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Holding, as if to drop it down

Gently upon her curls, a crown
Of Ducal shape- but, oh, such gems!
Pilfer'd from Peri diadems,

And set in gold like that which shines
To deck the Fairy of the Mines:

In short, a crown all glorious-such as Love orders when he makes a Duchess.

But see, 'tis morn in heaven; the Sun
Up the bright orient hath begun
To canter his immortal team;

And, though not yet arriv'd in sight, His leader's nostrils send a steam

Of radiance forth, so rosy bright As makes their onward path all light. What's to be done? if Sol will be So deuced early, so must we;

And when the day thus shines outright,
Ev'n dearest friends must bid good night.
So, farewell, scene of mirth and masking,
Now almost a by-gone tale;
Beauties, late in lamp-light basking,

Now, by daylight, dim and pale;
Harpers, yawning o'er your harps,
Scarcely knowing flats from sharps;
Mothers who, while bor'd you keep
Time by nodding, nod to sleep;
Heads of air, that stood last night
Crépé, crispy, and upright,
But have now, alas, one sees, a
Leaning like the tower of Pisa;
Fare ye well-thus sinks away

All that's mighty, all that's bright;
Tyre and Sidon had their day,

And ev'n a Ball-has but its night!

EVENINGS IN GREECE.

IN thus connecting together a series of Songs by a thread of poetical narrative, my chief object has been to combine Recitation with Music, so as to enable a greater number of persons to join in the performance, by enlisting, as readers, those who may not feel willing or competent to take a part as singers.

The Island of Zea, where the scene is laid, was called by the ancients Ceos, and was the birthplace of Simonides, Bacchylides, and other eminent persons. An account of its present state may be found in the Travels of Dr. Clarke, who says, that "it appeared to him to be the best cultivated of any of the Grecian Isles."— Vol. vi. p. 174.

T. M.

EVENINGS IN GREECE.

FIRST EVENING.

"THE sky is bright-the breeze is fair, "And the mainsail flowing, full and free

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Of Zea's youth, the hope and stay
Of parents in their wintry hour,
The love of maidens, and the pride
Of the young, happy, blushing bride,
Whose nuptial wreath has not yet died-
All, all are in that precious bark,

Which now, alas, no more is seenThough every eye still turns to mark The moonlight spot where it had been.

Vainly you look, ye maidens, sires,

And mothers, your belov'd are gone!—
Now may you quench those signal fires,

Whose light they long look'd back upon
From their dark deck — watching the flame
As fast it faded from their view,
With thoughts, that, but for manly shame,

Had made them droop and weep like you.
Home to your chambers! home, and pray
For the bright coming of that day,

When, bless'd by heaven, the Cross shall sweep
The Crescent from the Ægean deep,
And your brave warriors, hast'ning back,
Will bring such glories in their track,
As shall, for many an age to come,
Shed light around their name and home.

There is a Fount on Zea's isle,
Round which, in soft luxuriance, smile
All the sweet flowers, of every kind,

On which the sun of Greece looks down,
Pleas'd as a lover on the crown
His mistress for her brow hath twin'd,
When he beholds each flow'ret there,
Himself had wish'd her most to wear;
Here bloom'd the laurel-rose 1, whose wreath
Hangs radiant round the Cypriot shrines,
And here those bramble-flowers, that breathe
Their odour into Zante's wines :- 2
The splendid woodbine, that, at eve,
To grace their floral diadems,
The lovely maids of Patmos weave:— 3
And that fair plant, whose tangled stems
Shine like a Nereid's hair, when spread,
Dishevell❜d, o'er her azure bed ;-
All these bright children of the clime,
(Each at its own most genial time,
The summer, or the year's sweet prime,)
Like beautiful earth-stars, adorn
The Valley, where that Fount is born:

1 " Nerium Oleander. In Cyprus it retains its ancient name, Rhododaphne, and the Cypriots adorn their churches with the flowers on feast-days.”—Journal of Dr. Sibthorpe, Walpole's Turkey. 2 Id.

