To funny mountains, or the watery mead :
Train'd in the labours of the sylvan crew,
Perhaps the wanders in the lonely woods,
Or on the fedgy borders of the foods;
Their fports, retreats, their cares and loves I Thou know'ft each cottage, foreft, hill, and vale, knew.
-With ftorms of paffion toft, When firft he learnt his vagrant child was loft, On the cold floor his trembling limbs he flung, And with thick blows his hollow bolom rung; Then up he started, and with fixt furprize, Upon her picture threw his frantick eyes, While thus he cry'd: "In her my life was bound, "Warm in each feature is her mother found! "Perhaps defpair has been her fatal guide, "And now the floats upon the weeping tide; "Or on the willow hung, with head reclin'd,
All pale and cold the wavers in the wind. Did I not force her hence by rafh commands? "Did not her foul abhor the nuptial bands?"
And pebbled brook that winds along the dale.
Search each fequefter'd dell to find the fair;
And just reward fhall gratify thy care.
Oye kind boughs, protect the virgin's fight,
And guard Dione from his prying fight! [4file.
Mean while, I'll feek the fhepherd's cool abodes'
Point me,
fair nymph, along thefe doubtful roads
Seeft thou yon' mountain rear his fhaggy brow?
In the green valley graze the flocks below:
There every gale with warbling mufic floats,
Shade anfwers fhade, and breathes alternate
notes.
[Exit Cleanthes.
He's gone; and to the diftant vale is fent,
Nor fhall his force Diane's love prevent,
But fee, fhe comes again with hafty pace,
And confcious pleasure dimples on her face.
I found her laid befide the cryftal brook,
Till near her fide I ftood; her head the rears,
Nor rais'd fhe from the ftream her fettled look,
Starts fudden, and her fhrieks confefs her fears.
And kindle sparkling anger in her eyes?
Did not thy words her thoughtful soul surprize,
Thus the reply'd, with rage and scorn poffeft.
"Will importuning love ne'er give me reft?
"Why am I thus in deferts wild purfu'd,
"Like guilty confciences when ftain'd with
blood?
"Sure boding ravens, from the blafted oak,
"Shall learn the name of Lycidas to croak,
"To found it in my ears! As fwains pafs by,
"With looks afkance, they shake their heads and
"Lo! this is the for whom the fhepherd dy'd!
"Soon Lycidas, a victim to her pride,
Dione lying on the ground by the fide of a Fountain.
TERE let me reft; and in the liquid glafs
View with impartial look my fading face. Why are Parthenia's ftriking beauties priz'd? And why Dione's weaker glance defpis'd? Nature in various moulds has beauty caft, And form'd the feature for each different taste : This fighs for golden locks and azure eyes; That, for the glofs of fable treffes, dies. q yet Let all mankind thefe locks, thete eyes deteft, So I were lovely in Evander's breaft!
When o'er the garden's knot we caft our view, While fummer paints the ground with various hue;
Some praife the gaudy tulip's ftreaky red,
And fome the filver lily's bending head;
Some the jonquil in fhining yellow dreft,
And fome the fring'd carnation's varied veft;
Some love the fober violet's purple dyes,
Thus beauty fares in different lovers' eyes.
But bright Parthenia like the rofe appears,
She in all eyes fuperior luftre bears.
Why thus beneath the filver willow laid,
Weeps fair Dione in the penfive fhade?
Haft thou yet found the over-arching bower,
Which guards Parthenia from the fultry hour?
With weary ftep in paths unknown I firay'd, And fought in vain the folitary maid.
Seeft thou the waving tops of yonder woods, Whofe aged arms imbrown the cooling floods? The cooling floods o'er breaking pebbles flow, And wash the foil from the big roots below; From the tall rock the dafhing waters bound. Hark, o'er the fields the rufing billows found! There, loft in thought, and leaning on her
Stood the fad nymph, nor rais'd her penfive look; With fettled eye the bubbling waves furvey'd, And watch'd the whirling eddies as they play'd
The skilful hunter with experienc'd c
Traces the doubles of the circling har
The fubtle fox (who breathes the wea
O'er hills and plains) in diftant brakes
With eafe we track fwift hinds and fkij
But who th' inconftant ways of woma
They fay, the wanders with the fylvan
And courts the native freedoms of the
Shepherds explain their with without of
Nor blufh the nymphs;-for Love is in
O lead me where the rural youth retreat minim
Where the flope hills the warbling voice
Perhaps on daify'd turf reclines the mai
And near her fide fome rival clown is lai
Yet, yet I love her. O loft nymph retu
Let not thy fire with tears inceffant mour
Return, loft nymph; bid forrow cease to
And let Dione glad the houfe of woe,
forms of paffion toit, hear of a vagrant child was int,
ber His treabling limbs he furf, or Lows his brow boim rung i 3gxtured, and with fixt furprize, The pitore threw his franticn eyes, le cry'd: "In her my We was bound,, in each feature is ber mother founu! ys defpair has been her fatal guide, ww the floats upon the weeping tide; the willow burg, with head reclived, and cold the wavers in the wind. (not force her hence by rash commands? ther foul abbor the nuptial bands ?”
