Poems, moral and descriptive By the late Richard Jago ... (Prepared for the press, and improved by the author, before his death.) To which is added, some account of the life and writings of Mr. Jago |
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| I. | BOOK I. MORNING.
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 | Poems, moral and descriptive |  |
5
BOOK I. MORNING.
6
Argument to Book the First.
The Subject propos'd. Address. Ascent to the Hill. General View. Comparison. Philosophical Account of the Origin and Formation of Mountains, &c. Morning View, comprehending the South-West Part of the Scene, interspers'd with Elements and Examples of rural Taste; shewing, at the same Time, its Connexion with, and Dependance upon Civil Government; and concluding with an Historical Episode of the Red-Horse.
7
Britannia's rural charms, and tranquil scenes,
Far from the circling ocean, where her fleets,
Like Eden's nightly guards, majestic ride,
I sing; O may the theme and kindred soil
Propitious prove, and to th'appointed hill
Invite the Muses from their cloister'd shades,
With me to rove, and harmonize the strain!
Far from the circling ocean, where her fleets,
Like Eden's nightly guards, majestic ride,
I sing; O may the theme and kindred soil
Propitious prove, and to th'appointed hill
Invite the Muses from their cloister'd shades,
With me to rove, and harmonize the strain!
8
Nor shall they, for a time, regret the loss
Of their lov'd Isis, and fair Cherwel's stream,
While to the north of their own beauteous fields
The pictur'd scene they view, where Avon shapes
His winding way, enlarging as it flows,
Nor hastes to join Sabrina's prouder wave.
Like a tall rampart! here the mountain rears
Its verdant edge; and, if the tuneful Maids
Their presence deign, shall with Parnassus vie.
Level, and smooth the track, which thither leads!
Of champaign bold and fair! Its adverse side
Abrupt, and steep! Thanks, Miller ! to thy paths,
That ease our winding steps! Thanks to the fount,
The trees, the flow'rs, imparting to the sense
Fragrance or dulcet sound of murm'ring rill,
And stilling ev'ry tumult in the breast!
And oft the stately tow'rs, that overtop
The rising wood, and oft the broken arch,
Or mould'ring wall, well taught to counterfeit
The waste of time, to solemn thought excite,
And crown with graceful pomp the shaggy hill.
Of their lov'd Isis, and fair Cherwel's stream,
While to the north of their own beauteous fields
The pictur'd scene they view, where Avon shapes
His winding way, enlarging as it flows,
Nor hastes to join Sabrina's prouder wave.
Like a tall rampart! here the mountain rears
Its verdant edge; and, if the tuneful Maids
Their presence deign, shall with Parnassus vie.
Level, and smooth the track, which thither leads!
Of champaign bold and fair! Its adverse side
Abrupt, and steep! Thanks, Miller ! to thy paths,
That ease our winding steps! Thanks to the fount,
The trees, the flow'rs, imparting to the sense
Fragrance or dulcet sound of murm'ring rill,
And stilling ev'ry tumult in the breast!
And oft the stately tow'rs, that overtop
The rising wood, and oft the broken arch,
Or mould'ring wall, well taught to counterfeit
The waste of time, to solemn thought excite,
And crown with graceful pomp the shaggy hill.
9
So Virtue paints the steep ascent to fame:
So her aerial residence displays.
So her aerial residence displays.
Still let thy friendship, which prepar'd the way,
Attend, and guide me, as my ravish'd sight
O'er the bleak hill, or shelter'd valley roves.
Teach me with just observance to remark
Their various charms, their storied fame record,
And to the visual join the mental search.
Attend, and guide me, as my ravish'd sight
O'er the bleak hill, or shelter'd valley roves.
Teach me with just observance to remark
Their various charms, their storied fame record,
And to the visual join the mental search.
The summit's gain'd! and, from its airy height,
The late-trod plain looks like an inland sea,
View'd from some promontory's hoary head,
With distant shores environ'd; not with face
Glassy, and uniform, but when its waves
Are gently ruffled by the southern gale,
And the tall masts like waving forests rise.
The late-trod plain looks like an inland sea,
View'd from some promontory's hoary head,
With distant shores environ'd; not with face
Glassy, and uniform, but when its waves
Are gently ruffled by the southern gale,
And the tall masts like waving forests rise.
Such is the scene! that, from the terrac'd hill,
Displays its graces; intermixture sweet
Of lawns and groves, of open and retir'd.
Vales, farms, towns, villas, castles, distant spires,
And hills on hills, with ambient clouds enrob'd,
In long succession court the lab'ring sight,
Lost in the bright confusion. Thus the youth,
Escap'd from painful drudgery of words,
Views the fair fields of science wide display'd;
Where Phoebus dwells, and all the tuneful Nine;
Perplext awhile he stands, and now to this,
Now that blest seat of harmony divine
Explores his way, with giddy rapture tir'd:
Till some sage Mentor, whose experienc'd feet
Have trod the mazy path, directs his search,
And leads him wond'ring to their bright abodes.
Come then, my Friend! guide thou th'advent'rous Muse,
And, with thy counsel, regulate her flight.
Displays its graces; intermixture sweet
Of lawns and groves, of open and retir'd.
Vales, farms, towns, villas, castles, distant spires,
And hills on hills, with ambient clouds enrob'd,
10
Lost in the bright confusion. Thus the youth,
Escap'd from painful drudgery of words,
Views the fair fields of science wide display'd;
Where Phoebus dwells, and all the tuneful Nine;
Perplext awhile he stands, and now to this,
Now that blest seat of harmony divine
Explores his way, with giddy rapture tir'd:
Till some sage Mentor, whose experienc'd feet
Have trod the mazy path, directs his search,
And leads him wond'ring to their bright abodes.
Come then, my Friend! guide thou th'advent'rous Muse,
And, with thy counsel, regulate her flight.
Yet, ere the sweet excursion she begins,
O! listen, while, from sacred records drawn,
My daring song unfolds the cause, whence rose
This various face of things—of high, and low—
Of rough, and smooth. For with its parent earth
Coeval not prevail'd what now appears
Of hill and dale; nor was its new-form'd shape,
Like a smooth, polish'd orb, a surface plain,
Wanting the sweet variety of change,
Concave, convex, the deep, and the sublime:
Nor, from old Ocean's watry bed, were scoop'd
Its neighb'ring shores; nor were they now depress'd,
Now rais'd by sudden shocks; but fashion'd all
In perfect harmony, by laws divine,
On passive matter, at its birth impress'd.
O! listen, while, from sacred records drawn,
My daring song unfolds the cause, whence rose
This various face of things—of high, and low—
Of rough, and smooth. For with its parent earth
Coeval not prevail'd what now appears
Of hill and dale; nor was its new-form'd shape,
Like a smooth, polish'd orb, a surface plain,
11
Concave, convex, the deep, and the sublime:
Nor, from old Ocean's watry bed, were scoop'd
Its neighb'ring shores; nor were they now depress'd,
Now rais'd by sudden shocks; but fashion'd all
In perfect harmony, by laws divine,
On passive matter, at its birth impress'd.
