Whose breaft with ardour flames, as on he walks,
Graceful, and crows defiance. In the pond,
The finely-checker'd duck, before her train,
Rows garrulous. The ftately-failing fwan
Gives out his fnowy plumage to the gale;
And, arching proud his neck, with oary feet.
Bears forward fierce, and guards his ofier-ifle,
Protective of his young. The turkey nigh,
Loud-threatening, reddens; while the peacock spreads
His every-colour'd glory to the fun,
And fwims in radiant majefty along.
D'er the whole homely fcene, the cooing dove
Flies thick in amorous chace, and wanton rolls
The glancing eye, and turns the changeful neck. 785
WHILE thus the gentle tenants of the shade
Indulge their purer loves, the rougher world
Of brutes, below, rush furious into flame,
And fierce defire. Thro' all his lufty veins
The bull, deep-fcorch'd, the raging paffion feels. 790
Of pafture fick, and negligent of food,
Scarce feen, he wades among the yellow broom,
While o'er his ample fides the rambling sprays
Luxuriant fhoot; or thro' the mazy wood
Dejected wanders, nor th' inticing bud
Crops, tho' it presses on his careless sense.
And oft, in jealous madning fancy wrapt,
He feeks the fight; and, idly-butting, feigns
His rival gor'd in every knotty trunk.
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Him should he meet, the bellowing war begins: 800
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 steed,
With this hot impulfe feiz'd in every nerve,
806
Nor hears the rein, nor heeds the founding thongi
Blows are not felt; but toffing high his head,
And by the well-known joy to distant plains
Attracted strong, all wild he burfts away;
O'er rocks, and woods, and craggy mountains flies;
And, neighing, on the aërial fummit takes
Th' exciting gale; then, fteep-defcending, cleaves
The headlong torrents foaming down the hills,
Even where the madness of the straiten'd ftream 815
Turns in black eddies round: fuch is the force
With which his frantic heart and finews fwell.
NOR undelighted by the boundlefs 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 strain, 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,
And growl their horrid loves, But this the theme
I fing, enraptur'd, to the BRITISH FAIR,
Forbids, and leads me to the mountain-brow,
Where fits the shepherd 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 frolicks play. And now the fprightly race 835
Invites them forth; when fwift, the fignal given,
They start away, and sweep the massy 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 she grew
To this deep-laid indiffoluble ftate,
Where Wealth and Commerce lift their golden heads; And o'er our labours, Liberty and Law,
Impartial, watch; the wonder of a world!
WHAT is this mighty Breath, ye lages, fay, That, in a powerful language, felt not heard, Inftructs the fowls of heaven; and thro' their breaft These arts of love diffufes? What, but GOD?
Infpiring God! who boundlefs Spirit all,
And unremitting Energy, pervades,
Adjufts, fuftains, and agitates the whole.
He ceafelefs works alone; and yet alone
Seems not to work: with fuch perfection fram'd
Is this complex fupendous 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 scenes,
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.
STILL let my fong a nobler note assume,
And fing th' infufive force of Spring on Man; 865
When heaven and earth, as if contending, vye
To raise his being, and ferene his foul.
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 fons of earth,
Hard, and unfeeling of another's woe;
Or only lavish to yourselves; away!
But come, ye generous minds, in whose wide thought, Of all his works, CREATIVE BOUNTY burns
With warmest beam; and on your open front
And liberal eye, fits, from his dark retreat
Inviting modeft Want. Nor, till invok'd
Can reftlefs goodness wait; your active fearch 880
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 sheds his kindeft rays for you,
Ye flower of human race! In these green days,
Reviving Sickness lifts her languid head;
Life flows afresh; and young-ey'd Health exalts 890
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 ferenity apace
Induces thought, and contemplation ftill.
By fwift degrees the love of Nature works,
And warms the bofom; till at last fublim'd
To rapture, and enthusiastic heat,
We feel the prefent DEITY, and tafte
The joy of GOD to see 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,
Courting the Mufe, thro' Hagley Park thou strayeft;
Thy British Tempe! There along the dale, 906
With woods o'er-hung, and fhagg'd with moffy rocks,
Whence on each hand the gushing waters play,
And down the rough cascade white-dashing fall,
Or gleam in lengthened vista thro' the trees,
You filent steal; or fit beneath the shade
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