'rlng Voice, 
 Some facred Impulfe, or fome Dream divine, 
 Approve the Didates of thy early Choice? — 
 Approach with Confidence the aweful Shrine. 
 
 There kneeling at yon Altar's marble Bafe 
 (While Tears of Rapture from thine Eye-lid fteal. 
 And fmiling Heav'n illumes thy Soul with Grace) 
 Pronounce the Vow, Thou never can'ft repeal.. 
 
 Yet if mifled by falfe-entitled Friends, 
 Who fay — '* That Peace with all her comely Train^ 
 *' From ftarry Regions to this Clime defcends, 
 " Smooths ev'ry Frown, and foftens ev'ry Pain : 
 
 " That Vefials tread Contentment's flow'ry Lawn, 
 '' Approv'd of Innocence, by Health careft : 
 " That rob'd in Colours bright, by Fancy drawn,, 
 " Celeftial Hope fits fmiling at their Breaft." 
 
 Sufpedl
 
 (5.) 
 
 Sufpe(^ their Syren Song and artful Style, 
 
 Their pleafing Sounds fome treach'rous Thought conceal :- 
 
 Full oft does Pride with fainted Voice beguile, 
 
 And fordid Int'reft wear the Mafk of Zeal. 
 
 A Tyrant-Abbefs here perchance may reign, 
 Who, fond of Pow'r, affedls th' Imperial Nod, 
 Looks down difdainful on her Female Train, 
 And rules the Clolfter with an Iron Rod. 
 
 Reflection fickens at the Life-long Tie, 
 Back-glancing Mem'ry ads her bufy Part, 
 Its Charms the World unfolds to Fancy's Eye, 
 And Iheds Allurement on the wiiliful Heart. 
 
 Lo ! Difcord enters at the facred Porch, 
 Rage in her Frown, and Terror on her Creft :, 
 Ev'n at the hallow'd Lamps fhe lights her Torch, 
 
 And holds it flaming to each Virgin Breaft. 
 
 But
 
 But fince the Legends of Monaftic BHfs 
 By Fraud are fabled, and by Youth believ'd, 
 Unbought Experience learn from my Diftrefs, 
 Oh ! mark my Lot, and be no more deceiv'd. 
 
 Three Luftres fcarce with hafty Wing were fled, 
 When I was torn from ev'ry weeping Friend, 
 A thoughtlefs Vidim to the Temple led, 
 And (blufh ye Parents) by a Father's Hand. 
 
 Yet then what folemn Scenes deceiv'd my Choice ? 
 The pealing Organ's animating Sound, 
 The choral Virgins' captivating Voice, 
 The blazing Altar, and the Priefts around : 
 
 The Train of Youths array'd in pureft white. 
 Who fcatter'd Myrtles as I pafs'd along : 
 The thoufand Lamps that pour'd a Flood of Light, 
 The Kifs of Peace from all the Veftal Throng : 
 
 The
 
 ( 7 )) 
 
 The Golden Cenfers tofs'd with graceful Hand, 
 Whofe fragrant Breath Arabian Odor fhed : 
 Of meek-ey'd Novices the circling Band, 
 With blooming Chaplets wove around their Head. 
 
 ■ — My willing Soul was caught in Rapture's Flame, 
 While facred Ardor glow'd in ev'ry Vein : 
 Mcthought applauding Angels fung my Name, 
 And Heav'n's unfullied Glories gilt the Fane. 
 
 This temporary Tranfport foon expir'd, 
 My drooping Heart confefs'd a dreadful Void : 
 E'er fmce, alas! abandon'd, uninfpir'd, 
 I tread this Dome to Mifery allied. 
 
 No wakening Joy informs my fullen Breaft, 
 Thro' opening Skies no radiant Seraph fmiles, 
 No Saint defcends to footh my Soul to Reft, 
 No Dream of Blifs the dreary Night beguiles. 
 
