“ He nor the martial trumpet hears,
« Nor the tumultuous ocean fears;
« Nor at the fenate-bouse attends,
« Nor at the great man's levee bends.
« But round the naked poplar twines
“ Tbe pliant branches of his vines;
“ Or prunes off each superfluous shoot,
“ That others may grow rich in fruit ;
" Or in sequefter'd valleys fees
“ His lowing cattle browse at ease;
“ Or of his honey ftores his stock,
" Or clips the fleeces from his flock,
" He, when his brow the autumn rears,
" And crown'd with mellow fruits appears,
“ Gathers his pears for winter's ure,
" Which his ingrafted trees produce,
“ Or his impurpled grapes that vie
" In colour with the Tyrian die;
“ Whose choice his willing hands present
« In a devout acknowledgment
“ To the kind Gods, that round bis farm
“ Patrol, and guard his grounds from harm.
« These gifts, PRIAPUS, are thy due ;
" SYLVANUS, these belong to you.
“ Sometimes beneath th' embow’ring shade
« Of oaks, or on the greensward laid,
" He fees in lucid mazes glide
“ The river's strong majestic tide;
“ Or hears the birds with lab’ring throats
“ Loud warbling in a thousand notes ;
" Or fountains, that, in murmurs deep
“ Wand'ring adown some neighbouring steep,
66 Lull him insensibly to sleep.

}

“ But when the year revers'd deforms “ The ground, convulses heav'n with storms, “ Drenches the fields with flooding rains, « Or heaps with snow the barren plains, “ He with a cry of hounds besets « The boars, and drives them on his nets; 6. Or for devouring thrushes spreads “ The gin's attenuated threads ; " Or bitches in a stronger snare “ The stranger-crane arid tim'rous hare, « To dignify his homely board, " And a voluptuous feaft afford. " Who would not for fuch rural bliss « For ever from his foul dismiss " The care, that wild ambitioni breeds, « Or what from lucre's luft proceeds ? « But richer bleffings crown his life, " If he enjoys a faithful wife, " Who wisely o'er his house presides, 66 And for his progeny provides : “ (Such as adorn'd the Sabine name, « Or like APULIA's swarthy dame) " Her hearth with faggots she will raise, « And set them in a tow'ring blaze “ Against her lord's return at night " To crown his labours with delight. « Or when the kine the meadows leave, 66 Careful the

up at eve, " And from their dugs diftended wide “ Her pail receives the milky tide, “ Whose balmy draught, with what the vine “ This year has giv’n in gen'rous wine, « And unbought dainties, which the field, « The orchard, and the garden yield,

6 Dreft by her cleanly hand, afford:
“ A pleasant banquet to her lord.
“ To share in such a rich repaft,
" With me is equal to the taste
66 Of oysters or of turbots rare,
66 Or the high flavour of the char,
66 That in the winter's thund'ring reiger
“ The tempest drives into our main.
" No pheafant, and no Afric bird
" In luxury can be preferr'd
6. To olives at the gath'ring time,
66 And of the fruitful boughs the prime ;
" Or herbs that in the plains abound,
66 Or in the silver brooks are found,
" And furnish'd with the double good
« Of wholsome phyfic, wholsome food;
" Or to the lamb, such as we flay
" Upon some confecrated day;
" Or kid, which some bold shepherd draws
« From the wolf's disappointed jaws.
• Amidst his high delicious feaft,
6 How are the yeoman's joys increas'd
« To see his flocks from pasture come,
« Bleating for their nocturnal home;
" To see his wearied oxen bear
« On their worn necks th' inverted share;
66 To fee his slaves, a.clust'ring swarm,
« Whofe faithful toils enrich his farm,
“ At ease reclining round his hearth,
" While the Gods smile, and share the mirth !"

Thus the fam'd griper Alphius sung,
His heart consenting with his tongue,
And, quitting his usurious plan,
Resolv'd to be a countryman,

The

The ides pour'd in his cash amain,
The kalends sent it out again *

• Beatus ille qui procul negotiis

Ut prisca gens mortalium,
Paterna rura bobus exercet suis,

Solutus omni fænore :
Nec excitatur classico miles truci,

Nec horret iratum mare:
Forumque vitat, & superba civium

Potentiorum limina.
Ergo aut adulta vitium propagine

Altas maritat populos ;
Inutilefque falce ramos amputans,

Feliciores inserit:
Aut in redacta valle mugientium

Prospectat errantes greges ;
Aut presla puris mella condit amphoris,

Aut tondet infirmas oves.
Vel cum decorum mitibus pomis caput

Autumnus arvis extulit,
Ut gaudet insitiva decerpens pyra,

Certantem & uvam purpuræ.
Qua muneretur te, Priape, & te pater

Sylvane, tutor finium.
Libet jacere modo sub antiqua ilice ;

Modo in tenaci gramine.
Labuntur altis interim ripis aquæ;

Queruntur in sylvis aves;
Fontesque lymphis obftrepunt manantibus ;

Somnos quod invitet leves.
At cum tonantis annus hybernus Jovis

Imbres nivesque comparat ;
Aut trudit acres hinc & hinc multa cane

Apros in obstantes plagas ;
Aut amite levi rara tendit retia,

Turdis edacibus dolos : Pavidumque leporem, & advenam laqueo gruem, Jucunda captat præmia.

6 Dreft by her cleanly hand, afford:
“ A pleasant banquet to her lord.
" To share in such a rich repaft,
" With me is equal to the taste
« Of oysters or of turbots rare,
66 Or the high flavour of the char,
6. That in the winter's thund'ring reign
“ The tempest drives into our main.
“ No pheafant, and no Afric bird
« In luxury can be preferr'd
66 To olives at the gath'ring time,
" And of the fruitful boughs the prime ;
(6 Or herbs that in the plains abound,
46 Or in the silver brooks are found,

And furnih'd with the double good
« Of wholsome phyfic, wholsome food ;
6 Or to the lamb, such as we flay
« Upon some confecrated day;
« Or kid, which some bold shepherd draws
" From the wolf's disappointed jaws.
“ Amidst his high delicious feast,
66 How are the yeoman's joys increas'd
of To see his flocks from pasture come,
of Bleating for their nocturnal home;
66 To see his wearied oxen bear
« On their worn necks th' inverted share;
* To see his slaves, a clust'ring swarm,
« Whofe faithful toils enrich his farm,
- At ease reclining round his hearth,
« While the Gods smile, and fhare the mirth!”

Thus the fam'd griper ALPHIUS sung,
His heart consenting with his tongue,
And, quitting his usurious plan,
Resolv'd to be a countryman,

The