CLOSE in the covert of an hazel copfe,
Where winded into pleasing folitudes
Runs out the rambling dale, young DAMON fat, 1270
Penfive, and pierc'd with love's delightful pangs.
There to the ftream that down the diftant rocks
Hoarfe-murmuringfell, and plaintivebreezethatplay'd
Among the bending willows, falfely he
Of MUSIDORA'S cruelty complain'd.
She felt his flame; but deep within her breast,
In bashful coynefs, or in maiden pride,
The foft return conceal'd; fave when it ftole
In fide-long glances from her downcaft eye,
Or from her fwelling foul in ftifled fighs.
Touch'd by the scene, no ftranger to his vows,
He fram'd a melting lay, to try her heart;
And, if an infant paffion ftruggled there,
To call that paffion forth. Thrice happy swain!
A lucky chance, that oft decides the fate
Of mighty monarchs, then decided thine.
For lo conducted by the laughing Loves,
This cool retreat his MUSIDORA fought:
Warm in her cheek the fultry feason glow'd;
And, robe'd in loofe array, fhe came to bathe 1299
Her fervent limbs in the refreshing stream.
What shall he do? In fweet confusion loft,
And dubious flutterings, he a while remain'd:
A pure ingenuous elegance of foul,
A delicate refinement, known to few,
Perplex'd his breaft, and urg'd him to retire :
But love forbade. Ye prudes in virtue, fay,
Say, ye feverest, what would you have done?
Meantime, this fairer nymph than ever bleft
Arcadian stream, with timid eye around
The banks furveying, stripp'd her beauteous limbs,
To tafte the lucid coolnefs of the flood.
Ah then! not Paris on the piny top
Of Ida panted stronger, when afide
The rival-goddesses the veil divine
Caft unconfin'd, and gave him all their charms,
Than, DAMON, thou; as from the fnowy leg,
And flender foot, th' inverted filk she drew;
As the foft touch diffolv'd the virgin zone;
And, thro' the parting robe, th' alternate breaft, 1310
With youth wild-throbbing, on thy lawless gaze
In full luxuriance rofe. But, defperate youth,
How durft thou rifque the foul-diftracting view;
As from her naked limbs, of glowing white,
Harmonious fwell'd by Nature's finest hand,
In folds loofe-floating fell the fainter lawn;
And fair-expos'd fhe ftood, fhrunk from herself,
With fancy blufhing, at the doubtful breeze
Alarm'd, and starting like the fearful fawn?
Then to the flood fhe rufh'd; the parted flood 1320
Its lovely guest with clofing waves receiv'd;
And every beauty foftening, every grace
Flushing anew, a mellow luftre shed:
As shines the lily thro' the crystal mild;
Or as the rofe amid the morning dew,
Fresh from Aurora's hand, more fweetly glows.
While thus fhe wanton'd, now beneath the wave
But ill-conceal'd; and now with streaming locks,
That half-embrac'd her in a humid veil,
Rifing again, the latent DAMON drew
Such madning draughts of beauty to the foul,
As for a while o'erwhelm'd his raptur'd thought
With luxury too-daring. Check'd, at last,
By love's refpectful modefty, he deem'd
The theft profane, if aught profane to love 1335
Can e'er be deem'd; and, ftruggling from the fhade,
With headlong hurry fled: but first these lines,
Trac'd by his ready pencil, on the bank
With trembling hand he threw. "Bathe on, my fair,
"Yet unbeheld fave by the facred eye
"Of faithful love: I go to guard thy haunt,
"To keep from thy recefs each vagrant foot,
"And each licentious eye." With wild furprize,
As if to marble ftruck, devoid of fenfe,
A ftupid moment motionless she stood:
So ftands the * ftatue that enchants the world,
So bending tries to veil the matchless boast,
The mingled beauties of exulting Greece.
Recovering, fwift fhe flew to find those robes
Which blissful Eden knew not; and, array'd 1350
In careless hafte, th' alarming paper fnatch'd.
But, when her DAMON's well-known hand she saw,
Her terrors vanish'd, and a fofter train
Of mixt emotions, hard to be describ'd,
Her fudden bofom feiz'd: fhame void of guilt, 1355
The charming blush of innocence, esteem
And admiration of her lover's flame,
By modesty exalted: even a fenfe
Of felf-approving beauty ftole across
Her bufy thought. At length, a tender calm 1360
Hufh'd by degrees the tumult of her foul;
And on the spreading beech, that o'er the stream
Incumbent hung, fhe with the filvan pen
Of rural lovers this confeffion carv'd,
Which foon her DAMON kifs'd with weeping joy: 1365 "Dear youth! fole judge of what these verses mean,
By fortune too much favour'd, but by love,
"Alas! not favour'd lefs, be still as now
"Difcreet: the time may come you need not fly."
THE fun has loft his rage: his downward orb 1370 Shoots nothing now but animating warmth, And vital luftre; that, with various ray, Lights up the clouds, those beauteous robes of heaven, Inceffant roll'd into romantic fhapes,
The dream of waking fancy! Broad below,
Cover'd with ripening fruits, and swelling fast
Into the perfect year, the pregnant earth
And all her tribes rejoice. Now the foft hour
Of walking comes: for him who lonely loves
To seek the diftant hills, and there converfe 1380
With Nature; there to harmonize his heart,
And in pathetic fong to breathe around
The harmony to others. Social friends,
Attun'd to happy unison of foul;
To whofe exalting eye a fairer world,
Of which the vulgar never had a glimpse,
Displays its charms; whofe minds are richly fraught With philofophic ftores, fuperior light;
And in whofe breast, enthufiaftic, burns
Virtue, the fons of intereft deem romance;
Now call'd abroad enjoy the falling day :
Now to the verdant Portico of woods,
To Nature's vaft Lyceum, forth they walk;
By that kind School where no proud mafter reigns,
The full free converse of the friendly heart, 1395
Improving and improv'd. Now from the world,
Sacred to fweet retirement, lovers steal,
And pour
their fouls in transport, which the SIRE
Of love approving hears, and calls it good.
Which way, AMANDA, fhall we bend our courfe?
The choice perplexes. Wherefore should we chufe?
All is the fame with thee. Say, fhall we wind
Along the ftreams? or walk the smiling mead ?
Or court the foreft-glades? or wander wild
Among the waving harvests ? or afcend,
While radiant Summer opens all its pride,
Thy hill, delightful Shene? Here let us fweep
The boundless landskip: now the raptur'd eye,
*The old name of Richmond, fignifying in Saxon Shining, or Splendor.
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