And, foftened into joy, the furly Storms, Thefe in fucceffive turn, with lavish hand, 125 Shower every beauty, every fragrance shower, Herbs, flowers, and fruits, till, kindling at thy touch, From land to land is flufh'd the vernal year. 130 Nor to the furface of enlivened earth, Graceful with hills, and dales, and leafy woods, Her liberal treffes, is thy force confin'd, But, to the bowel'd cavern darting deep, The mineral kinds confefs thy mighty power. Effulgent, hence the veiny marble shines ; 135 Hence Labour draws his tools; hence burnish'd War Gleams on the day; the nobler works of Peace Hence blefs mankind; and generous Commerce binds The round of nations in a golden chain. The unfruitful rock itself, impregn'd by thee, 140 Dares, as it fparkles on the fair one's breaft,' 145 150 Nor deeper verdure dyes the robe of Spring, Than the green emerald fhows: but, all combin'd, The very dead creation, from thy touch, Plays o'er the mead. The precipice abrupt, Of light, and life, and grace, and joy below! 160 165 170 175 Whofe fingle fmile has, from the first of time, Fill'd, overflowing, all thofe lamps of heaven 185 That beam for ever thro' the boundless sky; And yet was every faultering tongue of man, 185 Almighty Father! filent in thy praise, Thy works themselves would raise a general voice; By human foot untrod, proclaim thy power, 190 195 200 Now, flaming up the heavens, the potent fun Melts into limpid air the high-rais'd clouds, And morning fogs, that hovered round the hills In party-colour'd bands, till wide unveil'd The face of Nature fhines, from where earth feems, Far-ftretch'd around, to meet the bending sphere. Half in a blufh of clustering rofes loft, 205 Dew-dropping Coolness to the fhade retires, There on the verdant turf or flowery bed, By gelid founts and carelefs rills to mufe; 210 While tyrant Heat, difpreading thro' the sky, Who can unpitying fee the flowery race, But one, the lofty follower of the fun, 215 Sad when he fets, fhuts up her yellow leaves, Drooping all night, and, when he warm returns, Points her enamour'd bofom to his ray. 221 Home from his morning task the fwain retreats, His flock before him flepping to the fold, While the full-udder'd mother lows around The cheerful cottage, then expecting food, The food of innocence and health! The daw, The rook and magpie, to the grey-grown oaks, 225 That the calm village in their verdant arms Sheltering, embrace, direct their lazy flight, Where on the mingling boughs they fit embower'd, All the hot noon, till cooler hours arife. Faint, underneath, the household fowls convene ; 230 The house-dog, with the vacant greyhound, lies To let the little noify fummer-race Live in her lay, and flutter thro' her fong; 240 Wak'd by his warmer ray, the reptile young Come wing'd abroad, by the light air upborne, Lighter, and full of foul. From every chink And fecret corner, where they slept away The wintry ftorms, or rifing from their tombs 245 To higher life, by myriads, forth at once, Swarming they pour, of all the vary'd hues Their beauty-beaming parent can difclose. Ten thousand forms, ten thousand different tribes, People the blaze. To funny waters some, By fatal inftinct, fly, where on the pool They sportive wheel; or, failing down the ftream, Are fnatch'd immediate by the quick-ey'd trout Or darting falmon. Thro' the green-wood glade Some love to ftray, there lodg'd, amus'd, and fed, 255 In the fresh leaf: luxurious, others make The meads their choice, and vifit every flower And every latent herb; for the sweet task 250 To propagate their kinds, and where to wrap, |