LEANDER AND BELINDA. A TALE. Elizabeth Hands (née Herbert) Alexander Huber Editor Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford
Broad Street Oxford OX1 3BG UK
Eighteenth-Century Poetry Archive
Taylor Institution Library St Giles' Oxford OX1 3NA UK info@eighteenthcenturypoetry.org https://www.eighteenthcenturypoetry.org/
Oxford This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. T141063 Hands, Elizabeth, 1746-1815. The death of Amnon. A poem. With an appendix: containing pastorals, and other poetical pieces. By Elizabeth Hands. [Coventry] Printed for the author, by N. Rollason, Coventry, M,DCCLXXXIX. 1789 pp. 93-95. [40],127,[1]p.; 8⁰.

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LEANDER AND BELINDA . A TALE . Belinda is the loveliest fair , Of all the rural train , That dance upon the flow'ry lawn , Or trip across the plain . Her pleasing air , and winning grace , The village swains admire ; But not a youth in all that place , To court her durst aspire . Her robes were of the whitest lawn , As spotless as her fame ; And all the blushing virgin train , Rever'd Belinda's name . At last her fame Leander hears , Who in the city dwells ; And he , for this fair village-maid , Forsook the city belles . His coat was of the crimson dye , His spurs were silver bright ; And thus equip'd away he rode , To court this nymph in white . With each acquir'd accomplishment Endow'd , and on his tongue The pow'rful art of flattery , In full persuasion hung . He told to her such pleasing tales , As anxious lovers tell ; Such as he'd often told before , To many a shining belle . Into the garden walk'd this pair , To view the flowers gay ; Belinda look'd like lilies fair , That grew about the way . By her fair hand Leander took , This lovely charming maid ; Like Strephon's flocks at summer's noon , From shade to shade they stray'd . They walk'd 'till drooping dewy flow'rs , Proclaim'd the ev'ning nigh ; And that sweet bird that sings i' th' air , Descended from the sky . Leander seeing nature's pride , The tales of ev'ning tell , He with reluctancy retir'd , And bade his nymph farewell . But vow'd he quickly would return , And make the fair one his ; Then with an oath his promise bound , And seal'd it with a kiss . Yet the next news Belinda hears , Is that Leander's wed ; A wealthier , not a fairer dame , He to the church had led . But ere the honey-moon was past , A fever seiz'd his bride ; And though he left nor pains , nor cost , Nor medicine untry'd . Not all the skill'd physician's art , Could heal his sicken'd spouse ; Cosmelia died , a just reward For all his broken vows .