"What pity! that fo delicate a form, "By Beauty kindled, where enlivening Sense, "And more than vulgar Goodness, seem to dwell, "Should be devoted to the rude embrace 240 "Of fome indecent clown! She looks, methinks, "Of old Acafto's line, and to my mind "Recalls that patron of my happy life, 246 "From whom my liberal fortune took its rife, "Now to the dust gone down, his houses, lands, "And once fair-spreading family, dissolv’d. ""Tis faid that in fome lone obfcure retreat, "Urg'd by remembrance fad, and decent pride, "Far from those scenes which knew their better days, "His aged widow and his daughter live, 250 "Whom yet my fruitlefs fearch could never find. "Romantic wish! would this the daughter were!" When, ftri&t inquiring, from herself he found She was the fame, the daughter of his friend, Of bountiful Acafto, who can speak 255 260 The mingled paffions that furpris'd his heart, "And art thou, then, Acafto's dear remains? 265 "She, whom my restless gratitude has fought "So long in vain? O heavens! the very fame, "The foftened image of my noble friend; "Alive his every look, his every feature, "More elegantly touch'd. Sweeter than Spring, 270 "Thou fole surviving bloffom from the root "That nourish'd up my fortune! Say, ah where, "In what fequeftered defert haft thou drawn "The kindeft afpect of delighted Heaven! "Into fuch beauty spread, and blown fo fair, 275 "Tho' poverty's cold wind, and crushing rain, "Beat keen and heavy on thy tender years? "O let me now into a richer foil 280 "Transplant thee fafe! where vernal funs and showers "Diffuse their warmeft, largest influence, "And of my garden be the pride and joy! "Ill it befits thee, oh it ill befits "Acafto's daughter, his whose open stores, "Tho' vaft, were little to his ampler heart, "The father of a country, thus to pick 285 "The very refuse of those harvest-fields, "Which from his bounteous friendship I enjoy. "Then throw that fhameful pittance from thy hand, "But ill apply'd to such a rugged task ; "The fields, the mafter, all, my Fair! are thine,290 "If to the various bleflings which thy house "Has on me lavish'd, thou wilt add that blifs, "That dearest blifs, the power of bleffing thee!" 295 Here ceas'd the youth; yet ftill his fpeaking eye In fweet diforder loft, fhe blufh'd confent. 300 While, pierc'd with anxious thought, she pin'd away The lonely moments for Lavinia's fate; Amaz'd, and scarce believing what she heard, 306 Joy feiz'd her withered veins, and one bright gleam The fultry South collects a potent blast. Their trembling tops, and a ftill murmur runs 315 320 From the bare wild the diffipated storm, Or whirl'd in air, or into vacant chaff 325 Shook wafte: and fometimes, too, a burst of rain, 330 335 Herds, flocks and harvests, cottages and fwains, 340 345 Ye Mafters! then 350 Be mindful of the rough laborious hand 355 Here the rude clamour of the sportsman's joy, 360 The gun faft-thundering, and the winded horn, Would tempt the Muse to fing the rural game; How in his mid-career the spaniel, struck Stiff by the tainted gale, with open nose, Outftretch'd, and finely fenfible, draws full, Fearful, and cautious, on the latent prey: As in the fun the circling covey bask 365 370 Their varied plumes, and, watchful every way, |