s to pour a sanguine flood,
And dye those lucid streams with waves of blood.
Thus, while the humming bird in beauty drest,
Enchanting offspring of the ardent West, 170
Attunes his soothing song to notes of love,
Mild as the murmurs of the mourning dove;
While his soft plumage glows with brighter hues,
And while with tender bill he sips the dews,
The savage Condor, on terrific wings, 175
From Andes' frozen steep relentless springs;
And quiv'ring in his fangs, his hapless prey
Drops his gay plume, and sighs his soul away. 178

PERU.

CANTO THE FIFTH.

THE ARGUMENT.

_Character of_ Zamor, _a Bard--his passion for_ Aciloe, _daughter of the
Cazique who rules the valley--the Peruvian tribe prepare to defend
themselves--a battle--the Peruvians are vanquished_--Aciloe's _father is
made a prisoner, and_ Zamor _is supposed to have fallen in the
engagement_--Alphonso _becomes enamoured of_ Aciloe--_offers to marry
her; she rejects him--in revenge he puts her father to the torture--she
appears to consent, in order to save him--meets_ Zamor _in a wood_--Las
Casas _joins them--leads the two lovers to_ Alphonso, _and obtains their
freedom_--Zamor _conducts_ Aciloe _and her father to Chili--a reflection
on the influence of Poetry over the human mind._

PERU.

CANTO THE FIFTH.

In this sweet scene, to all the virtues kind,
Mild Zamor own'd the richest gifts of mind;
For o'er his tuneful breast the heav'nly muse
Shed from her sacred spring, inspiring dews.
She loves to breathe her hallow'd flame, where art 5
Has never veil'd the soul, or warp'd the heart;
Where fancy glows with all her native fire,
And passion lives on the exulting lyre.
Nature, in terror rob'd, or beauty drest,
Could thrill with dear enchantment Zamor's breast: 10
He lov'd the languid sigh the zephyr pours,
He lov'd the murm'ring rill that fed the flow'rs;
But more the hollow sound the wild winds form,
When black upon the billow hangs the storm;
The torrent rolling from the mountain steep, 15
Its white foam trembling on the darken'd deep--
And oft on Andes' height with eager gaze,
He view'd the sinking sun's reflected rays,
Glow like unnumber'd stars, that seem to rest
Sublime, upon his ice-encircled breast. 20
Oft his wild warblings charm'd the festal hour,
Rose in the val