Amongst the many fanciful conceits of writers on the subject, a learned Divine, in his Confutation of Dr. Burnett's Theory, supposes that hills and mountains might be occasioned by fermentation, after the manner of leaven in dough; while others have attributed their production to the several different causes mentioned above.
The following solution, by the descent of water from the surface of the earth to the center, seem'd most easy, and natural to the author, and is therefore adopted. Vid. Warren's Geologiæ, 1698.
WHEN now two days, as mortals count their time,
Th'Almighty had employ'd on man's abode;
To motion rous'd the dead, inactive mass,
The dark illumin'd, and the parts terrene
Impelling each to each, the circle form'd,
Compact, and firm, of earth's stupendous orb,
With boundless seas, as with a garment cloath'd,
On the third morn he bade the waters flow
Down to their place, and let dry land appear;
And it was so. Strait to their destin'd bed,
From every part, th'obedient waters ran,
Shaping their downward course, and, as they found
Resistance varying with the varying soil,
In their retreat they form'd the gentle slope,
Or headlong precipice, or deep-worn dale,
Or valley, stretching far its winding maze,
As farther still their humid train they led,
By Heav'n directed to the realms below.
Th'Almighty had employ'd on man's abode;
To motion rous'd the dead, inactive mass,
The dark illumin'd, and the parts terrene
Impelling each to each, the circle form'd,
12
With boundless seas, as with a garment cloath'd,
On the third morn he bade the waters flow
Down to their place, and let dry land appear;
And it was so. Strait to their destin'd bed,
From every part, th'obedient waters ran,
Shaping their downward course, and, as they found
Resistance varying with the varying soil,
In their retreat they form'd the gentle slope,
Or headlong precipice, or deep-worn dale,
Or valley, stretching far its winding maze,
As farther still their humid train they led,
By Heav'n directed to the realms below.
Now first was seen the variegated face
Of earth's fair orb shap'd by the plastic flood:
Now smooth and level like its liquid plains,
Now, like its ruffled waves, sweet interchange
Of hill and dale, and now a rougher scene,
Mountains on mountains lifted to the sky.
Such was her infant form, yet unadorn'd!
And in the naked soil the subtle stream
Fretted its winding track. So He ordain'd!
Who form'd the fluid mass of atoms small,
The principles of things! who moist from dry,
From heavy sever'd light, compacting close
The solid glebe, stratum of rock, or ore,
Or crumbly marl, or close tenacious clay,
Or what beside, in wond'rous order rang'd,
Orb within orb, earth's secret depths contains.
Of earth's fair orb shap'd by the plastic flood:
Now smooth and level like its liquid plains,
Now, like its ruffled waves, sweet interchange
Of hill and dale, and now a rougher scene,
Mountains on mountains lifted to the sky.
13
And in the naked soil the subtle stream
Fretted its winding track. So He ordain'd!
Who form'd the fluid mass of atoms small,
The principles of things! who moist from dry,
From heavy sever'd light, compacting close
The solid glebe, stratum of rock, or ore,
Or crumbly marl, or close tenacious clay,
Or what beside, in wond'rous order rang'd,
Orb within orb, earth's secret depths contains.
So was the shapely sphere, on ev'ry side,
With equal pressure of surrounding air
Sustain'd, of sea and land harmonious form'd.
Nor beauteous cov'ring was withheld, for strait,
At the divine command, the verd'rous grass
Upsprang unsown, with ev'ry seedful herb,
Fruit, plant, or tree, pregnant with future store;
God saw the whole—And lo! 'twas very good.
But man, ungrateful man! to deadly ill
Soon turn'd the good bestow'd, with horrid crimes
Polluting earth's fair seat, his Maker's gift!
Till mercy cou'd no more with justice strive.
With equal pressure of surrounding air
Sustain'd, of sea and land harmonious form'd.
Nor beauteous cov'ring was withheld, for strait,
At the divine command, the verd'rous grass
Upsprang unsown, with ev'ry seedful herb,
14
God saw the whole—And lo! 'twas very good.
But man, ungrateful man! to deadly ill
Soon turn'd the good bestow'd, with horrid crimes
Polluting earth's fair seat, his Maker's gift!
Till mercy cou'd no more with justice strive.
Then wrath divine unbarr'd Heav'n's watry gates,
And loos'd the fountains of the great abyss.
Again the waters o'er the earth prevail'd.
Hills rear'd their heads in vain. Full forty days
The flood increas'd, nor, till sev'n moons had wan'd,
Appear'd the mountain-tops. Perish'd all flesh,
One family except! and all the works
Of Art were swept into th'oblivious pool.
In that dread time what change th'avenging flood
Might cause in earth's devoted fabric, who
Of mortal birth can tell? Whether again
'Twas to its first chaotic mass reduc'd,
To be reform'd anew? or, in its orb,
What violence, what disruptions it endur'd?
What ancient mountains stood the furious shock?
What new arose? For doubtless new there are,
If all are not; strong proof exhibiting
Of later rise, and their once fluid state,
By stranger-fossils, in their inmost bed
Of looser mould, or marble rock entomb'd,
Or shell marine, incorp'rate with themselves:
Nor less the conic hill, with ample base,
Or scarry slope by rushing billows torn,
Or fissure deep, in the late delug'd soil
Cleft by succeeding drought, side answering side,
And curve to adverse curve exact oppos'd,
Confess the watry pow'r; while scatter'd trains,
Or rocky fragments, wash'd from broken hills,
Take up the tale, and spread it round the globe.
Then, as the flood retir'd, another face
Of things appear'd, another, and the same!
Taurus, and Libanus, and Atlas feign'd
To prop the skies! and that fam'd Alpine ridge,
Or Appenine, or snow-clad Caucasus,
Or Ararat on whose emergent top
First moor'd that precious barque, whose chosen crew
Again o'erspread earth's universal orb.
For now, as at the first, from ev'ry side
Hasted the waters to their ancient bounds,
The vast abyss! perhaps from thence ascend,
Urg'd by th'incumbent air, thro' mazy clefts
Beneath the deep, or rise in vapours warm,
Piercing the vaulted earth, anon condens'd
Within the lofty mountains' secret cells,
Ere they their summit gain, down their steep sides
To trickle in a never-ceasing round.
So up the porous stone, or crystal tube
The philosophic eye with wonder views
The tinctur'd fluid rise; so tepid dews
From chymic founts in copious streams distil.
And loos'd the fountains of the great abyss.
Again the waters o'er the earth prevail'd.
Hills rear'd their heads in vain. Full forty days
The flood increas'd, nor, till sev'n moons had wan'd,
Appear'd the mountain-tops. Perish'd all flesh,
One family except! and all the works
Of Art were swept into th'oblivious pool.
