Thus let me serve Thee here in time, And after, in that happier clime, And Thee, my God, alone! PAUL GERHARDT. 1759. NOW SPRING HAS CLAD THE GROVE IN GREEN. Now spring has clad the grove in green, And strewed the lea wi' flowers: The furrowed, waving corn is seen Oh why thus all alone are mine The trout within yon wimpling burn Glides swift-a silver dart; And safe beneath the shady thorn Defies the angler's art. My life was ance that careless stream, 106 NOW SPRING HAS CLAD, ETC. But love wi' unrelenting beam, Has scorched my fountains dry. The little flow'ret's peaceful lot, Nae ruder visit knows, Was mine; till love has o'er me past, And now beneath the with'ring blast. My youth and joy consume. The wakened lav'rock warbling springs, In morning's rosy eye. As little recked I sorrow's power, Until the flowery snare O' witching love, in luckless hour, Made me the thrall o' care. Oh, had my fate been Greenland snows, Or Afric's burning zone, Wi' men and nature leagued my foes, So Peggy ne'er I'd known! The wretch whase doom is, hope nae mair,' What tongue his woes can tell! Nae kinder spirits dwell. BURNS. AUGUST. AEGLOGA OCTAVA. ARGUMENT. IN this Aeglogue is set forth a delectable controversie, made in imitation of that in Theocritus: whereto also Virgil fashioned his third and seventh Aeglogue. They chose for umpere of their strife, Cuddy, a neat-heards boye; who, having ended their cause, reciteth also himselfe a proper song, whereof Colin he saith was authour. WILLIE, PERIGOT, CUDDie. WILLIE. Tell mee, Perigot, what shalbe the game, 3 What the foule evill hath thee so bestad? 4 And wont to make the iolly shepheards glad With pyping and dauncing did passe the rest. PER. Ah! Willie, now I have learnd a new daunce! My old musick mard by a new mischaunce. WIL. Mischiefe mought to that mischaunce befall, That so hath raft us of our meriment; 1 But rede 2 me what paine doth thee so apall; Or lovest thou, or bene thy younglinges miswent? 3 PER. Love hath misled both my younglinges and me; I pine for payne, and they my paine to see. WIL. Perdie and wellawaye! ill may they thrive; But and if in rymes with me thou dare strive, PER. That shall I doe, though mochell worse I fared: Never shall be sayde that Perigot was dared. WIL. Then loe, Perigot, the pledge which I plight, 1 Raft, bereft. 2 Rede, tell. Mochell, much. 5 Mazer, bowl. 3 Miswent, gone astray. 6 Warre, ware. Of bears and tygers, that maken fiers warre; And over them spred a goodly wilde vine, Entrailed with a wanton yvy twine. Thereby is a lambe in the wolvës iawes; But see, how fast renneth the shepheard swain To save the innocent from the beastes pawes, And here with his sheepehooke hath him slain. hast thou ever seene ? Tell me, such a cup Well mought it beseeme any harvest queene. For I brought him up without the dambe; But Colin Clout rafte me of his brother, That he purchast of me in the plaine field; Sore against my will was I forst to yeeld. WIL. Sicker,2 make like account of his brother; But who shall iudge the wager wonne or lost? PER. That shall yonder heardgrome, and none other, Which over the pousse 3 hetherward doth post. WIL. But, for the sunnbeame so sore doth us beate, Were not better to shunne the scortching heate? PER. Well agreed, Willie; then set thee downe, swayne; 1 Nis sike, is not such. 2 Sicker, surely. Pousse, pease. |