AUTUMN.

C

more,

ROWN'D with the fickle, and the

wheaten fheaf,

While Autumn, nodding o'er the yellow plain,

Comes jovial on; the doric reed once.

Well-pleas'd, I tune. Whate'er the wintry troft
Nitrous prepar'd; the various-bloffom'd Spring
Put in white promife forth; and Summer-Suns
Concocted strong, rush boundless now to view,
Full, perfect all, and fwell my glorious theme.

Onflow! the mufe, ambitious of thy name, To grace, infpire, and dignity her fong,

A 3

5

1Q Would

Would from the public voice thy gentle ear
A While engage. Thy noble cares fhe knows,
The patriot-virtues that diftend thy Thought,
Spread on thy Front, and in thy conduct glow;
While listening senates hang upon thy tongue,
Devolving thro' the maze of eloquence
A rowl of periods, sweeter than her fong.
But she too pants for public virtue, she,

Tho' weak of power, yet strong in ardent will,
Whene'er her Country rushes on her heart,

Affumes a bolder note, and fondly tries

To mix the patriot's with the poet's flame.

When the bright Virgin gives the beauteous days, And Libra weighs in equal fcales the year;

15

20

From heaven's high cope the fierce effulgence fhook 25

Of parting Summer, a ferener blue,

With golden light irradiate, wide invests

The happy World. Attemper'd funs arife,

Sweet-beam'd, and shedding oft thro' lucid clouds

A pleafing calm; while broad, and brown, below, 30 Unbounded harvefts hang the heavy head.

Rich, filent, deep, they ftand; for not a gale

Rolls its light billows o'er the bending plain;

A

A calm of plenty! till the ruffled air

Falls from its poife, and gives the breeze to blow.

37

Rent is the fleecy Mantle of the sky;

The clouds fly different; and the fudden fun
By fits effulgent gilds th' illumin'd field,
And black by fits the fhadows fweep along.
A gayly checker'd, wide-extended view,
Far as the circling eye can shoot around,
Convolv'd, and toffing in a flood of corn.

40

Thefe are thy bleffings Industry! rough Power! Whom Labour still attends, and Sweat, and Pain;

Yet the kind fource of every gentle art,

45

And all the foft civility of life;

Raifer of human kind! by Nature cast,

Naked, and helpless, out amid the woods,"

And wilds, to rude inclement elements;
With various powers of deep efficiency
Implanted, and profufely pour'd around
Materials infinite; but idle all.

Still unexerted, in th' unconscious breast,
Slept the lethargic powers; Corruption still,
Voracious, fwallow'd what the liberal hand
A 4

5.9

55

Of

Of Bounty scatter'd o'er the favage year.

And ftill the fad barbarian, roving, mix'd

With beafts of prey; or for his acron-meal

Fought the fierce tusky boar: a fhivering wretch!
Aghaft, and comfortless, when the red north,
With winter charg'd, let the mixt tempest fly,

Hail, rain, and fnow, and bitter-breathing froft.
Then to the shelter of the hut he fled;

And the wild feafon, fordid, pin'd away.

For home he had not; home is the resort

Of love, of joy, of peace, and plenty, where,
Supporting and fupported, polifh'd friends,

And dear relations mingle into blifs.

бо

65

But this the rugged favage never felt,

Even defolate in crouds; and thus his days

79

Roll'd heavy, dark, and unenjoy'd along:
A waste of time! till Industry approach'd,
And rous'd him from his miferable floth;
His faculties unfolded; pointed out,

To dig the mineral from the vaulted earth,
On what to turn the piercing rage of fire,

On

AUTUM N.

On what the torrent, and the gather'd blaft;
Gave the tall antient forest to his ax;

Taught him to chip the wood, and hew the stone,
Till by degrees the finish'd fabric rofe;

Tore from his Limbs the blood polluted fur,

And wrapt them in the woolly veftment warm,

90

Or bright in gloffy filk, and flowing lawn;
With wholefome viands fill'd his table pour'd
The generous glass around, infpir'd to wake
The life-refining Soul of decent wit:

Nor ftopt at barren, bare neceffity;

But ftill advancing bolder, led him on,

By hardy patience, and experience flow,

95

To pomp, to pleasure, elegance, and grace;
And breathing high ambition thro' his foul,
Set science, wisdom, glory in his view,

And bad him be the Lord of all below.

Then gathering men their natural pow'rs combin'd,
And form'd a Public; to the general good
Submitting, aiming, and conducting all.

100

For this the Patriot-Council met, the fuil,

105

The free, and fairly reprefented Whole;
For this devis'd the holy guardian laws,

Di