He now begins; the dancing hills attend,
And knotty oaks from mountain-tops defcend
He fings of fwains beneath the beechen shade,
* When lovely Amaryllis fill'd the glade;
Next, in a fympathizing lay, complains
Of love unpitied, and the lover's pains:
But when with art the hallow'd pipe he blew,
What deep attention hush'd the rival crew !
He play'd fo fweetly, and fo fweetly fung,
That on each note th' enraptur'd audience hung;
Ev'n blue-hair'd nymphs, from Ladon's limpid ftream,
Rais'd their bright heads, and liften'd to the theme;
Then through the yielding waves in transport glanc'd
Whilft on the banks the joyful shepherds danc'd :
could speak. Having fecretly breathed his vows to the gods, he poured forth fuch melodious notes, that, though they were a little wild and irregular, they filled every heart with delight. The fwains immediately mingled in the dance; and the old fhepherds affirmed, that they had often heard fuch mufick by night, which they imagined to be played by fome of the rural deities.
"We oft, faid they, at close of evening flowers, "Have heard fuch mufick in the vocal bowers:
"We wonder'd; for we thought fome amorous god,
"That on a filver moonbeam fwiftly rode,
"Had fann'd with ftarry plumes the floating air,
"And touch'd his harp, to charm fome mortal fair."
He ended; and as rolling billows loud
His praise refounded from the circling croud.
The clamorous tumult foftly to compofe,
Eigh in the midft the plaintive* Colin rose,
Born on the lilied banks of royal Thame,
Which oft had rung with Rofalinda's name;
Fair, yet neglected; neat, yet unadorn'd;
The pride of dress, and flowers of art, he scorn'd:
And, like the nymph who fir'd his youthful breaft,
Green were his bufkins, green his fimple veft:
With careless ease his ruftick lays he fung,
And melody flow'd smoothly from his tongue :
Of Jane's gay fruits and Auguft's corn he told,
The bloom of April, and December's cold;
*Colin is the name that Spenfer takes in his pastorals; and Rofalinda is that under which he celebrates his mistress.
* The loves of fhepherds, and their harmless cheer
In every month that decks the varied year.
Now on the flute with equal grace he play'd,
And his foft numbers died along the shade;
The fkilful dancers to his accents mov'd,
And every voice his eafy tune approv'd;
Ev'n Hyla, blooming maid, admir'd the strain,
While through her bosom shot a pleasing pain.
Now all were hush'd: no rival durft arise;
Pale were their cheeks, and full of tears their eyes.
Menalcas, rifing from his flowery seat,
Thus, with a voice majestically sweet,
Addrefs'd th' attentive throng: "Arcadians, hear!
"The fky grows dark, and beamy stars appear:
"Hafte to the yale; the bridal bowers prepare,
"And hail with joy Menalcas' tuneful heir.
"Thou, Tityrus, of fwains the pride and grace,
"Shalt clasp foft Daphne in thy fond embrace:
"And thou, young Colin, in thy willing arms
"Shalt fold my Hyla, fair in native charms
"O'er these sweet plains divided empire hold,
"And to your latest race tranfinit an age of gold.
See the Shepherd's Kalendar.
"What fplendid vifions rife before my fight,
"And fill my aged bofom with delight!
ss. Henceforth of wars and conqueft fhall you fing,
ARMS AND THE MAN in every clime fhall ring;
66 Thy mufe, bold Maro, Tityrus no more,
"Shall tell of chiefs that left the Phrygian fhore,
"Sad Dido's love, and Venus' wandering fon,
“The Latians vanquish'd, and Lavinia won.
"And thou, O Colin, heaven-defended youth,
"Shalt hide in fiction's veil the charms of truth;
"Thy notes the fting of forrow fhall beguile,
And smooth the brow of anguish till it fimile;
"Notes, that a fweet Elysian dream can raise,
"And lead th' enchanted foul through fancy's maze;
"Thy verfe fhall fhine with Gloriana's name,
"And fill the world with Britain's endless fame."
To Tityrus then he gave the facred flute, And bade his fons their blushing brides falute;
*The good old man leaped from his throne, and, after he had embraced him, presented him to his daughter, which caused a general acclamation.
This prophecy of Menalcas alludes to the Eneid of Virgil, and
the Fairy-Queen of Spenfer.
Whilft all the train a lay of triumph fung,
Till mountains echo'd, and till valleys rung.
* While thus with mirth they tun'd the nuptial ftrain,
A youth, too late, was haftening o'er the plain,
Clad in a flowing veft of azure hue;
+ Blue were his fañdals, and his girdle blue :
A flave, ill-drefs'd and mean, behind him bore
An ofier-bafket, fill'd with fifhy ftore;
The lobfter with his fable armour bold;
The tafteful mullet deck'd with fcales of gold;
Bright perch, the tyrants of the finny breed;
And greylings fweet, that crop the fragrant weed:
*While they were in the midst of their joy, they were furprised with a very odd appearance. A perfon, in a blue mantle, crowned with fedges and rushes, ftepped into the midst of the ring. He had an angling rod in his hand, a pannier upon his back; and a poor meagre wretch in wet clothes carried fome oysters before him. Being asked, whence he came, and what
+ See Sannazaro, Ongaro, Phineas Fletcher, and other writers of pifcatory eclogues.
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