They had engag'd their wandering steps too far, And envious darkness, ere they could return, Had ftole them from me; elfe, O thievith Night, 195 Why should't thou, but for fome felonious end, In thy dark lantern thus close up the stars, That nature hung in Heav'n, and fill'd their lamps To the misled and lonely traveller? This is the place, as well as I may guess, Of calling shapes, and beckoning shadows dire, 200 205 On fands, and fhores, and defert wilderneffes. I fee you visibly, and now believe 215 That he, the Supreme Good, t' whom all things ill Would send a glistering guardian, if need were, Was I deceiv'd, or did a fable cloud Turn forth her filver lining on the night? 220 I did not err, there does a fable cloud Turn forth her filver lining on the night, Such noise as I can make to be heard fartheft 225 SWEET Echo, sweetest nymph, that liv'st unseen Within thy aery shell, By flow Meander's margent green, And in the violet-embroider'd vale, Where the love-lorn nightingale Nightly to thee her fad fong mourneth well; 235 Can't thou not tell me of a gentle pair That likeft thy Narciffus are? O if thou have Hid them in fome flowery cave, Tell me but where, Sweet queen of parly, daughter of the sphere, So may'st thou be tranflated to the skies, 240 And give refounding grace to all Heav'n's harmonies.. COм. Can any mortal mixture of earth's mold Breathe fuch divine inchanting ravishment? 245 Sure fomething holy lodges in that breaft, And with these raptures moves the vocal air How sweetly did they flote upon the wings VOL. III. K of Of filence, through the empty-vaulted night, My mother Circe with the Syrens three, 250 Culling their potent herbs, and baleful drugs, 255 Who as they fung, would take the prifon'd foul, And chid her barking waves into attention, And fell Charybdis murmur'd soft applause: Yet they in pleafing flumber lull'd the sense, I never heard till now. I'll speak to her, 260 And the shall be my queen. Hail, foreign wonder, 265 Whom certain these rough fhades did never breed, Unless the Goddess that in rural fhrine Dwell'ft here with Pan, or Sylvan, by blest song To touch the profperous growth of this tall wood. 270 Not any boast of skill, but extreme shift Compell'd me to awake the courteous Echo 275 [thus? COM. What chance, good Lady, hath bereft you LA. Dim darknefs, and this leafy labyrinth. Сом. COM. Could that divide you from near-ufhering guides? LA. They left me weary on a grassy turf. 280 COм. By falfhood, or difcourtefy, or why? turn. COм. Perhaps fore-ftalling night prevented them. LA. How eafy my misfortune is to hit! COм. Imports their lofs, befide the prefent need? LA. No less than if I should my Brothers lofe. COм. Were they of manly prime, or youthful bloom? LA. As fmooth as Hebe's their unrazor'd lips. 290 COM. Two fuch I faw, what time the labor'd ox In his loofe traces from the furrow came, And the swinkt hedger at his fupper fat; I saw them under a green mantling vine That crawls along the fide of yon fmall hill, Plucking ripe clusters from the tender shoots; Their port was more than human, as they stood: I took it for a faëry vision 295 Of fome gay creatures of the element, 300 And play i'th' plighted clouds. I was aw-ftruck, feek, It were a journey like the path to Heaven, To help you find them. LA. Gentle Villager, What readiest way would bring me to that place? 305 Would overtask the beft land-pilot's art, Without the fure guess of well-practis'd feet. 310 COм. I know each lane, and every alley green, Dingle, or bushy dell of this wild wood, And every bofky bourn from fide to fide, But loyal cottage, where you may be safe LA. Shepherd, I take thy word, With fmoky rafters, than in tap'ftry halls 315 320 And courts of princes, where it firft was nam'd, 325 I cannot be, that I should fear to change it. Eye me, blest Providence, and square my trial To my proportion'd ftrength! Shepherd, lead on. 330 The two BROTHERS. 1 BRO. Unmuffle, ye faint Stars, and thou fair Moon, That wont'st to love the traveller's benizon, Stoop |