Sees on the naked hill or valley low,
The whilst in ocean Phoebus dips his wain,
A vaft affembly moving to and fro,
Then all at once in air diffolves the wondrous fhow.
XXXI.
Ye Gods of Quiet, and of Sleep profound!
Whose foft dominion o'er this Castle sways,
And all the widely-filent places round,
Forgive me, if my trembling pen displays
What never yet was fung in mortal lays.
But how shall I attempt fuch arduous string,
I who have spent my nights and nightly days
In this foul-deadening place, loose-loitering?
Ah! how fhall I for this uprear my moulted wing?
XXXII.
Come on, my Muse! nor stoop to low despair,
Thou imp of Jove! touch'd by celeftial fire,
Thou yet fhalt fing of war and actions fair,
Which the bold fons of Britain will infpire;
Of ancient bards thou yet shalt fweep the lyre;
Thou yet fhalt tread in Tragic pall the stage,
Paint love's enchanting woes, the hero's ire,
The fage's calm, the patriot's noble rage,
Dashing corruption down thro' every worthless age.
XXXIII.
The doors, that knew no fhrill alarming bell,
Ne curfed knocker ply'd by villain's hand,
Self-open'd into halls, where who can tell
What elegance and grandeur wide expand,
The pride of Turkey and of Perfia land?
Soft quilts on quilts, on carpets carpets spread,
And couches ftretch'd around in feemly band,
And endless pillows rife to prop the head,
So that each spacious room was one full-fwelling bed.
XXXIV.
And every where huge cover'd tables flood,
With wines high flavour'd and rich viands crown'd;
Whatever sprightly juice or tafteful food
On the green bofom of this earth are found,
And all old Ocean genders in his round:
Some hand unfeen thefe filently display'd,
Even undemanded, by a fign or found;
You need but with, and, inftantly obey'd,
Fair rang'd the dishes rofe, and thick the glaffes play'd,
XXXV.
Here Freedom reign'd without the least alloy;
Nor gollip's tale, nor ancient maiden's gall,
Nor faintly Spleen, durft murmur at our joy,
And with envenom'd tongue our pleasures pall.
For why? there was but one great rule for all;
To wit, that each fhould work his own defire,
And eat, drink, study, fleep, as it may fall,
Or melt the time in love, or wake the lyre,
And carol what, unbid, the Mufes might infpire.
XXXVI.
The rooms with coftly tapestry were hung,
Where was inwoven many a gentle tale,
Such as of old the rural poets fung,
Or of Arcadian or Sicilian vale;
Reclining lovers, in the lonely dale,
Pour'd forth at large the fweetly-tortur'd heart,
Or, fighing tender paffion, fwell'd the gale,
And taught charm'd Echo to refound their smart,
While flocks, woods, ftreams, around, repofe and
peace impart.
Thofe pleas'd the moft where, by a cunning hand,
Depainted was the Patriarchal age,
What time Dan Abraham left the Chaldee land,
And paftur'd on from verdant ftage to stage,
Where fields and fountains fresh could beft engage.
Toil was not then. Of nothing took they heed,
But with wild beasts the fylvan war to wage,
And o'er vaft plains their herds and flocks to feed:
Bleft fons of Nature they! true Golden Age indeed!
XXXVIII.
Sometimes the pencil, in cool airy halls,
Bade the gay bloom of vernal landscapes rife,
Or autumn's varied fhades imbrown the walls:
Now the black tempeft ftrikes the astonish'd eyes;
Now down the fteep the flashing torrent flies;
The trembling fun now plays o'er ocean blue,
And now rude mountains frown amid the skies:
Whate'er Lorrain light-touch'd with foftening hue,
Or favage Rofa dafh'd, or learned Pouflin drew.
Each found, too, here to languishment inclin'd,
Lull'd the weak bofom, and induced ease;
Aërial mufic in the warbling wind,
At distance rifing oft', by fmall degrees,
Nearer and nearer came, till o'er the trees
It hung, and breath'd such soul-dissolving airs
As did, alas! with foft perdition please:
Entangled deep in its enchanting fnares,
The liftening heart forgot all duties and all cares.
XL.
A certain mufic, never known before,
Here lull'd the penfive melancholy mind;
Full cafily obtain'd. Behoves no more,
But fidelong, to the gently-waving wind,
To lay the well-tun'd inftrument reclin'd,
From which, with airy-flying fingers light,
Beyond each mortal touch the most refin'd,
The god of Winds drew founds of deep delight,
Whence, with just cause, the harp of Æolus*it hight.
XLI.
Ah me! what hand can touch the string so fine ?
Who up the lofty diapafan roll
Such fweet, fuch fad, fuch folemn airs divine,
Then let them down again into the foul?
This is not an imagination of the Author, there being in fact fuch an inftrument, called Æolus's harp, which, when placed against a little ruthing or current of air, produces the effect here defcribed.
Now rifing love they fann'd; now pleafing dole
They breath'd, in tender mufings, thro' the heart;
And now a graver facred strain they stole,
As when feraphic hands an hymn impart ;
Wild-warbling Nature all, above the reach of Art!
XLII.
Such the gay splendour, the luxurious state,
Of Caliphs old, who on the Tigris' fhore,
In mighty Bagdat, populous and great,
Held their bright court, where was of ladies ftore,
And verfe, love, mufic, ftill the garland wore :
When Sleep was coy, the bard, in waiting there,
Cheer'd the lone midnight with the Mufe's lore*,
Compofing mufic bade his dreams be fair,
And mufic lent new gladnefs to the morning air.
XLIII.
Near the pavilions where we flept ftill ran
Soft-tinkling streams, and dashing waters fell,
And fobbing breezes figh'd, and oft' began
(So work'd the wizard) wintry storms to fwell,
As heaven and earth they would together mell:
At doors and windows, threat'ning, feem'd to call
The demons of the tempeft, growling fell,
Yet the leaft entrance found they none at all,
Whence sweeter grew our fleep, fecure in maffy hall.
The Arabian caliphs had poets among the officers of their court, whofe office it was to do what is here mentioned.
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