"Tis raging Noon; and, vertical, the fun
Darts on the head direct his forceful rays.
O'er heaven and earth, far as the ranging eye
Can sweep, a dazling deluge reigns; and all
From pole to pole is undiftinguifh'd blaze.
In vain the fight, dejected to the ground,
Stoops for relief; thence hot afcending fteams.
And keen reflection pain. Deep to the root
Of vegetation parch'd, the cleaving fields
And flippery lawn an arid hue disclose,.
Blaft Fancy's blooms, and wither even the Soul.
Echo no more returns the chearful found
Of sharpening fcythe: the mower finking heaps
O'er him the humid hay, with flowers perfum'd;
And scarce a chirping grafs-hopper is heard
Thro' the dumb mead. Diftrefsful Nature pants.
The very ftreams look languid from afar;
Or, thro' th' unfhelter'd glade, impatient, feem
To hurl into the covert of the
ALL-CONQUERING Heat, oh intermit thy wrath!
And on my throbbing temples potent thus
Beam not fo fierce! Inceffant ftill you flow,
And still another fervent flood fucceeds,
Pour'd on the head profufe. In vain I figh,
And restless turn, and look around for Night;
Night is far off; and hotter hours approach.
Thrice happy he! who on the funless fide
Of a romantic mountain, forest-crown'd,
Beneath the whole collected fhade reclines:
Or in the gelid caverns, woodbine-wrought,
And fresh bedew'd with ever-spouting streams,
Sits coolly calm; while all the world without, 460
Unsatisfied, and fick, toffes in noon.
Emblem inftructive of the virtuous Man,
Who keeps his temper'd mind ferene, and pure,
And every paffion aptly harmoniz'd,
Amid a jarring world with vice inflam`d.
WELCOME, ye fhades! ye bowry thickets, hail! Ye lofty pines! ye venerable oaks! Ye ashes wild, refounding o'er the steep! Delicious is your shelter to the foul, As to the hunted hart the fallying spring,
Or ftream full-flowing, that his fwelling fides
Laves, as he floats along the herbag'd brink.
Cool, thro' the nerves, your pleafing comfort glides;
The heart beats glad; the fresh expanded eye
And ear refume their watch; the finews knit;
And life shoots fwift thro' all the lighten'd limbs.
AROUND th' adjoining brook, that purls along
The vocal grove, now fretting o'er a rock,
Now scarcely moving thro' a reedy pool,
Now ftarting to a sudden ftream, and now
Gently diffus'd into a limpid plain;
A various groupe the herds and flocks compofe,
Rural confufion! On the graffy bank
Some ruminating lie; while others stand
Half in the flood, and often bending fip
The circling furface. In the middle droops
The ftrong laborious ox, of honest front,
Which incompos'd he shakes; and from his fides
The troublous infects lashes with his tail,
Returning ftill. Amid his fubjects safe,
Slumbers the monarch-fwain; his careless arm
Thrown round his head, on downy moss fuftain'd;
Here laid his fcrip, with wholesome viands fill'd:
There, liftening every noise, his watchful dog.
LIGHT fly his flumbers, if perchance a flight 495 Of angry gad-flies faften on the herd; That ftartling scatters from the fhallow brook, In fearch of lavish stream. Toffing the foam, They scorn the keeper's voice, and scowr the plain, Thro' all the bright feverity of noon; 500 While, from their labouring breafts, a hollow moan Proceeding, runs low-bellowing round the hills.
,OFT in this season too the horse, provok'd,
While his big finews full of fpirits fwell,
Trembling with vigour, in the heat of blood,
Springs the high fence; and, o'er the field effus'd,
Darts on the gloomy flood, with stedfast eye,
And heart eftrang'd to fear: his nervous cheft,
Luxuriant, and erect, the feat of strength!
Bears down th' oppofing ftream: quenchless his thirst; He takes the river at redoubled draughts; 511 And with wide noftrils, fnorting, skims the wave.
STILL let me pierce into the midnight depth Of yonder grove, of wildeft largest growth: That, forming high in air a woodland quire, Nods o'er the mount beneath. At every step, Solemn, and flow, the fhadows blacker fall, And all is awful liftening gloom around.
THESE are the haunts of Meditation, thefe The scenes where ancient bards th' inspiring breath, Extatic, felt; and, from this world retir'd,
Convers'd with angels, and immortal forms,
On gracious errands bent: to save the fall
Of virtue struggling on the brink of vice;
In waking whispers, and repeated dreams,
To hint pure thought, and warn the favour'd foul For future trials fated to prepare ;
To prompt the poet, who devoted gives
His mufe to better themes; to footh the pangs
Of dying worth, and from the patriot's breast,
(Backward to mingle in detefted war,
But foremost when engag'd) to turn the death;
And numberlefs fuch offices of love,
Daily, and nightly, zealous to perform.
SHOOK fudden from the bofom of the sky,
A thousand shapes or glide athwart the dusk,
Or stalk majestic on. Deep-rous'd, I feel
A facred terror, a fevere delight,
Creep thro' my mortal frame; and thus, methinks,
A voice, than human more, th' abstracted ear
Of fancy ftrikes, "Be not of us afraid,
"Poor kindred Man! thy fellow-creatures, we
"From the fame PARENT-POWER our beings drew,
"The fame our Lord, and laws, and great purfuit.
"Once fome of us, like thee, thro' ftormy life, 545
"Toil'd, tempeft-beaten, ere we could attain
"This holy calm, this harmony of mind,
"Where purity and peace immingle charms.
Then fear not us; but with refponfive fong,
"Amid these dim receffes, undisturb'd
"By noify folly and difcordant vice,
"Of Nature fing with us, and Nature's Go D.
"Here frequent, at the vifionary hour,
"When musing midnight reigns or filent noon,
Angelic harps are in full concert heard,
"And voices chaunting from the wood-crown'd hill, "The deepening dale, or inmoft filvan glade: "A privilege beftow'd by us, alone,
|