The dying gales that pant upon the trees,
The lakes that quiver to the curling breeze;
No more these scenes my meditation aid,
Or lull to reft the visionary maid.

The effect and influence of MELANCHOLY, who is beautifully perfonified, on every object that occurs, and on very part of the convent, cannot be too much applauded, or too often read, as it is founded on nature and experience. That temper of mind casts a gloom on all things.

* But o'er the twilight groves and dufky caves,
Long-founding iles, and intermingled graves,
Black MELANCHOLY fits, and round her throws
A death-like filence, and a dread repofe;
Her gloomy presence faddens all the scene,
Shades every flower, and darkens every green,
Deepens the murmur of the falling floods,

And breathes a browner horror on the woods.

The figurative expreffions, throws, and breathes, and browner horror, are, I verily believe, fome of the strongest and boldest in the English language. The IMAGE of the Goddess ME

* V. 163.

LAN

LANCHOLY fitting over the convent, and as it were expanding her dreadful wings over its whole circuit, and diffufing her gloom all around it, is truely fublime, and ftrongly conceived.

ELOISA proceeds to give an account of the oppofite fentiments, that divide and disturb her foul; these are hinted in the Letters alfo, * Ah wretch! believ'd the spouse of God in vain, Confess'd within the slave of love and man!

I ought to grieve, but cannot what I ought;
I mourn the lover, not lament the fault.

This however is improved greatly on the original. "Caftam me prædicant, qui non deprehenderunt hypocritam +."-" Quomodo etiam pænitentia peccatorum dicitur, quantacunque fit corporis afflictio, fi mens adhuc ipfam peccandi retinet voluntatem, & priftinis æftuat defideriis?" She then fondly calls on Abelard for affiftance,

O come! O teach me nature to fubdue,
Renounce my love, my life, myself and-you!

*V. 190.

+ Epift. p. 68.

+ Ibid. 66.

$ V. 206.

Fill my fond heart with God alone, for he
Alone can rival, can fucceed to thee!

Fired with this idea of religion, she takes occafion to dwell on the happiness of a BLAMELESS veftal, one who has no fuch fin on her confcience, as she has, to bemoan. The life of fuch an one is described at length by such forts of pleasure, as none but a spotless nun can partake of; the climax of her happiness is finely conducted;

For her the SPOUSE prepares the bridal ring,
For her white virgins hymeneals fing,

For her th' unfading rose of Eden blooms,
And wings of Seraphs fhed divine perfumes,
To founds of heavenly harps fhe dies away,
And melts in vifions of eternal day!

What a judicious and poetical use hath POPE here made of the opinions of the mystics and quietifts how would Fenelon have been delighted with these lines! True poetry, after all, cannot well fubfift, at least is never fo ftriking, without a tincture of enthusiasm. The fudden tranfition has a fine effect;

* V. 215.

+ V. 323.

Far

Far other dreams my erring foul employ,
Far other raptures of unholy joy.

Which raptures are painted with much fenfibility, and in very animating colours. "Nec etiam dormienti fuis illufionibus

Again,

parcunt *."

+ Oh curft dear horrors of all-confcious night;
How glowing guilt exalts the keen delight!

This is very forcibly expreffed.

She pro

ceeds to recount a dream; in which I was always heavily disappointed, because the imagined diftrefs is fuch, as might attend the dreams of any person whatever ‡.

Methinks we wand'ring go

Thro' dreary waftes, and weep each other's woe,
Where round fome mouldring tow'r pale ivy creeps,
And low-brow'd rocks hang nodding o'er the deeps;

Sudden you mount, you beckon from the skies,
Clouds interpofe, &c.

* V. 123.

+ V. 129.

It is partly from Dido's dream.

SV. 242.

Thefe

These are, indifputably, picturesque lines; but what I want is a VISION of fome fuch appropriated, and peculiar diftrefs, as could be incident to none but Eloifa; and which should be drawn from, and have reference to, her fingle story. What distinguishes Homer and Shakespear from all other poets, is, that they do not give their readers GENERAL ideas: every image is the particular and unalienable property of the person who uses it; it is fuited to no other; it is made for him or her alone. Even Virgil himself is not free from this fault; but is frequently general and indiscriminating, where Homer is minutely circumftantial. She next compares his fituation with her own:

* For thee the fates, feverely kind, ordain
A cool fufpenfe from pleasure and from pain;
Thy life a long dead calm of fix'd repose,
No pulse that riots, and no blood that glows +.

The four fimiles that follow, drawn from religion, are

admirable.

S f

Here