THE

CASTLE OF INDOLENCE

The caftle hight of indolence,
And its falfe luxury;

Where for a little time, alas!
We liv'd right jollily.

1.

Mortal man, who livest here by toil,

Do not complain of this thy hard estate
That like an emmet thou must ever moil,
Is a fad fentence of an ancient date;
And, certes, there is for it reafon great;

;

For, though fometimes it makes thee weep and wail, And curfe thy star, and early drudge and late, Withouten that would come an heavier bale, Loofe life, unruly paffions, and diseases pale. II.

In lowly dale, fast by a river's fide,

With woody hill o'er hill encompass'd round,

A moft enchanting wizard did abide,

Than whom a fiend more fell is no where found.

It was, I ween, a lovely spot of ground;

And there a feafon atween June and May,

Half prankt with spring, with summer half imbrown'd, A liftless climate made, where, footh to fay, No living wight could work, ne cared ev'n for play. III. Was

04

III.

Was nought around but images of reft:
Sleep-foothing groves, and quiet lawns between ;
And flowery beds that flumberous influence keft,
From poppies breath'd; and beds of pleasant green,
Where never yet was creeping creature seen.
Meantime unnumber'd glittering ftreamlets play'd,
And hurled every..where their waters sheen;
That, as they bicker'd through the funny glade,
Though restlefs ftill themselves, a lulling murmur made. 、
IV.

Join'd to the prattle of the purling rills,
Were heard the lowing herds along the vale,
And flocks loud-bleating from the distant hills,
And vacant shepherds piping in the dale :
And now and then sweet Philomel would wail,
Or stock-doves plain amid the forest deep,
That drowsy rustled to the fighing gale;
And still a coil the grasshopper did keep;
Yet all these founds yblent inclined all to fleep.
V.

Full in the paffage of the vale, above,

A fable, filent, folemn foreft ftood;

Where nought but shadowy forms was feen to move, As Idlefs fancy'd in her dreaming mood:

And up the hills, on either fide, a wood
Of blackening pines, ay waving to and fro,
Sent forth a fleepy horror through the blood;
And where this valley winded out, below,

[flow.

The murmuring main was heard, and scarcely heard, to

VI.

A pleafing land of drowsy-head it was,

Of dreams that wave before the half-shut eye;
And of gay caftles in the clouds that pafs,
For ever flushing round a fummer-sky :
There eke the foft delights, that witchingly
Inftil a wanton sweetness through the breast,
And the calm pleasures always hover'd nigh;
But whate'er finack'd of noyance, or unrest,
Was far far off expell'd from this delicious neft.
VII.

The landskip fuch, infpiring perfect ease, Where Indolence (for fo the wizard hight) Close-hid his castle mid embowering trees, That half shut out the beams of Phoebus bright, And made a kind of checker'd day and night; Meanwhile, unceafing at the maffy gate, Beneath a spacious palm, the wicked wight Was plac'd; and to his lute, of cruel fate, And labour harsh, complain'd, lamenting man's eftate. VIII.

Thither continual pilgrims crowded ftill,

From all the roads of earth that pass there by :
For, as they chaunc'd to breathe on neighbouring hill,
The freshness of this valley fmote their eye,

And drew them ever and anon more nigh;

Till clustering round th' enchanter false they hung, Y molten with his fyren melody;

While o'er th' enfeebling lute his hand he flung, And to the trembling chords thefe tempting verfes fung:

IX. "Be

IX.

"Behold! ye pilgrims of this earth, behold! "See all but man with unearn'd pleafure gay: "See her bright robes the butterfly unfold, "Broke from her wintery tomb in prime of May! "What youthful bride can equal her array ? "Who can with her for eafy pleasure vie? "From mead to mead with gentle wing to ftray, "From flower to flower on balmy gales to fly, "Is all fhe has to do beneath the radiant fky. X.

"Behold the merry minstrels of the morn, "The fwarming fongfters of the careless grove, "Ten thoufand throats! that from the flowering thorn, "Hymn their good God, and carol fweet of love, "Such grateful kindly raptures them emove : "They neither plough, nor fow; ne, fit for flail, "E'er to the barn the nodden fheaves they drove; "Yet theirs each harvest dancing in the gale, "Whatever crowns the hill, or fmiles along the vale. XI.

"Outcaft of nature, man! the wretched thrall
"Of bitter dropping fweat, of fweltry pain,
"Of cares that eat away thy heart with gall,
"And of the vices, an inhuman train,
"That all proceed from favage thirst of gain':
"For when hard-hearted Interest first began
"To poison earth, Aftræa left the plain;
"Guile, violence, and murder feiz'd on man,

for foft milky ftreams, with blood the rivers ran.
XII. "Come,

XII.

"Come, ye, who still the cumberous load of life “Push hard up hill; but as the farthest steep "You truft to gain, and put an end to ftrife, "Down thunders back the ftone with mighty fweep, "And hurls your labours to the valley deep, "For-ever vain: come, and, withouten fee, “I in oblivion will your forrows steep,

"Your cares, your toils, will steep you in a sea "Of full delight: O come, ye weary wights, to me! XIII.

"With me, you need not rife at early dawn, "To pafs the joyless day in various stounds : "Or, louting low, on upftart fortune fawn, "And fell fair honour for fome paltry pounds; "Or through the city take your dirty rounds, "To cheat, and dun, and lye, and visit pay, "Now flattering bafe, now giving fecret wounds: "Or proul in courts of law for human prey, "In venal fenate thieve, or rob on broad highway. XIV.

"No cocks, with me, to ruftic labour call, "From village on to village sounding clear : "To tardy fwain no fhrill-voic'd matrons fquall; "No dogs, no babes, no wives, to ftun your ear; "No hammers thump; no horrid blacksmith fear, "Ne noify tradesman your sweet slumbers start,. "With founds that are a mifery to hear: "But all is calm, as would delight the heart "Of Sybarite of old, all nature, and all art.

XV. "Here