115 120 See! from the brake the whirring pheasant springs, And mounts exulting on triumphant wings: Short is his joy; he feels the fiery wound, Flutters in blood, and panting beats the ground. Ah! what avail his gloffy, varying dyes, His purple creft, and fcarlet-circled eyes, The vivid green his fhining plumes unfold, His painted wings, and breast that flames with gold? Nor yet, when moist Arcturus clouds the sky, The woods and fields their pleafing toils deny. To plains with well-breath'd beagles we repair, And trace the mazes of the circling hare: (Beafts, urg'd by us, their fellow-beafts pursue, And learn of man each other to undo.) With flaught'ring guns th' unweary'd fowler roves, When frofts have whiten'd all the naked groves, Where doves in flocks the leaflefs trees o'erfhade, And lonely woodcocks haunt the wat'ry glade. He lifts the tube, and levels with his eye; Straight a fhort thunder breaks the frozen fky: Oft, as in airy rings they skim the heath, The clam'rous lapwings feel the leaden death: Oft, as the mounting larks their notes prepare, They fall, and leave their little lives in air. 126 130 140 In genial fpring, beneath the quiv'ring fhade, 135 Where cooling vapours breathe along the mead, The patient fisher takes his filent stand Intent, his angle trembling in his hand : With looks unmov'd, he hopes the scaly breed, And eyes the dancing cork and bending reed. Our plenteous ftreams a various race fupply; The bright-ey'd perch, with fins of Tyrian dye; The filver eel, in fhining volumes roll'd; The yellow carp, in fcales bedropp'd with gold; Swift trouts, diverfify'd with crimson ftains And pikes, the tyrants of the watʼry plains. 145 Now Cancer glows with Phoebus' fiery car, The youth rufh eager to the fylvan war, Swarm o'er the lawns, the foreft walks furround, Roufe the fleet hart, and cheer the op'ning hound. 150 Th' impatient courfer pants in ev'ry vein, 160 See the bold youth ftrain up the threat'ning fteep, 155 Above the rest a rural nymph was fam'd, d; 165 179 The Mufe fhall fing, and what the fings fhall laft.) Scarce could the goddess from her nymph be known, But by the crefcent and the golden zone. 176 180 She fcorn'd the praise of Beauty, and the care; 185 199 Now 195 201 205 219 Now fainting, finking, pale, the nymph appears; Now clofe behind, his founding fteps the hears; And now his fhadow reach'd her as the run, His fhadow lengthen'd by the fetting fun; And now his fhorter breath, with fultry air, Pants on her neck, and fans her parting hair. In vain on father Thames the calls for aid, Nor could Diana help her injur'd maid. Faint, breathlefs, thus fhe pray'd, nor pray'd in vain ; "Ah, Cynthia! ah---tho' banish'd from thy train, "Let me, O let me, to the fhades repair, "My native fhades---there weep, and murmur there.” She faid, and melting as in tears the lay, In a foft filver ftream diffolv'd away. The filver ftream her virgin coldnef's keeps, For ever murmurs, and for ever weeps : Still bears the name the hapless virgin bore, And bathes the foreft where the rang'd before. In her chafte current oft the goddess laves, And with celeftial tears augments the waves. Oft in her glafs the mufing thepherd fpies The headlong mountains and the downward skies The wat'ry landscape of the pendant woods, And abfent trees that tremble in the floods ; In the clear azure gleam the flocks are feen, And Alcating forefts paint the waves with green. Thro' the fair fcene roll flow the ling'ring ftreams, Then foaming pour along, and ruth into the Thames, Thou, too, great father of the Britith floods ! With joyful pride furvey'st our lofty woods; Where tow'ring caks their growing honours rear, And future navies on thy fhores appear. Not Neptune's felf from all his ftreams receives A wealthier tribute than to thine he gives. No feas fo rich, fo gay no banks appear, No lake fo gentle, and no fpring to clear. Nor Po fo fwells the fabling poets' lays, While led along the fkies his current itrays, As thine, which vifits Windfor's fam'd abodes, To grace the manfion of our earthly gods; F 3 ; 215 220 225 230 Nor Nor all his ftars above a luftre show Like the bright beauties on thy banks below; Happy the man whom this bright court approves, He gathers health from herbs the foreft yields, 240 245 259 255 Ye facred Nine! that all my foul poffefs, Led by the found, I roam from thade to fhade, 265 270 Here Here his firft lays majestic Denham fung; When the fad pomp along his bank's was led? 275 280 Since Fate relentless stopp'd their heav'nly voice, No more the forefts ring, or groves rejoice: Who now shall charm the fhades where Cowley ftrung His living harp, and lofty Denham fung? But hark! the groves rejoice, the Foreft rings! Are these reviv'd? or is it Granville fings? 'Tis yours, my Lord, to blefs our foft retreats, And call the Mufes to their ancient feats; To paint anew the flow'ry fylvan scenes, To crown the forefts with immortal greens : Make Windfor-hills in lofty numbers rife, And lift her turrets nearer to the skies; To fing those honours you deserve to wear, And add new luftre to her filver ftar. 285 290 295 Here noble Surrey felt the facred rage, Surrey, the Granville of a former age: Matchlefs his pen, victorious was his lance, Bold in the lifts, and graceful in the dance : In the fame fhades the Cupids tun'd his lyre, To the fame notes, of love, and foft defire: Fair Geraldine, bright object of his vow, Then fill'd the groves, as heav'nly Mira now. Oh wouldst thou fing what heroes Windfor bore, What kings firft breath'd upon her winding fhore, Or raife old warriors, whofe ador'd remains In weeping vaults her hallow'd earth contains ! With Edward's acts adorn the fhining page, Stretch his long triumphs down through ev'ry age, Draw monarchs chain'd, and Creffi's glorious field, The lilies blazing on the regal fhield : Then, from her roofs when Verrio's colours fall, And leave inanimate the naked wall, 301 306 Still in thy fong fhould vanquish'd France appear, 310 Let |