And swims in radiant majesty along.

O'er the whole homely scene, the cooing dove
Flies thick in amorous chace, and wanton rolls
The glancing eye, and turns the changeful neck.

WHILE thus the gentle tenants of the shade
Indulge their purer laves, the rougher world
Of brutes, below, rufh furious into flame,
And fierce defire. Thro' all his lufty veins.
The bull, deep-fcorch'd, the raging passion feels.
Of pafture fick, and negligent of food,

785

790

Scarce feen, he wades among the yellow broom, 795
While o'er his ample fides the rambling sprays

Luxuriant shoot; or thro' the mazy wood
Dejected wanders, nor th' inticing bud
Crops, tho' it preffes on his carelefs fenfe.
And oft, in jealous madning fancy wrapt,
He feeks the fight; and, idly-butting, feigns
His rival gor'd in every knotty trunk.

800

806

Him fhould he meet, the bellowing war begins:
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 impulse seiz'd in every nerve,
Nor hears the rein, nor heeds the founding thong;
Blows are not felt; but toffing high his head,

811

And

And by the well-known joy to distant plains
Attracted strong, all wild he bursts away ;

O'er rocks, and woods, and craggy mountains flies; And, neighing, on the aërial fummit takes

815

Th' exciting gale; then, fteep-defcending, cleaves The headlong torrents foaming down the hills, Even where the madness of the ftraiten'd streamTurns 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 unwieldy joy.
Dire were the ftrain, and diffonant, 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,

820

825

831

And growl their horrid loves. But this the theme
Ifing, 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 friskful glee,
Their frolics play. And now the sprightly race

C 5

835

Invites

Invites them forth; when swift, the fignal given,
They ftart away, and fweep the maffy mound
That runs around the hill; the rampart once-
Of iron war, in ancient barbarous times,
When difunited BRITAIN ever bled,

Loft in eternal broil: ere yet The grew

To this deep-laid indiffoluble state,

840

845

Where Wealth and Commerce lift the golden head ;;
And, o'er our labours, Liberty and Law,
Impartial; watch; the wonder of a world!

855

WHAT is this mighty Breath, ye curious, fay, That, in a powerful language, felt not heard, 850 Inftructs the fowls of heaven; and thro' their breast These arts of love diffuffes? 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 such 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 undefigning hearts Profufely thus in tenderness and joy.

860

865

STILL

STILL let my fong a nobler note affume, And fing th' infufive force of Spring on Man ; When heaven and earth, as if contending, vye To raise his being, and ferene his foul. 870 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 sons of earth, Hard, and unfeeling of another's woe ;Or only lavish to yourselves; away!

875

But come, ye generous minds, in whofe wide thought,
Of all his works, CREATIVE BOUNTY burns
With warmest beam; and on your open front 88a
And liberal eye, fits, from his dark retreat

Inviting modeft. Want.

Nor, till invok'd,
Can restless goodness wait; your active search
Leaves no cold wintry corner unexplor❜d;
Like filent-working HEAVEN, furprizing oft
The lonely heart with unexpected good..
For you the roving fpirit of the wind

Blows Spring abroad; for you the teeming clouds
Defcend in gladfome plenty o'er the world;
And the fun fheds his kindeft rays for you,
Ye flower of human race!-In thefe

green days, Reviving Sickness lifts her languid head;

Life flows afresh; and young-ey'd Health exalts

C 6.

885

890,

The

The whole creation round. Contentment walks
The funny glade, and feels an inward bliss
Spring o'er his mind, beyond the power of kings
To purchase. Pure Serenity apace

Induces thought, and Contemplation still.

-895

By fwift degrees the love of Nature works,

And warms the bofom; till at laft fublim'd
To rapture, and enthusiastic heat,

We feel the prefent DEITY, and tafte

The joy of GOD to fee a happy world!

THESE are the facred feelings of thy heart, Thy heart inform'd by reason's purer ray,

O LYTTELTON, the friend! thy paffions thus
And meditations vary, as at large,

905

Courting the Mufe, thro' Hagley-Park thou ftrayeft;
Thy British Tempe! There along the dale,

With woods o'er-hung, and fhag'd with moffy rocks,
Whence on each hand the gushing waters play, 911
And down the rough cafcade white-dashing fall,
Or gleam in lengthen'd vifta thro' the trees,
You filent fteal; or fit beneath the shade
Of folemn oaks, that tuft the fwelling mounts
Thrown graceful round by Nature's careless hand,
And pensive liften to the various voice

Of rural peace the herds, the flocks, the birds,
The hollow-whispering breeze, the plaint of rills,
That, purling down amid the twisted roots

915

920