The treasures of the Sun without his

rage:

Hence, fervent all, with culture, toil, and arts, Wide glows her land: her dreadful thunder hence Rides o'er the waves fublime, and now, even now, Impending hangs o'er Gallia's humbled coaft; 430 Hence rules the circling deep, and awes the world.

'Tis raging Noon; and, vertical, the Sun
Darts on the head direct his forceful rays.
O'er heaven and earth, far as the ranging eye
Can sweep, a dazling deluge reigns; and all
From pole to pole is undistinguish'd blaze.
In vain the fight, dejected to the ground,
Stoops for relief; thence hot ascending steams
And keen reflection pain. Deep to the root
Of vegetation parch'd, the cleaving fields
And slippery lawn an arid` hue disclose,

435

440

Blast Fancy's blooms, and wither even the Soul.
Echo no more returns the chearful found
Of sharpening scythe: the mower finking heaps.
O'er him the humid hay, with flowers perfum'd;
And scarce a chirping grass-hopper is heard
446
'Thro' the dumb mead. Distressful Nature pants.
The very streams look languid from afar ;
Or, thro' th' unfhelter'd glade, impatient, feem
To hurl into the covert of the grove.

450

ALL-CONQUERING Heat, oh intermit thy wrath!

And on my throbbing temples potent thus

Beam

Beam not fo fierce! Inceffant ftill you flow,
And still another fervent flood fucceeds,
Pour'd on the head profufe. In vain I figh,
And restless turn, and look around for Night;
Night is far off; and hotter hours approach.
Thrice happy he! who on the funless fide
Of a romantic mountain, forest-crown'd,
Beneath the whole collected fhade reclines :
Or in the gelid caverns, woodbine-wrought,
And fresh bedew'd with ever-fpouting streams,
Sits coolly calm; while all the world without,
Unsatisfied, and fick, toffes in noon.

445

460

Emblem inftructive of the virtuous Man,

465

Who keeps his temper'd mind ferene, and pure,

And every paffion aptly harmoniz'd,

Amid a jarring world with vice inflam'd.

WELCOME, ye fhades! ye bowery thickets, hail!

Ye lofty pines! ye venerable oaks !

470

Ye ashes wild, refounding o'er the steep!

Delicious is your shelter to the foul,

As to the hunted hart the fallying fpring,

Or stream full-flowing, that his swelling fides
Laves, as he floats along the herbag'd brink.

475

Cool, thro' the nerves, your pleafing comfort glides;
The heart beats glad; the fresh-expanded eye
And ear refume their watch; the finews knit;
And life fhoots fwift thro' all the lighten❜d limbs.

AROUND

AROUND th' adjoining brook, that purls along
The vocal grove, now fretting o'er a rock,
Now scarcely moving thro' a reedy pool,
Now starting to a sudden stream, and now
Gently diffus'd into a limpid plain;

481

A various groupe the herds and flocks compofe, 485
Rural confufion! On the graffy bank

Some ruminating lie; while others ftand
Half in the flood, and often bending fip
The circling furface. In the middle droops
The strong laborious ox, of honest front,
Which incompos'd he shakes; and from his fides
The troublous infects lafhes with his tail,

490

Returning ftill. Amid his fubjects fafe,
Slumbers the monarch-fwain; his carelefs arm 494
Thrown round his head, on downy moss sustain'd;
Here laid his fcrip, with wholesome viands fill'd:
There, liftening every noife, his watchful dog.

LIGHT fly his flumbers, if perchance a flight
Of angry gad-flies fasten on the herd;

That startling scatters from the shallow brook, 500 In fearch of lavish ftream. Toffing the foam,

They scorn the keeper's voice, and fcour the plain, Thro' all the bright severity of noon;

While, from their labouring breasts, a hollow moan Proceeding, runs low-bellowing round the hills. 505

OFT in this feafon too the horse, provok'd,

While his big finews full of fpirits swell,

Trembling

Trembling with vigour, in the heat of blood, Springs the high fence; and, o'er the field effus'd, Darts on the gloomy flood, with stedfaft eye,

510

And heart eftrang'd to fear: his nervous chest,
Luxuriant, and erect, the feat of strength!
Bears down th' oppofing ftream: quenchless his thirst ;
He takes the river at redoubled draughts ; 514
And with wide noftrils, fnorting, fkims the wave.

STILL let me pierce into the midnight depth Of yonder grove, of wildeft largest growth: That, forming high in air a woodland quire, Nods o'er the mount beneath. At every step, Solemn, and flow, the fhadows blacker fall, And all is awful liftening gloom around.

520

525

THESE are the haunts of Meditation, thefe The scenes where ancient bards th' infpiring breath, Extatic, felt; and, from this world retir'd, Convers'd with angels, and immortal forms, On gracious errands bent: to fave the fall Of virtue ftruggling on the brink of vice; In waking whispers, and repeated dreams,

To hint pure thought, and warn the favour'd foul
For future trials fated to prepare ;

530

To prompt the poet, who devoted gives

His mufe to better themes; to footh the pangs

Of dying worth, and from the patriot's breaft, (Backward to mingle in detefted war,

But

But foremost when engag'd) to turn the death; 535 And numberless such offices of love,

Daily, and nightly, zealous to perform.

9нOOK fudden from the bosom of the sky,
A thousand shapes or glide athwart the dusk,
Or stalk majestic on. Deep-rous'd, I feel
A facred terror, a severe delight,

540

Creep thro' my mortal frame; and thus, methinks,
A voice, than human more, th' abstracted ear
Of fancy ftrikes. "Be not of us afraid,

"Poor kindred Man! thy fellow-creatures, we 545
"From the fame PARENT-POWER our beings drew,
"The fame our Lord, and laws, and great purfuit.
"Once fome of us, like thee, thro' ftormy life,
"Toil'd, tempeft-beaten, ere we could attain
"This holy calm, this harmony of mind,
"Where purity and peace immingle charms.
"Then fear not us; but with refponfive fong,
"Amid thefe dim receffes, undisturb'd

66

By noify folly and difcordant vice,

550.

"Of Nature fing with us, and Nature's GOD. "Here frequent, at the vifionary hour,

555

"When musing midnight reigns or filent noon,

Angelic harps are in full concert heard,

"And voices chaunting from the wood-crown'd hill, "The deepening dale, or inmost filvan glade: 560 "A privilege bestow'd by us, alone,

"On Contemplation, or the hallow'd ear

"Of