In that dread time what change th'avenging flood
Might cause in earth's devoted fabric, who
Of mortal birth can tell? Whether again
'Twas to its first chaotic mass reduc'd,
To be reform'd anew? or, in its orb,
What violence, what disruptions it endur'd?
15
What new arose? For doubtless new there are,
If all are not; strong proof exhibiting
Of later rise, and their once fluid state,
By stranger-fossils, in their inmost bed
Of looser mould, or marble rock entomb'd,
Or shell marine, incorp'rate with themselves:
Nor less the conic hill, with ample base,
Or scarry slope by rushing billows torn,
Or fissure deep, in the late delug'd soil
Cleft by succeeding drought, side answering side,
And curve to adverse curve exact oppos'd,
Confess the watry pow'r; while scatter'd trains,
Or rocky fragments, wash'd from broken hills,
Take up the tale, and spread it round the globe.
Then, as the flood retir'd, another face
Of things appear'd, another, and the same!
16
To prop the skies! and that fam'd Alpine ridge,
Or Appenine, or snow-clad Caucasus,
Or Ararat on whose emergent top
First moor'd that precious barque, whose chosen crew
Again o'erspread earth's universal orb.
For now, as at the first, from ev'ry side
Hasted the waters to their ancient bounds,
The vast abyss! perhaps from thence ascend,
Urg'd by th'incumbent air, thro' mazy clefts
Beneath the deep, or rise in vapours warm,
Piercing the vaulted earth, anon condens'd
Within the lofty mountains' secret cells,
Ere they their summit gain, down their steep sides
To trickle in a never-ceasing round.
17
The philosophic eye with wonder views
The tinctur'd fluid rise; so tepid dews
From chymic founts in copious streams distil.
Such is the structure, such the wave-worn face
Of Earth's huge fabric! beauteous to the sight,
And stor'd with wonders, to th'attentive mind
Confirming, with persuasive eloquence
Drawn from the rocky mount, or watry fen,
Those sacred pages, which record the past,
And awfully predict its future doom.
Of Earth's huge fabric! beauteous to the sight,
And stor'd with wonders, to th'attentive mind
Confirming, with persuasive eloquence
Drawn from the rocky mount, or watry fen,
Those sacred pages, which record the past,
And awfully predict its future doom.
18
Now, while the sun its heav'nly radiance sheds
Across the vale, disclosing all its charms,
Emblem of that fair Light, at whose approach
The Gentile darkness fled! ye nymphs, and swains!
Come haste with me, while now 'tis early morn,
Thro' Upton's airy fields, to where yon' point
Projecting hides Northampton's ancient seat
Retir'd, and hid amidst surrounding shades:
Counting a length of honourable years,
And solid worth; while painted Belvideres,
Naked, aloft, and built but to be seen,
Shrink at the sun, and totter to the wind.
Across the vale, disclosing all its charms,
Emblem of that fair Light, at whose approach
The Gentile darkness fled! ye nymphs, and swains!
Come haste with me, while now 'tis early morn,
Thro' Upton's airy fields, to where yon' point
Projecting hides Northampton's ancient seat
Retir'd, and hid amidst surrounding shades:
Counting a length of honourable years,
And solid worth; while painted Belvideres,
Naked, aloft, and built but to be seen,
Shrink at the sun, and totter to the wind.
So sober Sense oft shuns the public view,
In privacy conceal'd, while the pert sons
Of Folly flutter in the glare of day.
In privacy conceal'd, while the pert sons
Of Folly flutter in the glare of day.
Hence, o'er the plain, where strip'd with alleys green,
The golden harvest nods, let me your view
Progressive lead to
Verney's sister walls,
Alike in honour, as in name allied!
Alike her walls a noble master own,
Studious of elegance. At his command,
New pillars grace the dome with Grecian pomp
Of Corinth's gay design. At his command,
On hill, or plain, new culture cloaths the scene
With verdant grass, or variegated grove;
And bubbling rills in sweeter notes discharge
Their liquid stores. Along the winding vale,
At his command, observant of the shore,
The glitt'ring stream, with correspondent grace,
Its course pursues, and o'er th'exulting wave
The stately bridge a beauteous form displays.
On either side, rich as th'embroider'd floor
From Persia's gaudy looms, and firm as fair,
The chequer'd lawns with count'nance blithe proclaim
The Graces reign. Plains, hills, and woods reply
The Graces reign, and Nature smiles applause.
Smile on, fair source of beauty, source of bliss!
To crown the master's cost, and deck her path
Who shares his joy, of gentlest manners join'd
With manly sense, train'd to the love refin'd
Of Nature's charms in Wroxton's beauteous groves.
The golden harvest nods, let me your view
19
Alike in honour, as in name allied!
Alike her walls a noble master own,
Studious of elegance. At his command,
New pillars grace the dome with Grecian pomp
Of Corinth's gay design. At his command,
On hill, or plain, new culture cloaths the scene
With verdant grass, or variegated grove;
And bubbling rills in sweeter notes discharge
Their liquid stores. Along the winding vale,
At his command, observant of the shore,
The glitt'ring stream, with correspondent grace,
Its course pursues, and o'er th'exulting wave
The stately bridge a beauteous form displays.
On either side, rich as th'embroider'd floor
From Persia's gaudy looms, and firm as fair,
The chequer'd lawns with count'nance blithe proclaim
The Graces reign. Plains, hills, and woods reply
The Graces reign, and Nature smiles applause.
Smile on, fair source of beauty, source of bliss!
20
Who shares his joy, of gentlest manners join'd
With manly sense, train'd to the love refin'd
Of Nature's charms in Wroxton's beauteous groves.
Thy neighb'ring villa's ever open gate,
And festive board, O Walton! next invite
The pleasing toil. Unwilling who can pay
To thee the votive strain? For Science here,
And Candour dwell, prepar'd alike to chear
The stranger-guest, or for the nation's weal
To pour the stores mature of wisdom forth,
In senatorial councils often prov'd,
And, by the public voice attested long,
Long may it be! with well-deserv'd applause.
And see, beneath the shade of full-grown elm,
Or near the border of the winding brook,
Skirting the grassy lawn, her polish'd train
Walks forth to taste the fragrance of the grove,
Woodbine, or rose, or to the upland scene
Of wildly-planted hill, or trickling stream
From the pure rock, or moss-lin'd grottos cool,
The Naiads' humid cell! protract the way
With learned converse, or ingenuous song.
The search pursue to Charlecote's fair domain,
Where Avon's sportive stream delighted strays
Thro' the gay smiling meads, and to his bed,
Hele's gentle current wooes, by Lucy's hand
In ev'ry graceful ornament attir'd,
And worthier, such, to share his liquid realms!
