The subject propos'd. Address to Mr. Onslow. A prospect of the fields ready for harvest. Reaping. A tale.1) A barvest storm. Shooting and hunting, their barbarity. A ludicrous account of fox-hunting. A view of an orchard. Wall-fruit. A vineyard. A description of fogs, frequent in the latter part of Autumn: whence a digression, enquiring into the rise of fountains, and rivers. Birds of season considered, that now shift their habitation. The prodigious number of them that cover the northern and western isles of Scotland. Hence a view of the country. A prospect of the discoloured, fading woods. After a gentle dusky day, moon-light. Autumnal meteors. Morning: to which succeeds a calm, pure, sun-shine2) day, such as usually shuts up the season. The harvest being gathered in, the country dissolv'd in joy. The whole concludes with a panegyrick on a philosophical country life.
Variations of the editions of 1744 and 1746: 1) ready for Harvest. Reflexions in praise of Industry rais'd by that View. Reaping. A Tale relative to it. A Harvest-Storm. etc. shiny.
The text given in full (A) is that of first ed. (1730). B =
= ed. 1744. = ed. 1746. The MS. notes, written before the publication of B, were made on A. BP means that P suggests the reading adopted in
CROWN'D with the sickle, and the wheaten sheaf,
While Autumn, nodding o'er the yellow plain,
Comes jovial on; the doric reed once more,
Well-pleas'd, I tune. Whate'er the wintry frost
5 Nitrous prepar'd; the various-blossom'd Spring
Put in white promise forth; and Summer-Suns
Concocted strong, rush boundless now to view,
Full, perfect all, and swell my glorious theme.
Onslow the muse, ambitious of thy name,
10 To grace, inspire, and dignify her song,
Would from the public voice thy gentle ear
A while engage. Thy noble cares she knows,
The patriot-virtues that distend thy thought,
Spread on thy front, and in thy conduct glow;
15 While listening senates hang upon thy tongue,
Devolving thro' the maze of eloquence
A rowl of periods, sweeter than her song.
But she too pants for publick virtue, she,
Tho' weak of power, yet strong in ardent will,
20 Whene'er her country rushes on her heart,
Assumes a bolder note, and fondly tries
To mix the patriot's with the poet's flame.
When the bright Virgin gives the beauteous days, B23 23 And Libra weighs in equal scales the year;
25 From heaven's high cope the fierce effulgence shook
Of parting Summer, a serener blue,
With golden light irradiate, wide invests.
The happy world. Attemper'd suns arise,
Sweet-beam'd, and shedding oft thro' lucid clouds.
30 A pleasing calm; while broad, and brown, below,
Unbounded harvests hang the heavy head.
Rich, silent, deep, they stand; for not a gale
Rolls its light billows o'er the bending plain;
A calm of plenty! till the ruffled air
35 Falls from its poise, and gives the breeze to blow.
Rent is the fleecy mantle of the sky;
The clouds fly different; and the sudden sun
By fits effulgent gilds th'illumin'd field,
And black by fits the shadows sweep along.
40 A gayly checker'd, wide-extended view,
Far as the circling eye can shoot around,
Convolv'd, and tossing in a flood of corn.
These are thy blessings Industry! rough Power!
Whom Labour still attends, and Sweat, and Pain;
45 Yet the kind source of every gentle art,
And all the soft civility of life:
Raiser of human kind! by Nature cast,
Naked, and helpless, out amid the woods,
And wilds, to rude inclement elements;
50 With various powers of deep efficiency
B 27 irradiate,] enliven'd
extended] Heart-expanding 42 Unbounded tossing various Seeds of Art deep in the Mind
MS 40 BP (first heart-delighting)
of Ripend Corn) P
42 (O'er waving golden Seas
Implanted, and profusely pour'd around.
Materials infinite; but idle all.
Still unexerted, in th'unconscious breast,
Slept the lethargic powers; Corruption still,
55 Voracious, swallow'd what the liberal hand
Of Bounty scatter'd o'er the savage year.
And still the sad barbarian, roving, mix'd
With beasts of prey; or for his acorn-meal
Fought the fierce tusky boar: a shivering wretch!
60 Aghast, and comfortless, when the red north,
With winter charg'd, let the mixt tempest fly,
Hail, rain, and snow, and bitter-breathing frost.
Then to the shelter of the hut he fled;
And the wild season, sordid, pin'd away.
65 For home he had not; home is the resort
Of love, of joy, of peace, and plenty, where,
Supporting and supported, polish'd friends,
And dear relations mingle into bliss.
But this the rugged savage never felt,
70 Even desolate in crouds; and thus his days
Roll'd heavy, dark, and unenjoy'd along;
A waste of time! till Industry approach'd,
And rous'd him from his miserable sloth;
His faculties unfolded; pointed out,
75 Where lavish Nature the directing hand
Of Art demanded; shew'd him how to raise
His feeble force by the mechanic powers,
To dig the mineral from the vaulted earth,
On what to turn the piercing rage of fire,
80 On what the torrent, and the gather'd blast;
Gave the tall antient forest to his ax;
Taught him to chip the wood, and hew the stone, Till by degrees the finish'd fabrick rose;
Tore from his limbs the blood-polluted fur,
85 And wrapt them in the woolly vestment warm,
Or bright in glossy silk, and flowing lawn;
With wholesome viands fill'd his table, pour'd
The generous glass around, inspir'd, to wake
The life-refining soul of decent wit:
90 Nor stopp'd at barren, bare necessity;
But still advancing bolder, led him on,
By hardy patience, and experience slow,
To pomp, to pleasure, elegance, and grace;
And breathing high ambition thro' his soul,
95 Set science, wisdom, glory in his view,
And bad him be the Lord of all below.
Then gathering men their natural powers combin'd, B96 C96 And form'd a Public; to the general good Submitting, aiming, and conducting all. 100 For this the Patriot-Council met, the full, The free, and fairly represented Whole; For this devis'd the holy guardian laws, Distinguish'd orders, animated Arts,
And with joint force Oppression chaining, set 105 Imperial Justice at the helm; yet still
To them accountable: nor slavish dream'd
That toiling millions must resign their weal,
And all the honey of their search, to such
As for themselves alone themselves have rais'd.
Hence every form of cultivated life
In order set, protected, and inspir'd,
Into perfection wrought. Uniting all,
Society grew numerous, high, polite,
And happy. Nurse of art! the city rose;
B 92 omitted 102 For This they plann'd 114 thus amplified: the City rear'd || In beauteous Pride her Tower-encircled Head;
MS 92 deleted by P (T Tovey) 112 wrought] rose P 114 BP
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