Whofe breaft with ardour flames, as on he walks,
Graceful, and crows defiance. In the pond
The finely checker'd duck, before her train,
Rows garrulous. The ftately failing fwan
Gives out his fnowy plumage to the gale;
And, arching proud his. neck, with oary feet
Bears forward fierce, and guards his ofier-isle,
Protective of his young. The turkey nigh,
Loud threat'ning, reddens; while the peacock spreads His every-colour'd glory to the fun,
And fwims in radiant majesty along.
O'er the whole homely feene, the cooing dove
Flies thick in am'rous chace, and wanton rolls
The glancing eye, and turns the changeful neck. 785
WHILE thus the gentle tenants of the shade Indulge their purer loves, the rougher world Of brutes, below, rufh furious into flame, And fierce defire.. Thro' all his lufty, veins
The bull, deep feorch'd, the raging paffion feels. 790
Of pasture fick, and negligent of food,
Searce feen, he wades among the yellow broom,
While o'er his ample fides the rambling sprays
Luxuriant fhoot; or thro' the mazy wood
Dejected wanders, nor th' enticing bud
Crops, tho' it preffes on his carelefs fenfe.
And oft, in jealous mad'ning fancy wrapt,
He feeks the fight; and, idly-butting, feigns
His rival gor'd in every knotty trunk.
Him fhould he meet, the bellowing war begins: 800
Their eyes flash fury; to the hollow'd earth,
Whence the fand flies, they mutter bloody deeds,
And groaning deep, th' impetuous battle mix:
While the fair heifer, balmy breathing, near,
Stands kindling up their rage. The trembling fteed,
With this hot impulfe feiz'd in every nerve,
806
Nor hears the rein, nor heeds the founding thong;
Blows are not felt; but toffing high his head,.
And by the well-known joy to diftant plains
Attracted strong, all wild he bursts away;
O'er rocks, and woods, and craggy mountains flies;
And, neighing, on the aerial fummit takes
Th' exciting gale; then, fteep-descending, cleaves
The headlong torrents foaming down the hills,
Ev'n where the madness of the ftraiten'd ftream 815
Turns in black eddies round: fuch is the force.
With which his frantic heart and finews fwell..
NOR undelighted by the boundless Spring
Are the broad monfters of the foaming deep:
From the deep ooze and gelid cavern rous'd,
They flounce and tumble in unweildy joy.
Dire were the strain, and dissonant, to fing
The cruel raptures of the favage kind :
How by this flame their native wrath fublim'd,
They roam, amid the fury of their heart,
The far-refounding wafte in fiercer bands,
And growl their horrid loves. But this the theme
I fing, enraptur'd, to the BRITISH FAIR,
Forbids, and leads me to the mountain-brow,
Where fits the fhepherd on the graffy turf,
Inhaling, healthful, the defcending fun.
Around him feeds his many-bleating flock,
Of various cadence; and his fportive lambs,
This way and that convolv'd, in frifkful glee,
Their frolicks play. And now the fprightly race 835
Invites them forth; when fwift, the fignal given,
They ftart away, and fweep the maffy mound
That runs around the hill; the rampart once
Of iron war, in ancient barb'rous times,
When difunited BRITAIN ever bled,
Loft in eternal broil: ere yet fhe grew
To this deep-laid indiffoluble ftate,
Where Wealth and Commerce lift their golden heads; And o'er our labours, Liberty and Law,
Impartial, watch; the wonder of a world!
WHAT is this mighty Breath, ye fages, fay, That, in a powerful language, felt not heard,
Inftructs the fowls of heav'n; and through their breast
These arts of love diffuses? What, but GOD?
Infpiring God! who boundless Spirit all,
And unremitting Energy, pervades,
Adjusts, fuftains, and agitates the whole.
He ceafelefs works alone; and yet alone
Seems not to work with fuch perfection fram'd
Is this complex, ftupendous fcheme of things.
But, tho' conceal'd, to every purer eye
Th' informing Author in his works appears :
Chief, lovely Spring, in thee, and thy foft fcenes,
The SMILING GOD is feen; while water, earth,
And air atteft his bounty; which exalts
The brute-creation to this finer thought,
And annual melts their undefiguing hearts
Profufely thus in tenderness and joy.
STILL let my fong a nobler note assume,
And fing th' infufive force of Spring on Man;
When heav'n and earth, as if contending, vie
To raise his being, and ferene his foul.
Can he forbear to join the general smile
Of Nature? Can fierce paffions vex his breast,
While every gale is peace, and every grove
Is melody? Hence! from the bounteous walks
Of flowing Spring, ye fordid fons of earth,.
Hard, and unfeeling of another's woe;
Or only lavish to yourfelves; away!
But come, ye gen'rous Ininds, in whose wide thought,
Of all his works, CREATIVE BOUNTY burns
With warmest beam; and on your open front
And lib'ral eye, fits, from his dark retreat
Inviting modeft Want. Nor, till invok'd,
Can reftlefs goodness wait; your active search
Leaves no cold wintry corner unexplor'd;
Like filent-working HEAVEN, furprising oft
The lonely heart with unexpected good..
For you the roving fpirit of the wind
Blows Spring abroad; for you the teeming clouds 885 Defcend in gladfome plenty o'er the world;
And the fun fheds his kindest rays for you,
Ye flow'r of human race! In these green days,
Reviving Sickness lifts her languid head;
Life flows afresh; and young-ey'd Health exalts 890
The whole creation round. Contentment walks
The funny glade, and feels an inward bliss
Spring o'er his mind, beyond the pow'r of kings
To purchase. Pure ferenity apace
Induces thought, and contemplation still.
By fwift degrees the love of Nature works,
And warms the bofom; till at last füblim'd
To rapture, and enthusiastic heat,
We feel the prefent DEITY, and tafte
The joy of Go to see a happy world!
THESE are the facred feelings of thy heart,
Thy heart inform'd by reason's purer ray,
O LYTTLETON, the friend! thy paffions thus
And meditations vary, as at large,
Courting the Muse, thro' Hagley Park thou stray'st ; Thy British Tempe ! There along the dale,
906 With woods o'er-hung, and fhagg'd with moffy rocks, Whence on each hand the gufhing waters play, And down the rough cafcade white-dathing fall, Or gleam in lengthen'd vista thro' the trees, You filent fteal; or fit beneath the fhade
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