With horrid sleep, besides a world of toils,

Of sore and starting bones, fevers, and frenzies,

Sharp swords from hands unlook'd for, all the while, Glancing about their ears, and killing thousands?

Look at old Eunomus-from first to last

A lover of us all both high and low,

And one that would have all live well together,
The high in rank, the low in liberty,
Gracing each other like the trees in spring,
The tufted by the tall :-how has he suffer'd?
Both his sons gone,-the first one by his death
Breaking the mother's heart, the second now
Torn from his bride, and dead too as they say,-
She only left him to perform all parts,

And keep back her own tears to save him his.

Let's tell him of this pipe; I do believe,

It brings us comfort.

1st Shep.

Heaven send it may!

At all events, 'twere well perhaps to tell him;

For now I recollect, I have heard often,

These hovering spirits may not keep their secret

From unpolluted men; but when they're by,
And the occasion's good, will yield their voices
To the still air. I'll knock directly, shall I ?
All. Do, do.

Eun.

(Goes to knock at the cottage door.)

Enter EUNOMUS with MYRTILLA.

How now, my friends? I saw you stop

With hush'd and anxious gestures, and was coming

To learn your news. Heard ye this sound in the air
My daughter speaks of? for of late, my ear
Seems closing up to every sound but her's.

2d Shep. We came, Sir, to inform you of it,

Since from it's strange delightfulness, and something Of a new freshness in the air about us,

We thought it boded good.

Has a young fancy, and will convert the sound

Of common breath to something exquisite,

If evening silence and the trees be round her.

1st Shep. Sir, when I heard it first, and that was

yesterday,

Standing and looking down the floating stream

With oft-returning lapse of distanc'd eyes,

I felt my cheek change colour, it awoke

So fairy-like at once; and when it rose

A second time, which was near fall of night,
As I was lingering at my open door,

Fix'd as the calm, the tears came in my eyes
Starting for sweetness.

3d Shep.

We have heard, Sir, nothing

At all resembling it, since fair Myrtilla

Sang upon evenings to your

(Interrupting him, and making side gestures

Myrt.

Never till now; and so, we have remember'd
What in sage books is told of reverend men,
And of their power to hear celestial things,
And voices of the sky; and now you're here,-
Pardon us, Sir,-we think that if you spoke to it,
It might give utterance, and disclose it's purpose.

Eun. I fear, my friends, you think too potently
Of an old man, whose heart is yearning still,
Not for celestial, but for earthly voices :--
But those are past,—and in the hope some day
To hear them yet again with other ears,
I have not fallen into so much bitterness
With my humanity, or such resentment
At ill's apparent wonders, as to shut
My fancy up in a dull downward sleep,
And never think of fair invisible things
Or good intended towards us,-good perhaps
Brought out and better'd from the taste of woe.
If spirit unearthly ever went beyond

It's dumb communication with such thoughts, Breaking air's vacancy with shape or sound, Though we, my friends, may not be men to ask it,

This is a time when wonders are abroad,

And such things might be.

(A louder and longer flourish of sweet music than

before).

3d Shep. 'Twas upon the trees there.

2d Shep. 'Tis, Sir, as we supposed; pray speak to it1st Shep. Hush! to the left.

Eun.

(The music shifts to the left with a different strain, and then makes a sudden stop).

Myrtilla, my sweet child,

Frame you a prayer out of your innocent thoughts, And speak for all; something of heav'n is near us. (He takes off his cap, the rest doing it after him).

MYRTILLA SINGS.

Gentle and unknown delight,

Hovering with thy music near us,

If that our request be right,

Lean thee tow'rd the earth, and hear us;

And if we may yet rejoice,

Touch the silence with a voice.