And festive board, O Walton! next invite
The pleasing toil. Unwilling who can pay
To thee the votive strain? For Science here,
And Candour dwell, prepar'd alike to chear
The stranger-guest, or for the nation's weal
To pour the stores mature of wisdom forth,
In senatorial councils often prov'd,
And, by the public voice attested long,
Long may it be! with well-deserv'd applause.
And see, beneath the shade of full-grown elm,
Or near the border of the winding brook,
Skirting the grassy lawn, her polish'd train
Walks forth to taste the fragrance of the grove,
21
Of wildly-planted hill, or trickling stream
From the pure rock, or moss-lin'd grottos cool,
The Naiads' humid cell! protract the way
With learned converse, or ingenuous song.
The search pursue to Charlecote's fair domain,
Where Avon's sportive stream delighted strays
Thro' the gay smiling meads, and to his bed,
Hele's gentle current wooes, by Lucy's hand
In ev'ry graceful ornament attir'd,
And worthier, such, to share his liquid realms!
Near, nor unmindful of th'increasing flood,
Stratford her spacious magazines unfolds,
And hails th'unwieldly barge from western shores,
With foreign dainties fraught, or native ore
Of pitchy hue, to pile the fewell'd grate
In woolly stores, or husky grain repay'd.
To speed her wealth, lo! the proud Bridge extends
His num'rous arches, stately monument
Of old munificence, and pious love
Of native soil! There Stower exulting pays
His tributary stream, well pleas'd with wave
Auxiliary her pond'rous stores to waft;
And boasting, as he flows, of growing fame,
And wond'rous beauties on his banks display'd—
Of Alscot's swelling lawns, and fretted spires
Of fairest model, Gothic, or Chinese—
Of Eatington's , and Tolton's verdant meads,
And groves of various leaf, and Honington ,
Profuse of charms, and Attic elegance;
Nor fails he to relate, in jocund mood,
How liberally the masters of the scene
Enlarge his current, and direct his course
With winding grace—and how his crystal wave
Reflects th'inverted spires, and pillar'd domes—
And how the frisking deer play on his sides,
Pict'ring their branched heads, with wanton sport,
In his clear face. Pleas'd with the vaunting tale,
Nor jealous of his fame, Avon receives
The prattling stream, and, towards thy nobler flood,
Sabrina fair, pursues his length'ning way.
Stratford her spacious magazines unfolds,
And hails th'unwieldly barge from western shores,
With foreign dainties fraught, or native ore
Of pitchy hue, to pile the fewell'd grate
In woolly stores, or husky grain repay'd.
To speed her wealth, lo! the proud Bridge extends
22
Of old munificence, and pious love
Of native soil! There Stower exulting pays
His tributary stream, well pleas'd with wave
Auxiliary her pond'rous stores to waft;
And boasting, as he flows, of growing fame,
And wond'rous beauties on his banks display'd—
Of Alscot's swelling lawns, and fretted spires
Of fairest model, Gothic, or Chinese—
Of Eatington's , and Tolton's verdant meads,
And groves of various leaf, and Honington ,
Profuse of charms, and Attic elegance;
Nor fails he to relate, in jocund mood,
How liberally the masters of the scene
Enlarge his current, and direct his course
With winding grace—and how his crystal wave
23
And how the frisking deer play on his sides,
Pict'ring their branched heads, with wanton sport,
In his clear face. Pleas'd with the vaunting tale,
Nor jealous of his fame, Avon receives
The prattling stream, and, towards thy nobler flood,
Sabrina fair, pursues his length'ning way.
Hail, beauteous Avon, hail! on whose fair banks
The smiling daisies, and their sister tribes,
Violets, and cuckow-buds, and lady-smocks,
A brighter dye disclose, and proudly tell
That Shakespeare, as he stray'd these meads along,
Their simple charms admir'd, and in his verse
Preserv'd, in never-fading bloom to live.
The smiling daisies, and their sister tribes,
Violets, and cuckow-buds, and lady-smocks,
A brighter dye disclose, and proudly tell
That Shakespeare, as he stray'd these meads along,
Their simple charms admir'd, and in his verse
Preserv'd, in never-fading bloom to live.
And thou, whose birth these walls unrival'd boast,
That mock'st the rules of the proud Stagyrite,
And Learning's tedious toil, hail mighty Bard!
Thou great Magician hail! Thy piercing thought
Unaided saw each movement of the mind,
As skilful artists view the small machine,
The secret springs and nice dependencies,
And to thy mimic scenes, by fancy wrought
To such a wond'rous shape, th'impassion'd breast
In floods of grief, or peals of laughter bow'd,
Obedient to the wonder-working strain,
Like the tun'd string responsive to the touch,
Or to the wizard's charm, the passive storm.
Humour and wit, the tragic pomp, or phrase
Familiar flow'd, spontaneous from thy tongue,
As flowers from Nature's lap.—Thy potent spells
From their bright seats aerial sprites detain'd,
Or from their unseen haunts, and slumb'ring shades
Awak'd the fairy tribes, with jocund step
The circled green, and leafy hall to tread:
While, from his dripping caves, old Avon sent
His willing Naiads to their harmless rout.
That mock'st the rules of the proud Stagyrite,
And Learning's tedious toil, hail mighty Bard!
Thou great Magician hail! Thy piercing thought
Unaided saw each movement of the mind,
As skilful artists view the small machine,
The secret springs and nice dependencies,
24
To such a wond'rous shape, th'impassion'd breast
In floods of grief, or peals of laughter bow'd,
Obedient to the wonder-working strain,
Like the tun'd string responsive to the touch,
Or to the wizard's charm, the passive storm.
Humour and wit, the tragic pomp, or phrase
Familiar flow'd, spontaneous from thy tongue,
As flowers from Nature's lap.—Thy potent spells
From their bright seats aerial sprites detain'd,
Or from their unseen haunts, and slumb'ring shades
Awak'd the fairy tribes, with jocund step
The circled green, and leafy hall to tread:
While, from his dripping caves, old Avon sent
His willing Naiads to their harmless rout.
Alas! how languid is the labour'd song,
The slow result of rules, and tortur'd sense,
Compar'd with thine! thy animated thought,
And glowing phrase! which art in vain essays,
And schools can never teach. Yet, though deny'd
Thy pow'rs, by situation more allied,
I court the genius of thy sportive Muse
On Avon's bank, her sacred haunts explore,
And hear in ev'ry breeze her charming notes.
The slow result of rules, and tortur'd sense,
Compar'd with thine! thy animated thought,
And glowing phrase! which art in vain essays,
And schools can never teach. Yet, though deny'd
Thy pow'rs, by situation more allied,
25
On Avon's bank, her sacred haunts explore,
And hear in ev'ry breeze her charming notes.
Beyond these flow'ry meads, with classic streams
Enrich'd, two sister rills their currents join,
And Ikenild displays his Roman pride.
There Alcester her ancient honour boasts.
