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Glow on the trees bright as the lucid gold;
Still copious by the vernal winds inclin'd,
Blush as they wave and twinkle in the wind.
The fruitful soil a ready harvest yields,
Successive crops crown the luxuriant fields;
Spontaneous wines from the old palm-tree pour,
And heav'n descends in each prolific show'r,
Refreshing meads along the briny main,

And silver rills run bubbling through the plain.
The nodding woods with purple beauties crown'd,
Breathe aromatic fragrances around.

In wavy gold the verdant vales are drest,

Where trees are bending with their foliage prest;
With milk white flocks the dewy fields are stor'd,
And silver fish the sea and lakes afford.

The winter smiles on this auspicious clime,
And meads are florid with unfading prime:
On these sweet meads no winds inclement blow,
Nor mould the hail, nor flake the fleecy snow;
But thro' the myrtle grove and flow'ry vale,
Murmurs the fragrant breeze and scented gale.
Here full grown figs a purple hue disclose,
The olive ripens, and pom'granate glows;
The dangling oranges sweet scents unfold,
And shaddocks ripen like the blooming gold.
Thus free from Christians, Africans were bless'd,
With health, peace, joy and happiness possess'd;
Fearless they tripp'd along the verdant meads,
While beauteous garlands crown'd their sable heads;
From bow'r to bow'r they pleasantly remove,
As pleasure calls from grove to myrtle grove;
And on sweet beds of flow'rs extended lie,
And hear translucent rills run bubbling by.

Midst all these beauties sweet AVENIA shone,
Like bright Aurora on her golden throne;
The royal maid the monarch's only joy,
And brave LOUVERTURE was his oldest boy.
The poor, unhappy king, whose rev'rend brow
Time hoary time had silver'd o'er with snow;
His boundless reign the distant realms confest,
His people blessing, by his people blest;
Mild, modest, virtuous, generous and good,
Friend to the friendless, to the hungry food.
AVENIA blest the poor sweet as the gale,
And beauteous as the verdant flow'ry vale;
Celestial virtue crown'd her tender youth,
All innocence she play'd the simple lute,
And spent the joyful and the dancing hours
By bubbling streams, or in ambrosial bow'rs.
Kings and brave heroes for AVENIA burn'd,
But she deny'd, and kings and heroes mourn'd;
Fir'd by her charms the regal youths remain
To woo, but woo'd the lovely maid in vain.
Brave ANGOLA the royal maid addrest,

Whose birth, youth, beauty, far excell❜d the rest.
She saw and lov'd him, and her passion grew
More

pure and ardent at each interview:

But brave ANGOLA void of lust or fears,
Express'd his love, and spoke his joy in tears;
Ardent he lov'd, and as he lov'd he grew
More fond and faithful, nor deception knew;
His passion ever young, kind and sincere,
His actions virtuous, mixt with modest fear.
Amid the jess'mine bower or sylvan grove,
They spent the fleeting hours with virtuous love;
While o'er their heads dress'd in ambrosial state,

The am'rous turtle woo'd his charming mate.
AVENIA with terrestrial rapture glows,
Clasps her ANGOLA....to his bosom grows :
Thus they with transports each the other warms,
Pour out their souls, lock'd in each other's arms,
Till the expected bridal day appears,

To crown their joy, and to dispel their fears.
With rustic pomp the nuptial feast delight,
The artless dance and the hymeneal rite,
Through flow'ng fields the new made bride is led,
With songs of triumph to the bridal bed,
While joyful dancers in a circle bound,
To the soft lute and banjoes silver sound.
Now sable nymphs advance the scented mead,
With myrtle wreaths adorn AVENIA's head;
Now o'er the lawn with sweet majestic pace,
The bride moves on, and moves with stately grace,
Thro' verdant greens, the maidens in a row,
And joyful youths, enjoy the artless show;
Some wrestle on the grass, and some in play,
And games heroic, pass the hours away.
These raise the warlike song, and those advance
In measur❜d steps to form the mazy dance.
There sweet AVENIA in her loose attire,
And her ANGOLA strike the sounding lyre ;
Here warlike heroes, the majestic train,
Pitch all their idle lances on the plain.
On beds of roses some are stretch'd along,
Sweet to the ear their charming voices sung;
Others beneath sweet scented groves were laid,
And joyful feasted in the fragrant shade.
Here sable youths advance along the meads,
And crimson wreaths adorn their graceful heads; '

Now here, now there, unsettl'd they remove,
From jess❜mine bowers to the fragrant grove;
Taught by no guile, the poor unhappy band
Dance without fear, and join each hand in hand;
They now with active feet in oblique ways,
Move round promiscuously, a moving maze;
Now forth at once too swift for sight they spring,
And in a moment lend the flying ring:

So whirls a wheel in giddy circle tost,
And rapid as it runs, the single spokes are lost.
Then each irregular moves diff'rent ways,
And joins in chorus with the artless lays;
The gen'rous palm wine the short joys enhance,
And moves them to renew the mazy dance;
And as they sing and symphonize around,
Creation echoes to the grateful sound:

But soon from thence will sounds of anguish flow,
And joy's sweet carols end in shrieks of woe.
Imperial Sol in his diurnal way,

Beheld their artless joy and nuptial day;
The bridal day, but void of pomp and pride,
A woeful prelude to the groom and bride.
Nocturnal stars that twinkle as they rise,
And gild the milky way and golden skies,
Saw them in chains, and saw their miseries;
For while they fearless tripp'd the flow'ry plain,
The artful Christians plow'd the liquid main.
Th' approach the golden coast, the whistling gales,
Drive the huge ships, and fill the swelling sails.
The hardy sailors and the compass guide
The painted dungeons through the rapid tide;
Conscious of ev'ry land, sea coast and bay,
That lies beneath the sun's meredian ray;

Tho' clouds and darkness vail the blushing sky,
Thro' darkness, clouds, and hurricanes they fly;
Tho' tempests rage and swell the surging main,
The seas may swell, the tempest rage in vain.
Lo, now diminish'd stars had fled away,
Before the glories of the dawning day;
While bright Aurora left her orient bed,
And rear'd above the waves her dazzling head,
When lo, the golden coast appear'd in view,
As tilting o'er the waves the vessels flew :
The sailors see the fragrant mountains rise,
Peep o'er the vales, and dance before their eyes;
The canvas wings all shiv'ring as they go,
Flap in the wind, white as the driven snow.
Th' approach the shore, as mighty serpents glide,
Who roll incumbent on the glassy tide;
Advancing to the shore their spires they raise,
Fold above fold, in many a tow'ry maze :
Beneath their speckled breasts the waters glow,
Their crimson crests enflame the deep below;
O'er the vast flood extending vast and wide,
Their curling backs are floating on the tide;
Their hissing tongues they dart the poison'd bane,
As their red eye-balls shoot a vivid flame;
Lash'd to a foam, the boiling billows roar,
As the tremendous monsters reach the shore.
Thus fierce, Columbia's sons degenerate go
To Afric's coast, dread ministers of woe.
The ships now anchor in the winding bay,
As the devoted town in prospect lay.
The baptiz'd ruffians now in council join'd,
While dreadful plans are pregnant in each mind;
Here horrid thought of death and slaughter roll,

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