Exulting, trembling, raging, fainting,
Possess'd beyond the Muse's painting.
By turns they felt the glowing mind
Disturb d, delighted, rais'd, refin'd;
Till once, 'tis said, when all were fir'd,
Fill'd with fury, rapt, inspir'd,

From the supporting myrtles round,
They snatch'd her instruments of sound;
And, as they oft had heard apart,
Sweet lessons of her forceful art,
Each (for madness rul'd the hour)
Would prove his own expressive power.
First, Fear, his hand, its skill to try,
Amid the chords bewilder'd laid;
And back recoil'd, he knew not why,
E'en at the sound himself had made.
Next Anger rush'd, his eyes on fire,
In lightnings own'd his secret stings,
In one rude clash he struck the lyre,
And swept with hurried hand the strings.
With woful measures, wan Despair
Low sullen sounds his grief beguil'd:
A solemn, strange and mingled air :
'Twas sad by fits, by starts 'twas wild.
But thou, O Hope! with eyes so fair,

What was thy delighted measure!
Still it whisper'd promis'd pleasure,
And bade the lovely scenes at distance hail!
Still would her touch the strain prolong;

And from the rocks, the woods, the vale,
She call'd on Echo still through all her song :
And where her sweetest theme she chose,
A soft repsonsive voice was heard at every close ;
And Hope enchanted, smil'd, and wav'd her golden hair :
And longer had she sung, but with a frown,
Revenge impatient rose.

He threw his blood stain'd sword in thunder down;
And with a withering look,.

The war denouncing trumpet took,

And blew a blast so loud and dread,

Were ne'er prophetic sounds so full of woe;

And ever and anon, he beat

The doubling drum, with furious heat :
And though, sometimes, each dreary pause between,
Dejected Pity at his side,

Her soul subduing voice applied,

Yet still be kept his wild unalter'd mien,

While each strain'd ball of sight-seem'd bursting from his head.

Thy numbers, Jealousy, to nought were fix'd ;
Sad proof of thy distressful state;

Of differing themes the veering song was mix'd:
And, now it courted Love; now, raving, call'd on Hate.
With eyes uprais'd, as one inspir'd,
Pale Melancholly sat retir'd;

And, from her wild sequester'd seat,
In notes, by distance made more sweet,
Pour'd through the mellow horn her pensive soul,
And dashing soft from rocks around,
Bubbling runnels join'd the sound;

Through glades and glooms, the mingled measure stole,
Or o'er some haunted streams with fond delay,
(Round an holy calm diffusing,

Love of peace, and lonely musing)

In hollow murmurs died away.

But, O, how alter'd was its sprightlier tone!
When Cheerfulness, a nymph of healthiest hue,
Her bow across her shoulder flung,

Her buskins gemm'd with morning dew,
Blew an inspiring air, that dale and thicket rung,
The hunter's call, to Faun and Dryad known;
The oak crown'd Sisters, and their chaste ey'd Queen,
Satyrs and sylvan Boys were seen,

Peeping from forth their alleys green;

Brown exercise rejoic'd to hear;

And Sport leap'd up and seiz'd his beechen spear.

Last came Joy's extatic trial, v

He, with viny crown advancing,

First to the lively pipe his hand address'd-
But soon he saw the brisk awakening viol;

Whose sweet entrancing voice he loved the best.
They would have thought, who heard the strain,
They saw in Tempe's vale, her native maids,
Amidst the festal sounding shades,

To some unwearied minstrel dancing :

While as his flying fingers kiss'd the strings,
Love fram'd with Mirth a gay fantastic round,
(Loose were her tresses seen, her zone unbound)
And he, amidst his frolic play,

As if he would the charming air repay,
Shook thousand odors from his dewy wings.

Surround me, from the cheerful ways of men
Cut off, and for the book of knowledge fair
Presented with an universal blank

Of nature's works, to me expung'd and raz'd,
And wisdom, at one entrance, quite shut cut.
So much the rather, thou, celestial light,

Shine inward, and the mind, through all her powers,
Irradiate; there plant eyes; all mist from thence,
Purge and disperse; that I may see and tell
Of things invisible to mortal sight.

II.-L'Allegro, or the Merry Man.-MILTON.
HENCE, loathed Melancholly:

Of Cerberus and blackest midnight born,
In Stygian cave forlorn,

'Mongst horrid shapes, and shrieks, and sights unholy; Find out some uncouth cell,

Where brooding darkness spreads his jealous wings,

And the night raven sings;

There under ebon shades, and low brow'd rocks,

As ragged as thy locks,

In dark Cimmerian desert ever dwell.

But come, thou goddess fair and free,
In heaven yclep'd Euphrosyne !
And by men, hearteasing Mirth,
Whom lovely Venus at a birth,,
With two Sister Graces more,
To ivy crowned Bacchus bore.

Haste thee, nymph, and bring with thee
Jest and youthful jolity.

Quips and cranks, and wanton wiles,

Nods and becks, and wreathed smiles;

Such as hang on Hebe's cheek,

And love to live in dimple sleek;

Sport, that wrinkled Care derides,

And Laughter, holding both his sides,
Come and trip it as you go
On the light fantastic toe;

And, in thy right hand lead with thee,
The mountain nymph, sweet Liberty-
And, if I give thee honor due,
Mirth, admit me of thy crew,
To live with her and live with thee,
In unreproved pleasures free
To hear the lark begin his flight,
And, singing, startle the dull Night,
From his watchtower in the skies,
Till the dappled dawn doth rise ;
Then to come in spite of sorrow
And at my window bid good morrow,

26

Hard by a cottage chimney smokes, na ni snuto'
From betwixt two aged oaks,o-agar ni atat no
Where Corydon and Thrysis met, nongs toldos edT
Are at their savory dinner set, bobood it T
Of herbs and other country messes, th
Which the neathanded Phillis dresses voy Ils: I
And then in haste, her bower she leaves, brit 'Y
With Thestylis to bind the sheaves;
Or, if the earlier season lead,

ST

Rain influence, and judge the prize ondere aali