But fairer fame, and far more happy lot
She boasts, O Ragley ! in thy courtly train
Of Hertford's splendid line! Lo! from these shades,
Ev'n now his sov'reign, studious of her weal,
Calls him to bear his delegated rule
To Britain's sister isle. Hibernia's sons
Applaud the choice, and hail him to their shore
With cordial gratulation. Him, well-pleas'd
With more than filial rev'rence to obey,
Beauchamp attends. What son, but wou'd rejoice
The deeds of such a father to record!
What father, but were blest in such a son!
Nor may the Muse omit with Conway's name
To grace her song. O! might it worthy flow
Of those her theme involves! The cyder-land,
In Georgic strains, by her own Philips sung,
Shou'd boast no brighter fame, though proudly grac'd
With loftiest-titled names—The Cecil line,
Or Beaufort's, or, O Chandois! thine, or his
In Anna's councils high, her fav'rite peer,
Harley! by me still honour'd in his race.
Enrich'd, two sister rills their currents join,
And Ikenild displays his Roman pride.
There Alcester her ancient honour boasts.
But fairer fame, and far more happy lot
She boasts, O Ragley ! in thy courtly train
Of Hertford's splendid line! Lo! from these shades,
Ev'n now his sov'reign, studious of her weal,
Calls him to bear his delegated rule
To Britain's sister isle. Hibernia's sons
Applaud the choice, and hail him to their shore
With cordial gratulation. Him, well-pleas'd
With more than filial rev'rence to obey,
Beauchamp attends. What son, but wou'd rejoice
26
What father, but were blest in such a son!
Nor may the Muse omit with Conway's name
To grace her song. O! might it worthy flow
Of those her theme involves! The cyder-land,
In Georgic strains, by her own Philips sung,
Shou'd boast no brighter fame, though proudly grac'd
With loftiest-titled names—The Cecil line,
Or Beaufort's, or, O Chandois! thine, or his
In Anna's councils high, her fav'rite peer,
Harley! by me still honour'd in his race.
See, how the pillar'd isles and stately dome
Brighten the woodland-shade! while scatter'd hills,
Airy, and light, in many a conic form,
A theatre compose, grotesque and wild,
And, with their shaggy sides, contract the vale
Winding, in straiten'd circuit, round their base.
Beneath their waving umbrage Flora spreads
Her spotted couch, primrose, and hyacinth
Profuse, with ev'ry simpler bud that blows
On hill or dale. Such too thy flow'ry pride
O Hewel ! by thy master's lib'ral hand
Advanc'd to rural fame! Such Umberslade !
In the sweet labour join'd, with culture fair,
And splendid arts, from Arden's woodland shades
The pois'nous damps, and savage gloom to chase.
Brighten the woodland-shade! while scatter'd hills,
Airy, and light, in many a conic form,
A theatre compose, grotesque and wild,
And, with their shaggy sides, contract the vale
Winding, in straiten'd circuit, round their base.
Beneath their waving umbrage Flora spreads
Her spotted couch, primrose, and hyacinth
27
On hill or dale. Such too thy flow'ry pride
O Hewel ! by thy master's lib'ral hand
Advanc'd to rural fame! Such Umberslade !
In the sweet labour join'd, with culture fair,
And splendid arts, from Arden's woodland shades
The pois'nous damps, and savage gloom to chase.
What happy lot attends your calm retreats,
By no scant bound'ry, nor obstructing fence,
Immur'd, or circumscrib'd; but spread at large
In open day: save what to cool recess
Is destin'd voluntary, not constrain'd
By sad necessity, and casual state
Of sickly peace! Such as the moated hall,
With close circumference of watry guard,
And pensile bridge proclaim! or, rear'd aloft,
And inaccessible the massy tow'rs,
And narrow circuit of embattled walls,
Rais'd on the mountain-precipice! Such thine
O Beaudesert ! old Montfort's lofty seat!
Haunt of my youthful steps! where I was wont
To range, chaunting my rude notes to the wind,
While Somerville disdain'd not to regard
With candid ear, and regulate the strain.
By no scant bound'ry, nor obstructing fence,
Immur'd, or circumscrib'd; but spread at large
In open day: save what to cool recess
Is destin'd voluntary, not constrain'd
By sad necessity, and casual state
Of sickly peace! Such as the moated hall,
With close circumference of watry guard,
And pensile bridge proclaim! or, rear'd aloft,
And inaccessible the massy tow'rs,
And narrow circuit of embattled walls,
28
O Beaudesert ! old Montfort's lofty seat!
Haunt of my youthful steps! where I was wont
To range, chaunting my rude notes to the wind,
While Somerville disdain'd not to regard
With candid ear, and regulate the strain.
Such was the genius of the Gothic age,
And Norman policy! Such the retreats
Of Britain's ancient Nobles! less intent
On rural beauty, and sweet patronage
Of gentle arts, than studious to restrain,
With servile awe, Barbarian multitudes;
Or, with confed'rate force, the regal pow'r
Controul. Hence proudly they their vassal troops
Assembling, now the fate of empire plann'd:
Now o'er defenceless tribes, with wanton rage,
Tyrannic rul'd; and, in their castled halls
Secure, with wild excess their revels kept,
While many a sturdy youth, or beauteous maid,
Sole solace of their parents' drooping age!
Bewail'd their wretched fate, by force compell'd
To these abhorr'd abodes! Hence frequent wars,
In ancient annals fam'd! Hence haply feign'd
Th'enchanted castle, and its cursed train
Of giants, spectres, and magicians dire!
Hence gen'rous minds, with indignation fir'd,
And threat'ning fierce revenge, were character'd
By gallant knights on bold atchievements bent,
Subduing monsters, and dissolving spells.
And Norman policy! Such the retreats
Of Britain's ancient Nobles! less intent
On rural beauty, and sweet patronage
Of gentle arts, than studious to restrain,
With servile awe, Barbarian multitudes;
Or, with confed'rate force, the regal pow'r
Controul. Hence proudly they their vassal troops
Assembling, now the fate of empire plann'd:
Now o'er defenceless tribes, with wanton rage,
Tyrannic rul'd; and, in their castled halls
Secure, with wild excess their revels kept,
While many a sturdy youth, or beauteous maid,
Sole solace of their parents' drooping age!
29
To these abhorr'd abodes! Hence frequent wars,
In ancient annals fam'd! Hence haply feign'd
Th'enchanted castle, and its cursed train
Of giants, spectres, and magicians dire!
Hence gen'rous minds, with indignation fir'd,
And threat'ning fierce revenge, were character'd
By gallant knights on bold atchievements bent,
Subduing monsters, and dissolving spells.
Thus, from the rural landscape, learn to know
The various characters of time and place.
To hail, from open scenes, and cultur'd fields,
Fair Liberty, and Freedom's gen'rous reign,
With guardian laws, and polish'd arts adorn'd.
While the portcullis huge, or moated fence
The sad reverse of savage times betray—
Distrust, barbarity, and Gothic rule.
The various characters of time and place.
