Disdaining little delicacies, seized The plough, and greatly independent lived. Ye generous Britons, venerate the plough! Nor only through the lenient air this change, United light and shade! where the sight dwells From the moist meadow to the wither'd hill, Where the deer rustle through the twining brake, In all the colours of the flushing year, By Nature's swift and secret working hand, With lavish fragrance; while the promised fruit 85 90 395 100 Oft let me wander o'er the dewy fields, Where freshness breathes, and dash the trembling drops From the bent bush, as through the verdant maze 105 Or taste the smell of dairy; or ascend Some eminence, Augusta, in thy plains, And see the country, far diffused around, One boundless blush, one white-empurpled shower Of mingled blossoms; where the raptured eye 110 If, brush'd from Russian wilds, a cutting gale 115 The full blown Spring through all her foliage shrinks Joyless and dead, a wide dejected waste. For oft, engender'd by the hazy north, M, riads on myriads, insect armies waft 120 125 Or scatters o'er the blooms the pungent dust 130 Of pepper, fatal to the frosty tribe: Or, when the' envenom'd leaf begins to curl, 135 Be patient, swains; these cruel-seeming winds Blow not in vain. Far hence they keep repress'd Those deepening clouds on clouds, surcharged with rain, That o'er the vast Atlantic hither borne, In endless train, would quench the summer blaze, 140 And, cheerless, drown the crude unripen'd year. The north-east spends his rage; he now shut up Within his iron cave, the' effusive south Warms the wide air, and o'er the void of heaven 146 150 Oppressing life; but lovely, gentle, kind, And full of every hope and every joy, The wish of Nature. Gradual sinks the breeze Into a perfect calm; that not a breath 155 Is heard to quiver through the closing woods, 160 165 And forests seem impatient to demand The promised sweetness. Man superior walks Amid the glad creation, musing praise, 170 And looking lively gratitude. At last, The clouds consign their treasures to the fields; 175 Beneath the' umbrageous multitude of leaves. But who can hold the shade while Heaven descends In universal bounty, shedding herbs And fraits and flowers on Nature's ample lap! Swift Fancy fired anticipates their growth; And, while the milky nutriment distils, Beholds the kindling country colour round. 180 185 Thus all day long the full distended clouds Indulge their genial stores, and well shower'd earth Is deep enrich'd with vegetable life; Till, in the western sky, the downward sun Looks out, effulgent, from amid the flush Of broken clouds, gay-shifting to his beam. 190 The rapid radiance instantaneous strikes The' illumined mountain, through the forest streams, Shakes on the floods, and in a yellow mist, Far smoking o'er the' interminable plain, 195 In twinkling myriads lights the dewy gems. 200 In fair proportion running from the red 205 To where the violet fades into the sky. Here, awful Newton, the dissolving clouds The various twine of light, by thee disclosed 210 He wondering views the bright enchantment bend, 215 Then vanish quite away. Still night succeeds, A soften'd shade, and saturated earth Awaits the morning beam, to give to light, Raised through ten thousand different plastic tubes, The balmy treasures of the former day. Then spring the living herbs, profusely wild, O'er all the deep-green earth, beyond the power Of botanists to number up their tribes: Whether he steals along the lonely dale, 220 225 In silent search; or through the forest, rank Their seeds abroad, blown them about in winds, 230 But who their virtues can declare? who pierce, With vision pure, into these secret stores 235 240 The first fresh dawn then waked the gladden'd race Of uncorrupted Man, nor blush'd to see The sluggard sleep beneath its sacred beam; For their light slumbers gently fumed away; 245 And up they rose as vigorous as the sun, Or to the cheerful tendance of the flock: Meantime the song went round; and dance and sport, 250 Love breathed his infant sighs, from anguish free, And full replete with bliss; save the sweet pain, |