 Here
 
 (8) 
 
 Here hagard Difcontent ftill haunts my View; 
 The fombre Genius reigns in ev'ry Place : 
 Arrays each Virtue in the darkeft Hue, 
 Chills ev'ry Fray'r, and cancels ev'ry Grace. 
 
 I meet her ever in the chearlefs Cell, 
 
 The gloomy Grotto and unfocial Wood : 
 
 I hear her ever in the Midnight Bell, 
 
 The hollow Gale, and hoarfe-refounding Flood. 
 
 This caus'd a Mother's tender Tears to flow, 
 (The fad Remembrance Time fhall ne'er erafe) 
 When having feal'd th' irrevocable Vow 
 I haften'd to receive her laft Embrace. 
 
 Full- well flie then prefag'd my wretched Fate, 
 Th' unhappy Moments of each future Day: 
 When lock'd within this Terror- fliedding Grate, 
 My joy-deferted Soul wou'd pine away. 
 
 Yet
 
 (p) 
 
 Yet ne'er did her maternal Voice unfold 
 This cloyfter'd Scene in all its Horror dreft : 
 Nor did flie then my trembling Steps withhold 
 When here I enter'd a reluctant Gueft. 
 
 Ah ! could (he view her only Child betray 'd, 
 And let Submiilion o'er her Love prevail ? 
 Th' unfeeling Prieft why did flie not upbraid ?■ 
 Forbid the Vovv> and rend the hov'ring Veil ?. 
 
 Alas ! fhe might not — Her relentlefs Lord 
 Had feal'd her Lips, and chid her ftreaming Tear, 
 So Anguifh in her Breaft conceal'd its Hoard, 
 And all the Mother funk in dumb Defpair, 
 
 But Thou who own'ft a Father's facred Name, 
 What Adl impell'd thee to this ruthlefs Deed ?. 
 What Crime had forfeited my filial Claim ? 
 And giv'n (oh blafting Thought!) thy Heart to bleed ? 
 
 E M
 
 ( 10 ) 
 
 If then thine injur'd Child defer ve thy Care, 
 Oh hafte and bear her from this lonefome Gloom ! 
 In vain — no Words can footh his rigid Ear : 
 And Gallia^ Laws have riveted my Doom. 
 
 Ye clojLfter'd Fair — ^ye cenfure-breathing Saints, 
 Supprefs your Taunts, and learn at length to fpare, 
 Tho' mid thefe holy Walls I vent my Plaints, 
 And give to Sorrow what is due to Pray'r. 
 
 I fled not to this Manflon's deep Recefs, 
 To veil the Bluflies of a guilty Shame, 
 The Tenor of an ill-fpent Life redrefs. 
 And fnatch from Infamy a finking Name. 
 
 Yet let me to my Fate fubmiflive bow : 
 From fatal Symptoms if I right conceive. 
 This Stream Ophelia has not to flow, 
 This Voice to murmur, and this Breafl to heave* 
 
 Ah
 
 ( " )■ 
 
 Ah ! when extended on th' untimely Bier 
 To yonder Vault this Form fliall be convey'd, 
 Thoul't not refufe to flied one grateful Tear, 
 And breathe the Requie7?i to my fleeting Shade. 
 
 With pious Footftep join the fable Train, 
 As thro' the lengthening Ifle they take their Way 
 A glimmering Taper let thy Hand fuftain, 
 Thy foothing Voice attune the funeral Lay : 
 
 Behold the Minifter who lately gave 
 The facred Veil, in Garb of mournful Hue, 
 (More friendly Office) bending o'er my Grave, 
 And fprinkling my Remains with hallow'd Dew ; 
 
 As o'er the Corfe he ftrews the rattling Dufl:, 
 The fterneft Heart will raife Compaffion's Sigh : 
 Ev'n then no longer to his Child unjuft, 
 The Tears may trickle from a Father s Eye. 
 
 FINIS.
 
 SOUTHPDw B^t'"'y °' California 
 
 g ,h?. ' *■? *"9e'es, CA 90024-1388 
 
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