To hail, from open scenes, and cultur'd fields,
Fair Liberty, and Freedom's gen'rous reign,
With guardian laws, and polish'd arts adorn'd.
While the portcullis huge, or moated fence
The sad reverse of savage times betray—
Distrust, barbarity, and Gothic rule.
Wou'd ye, with faultless judgment, learn to plan
The rural seat? To copy, as ye rove,
The well-form'd picture, and correct design?
First shun the false extremes of high, and low.
With watry vapours this your fretted walls
Will soon deface; and that, with rough assault,
And frequent tempests shake your tott'ring roof.
Me most the gentle eminence delights
Of healthy champaign, to the sunny south
Fair-op'ning, and with woods, and circling hills,
Nor too remote, nor, with too close embrace,
Stopping the buxom air, behind enclos'd.
But if your lot hath fall'n in fields less fair,
Consult their genius, and, with due regard
To Nature's clear directions, shape your plan.
The site too lofty shelter, and the low
With sunny lawns, and open areas chear.
The marish drain, and, with capacious urns,
And well-conducted streams refresh the dry.
So shall your lawns with healthful verdure smile,
While others, sick'ning at the sultry blaze,
A russet wild display, or the rank blade,
And matted tufts the careless owner shame.
Seek not, with fruitless cost, the level plain
To raise aloft, nor sink the rising hill.
Each has its charms tho' diff'rent, each in kind
Improve, not alter. Art with art conceal.
Let no strait terrac'd lines your slopes deform.
No barb'rous walls restrain the bounded sight.
But to the distant fields the closer scene
Connect. The spacious lawn with scatter'd trees
Irregular, in beauteous negligence,
Clothe bountiful. Your unimprison'd eye,
With pleasing freedom, thro' the lofty maze
Shall rove, and find no dull satiety.
The sportive stream with stiffen'd line avoid
To torture, nor prefer the long canal,
Or labour'd fount to Nature's easy flow.
Your winding paths, now to the sunny gleam
Directed, now with high embow'ring trees,
Or fragrant shrubs conceal'd, with frequent seat,
And rural structure deck. Their pleasing form
To fancy's eye suggests inhabitants
Of more than mortal make, and their cool shade,
And friendly shelter to refreshment sweet,
And wholesome meditation shall invite.
The rural seat? To copy, as ye rove,
The well-form'd picture, and correct design?
First shun the false extremes of high, and low.
30
Will soon deface; and that, with rough assault,
And frequent tempests shake your tott'ring roof.
Me most the gentle eminence delights
Of healthy champaign, to the sunny south
Fair-op'ning, and with woods, and circling hills,
Nor too remote, nor, with too close embrace,
Stopping the buxom air, behind enclos'd.
But if your lot hath fall'n in fields less fair,
Consult their genius, and, with due regard
To Nature's clear directions, shape your plan.
The site too lofty shelter, and the low
With sunny lawns, and open areas chear.
The marish drain, and, with capacious urns,
And well-conducted streams refresh the dry.
So shall your lawns with healthful verdure smile,
While others, sick'ning at the sultry blaze,
A russet wild display, or the rank blade,
And matted tufts the careless owner shame.
Seek not, with fruitless cost, the level plain
To raise aloft, nor sink the rising hill.
Each has its charms tho' diff'rent, each in kind
31
Let no strait terrac'd lines your slopes deform.
No barb'rous walls restrain the bounded sight.
But to the distant fields the closer scene
Connect. The spacious lawn with scatter'd trees
Irregular, in beauteous negligence,
Clothe bountiful. Your unimprison'd eye,
With pleasing freedom, thro' the lofty maze
Shall rove, and find no dull satiety.
The sportive stream with stiffen'd line avoid
To torture, nor prefer the long canal,
Or labour'd fount to Nature's easy flow.
Your winding paths, now to the sunny gleam
Directed, now with high embow'ring trees,
Or fragrant shrubs conceal'd, with frequent seat,
And rural structure deck. Their pleasing form
To fancy's eye suggests inhabitants
Of more than mortal make, and their cool shade,
And friendly shelter to refreshment sweet,
And wholesome meditation shall invite.
32
To ev'ry structure give its proper site.
Nor, on the dreary heath, the gay alcove,
Nor the lone hermit's cell, or mournful urn
Build on the sprightly lawn. The grassy slope
And shelter'd border for the cool arcade
Or Tuscan porch reserve. To the chaste dome,
And fair rotunda give the swelling mount
Of freshest green. If to the Gothic scene
Your taste incline, in the well-water'd vale,
With lofty pines embrown'd, the mimic fane,
And mould'ring abbey's fretted windows place.
The craggy rock, or precipitious hill,
Shall well become the castle's massy walls.
In royal villas the Palladian arch,
And Grecian portico, with dignity,
Their pride display: ill suits their lofty rank
The simpler scene. If chance historic deeds
Your fields distinguish, count them doubly fair,
And studious aid, with monumental stone,
And faithful comment, fancy's fond review.
Nor, on the dreary heath, the gay alcove,
Nor the lone hermit's cell, or mournful urn
Build on the sprightly lawn. The grassy slope
And shelter'd border for the cool arcade
Or Tuscan porch reserve. To the chaste dome,
And fair rotunda give the swelling mount
Of freshest green. If to the Gothic scene
Your taste incline, in the well-water'd vale,
With lofty pines embrown'd, the mimic fane,
And mould'ring abbey's fretted windows place.
The craggy rock, or precipitious hill,
Shall well become the castle's massy walls.
In royal villas the Palladian arch,
And Grecian portico, with dignity,
Their pride display: ill suits their lofty rank
The simpler scene. If chance historic deeds
Your fields distinguish, count them doubly fair,
And studious aid, with monumental stone,
And faithful comment, fancy's fond review.
Now other hills, with other wonders stor'd,
Invite the search. In vain! unless the Muse
The landscape order. Nor will she decline
The pleasing task. For not to her 'tis hard
To soar above the mountain's airy height,
With tow'ring pinions, or, with gentler wing,
T'explore the cool recesses of the vale.
Her piercing eye extends beyond the reach
Of optic tube, levell'd by midnight sage,
At the moon's disk, or other distant sun,
And planetary worlds beyond the orb
Of Saturn. Nor can intervening rocks
Impede her search. Alike the sylvan gloom,
Or earth's profoundest caverns she pervades,
And, to her fav'rite sons, makes visible
All that may grace, or dignify the song,
Howe'er envelop'd from their mortal ken.
Invite the search. In vain! unless the Muse
33
The pleasing task. For not to her 'tis hard
To soar above the mountain's airy height,
With tow'ring pinions, or, with gentler wing,
T'explore the cool recesses of the vale.