Will the confent my fighing plaint to hear, Nor let my piercing cries be loft in air?
Can mariners appeafe the toffing ftorm,
When foming waves the yawning deep deform?
When o'er the fable cloud the thunder flies,
Say, who fhall calm the terror of the skies?
Who fhall the lion's famish'd roar affuage?
And can we still proud woman's ftronger rage?
Soon as my faithful tongue pronounc'd thy name,
Sudden her glances fhot refentful flame :
'Be dumb, the cries, this whining love give o'er,
And vex me with the teazing theme no more.
LYCIDAS.
'Tis pride alone that keeps alive her scorn.
Can the mean fwain, in humble cottage born,
Can Poverty that haughty heart obtain,
Where avarice and strong ambition reign?
If Poverty pass by in tatter'd coat,
Cursvex his heels and stretch their barking throat;
If chance he mingle in the female croud,
Pride toffes high her head, Scorn laughs aloud;
Each nymph turns from him to her gay gallant,
And wonders at the impudence of Want.
'Tis vanity that rules all woman-kind,
Love is the weakest passion of their mind.
Though one is by thofe fervile views poffeft, O Lycidas condemn not all the rest.
Though I were bent beneath a load of years,
And feventy winters thin'd my hoary hairs;
Yet, if my ol.ve branches dropt with oil,
And crooked shares were brighten'd in my foil,
It lowing herds my fattening meads poffeft,
And my white fleece the tawny mountain dreft;
Then would the lure me with love-darting glance,
Then with fond mercenary smiles advance.
Though hell with every vice my foul had ftain'd,
And froward anger in my bofom reign'd,
Though avarice my coffers cloath'd in ruft,
And my joints trembled with enfeebled luft;
Yet, were my ancient name with titles great,
How would the languish for the gaudy bait!
If to her love all-tempting wealth pretend,
What virtuous woman can her heart defend?
Love is a facred voluntary fire,
Gold never bought that pure, that chafte de Gre.
Who thinks true love for lucre to poffefs,
Shall grafp false flattery and the feign'd carefs;
Can we believe that mean, that fervile wife,
Who vilely fells her dear-bought love for life,
Would not her virtue for an hour refign,
If in her fight the proffer'd treasure shine.
Can reafon (when by winds fwift fires are borne
O'er waving harvests of Autumnal corn)
The driving fury of the flame reprove?
Who then fhall reason with a heart in love?
Yet let me fpeak; O may my words perfuade
The noble youth to quit the fylvan maid!
Look round on all the beauties of the Court;
Refign thy crook, no more to plains refort,
There shall thy merit find a worthy flame,
Think, if thefe offers fhould thy with obtain,
Some nymph of equal wealth and equal name.
And should the ruftic beauty ftoop to gain;
Thy heart could ne'er prolong th' unequal fire,
The fudden blaze would in one year expire;
Then thy rafh folly thou too late fhall chide,
To poverty and base-born blood ally'd:
Her vulgar tongue fhall animate the ftrife,
And hourly difcord vex thy future life.
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Such is the force thy faithful words impart,
That like the galling goad they pierce my heart.
You think fair virtue in my breast refides,
That honeft truth my lips and actions guides,
Deluded fhepherd, could you view my foul,
You'd fee it with deceit and treachery foul;
I'm bafe, perfidious. Ere from Court I came,
Love fingled from the train a beauteous dame;
The tender maid my fervent vows believ'd,
My fervent vows the tender maid deceiv'd.
Why doft thou tremble?-why thus heave thy
fighs?
Why fteal thy filent forrows from thy eyes?
Sure the foft lamb hides rage within his breaft, And cooing turtles are with hate poffeft;
Conquefts, thus meanly bought, men foon de- When from fo fweet a tongue flow fraud and lies,
And justly flight the mercenary prize.
I know thefe frailties in her breast refide.
Direct her glance, and every action guide.
Still let Alexis' faithful friendship aid ;
Once more attempt to bend the ftubborn maid.
Tell her no bafe-born fwain provokes her scorn,
No clown, beneath the fedgy cottage born;
Tell her, for her the fylvan dress I took,
For her my name and pomp of Courts forfook;
My lofty roofs with golden fculpture fhine,
And my high birth defcends from ancient line.
VOL. VII.
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