Digital Grainger

An Online Edition of The Sugar-Cane (1764)

82

  • THO’ faster than the Tropic-bird1 they flew,
  • Oft Junio cried, ah! when shall we see land? [510]
  • Soon land they made: and now in thought he claspt
  • His Indian bride, and deem’d his toils o’erpaid.

  • SHE, no less amorous, every evening walk’d
  • On the cool margin of the purple main,
  • Intent her Junio’s vessel to descry. [515]

  • ONE eve, (faint calms for many a day had rag’d,)
  • The winged daemons of the tempest rose;
  • Thunder, and rain, and lightning’s awful power.
  • She fled: could innocence, could beauty claim
  • Exemption from the grave; the aethereal Bolt,2 [520]
  • That stretch’d her speechless, o’er her lovely head
  • Had innocently roll’d.

  • MEAN while, impatient Junio lept ashore,
  • Regardless of the Daemons of the storm.
  • Ah youth! what woes, too great for man to bear, [525]
  • Are ready to burst on thee? Urge not so
  • Thy flying courser.3 Soon Theana’s porch

VER. 509. Tropic-bird] The French call this bird Fregate, on account of its swift flying. It is only to be met with in the warm latitudes.

  1. Although he uses the term tropic bird, Grainger means the frigate bird, which was famed for its wide wingspan and ability to remain airborne for weeks. ↩︎

  2. Lightning. ↩︎

  3. A swift horse, a racer. ↩︎