Snatch'd from her yielded Hand, he knows not how,
Thro' Forests huge, and long untravel'd Heaths
With Desolation brown, he wanders waste,
975 In Night and Tempest wrapt; or shrinks aghast,
Back, from the bending Principe; or wades
The turbid Stream below, and strives to reach
The farther Shore, where succourless, and sad,
His Dearer Life extends her beckoning Arms,
980 But strives in vain, born by th'outragious Flood
To Distance down, he rides the ridgy Wave,
Or whelm'd beneath the boiling Eddy sinks.
Then a weak, wailing, lamentable Cry
Is heard, and all in Tears he wakes, again
985 To tread the Circle of revolving Woe.

These are the charming Agonies of Love,
Whose Misery delights. But thro' the Heart
Should Jealousy it's Venom once diffuse,
'Tis then delightful Misery no more,
990 But Agony unmixt, incessant Rage,
Corroding every Thought, and blasting all
The Paradise of Love. Ye Fairy Prospects then,
Ye Beds of Roses, and ye Bowers of Joy,
Farewell! Ye Gleamings of departing Peace,
995 Shine out your last! The yellow-tinging Plague
Internal Vision taints, and in a Night

Of livid Gloom Imagination wraps.

Ay then, instead of Love-enliven'd Cheeks,
Of Sunny Features, and of ardent Eyes

1000 With flowing Rapture bright, dark Looks succed,
Suffus'd, and glaring with untender Fire,

B 979 Wild as a Bacchanal she spreads her arms,

C

Paradise.

979 She with extended Arms his Aid implores, omitted 990 Rage,] Gall, 998 Ah then

D 994 departed

992 Love's

983-985

B977 C1060
D1063

A clouded Aspect, and a burning Cheek,
Where the whole poison'd Soul, malignant, sits,
And frightens Love away. Ten thousand Fears,
1005 Invented wild, ten thousand frantic Views

Of horrid Rivals, hanging on the Charms
For which he melts in Fondness, eat him up
With fervent Anguish, and consuming Pine.
In vain Reproaches lend their idle Aid,
1010 Deceitful Pride, and Resolution frail,

Giving a Moment's Ease. Reflection pours,
Afresh, her Beauties on his busy Thought,
Her first Endearments, twining round the Soul,
With all the Witchcraft of ensnaring Love.

1015 Strait the fierce Storm involves his Mind anew,
Flames thro' the Nerves, and boils along the Veins;
While anxious Doubt distracts the tortur'd Heart;
For even the sad Assurance of his Fears

Were Heaven to what he feels. Thus the warm Youth, 1020 Whom Love deludes into his thorny Wilds,

1025

Thro' flowery-tempting Paths, or leads a Life
Of feavor'd Rapture, or of cruel Care;
His brightest Aims extinguish'd all, and all
His lively Moments running down to Waste.

But happy They! the Happiest of their Kind!
Whom gentler Stars unite, and in one Fate
Their Hearts, their Fortunes, and their Beings blend.
'Tis not the coarser Tie of human Laws,
Unnatural oft, and foreign to the Mind,

1030 Which binds their Peace, but Harmony itself,
Attuning all their Passions into Love;

B 1019 Heaven ] peace 1030 That

C

1002 cloudy 1008 Pine.] Rage.

1011 Giving false Peace

a Moment. Fancy pours,

MS 1008 Pine. ] Care P (T or P Tovey, Aldine Ed. 1897)

Where Friendship full-exerts his softest Power,
Perfect Esteem enliven'd by Desire

Ineffable, and Sympathy of Soul,

1035 Thought meeting Thought, and Will preventing Will,
With boundless Confidence; for nought but Love
Can answer Love, and render Bliss secure.
Let Him, ungenerous, who, alone intent
To bless himself, from sordid Parents buys
1040 The loathing Virgin, in eternal Care,

Well-merited, consume his Nights and Days.
Let barbarous Nations, whose inhuman Love
Is wild Desire fierce as the Suns they feel,
Let Eastern Tyrants from the Light of Heaven
1045 Seclude their Bosom-slaves, meanly possest
Of a meer, lifeless, violated Form:

While those whom Love cements, in holy Faith,
And equal Transport, free as Nature, live,
Disdaining Fear; for what's the World to them,
1050 It's Pomp, it's Pleasure, and it's Nonsense all!
Who in each other clasp whatever fair

High Fancy forms, and lavish Hearts can wish,
Something than Beauty dearer, should they look
Or on the Mind, or Mind-illumin'd Face,
1055 Truth, Goodness, Honour, Harmony and Love,
The richest Bounty of indulgent Heaven.
Mean-time a smiling Offspring rises round,
And mingles both their Graces. By degrees,
The human Blossom blows; and every Day,
1060 Soft as it rolls along, shews some new Charm,
The Father's Lustre, and the Mother's Bloom.
Then infant Reason grows apace, and calls
For the kind Hand of an assiduous Care:
Delightful Task! to rear the tender Thought,
1065 To teach the young Idea how to shoot,

To pour the fresh Instruction o'er the Mind,
To breathe thinspiring Spirit, and to plant
The generous Purpose in the glowing Breast.
Oh speak the Joy! You, whom the sudden Tear
1070 Surprizes often, while you look around,

And nothing strikes your Eye but Sights of Bliss,
All various Nature pressing on the Heart,
Obedient Fortune, and approving Heaven.
These are the Blessings of diviner Love;
1075 And thus their Moments fly; the Seasons thus,
As ceaseless round a jarring World they roll,
Still find Them happy; and consenting Spring
Sheds her own rosy Garland on their Head:
Till Evening comes at last, cool, gentle, calm;
1080 When after the long vernal Day of Life,

Enamour'd more, as Soul approaches Soul,
Together, down They sink in social Sleep.

The End.

с

C 1067 inspiring] enlivening plant] fix 1073, 1074 thus expanded:

1069 ye,

An elegant Sufficiency, Content,
Retirement, rural Quiet, Friendship, Books,
Ease and alternate Labour, useful Life,
Progressive Virtue, and approving Heaven.

These are the matchless Joys of virtuous Love;

1078 Heads: 1079 at last, serene and mild;

1081, 1082 Enamour'd more, as more Remembrance swells
With many a Proof of recollected Love,
Together down they sink in social Sleep;

Together freed, their gentle Spirits fly

To Scenes where Love and Bliss immortal reign.

MS 1067 to plant] call forth T 1068 in ] from T (social) T 1079 at last, pleasing, serene T.

[1160] useful]

[1160]

Proposals 1)

For Printing by Subscription

The

Four Seasons,

With a Hymn on their Succession.

To which will be added a Poem sacred to the Memory of Sir Isaac Newton. And an Essay on Descriptive Poetry will be prefixed to the Whole.

By Mr. Thomson.

L. This Work is proposed to be printed in one Volume in Quarto, on a Superfine Royal Paper, and adorned with Copper-Plates adapted to the Subject.

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III. The Names of Subscribers to be printed before the Work, which is in great Forwardness, and will be published with all possible speed.

N. B. The Pieces already published, viz. Winter, Summer, and a Poem on the Death of Sir Isaac Newton, will be corrected and enlarged in several Places.

Subscriptions are taken in by the Author, at the Smyrna Coffee-House in Pall-Mall; and by G. Strahan, at the Golden Ball in Cornhill; A. Millar, at Buchanan's Head, over-against St. Clement's Church in the Strand; J. Millan at the Blue Anchor in Pall-Mall; and by A. Ramsay, at Edinburgh.

1) These "Proposals" are found appended to the first edition of "Spring", but had already been published before.