 | A Collection of Poems |  |
1
SPRING.
Pastoral I.
To Mr. Grunwin.
No Windsor-Forest or the Banks of Thame
Inspire my Muse, or lift her Voice to Fame;
On Hills remote, the northern Shepherd sings,
Not less Variety, nor fewer Springs;
As many Suns diversify our Year,
Nor want we Shade or Summer Zephyr here.
Inspire my Muse, or lift her Voice to Fame;
On Hills remote, the northern Shepherd sings,
Not less Variety, nor fewer Springs;
As many Suns diversify our Year,
Nor want we Shade or Summer Zephyr here.
2
Thou, whom kind Nature has with Genius blest;
Distinguish'd both for Judgment and for Taste!
Not prone to blame, nor falsely to commend,
At once a gen'rous Critic, and a Friend;
Accept the lowly Numbers I rehearse,
To thee, the Muse presents this early Verse.
Distinguish'd both for Judgment and for Taste!
Not prone to blame, nor falsely to commend,
At once a gen'rous Critic, and a Friend;
Accept the lowly Numbers I rehearse,
To thee, the Muse presents this early Verse.
'Twas when the Dawn had cast it's lucid Grey
O'er all the East, and promis'd shining Day,
That blithsome Damon, rouz'd from peaceful Dreams
Of mossy Fountains, and of silvan Scenes,
O'er lofty Hills with various turnings stray'd,
Or on his past'ral Staff supinely weigh'd:
Now o'er his fleecy Charge he casts his View,
And marks their blended Traces in the Dew;
To freshest Pastures he directs their Way,
And counts, lest any Wanderer should stray.
And now he travels with his Eye below,
Where Shades lie thick, and winding Rivers flow,
Or Plains projected, shew their youthful green,
With intermingling Beds of Flowers between.
Charm'd with the Beauties of the blooming Spring,
Thus the rapt Shepherd taught his Muse to sing.
O'er all the East, and promis'd shining Day,
That blithsome Damon, rouz'd from peaceful Dreams
Of mossy Fountains, and of silvan Scenes,
O'er lofty Hills with various turnings stray'd,
Or on his past'ral Staff supinely weigh'd:
Now o'er his fleecy Charge he casts his View,
And marks their blended Traces in the Dew;
To freshest Pastures he directs their Way,
And counts, lest any Wanderer should stray.
And now he travels with his Eye below,
Where Shades lie thick, and winding Rivers flow,
Or Plains projected, shew their youthful green,
With intermingling Beds of Flowers between.
Charm'd with the Beauties of the blooming Spring,
Thus the rapt Shepherd taught his Muse to sing.
3
O, charming Season! hail, propitious Year!
Kind to the Swain, and prosp'rous to his Care.
No parching Drought diminishes the Stream,
Or Rains excessive, o'er the Meadows swim;
Nor angry Tempests gather in the Skies,
Nor Winds above the Strength of Zephyrs rise;
But genial Gleams, by turns with fruitful Showers,
Call on the Greens to rise, and spread the Flowers;
And while we joyful, view the teeming Soil,
We thank kind Heav'n, for Heav'n is pleas'd to smile.
Kind to the Swain, and prosp'rous to his Care.
No parching Drought diminishes the Stream,
Or Rains excessive, o'er the Meadows swim;
Nor angry Tempests gather in the Skies,
Nor Winds above the Strength of Zephyrs rise;
But genial Gleams, by turns with fruitful Showers,
Call on the Greens to rise, and spread the Flowers;
And while we joyful, view the teeming Soil,
We thank kind Heav'n, for Heav'n is pleas'd to smile.
With Pleasure, we the rural Toil renew,
And gen'rous Nature bribes us to pursue;
For no Inclemencies retard our Pains,
But infant Plenty laughs along the Plains:
We view the early Bud and rising Bloom,
And joyful, deem the fruitful Crop to come.
While with a ravish'd Heart and thankful Mind,
We say, 'tis Heav'n that works, and Heav'n is kind.
And gen'rous Nature bribes us to pursue;
For no Inclemencies retard our Pains,
But infant Plenty laughs along the Plains:
We view the early Bud and rising Bloom,
And joyful, deem the fruitful Crop to come.
While with a ravish'd Heart and thankful Mind,
We say, 'tis Heav'n that works, and Heav'n is kind.
See, while the rising Sun displays the Morn,
What gay Varieties the Meads adorn;
What charming Colours spangle in my View,
Glow with the Day, and glitter in the Dew;
In sweet Diversities the Hills arise,
And o'er the Plains a bright enamel lies,
All loosely thrown, confus'dly regular;
Heav'n owns the Works, the Works a Heav'n declare.