Her piercing eye extends beyond the reach
Of optic tube, levell'd by midnight sage,
At the moon's disk, or other distant sun,
And planetary worlds beyond the orb
Of Saturn. Nor can intervening rocks
Impede her search. Alike the sylvan gloom,
Or earth's profoundest caverns she pervades,
And, to her fav'rite sons, makes visible
All that may grace, or dignify the song,
Howe'er envelop'd from their mortal ken.
So Uriel, winged regent of the sun!
Upon its evening-beam to Paradise
Came gliding down; so, on its sloping ray,
To his bright charge return'd. So th'heav'nly guest,
From Adam's eyes the carnal film remov'd,
On Eden's hill, and purg'd his visual nerve
To see things yet unform'd, and future deeds.
Upon its evening-beam to Paradise
Came gliding down; so, on its sloping ray,
To his bright charge return'd. So th'heav'nly guest,
From Adam's eyes the carnal film remov'd,
On Eden's hill, and purg'd his visual nerve
To see things yet unform'd, and future deeds.
34
Lo! where the southern hill, with winding course,
Bends tow'rd the west, and, from his airy seat,
Views four fair provinces in union join'd;
Beneath his feet, conspicuous rais'd, and rude,
A massy pillar rears its shapeless head.
Others in stature less, an area smooth
Inclose, like that on Sarum's ancient plain.
And some of middle rank apart are seen:
Distinguish'd those! by courtly character
Of knights, while that the regal title bears.
What now the circle drear, and stiffen'd mass
Compose, like us, were animated forms,
With vital warmth, and sense, and thought endued;
A band of warriors brave! Effect accurs'd
Of necromantic art, and spells impure.
Bends tow'rd the west, and, from his airy seat,
Views four fair provinces in union join'd;
Beneath his feet, conspicuous rais'd, and rude,
A massy pillar rears its shapeless head.
Others in stature less, an area smooth
Inclose, like that on Sarum's ancient plain.
And some of middle rank apart are seen:
Distinguish'd those! by courtly character
Of knights, while that the regal title bears.
What now the circle drear, and stiffen'd mass
Compose, like us, were animated forms,
With vital warmth, and sense, and thought endued;
A band of warriors brave! Effect accurs'd
Of necromantic art, and spells impure.
So vulgar fame. But clerks, in antique lore
Profoundly skill'd, far other story tell:
And, in its mystic form, temple, or court
Espy, to fabled gods, or throned kings
Devote; or fabric monumental, rais'd
By Saxon hands, or by that Danish chief
Rollo ! the builder in the name imply'd.
Profoundly skill'd, far other story tell:
And, in its mystic form, temple, or court
Espy, to fabled gods, or throned kings
35
By Saxon hands, or by that Danish chief
Rollo ! the builder in the name imply'd.
Yet to the west the pleasing search pursue,
Where from the vale, Brails lifts his scarry sides,
And Illmington, and Campden's hoary hills,
(By Lyttelton's sweet plaint, and thy abode
His matchless Lucia! to the Muse endear'd)
Impress new grandeur on the spreading scene,
With champaign fields, broad plain, and covert vale
Diversified: By Ceres some adorn'd
With rich luxuriance of golden grain,
And some in Flora's liv'ry gaily dight,
And some with sylvan honours graceful crown'd.
Witness the forest-glades, with stately pride,
Surrounding Sheldon's venerable dome!
Witness the sloping lawns of Idlicot !
And Honington's irriguous meads! Some wind
Meand'ring round the hills disjoin'd, remote,
Giving full license to their sportive range;
While distant, but distinct, his Alpine ridge
Malvern erects o'er Esham's vale sublime,
And boldly terminates the finish'd scene.
Where from the vale, Brails lifts his scarry sides,
And Illmington, and Campden's hoary hills,
(By Lyttelton's sweet plaint, and thy abode
His matchless Lucia! to the Muse endear'd)
Impress new grandeur on the spreading scene,
With champaign fields, broad plain, and covert vale
Diversified: By Ceres some adorn'd
With rich luxuriance of golden grain,
And some in Flora's liv'ry gaily dight,
And some with sylvan honours graceful crown'd.
Witness the forest-glades, with stately pride,
Surrounding Sheldon's venerable dome!
Witness the sloping lawns of Idlicot !
36
Meand'ring round the hills disjoin'd, remote,
Giving full license to their sportive range;
While distant, but distinct, his Alpine ridge
Malvern erects o'er Esham's vale sublime,
And boldly terminates the finish'd scene.
Still are the praises of the Red-Horse Vale
Unsung; as oft it happens to the mind
Intent on distant themes, while what's more near,
And nearer, more important, 'scapes its note.
Unsung; as oft it happens to the mind
Intent on distant themes, while what's more near,
And nearer, more important, 'scapes its note.
From yonder far-known hill, where the thin turf
But ill conceals the ruddy glebe, a form
On the bare soil portray'd, like that fam'd steed,
Which, in its womb, the fate of Troy conceal'd,
O'erlooks the vale.—Ye swains, that wish to learn,
Whence rose the strange phænomenon, attend!
But ill conceals the ruddy glebe, a form
On the bare soil portray'd, like that fam'd steed,
Which, in its womb, the fate of Troy conceal'd,
O'erlooks the vale.—Ye swains, that wish to learn,
Whence rose the strange phænomenon, attend!
Britannia's sons, tho' now for arts renown'd,
A race of ancestors untaught, and rude,
Acknowledge; like those naked Indian tribes,
Which first Columbus in the Atlantic isles
With wonder saw. Alike their early fate,
To yield to conquering arms! Imperial Rome
Was then to them what Britain is to these,
And thro' the subject-land her trophies rear'd.
A race of ancestors untaught, and rude,
Acknowledge; like those naked Indian tribes,
Which first Columbus in the Atlantic isles
With wonder saw. Alike their early fate,
37
Was then to them what Britain is to these,
And thro' the subject-land her trophies rear'd.
But haughty Rome, her ancient manners flown,
Stoop'd to Barbaric rage. O'er her proud walls
The Goths prevail, which erst the Punic bands
Assail'd in vain, tho' Cannæ's bloody field
Their valour own'd, and Hannibal their guide!
Such is the fate, which mightiest empires prove,
Unless the virtues of the son preserve
What his forefather's ruder courage won!
Stoop'd to Barbaric rage. O'er her proud walls
The Goths prevail, which erst the Punic bands
Assail'd in vain, tho' Cannæ's bloody field
Their valour own'd, and Hannibal their guide!
Such is the fate, which mightiest empires prove,
Unless the virtues of the son preserve
What his forefather's ruder courage won!
No Cato now, the list'ning senate warm'd
To love of virtuous deeds, and public weal.
No Scipios led her hardy sons to war,
With sense of glory fir'd. Thro' all her realms
Or hostile arms invade, or factions shake
Her tott'ring state. From her proud capitol
Her tutelary gods retire, and Rome,
Imperial Rome, once mistress of the world,
A victim falls, so righteous Heav'n ordains,
To Pride and Luxury's all-conqu'ring charms.
