now no more th'alternate Twins are fir'd, er reddens with the solar Blaze,
e doubtful Empire of the Night;
observant of approaching Day,
ey'd Morn appears, Mother of Dews,
nt-gleaming in the dappled
r Ether spreads the widening Glow;
before the Lustre of her Face,
ak the Clouds away. With quicken'd Step,
-ht retires. Young Day pours in apace,
all the lawny Prospect wide.
ng Rock, the Mountain's misty Top
he Sight, and brighten with the Dawn.
the Dusk, the smoking Currents shine;
the bladed Field the fearful Hare
ward: while along the Forest-glade
Deer trip, and often turning gaze
assenger. Musick awakes,
Voice of undissembled Joy;
around the woodland Hymns arise.
the Cock, the soon-clad Shepherd leaves
Cottage, where with Peace he dwells;
the crouded Fold, in Order, drives
to taste the Verdure of the Morn.
y luxurious, will not Man awake;
ging from the Bed of Sloth, enjoy
he fragrant, and the silent Hour,
ion due, and sacred Song?
re aught in Sleep can charm the Wise? lead Oblivion, losing half
g Moments of too short a Life?
Total Extinction of th'enlighten'd Soul!
Or else to feaverish Vanity alive,
Wilder'd, and tossing thro' distemper'd Dreams.
Who would in such a gloomy State remain
65 Longer than Nature craves? When every Muse,
And every blooming Pleasure wait without,
To bless the wildly-devious morning Walk.
But yonder comes the powerful King of Day,
Rejoicing in the East. The lessening Cloud,
70 The kindling Azure, and the Mountain's Brim,
Tipt with æthereal Gold, his near Approach
Betoken glad and now apparent all,
Aslant the Dew-bright Earth, and colour'd Air,
He looks, in boundless Majesty, abroad;
75 And sheds the shining Day, that, burnish'd, plays
On Rocks, and Hills, and Towers, and wandering Streams,
High-gleaming from afar. Prime Chearer, Light!
Of all material Beings first, and best!
Efflux divine! Nature's resplendent Robe,
80 Without whose vesting Beauty, all were wrapt
In unessential Gloom; and Thou, red Sun,
In whose wide Circle Worlds of Radiance lie,
Exhaustless Brightness! may I sing of Thee!
Who would the Blessings, first and last, recount,
85 That, in a full Effusion, from Thee flow,
As soon might number, at the Height of Noon,
The Rays that radiate from thy cloudless Sphere,
An universal Glory darting round.
'Tis by thy secret, strong, attractive Force,
90 As with a Chain, indissoluble, bound,
Thy System rolls entire; from the far Bourn
MS 84 (But he who would the Blessings all recount) T 87 cloudless] (dazzling) T
tion of th'enlighten'd Soul; feverish Vanity alive,
nd tossing thro' distemper'd Dreams?
in such a gloomy State remain,
Nature craves; when every Muse
blooming Pleasure wait without,
e wildly-devious Morning-walk?
nder comes the powerful King of Day,
the East. The lessening Cloud,
g Azure, and the Mountain's Brow
h fluid Gold, his near Approach
d. Lo! now apparent all,
dew-bright Earth, and colour'd Air,
boundless Majesty abroad;
the shining Day, that burnish'd plays
nd Hills, and Towers, and wandering Streams,
ng from afar. Prime Chearer, Light!
rial Beings first, and best!
e! Nature's resplendent Robe!
ose vesting Beauty all were wrapt
al Gloom; and thou, O Sun!
rounding Worlds! in whom best seen
thy Maker! may I sing of thee?
thy secret, strong, attractive Force, Chain indissoluble bound,
rolls entire: from the far Bourne aturn, wheeling wide his Round ears; to Mercury, whose Disk
Of slow-pac'd Saturn, to the scarce-seen Disk
Of Mercury, lost in excessive Blaze.
Informer of the planetary Train!
95 Without whose vital, and effectual Glance,
They'd be but brute, uncomfortable Mass,
And not, as now, the green Abodes of Life,
How many Forms of Being wait on Thee,
Inhaling Gladness! from th'unfetter'd Mind,
By Thee sublim'd, to that Day-living Race,
The mixing Myriads of thy evening Beam.
The vegetable World is also thine,
Parent of Seasons! from whose rich-stain'd Rays
Reflected various, various Colours rise:
105 The freshening Mantle of the youthful Year;
The wild Embroidery of the watry Vale;
With all that chears the Eye, and charms the Heart.
The branching Grove thy lusty Product stands,
To quench the Fury of thy Noon-Career; 110 And crowd a Shade for the retreating Swain, When on his russet Fields You look direct.
B 101 setting beam.
deep, to quench the summer noon;
MS For 103: . . . Seasons! thine the lovely Spring
Thy fairest Offspring. (Her each Beauty thine
Her every Grace) Her each Beauty owes
Its Birth to Thee; as from thy rich stain'd Rays T
107, 108 The Meadow blooming broad, the blossom'd Woods,
And all the flowery Pride of rising May.
Summer is thine, thine his expanding Force,
His (quickening) vital Vigour, (and) his prolific Heat,
Whence (teeming) pregnant Earth swells joyous to thy Ray:
And whence the Grove thy lusty etc. T
109 (see B) the summer noon] (thy fiery Rage) the Dog-star's
Rage T
Can scarce be caught by Philosophic Eye,
Lost in the near Effulgence of thy Blaze.
Informer of the planetary Train!
105 Without whose quickening Glance their cumbrous Orbs
Were brute unlovely Mass, inert and dead,
And not as now the green Abodes of Life;
How many Forms of Being wait on thee,
Inhaling Spirit; from th'unfetter'd Mind,
By thee sublim'd, down to the daily Race,
The mixing Myriads of thy setting Beam.
The vegetable World is also thine,
Parent of Seasons! who the Pomp precede
That waits thy Throne, as thro' thy vast Domain,
115 Annual, along the bright Ecliptic-Road,
In World-rejoicing State, it moves sublime.
Mean-time th'expecting Nations, circled gay
With all the various Tribes of foodful Earth,
Implore thy Bounty, or send grateful up
120 A common Hymn: while, round thy beaming Car,
High-seen, the Seasons lead, in sprightly Dance
Harmonious knit, the rosy-finger'd Hours,
The Zephyrs floating loose, the timely Rains,
Of Bloom etherial the light-footed Dews,
125 And soften'd into Joy the surly Storms.
These, in successive Turn, with lavish Hand,
Shower every Beauty, every Fragrance shower,
Herbs, Flowers, and Fruits; till, kindling at thy Touch,
From Land to Land is flush'd the vernal Year.
Nor to the Surface of enliven'd Earth,
Graceful with Hills and Dales, and leafy Woods,
Her liberal Tresses, is thy Force confin'd:
But, to the bowel'd Cavern darting deep,
The mineral Kinds confess thy mighty Power.
135 Effulgent, hence the veiny Marble shines;
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