[*] While o’er her callow brood she hung, She fondly thus address’d her young: ‘Ye tender objects of my care, Peace! peace! ye little helpless pair. Anon! he comes, your gentle sire, And brings you all your hearts require; For us, his infants and his bride, For us, with only love to guide, Our lord assumes an eagle’s speed, And, like a lion, dares to bleed: Nor yet by wintry skies confin’d, He mounts upon the rudest wind, From danger tears the vital spoil, And with affection sweetens toil. Ah! cease, too vent’rous, cease to dare; In thine, our dearer safety spare. From him, ye cruel falcons stray; And turn, ye fowlers, far away, --All-giving Pow’r, great source of life, Oh! hear the parent, hear the wife: That life thou lendest from above, Though little, make it large in love. Oh! bid my feeling heart expand To ev’ry claim on ev’ry hand, To those, from whom my days I drew, To these in whom those days renew, To all my kin, however wide, In cordial warmth as blood allied. To friends in steely fetters twin’d And to the cruel not unkind; But chief the lord of my desire, My life, myself, my soul, my sire, Friends, children, all that wish can claim, Chaste passion clasp, and rapture name. Oh! spare him, spare him, gracious Pow’r: Oh! give him to my latest hour, Let me my length of life employ, To give my sole enjoyment joy. His love let mutual love excite; Turn all my cares to his delight, And ev’ry needless blessing spare, Wherein my darling wants a share. --Let one unruffled calm delight The loving and belov’d unite; One pure desire our bosoms warm; One will direct, one wish inform; Through life one mutual aid sustain; In death one peaceful grave contain.’ While, swelling with the darling theme, Her accents pour’d an endless stream. The well-known wings a sound impart That reach’d her ear, and touch’d her heart. Quick dropp’d the music of her tongue, And forth, with eager joy, she sprung. As swift her ent’ring consort flew, And plum’d, and kindled at the view. Their wings, their souls, embracing, meet, Their hearts with answ’ring measure beat, Half lost in sacred sweets, and bless’d With raptures felt, but ne’er express’d. Strait to her humble roof she led The partner of her spotless bed; Her young, a flutt’ring pair, arise, Their welcome sparkling in their eyes, Transported, to their sire they bound, And hang, with speechless action, round. In pleasure wrapt, the parents stand, And see their little wings expand; The sire his life sustaining prize To each expecting bill applies; There fondly pours the wheaten spoil, With transport giv’n, though won with toil;