To love of virtuous deeds, and public weal.
No Scipios led her hardy sons to war,
With sense of glory fir'd. Thro' all her realms
Or hostile arms invade, or factions shake
Her tott'ring state. From her proud capitol
38
Imperial Rome, once mistress of the world,
A victim falls, so righteous Heav'n ordains,
To Pride and Luxury's all-conqu'ring charms.
Mean time her ancient foes, ere while restrain'd
By Roman arms, from Caledonia's hills
Rush like a torrent, with resistless force,
O'er Britain's fenceless bounds, and thro' her fields
Pour the full tide of desolating war.
Ætius, thrice Consul! now an empty name,
In vain her sons invoke. In vain they seek
Relief in servitude. Ev'n servitude
Its miserable comforts now denies,
From shore to shore they fly. The briny flood,
A guardian once, their further flight restrains.
Some court the boist'rous deep, a milder foe,
Some gain the distant shores, and fondly hope
In each to find a more indulgent home.
The rest, protracting still a wretched life,
From Belgia's coast in wild despair invite
Its new inhabitants, a Saxon race!
On enterprize, and martial conquest bent.
With joy the Saxons to their aid repair,
And soon revenge them on their northern foes.
Revenge too dearly bought! These courted guests
Give them short space for joy. A hostile look
On their fair fields they cast, (for feeble hands
Alas! too fair,) and seize them for their own.
By Roman arms, from Caledonia's hills
Rush like a torrent, with resistless force,
O'er Britain's fenceless bounds, and thro' her fields
Pour the full tide of desolating war.
Ætius, thrice Consul! now an empty name,
In vain her sons invoke. In vain they seek
Relief in servitude. Ev'n servitude
Its miserable comforts now denies,
From shore to shore they fly. The briny flood,
A guardian once, their further flight restrains.
Some court the boist'rous deep, a milder foe,
Some gain the distant shores, and fondly hope
In each to find a more indulgent home.
The rest, protracting still a wretched life,
From Belgia's coast in wild despair invite
Its new inhabitants, a Saxon race!
On enterprize, and martial conquest bent.
39
And soon revenge them on their northern foes.
Revenge too dearly bought! These courted guests
Give them short space for joy. A hostile look
On their fair fields they cast, (for feeble hands
Alas! too fair,) and seize them for their own.
And now again the conquer'd isle assumes
Another form; on ev'ry plain, and hill
New marks exhibiting of servile state,
The massy stone with figures quaint inscrib'd—
Or dyke by Woden, or the Mercian King ,
Vast bound'ry made—or thine, O Ashbury !
And Tysoe's wond'rous theme, the martial Horse,
Carv'd on the yielding turf, armorial sign
Of Hengist, Saxon Chief! of Brunswick now,
And with the British lion join'd, the bird
Of Rome surpassing. Studious to preserve
The fav'rite form, the treach'rous conquerors
Their vassal tribes compel, with festive rites,
Its fading figure yearly to renew,
And to the neighb'ring vale impart its name.
Another form; on ev'ry plain, and hill
New marks exhibiting of servile state,
The massy stone with figures quaint inscrib'd—
Or dyke by Woden, or the Mercian King ,
Vast bound'ry made—or thine, O Ashbury !
And Tysoe's wond'rous theme, the martial Horse,
40
Of Hengist, Saxon Chief! of Brunswick now,
And with the British lion join'd, the bird
Of Rome surpassing. Studious to preserve
The fav'rite form, the treach'rous conquerors
Their vassal tribes compel, with festive rites,
Its fading figure yearly to renew,
And to the neighb'ring vale impart its name.
Called in scripture, the deep, the great deep, the deep that lieth under, or beneath the earth—the Tartarus or Erebus of the Heathens.
------So the watry throng
With serpent error wand'ring found their way,
And on the washy ooze deep channels wore.
Easy! ere God had bid the ground be dry,
All but within those banks, where rivers now
Stream, and perpetual draw their humid train.
With serpent error wand'ring found their way,
And on the washy ooze deep channels wore.
Easy! ere God had bid the ground be dry,
All but within those banks, where rivers now
Stream, and perpetual draw their humid train.
Milton. Paradise Lost, Book vii.
There are some remarkable traces of the great event here treated of, in each of these kinds, at Welcombe, near Stratford upon Avon, formerly a seat of the Combe family, the whole scene bearing the strongest marks of some violent conflict of Nature, and particularly of the agency of water.
There are some remarkable traces of the great event here treated of, in each of these kinds, at Welcombe, near Stratford upon Avon, formerly a seat of the Combe family, the whole scene bearing the strongest marks of some violent conflict of Nature, and particularly of the agency of water.
There are some remarkable traces of the great event here treated of, in each of these kinds, at Welcombe, near Stratford upon Avon, formerly a seat of the Combe family, the whole scene bearing the strongest marks of some violent conflict of Nature, and particularly of the agency of water.
May not the ebbing and flowing of the sea, to whatever cause it is owing, tend to assist this operation, as the pulsation of the heart accelerates the circulation of the blood in animal bodies?
The reader may see this hypothesis very ably supported by Mr. Catcot, in his Essay on the Deluge, 2d edit. together with many respectable names, ancient and modern, by whom it is patronized. The following passage from Lucretius is quoted by him, as well expressing their general meaning.
Partim quod subter per terras diditur omnes.Percolatur enim virus, retroque remanat
Materies humoris, et ad caput amnibus omnis
Convenit, unde super terras fluit agmine dulci,
Quà via secta semel liquido pede detulit undas.
Trees of a very large size, torn up by the roots, and other vegetable and animal bodies, the spoils of the deluge, are found in every part of the earth, but chiefly in fens, or bogs, or amongst peat-earth, which is an assemblage of decayed vegetables. See Woodward's Nat. Hist. of the Earth, &c.
Walton, the seat of Sir Charles Mordaunt, Bart. many years a Member of Parliament for the county of Warwick.
This Bridge was built in the reign of K. Henry VII. at the sole cost and charge of Sir Hugh Clopton, Knt. Lord Mayor of the City of London, and a native of this place.
So called from its situation on the river Alenus, or Alne, and from its being a Roman station on the Ikenild-Street.
The Right Hon. Henry Seymour Conway, Esq; one of his Majesty's principal Secretaries of State, and brother to the Right Hon. the Earl of Hertford.
Non his juventus orta parentibus
Infecit æquor sanguine Punico,
Pyrrhumque, et ingentem cecidit
Antilochum, Hannibalemque dirum.
Infecit æquor sanguine Punico,
Pyrrhumque, et ingentem cecidit
Antilochum, Hannibalemque dirum.
Horat.
Offa, from whom the boundary between the kingdom of the Mercians, and the Britons in Wales, took its name.
Ashbury, in Berkshire, near which is the figure of a horse cut on the side of a hill, in whitish earth, which gives name to the neighbouring valley.
END OF THE FIRST BOOK.
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