OR, THE PRAISE OF RURAL LIFE.
Season-SPRING; Time-MORNING.
'FAIR Spring o'er Nature held her gentlest sway;
Fair Morn diffus'd around her brightest ray;
Thin mists hung hovering on the distant trees,
Or roll'd from off the fields before the breeze.
The shepherd Theron watch'd his fleecy train,
Beneath a broad oak, on the grassy plain.
A heath's green wild lay pleasant to his view,
With shrubs and field-flowers deck'd of varied hue:
There hawthorns tall their silver bloom disclos'd,
Here flexile broom's bright yellow interpos'd;
There purple orchis, here pale daisies spread,
And sweet May-lilies richest odour shed.
From many a copse and blossom'd orchard near,
The voice of birds melodious charm'd the ear;
There shrill the lark and soft the linnet sung,
And loud through air the throstle's music rung.
The gentle Swain the cheerful scene admir'd;
The cheerful scene the song of joy inspir'd :—
"Chant on," he cried, "ye warblers on the spray
Bleat on, ye flocks, that in the pastures play '
Low on, ye herds, that range the dewy vales!
Murmur ye rills! and whisper soft, ye gales!
How bless'd my lot, in these sweet fields assign'd,
Where peace and leisure sooth the tuneful mind;
Where yet some pleasing vestiges remain
Of unperverted Nature's golden reign,
When Love and Virtue rang'd Arcadian shades,
With undesigning youths and artless maids!
For us, though destin'd to a later time,
A less luxuriant soil, less genial clime,
For us the country boasts enough to charm,
In the wild woodland or the cultur'd farm.
Come, Cynthio, come! in town no longer stay;
From crowds, and noise, and folly, haste away!
The fields, the meads, the trees, are all in bloom,
The vernal showers awake a rich perfume.
Where Damon's mansion, by the glassy stream,
Rears its white walls that through green willows
gleam,
Annual the neighbours hold their shearing-day;
And blithe youths come, and nymphs in neat array :
Those shear their sheep, upon the smooth turf laid,
In the broad plane's or trembling poplar's shade;
These for their friends the' expected feast provide,
Beneath cool bowers along the' inclosure's side.
To view the toil, the glad repast to share,
Thy Delia, my Melania, shall be there;
Each, kind and faithful to her faithful swain,
Loves the calm pleasures of the pastoral plain.
Come, Cynthio, come! If towns and crowds invite,
And noise and folly promise high delight;
Soon the tir'd soul disgusted turns from these-
The rural prospect, only, long can please!"
SCENE-A Wood-side on the Brow of a Hill.
Season-SUMMER; Time-FORENOON.
BRIGHT fleecy clouds flew scattering o'er the sky,
And shorten'd shadows show'd that noon was nigh;
When two young Shepherds, in the upland shade,
Their listless limbs upon the greensward laid.
Surrounding groves the wandering sight confin'd-
All, save where, westward, one wide landscape
shin'd.
Down in the dale were neat inclosures seen,
The winding hedge-row, and the thicket green;
Rich marshland next a glossy level show'd,
And through grey willows silver rivers flow'd:
Beyond, high hills with towers and villas crown'd,
And waving forests, form'd the prospect's bound.
Sweet was the covert where the Swains reclin'd!
There spread the wild rose, there the woodbine
twin'd;
[ground,
There stood green fern; there, o'er the grassy
Sweet chamomile and alehoof crept around;
And centaury red and yellow cinquefoil grew,
And scarlet campion, and cyanus blue;
And tufted thyme, and marjoram's purple bloom,
And ruddy strawberries yielding rich perfume.
Gay flies their wings on each fair flower display'd,
And labouring bees a lulling murmur made.
Along the brow a path delightful lay;
Slow by the youths Palemon chanc'd to stray,
A Bard, who often to the rural throng
At vacant hours rehears'd the moral song!
The song the Shepherds crav'd; the Sage replied:
"As late my steps forsook the fountain-side,
Adown the green lane by the beechen grove,
Their flocks young Pironel and Larvon drove;
With us perchance they'll rest awhile."--The Swains
Approach'd the shade; their sheep spread o'er the
Silent they view'd the venerable man, [plains:
Whose voice melodious thus the lay began
"What Alcon sung where Evesham's vales extend,
I sing; ye Swains, your pleas'd attention lend!
There long with him the rural life I led,
His fields I cultur'd, and his flocks I fed.
Where, by the hamlet road upon the green,
Stood pleasant cots with trees dispers'd between,
Beside his door, as waving o'er his head
A lofty elm its rustling foliage spread,
Frequent he sat; while all the village train
Press'd round his seat, and listen'd to his strain.
And once of fair Benevolence he sung,
And thus the tuneful numbers left his tongue :
'Ye youth of Avon's banks, of Bredon's groves,
Sweet scenes, where Plenty reigns and Pleasure
Woo to your bowers Benevolence the fair, [roves,
Kind as your soil, and gentle as your air.
She comes! her tranquil step, and placid eye,
Fierce Rage, fell Hate, and ruthless Avarice fly.
She comes! her heavenly smiles, with powerful
Smooth Care's rough brow, and rest Toil's weary
She comes! ye Shepherds, importune her stay!
While your fair farms exuberant wealth display,
While herds and flocks their annual increase yield,
And yellow harvests load the fruitful field;
Beneath grim Want's inexorable reign,
Pale Sickness, oft, and feeble Age complain!
Why this unlike allotment, save to show,
That who possess, possess but to bestow?"
Palemon ceas'd.-" Sweet is the sound of gales
Amid green osiers in the winding vales;
Sweet is the lark's loud note on sunny hills,
What time fair Morn the sky with fragrance fills;
Sweet is the nightingale's love-soothing strain,
Heard by still waters on the moonlight plain !
But not the gales that through green osiers play,
Nor lark's nor nightingale's melodious lay,
Please like smooth numbers by the Muse inspir'd!”
Larvon replied, and homeward all retir'd.
Season-SUMMER; Time-AFTERNOON.
SUMMER O'er heaven diffus'd serenest blue,
And painted earth with many a pleasing hue;
When Armyn mus'd the vacant hour away,
Where willows o'er him wav'd their pendent spray.
Cool was the shade, and cool the passing gale,
And sweet the prospect of the' adjacent vale :
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