"WHILST a fweet breeze from the hills of Malaya, comes wafting on his plumes the young god of defire; while many a flower points his extended petals to pierce the bofom of feparated lovers, the deity, crowned with fylvan bloffoms, laments, O friend, in thy abfence. Even the dewy rays of the moon burn him. When the bees murmer foftly, he covers his ears. He quits his radiant place for the wild forefts; where he finks on a bed of cold clay, and frequently mutters thy name. Having bound his locks with foreft flowers, he haftens to your arbor; where a foft gale breathes over the banks of Yamuna. With a mind languid, as a drooping wing, feeble as a trembling leaf, he doubtfully expects thy approach; and timidly looks on the path, which thou must tread. O friend, haftily caft over thee thy azure mantle, and run to the gloomy bower. The reward of thy fpeed, O thou, who sparkleft, like lightning, will be to fhine on the blue bofom of MURARI; which resembles a vernal cloud, decked with a ftring of pearls, like a flock of white water-birds flutter

ing in the air. The bright beamed God finks in the weft. The blacknefs of the night is increased; and the paffionate imagination of GOVINDA has acquired additional gloom. Seize the moment of delight in the place of affignation with the fon of DEVAGE."

BUT the maid, perceiving that RADHA could not move from the place through exceffive debility, haftens back, and defcribes to CRISHNA the fituation of his beloved.

SHE mourns, O fovereign of the world, in her verdant bower. She repeats again and again the name of HERI; and catching at a dark blue cloud, ftrives to embrace it; faying, "it is my beloved, who approaches." If a leaf but quiver, she supposes thee arrived. She spreads her couch. She forms in her mind a hundred modes of delight. Yet if thou come not to the bower, fhe muft die this night through exceflive anguish. By this time. the moon spread a net of beams over the groves of Vrindavan; and looked, like a

drop of liquid fandal on the face of the fky; which fmiled like a beautiful damfel; while its orb with many fpots betrayed, as it were, a confcioufnefs of guilt, in having often attended amorous maids to the lofs of their family honor. The moon, with a black fawn couched on its difk, advanced in its nightly courfe; but MADHAVA had not yet advanced to the bower of RADHA, who thus bewailed his delay, with notes of varied lamentation.'

THE remainder of the Gitagovinda must be deferred to the next epiftle of thy friend.

Letter Twelfth.

BELOVED EL HASSAN,

I HAVE not yet done with the Gitagovinda of Jayadeva. Having dipped into this elegant Poem, I am not willing to leave it, until I have taken a glance at all its principal beauties. Thou wilt remember, that we left RADHA about to bewail the delay of CHRISHNA. Among other pathetic fentiments, fhe utters the following:

"THE appointed moment is come; but HERI, alas! comes not to the grove. The coolness of this vernal night gives me pain instead of refreshment. Some happier damfel enjoys my beloved; whilst I, alas! am looking at the gems of my bracelets, which are blackened by the flames of my paffion."

SEEING her damfel return without

CHRISHNA, her jealoufy rifes to phrenzy;

and the poet makes her behold, in imagination, her lover in the arms of a rival.

“YES, in habiliments becoming the war of love, and with treffes, waving like flowery banners, a damfel, more alluring than RADHA, enjoys the conqueror of MADHU. Her form is transfigured by the touch of her divine lover. Her garland quivers over her fwelling bofom. Her face, like the moon, is graced with clouds of dark hair, and trembles while fhe quaffs the nectareous dew of his lips; fhe floats on the waves of defire; and clofes her eyes, dazzled with the blaze of approaching Cama. See how he kiffes the lip of my rival, and imprints on her forehead an ornament of pure musk, black as the young antelope on the lunar orb! Now, like the husband of RETI, he fixes white bloffoms on her dark locks, where they gleam like flashes of lightning among the curled clouds. On her breafts, like two firmaments, he places a ftring of gems, like a radiant conftellation. Mark, how my foul, attracted by his irresistible charms,