What gay Varieties the Meads adorn;
What charming Colours spangle in my View,
Glow with the Day, and glitter in the Dew;
4
And o'er the Plains a bright enamel lies,
All loosely thrown, confus'dly regular;
Heav'n owns the Works, the Works a Heav'n declare.
Here Banks, which Winter naked left, and bare,
Now bloom in Flowers, and Verdures rise up there,
Delightful Buds are by the Bramble born,
And blushing Roses open on the Thorn;
The joyful Husbandman his Orchard sees,
Where Sheets of Blossoms flourish o'er his Trees;
Fine Promises of golden Fruit to come,
And Heav'n indulgent nourishes the Bloom.
Now bloom in Flowers, and Verdures rise up there,
Delightful Buds are by the Bramble born,
And blushing Roses open on the Thorn;
The joyful Husbandman his Orchard sees,
Where Sheets of Blossoms flourish o'er his Trees;
Fine Promises of golden Fruit to come,
And Heav'n indulgent nourishes the Bloom.
See, there the purling Streamlet gently flows
A-down the Hills, still swelling as it goes;
Now streight, now turn'd, then winding on again,
Visits each Field, and murmurs thro' the Plain;
While, all along, in blended Scenes, the Flowers,
Grace the long Bank, and dally with the Course:
Nature all joy'd, laughs upwards on the Skies,
And Heav'n too pleas'd, returns us Paradise.
A-down the Hills, still swelling as it goes;
Now streight, now turn'd, then winding on again,
Visits each Field, and murmurs thro' the Plain;
While, all along, in blended Scenes, the Flowers,
Grace the long Bank, and dally with the Course:
Nature all joy'd, laughs upwards on the Skies,
And Heav'n too pleas'd, returns us Paradise.
Hark, how the Woods and Hedges seem to vie,
Which sends the sweetest warbles to the Skie:
With the loud Throstle, there the Copsie rings,
The Black-Bird whistles, and the Linnet sings;
Here the gay Goldfinch chants a pleasing Strain,
And there the lofty Lark forsakes the Plain.
While Rocks reply, and Hills repeat the Voice,
And Heav'n which gave, receives the grateful Noise.
Which sends the sweetest warbles to the Skie:
5
The Black-Bird whistles, and the Linnet sings;
Here the gay Goldfinch chants a pleasing Strain,
And there the lofty Lark forsakes the Plain.
While Rocks reply, and Hills repeat the Voice,
And Heav'n which gave, receives the grateful Noise.
Hail beauteous Spring! thou ever joyful Scene!
Varied in Flowers, and open'd out in green;
When in these Charms thou risest to our Sight,
Our Souls are struck with Wonder and Delight;
On bleaky Winter we reflect no more,
But view with Rapture, what we wish'd before.
To speak Heav'n's Power, all Nature's Works conspire,
And grateful Praises fill the gen'ral Choir.
Varied in Flowers, and open'd out in green;
When in these Charms thou risest to our Sight,
Our Souls are struck with Wonder and Delight;
On bleaky Winter we reflect no more,
But view with Rapture, what we wish'd before.
To speak Heav'n's Power, all Nature's Works conspire,
And grateful Praises fill the gen'ral Choir.
Ye blooming Groves, where Zephyrs softly breathe,
Ye Beds of Primroses which shine beneath,
Ye Banks of Vi'lets, Cowslips on the Plain,
Roses in Hedges, King-cups on the green,
Birds in the Woods, and Larks upon the Skies,
Say, is't not Spring that makes you all rejoyce?
Does not the Season all those Pleasures bring?
And Heav'n, indulgent Heaven! send you Spring?
Ye Beds of Primroses which shine beneath,
Ye Banks of Vi'lets, Cowslips on the Plain,
Roses in Hedges, King-cups on the green,
Birds in the Woods, and Larks upon the Skies,
Say, is't not Spring that makes you all rejoyce?
Does not the Season all those Pleasures bring?
And Heav'n, indulgent Heaven! send you Spring?
6
Screen'd in these Shades, O ever let me stay!
And sweetly sooth a lonely Life away;
Still pleas'd to live, nor fearful of my End,
The Muses my Companions, Heav'n my Friend.
And sweetly sooth a lonely Life away;
Still pleas'd to live, nor fearful of my End,
The Muses my Companions, Heav'n my Friend.
| A Collection of Poems | |