While round, to grace its cradle green,
Groups of Velani oaks are seen,
Tow'ring on every verdant height-
Tall, shadowy, in the evening light,
Like Genii, set to watch the birth
Of some enchanted child of earth-
Fair oaks, that over Zea's vales,

Stand with their leafy pride unfurl'd ; While Commerce, from her thousand sails, Scatters their fruit throughout the world! 5

'Twas here as soon as prayer and sleep (Those truest friends to all who weep)_ Had lighten'd every heart, and made Ev'n sorrow wear a softer shade'Twas here, in this secluded spot,

Amid whose breathings calm and sweet Grief might be sooth'd, if not forgot,

The Zean nymphs resolv'd to meet Each evening now, by the same light That saw their farewell tears that night; And try, if sound of lute and song,

If wand'ring 'mid the moonlight flowers In various talk, could charm along

With lighter step, the ling'ring hours, Till tidings of that Bark should come, Or Victory waft their warriors home!

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3 Lonicera Caprifolium, used by the girls of Patmos for annually to fifteen thousand quintals."— Clarke's Travels. garlands.

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While fresh to ev'ry listener's thought
These legends of Leucadia brought
All that of Sappho's hapless flame
Is kept alive, still watch'd by Fame-
The maiden, tuning her soft lute,
While all the rest stood round her, mute,
Thus sketch'd the languishment of soul,
That o'er the tender Lesbian stole;
And, in a voice, whose thrilling tone
Fancy might deem the Lesbian's own,
One of those fervid fragments gave,
Which still,-like sparkles of Greek Fire,
Undying, ev'n beneath the wave,—

Burn on through Time, and ne'er expire.

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At length a murmur, all but mute,
So faint it was, came from the lute
Of a young melancholy maid,
Whose fingers, all uncertain play'd
From chord to chord, as if in chase

Of some lost melody, some strain
Of other times, whose faded trace

She sought among those chords again. Slowly the half-forgotten theme

(Though born in feelings ne'er forgot) Came to her memory-as a beam

Falls broken o'er some shaded spot; And while her lute's sad symphony

Fill'd up each sighing pause between; And Love himself might weep to see

What ruin comes where he hath beenAs wither'd still the grass is found Where fays have danc'd their merry round—

3 See Mr. Goodisson's very interesting description of all these circumstances.

4 I have attempted, in these four lines, to give some idea of that beautiful fragment of Sappho, beginning Tàurum uštų, which represents so truly (as Warton remarks) "the languor and listlessness of a person deeply in love."

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1 This word is defrauded here, I suspect, of a syllable; Dr. of the dance sometimes setting to her partner, sometimes Clarke, if I recollect right, makes it " Balalaika."

2" I saw above thirty parties engaged in dancing the Romaika upon the sand; in some of those groups, the girl who led them chased the retreating wave."-Douglas on the Modern Greeks.

3" In dancing the Romaika (says Mr. Douglas) they begin in slow and solemn step till they have gained the time, but by degrees the air becomes more sprightly; the conductress

darting before the rest, and leading them through the most rapid revolutions; sometimes crossing under the hands, which are held up to let her pass, and giving as much liveliness and intricacy as she can to the figures, into which she conducts her companions, while their business is to follow her in all her movements, without breaking the chain, or losing the measure."

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""Twas by the maids of Delos led, "When, slow at first, then circling fast, "As the gay spirits rose-at last, "With hand in hand, like links, enlock'd, "Through the light air they seem'd to flit "In labyrinthine maze, that mock'd

"The dazzled eye that follow'd it?" Some call'd aloud "the Fountain Dance!". While one young, dark-ey'd Amazon, Whose step was air-like, and whose glance

Flash'd, like a sabre in the sun, Sportively said, "Shame on these soft "And languid strains we hear so oft.

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Thus saying, she, with playful grace, Loos'd the wide hat, that o'er her face (From Anatolia came the maid)

Hung, shadowing each sunny charm;
And, with a fair young armourer's aid,
Fixing it on her rounded arm,

A mimic shield with pride display'd;
Then, springing tow'rds a grove that spread
Its canopy of foliage near,
Pluck'd off a lance-like twig, and said,
"To arms, to arms!" while o'er her head

She wav'd the light branch, as a spear.

Promptly the laughing maidens all
Obey'd their Chief's heroic call ;-
Round the shield-arm of each was tied

Hat, turban, shawl, as chance might be ; The grove, their verdant armoury, Falchion and lance 3 alike supplied;

For a description of the Pyrrhic Dance, see De Guys, &c. -It appears from Apuleius (lib. x.) that this war-dance was, among the ancients, sometimes performed by females.

2 See the costume of the Greek women of Natolia in Castellan's Mœurs des Othomans.

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3 The sword was the weapon chiefly used in this dance. 4 Homer, Il. ii. 753.

5 It is said that Leonidas and his companions employed themselves, on the eve of the battle, in music and the gym. nastic exercises of their country.

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