Harmonious swell'd by Nature's finest hand,
In folds loose-floating fell the fainter lawn;
And fair-expos'd she stood, shrunk from herself,
With fancy blushing, at the doubtful breeze
Alarm'd, and starting like the fearful fawn?
Then to the flood she rush'd; the parted flood
Its lovely guest with closing waves receiv'd;
And every beauty softening, every grace
Flushing anew, a mellow lustre shed :
As shines the lily thro' the crystal mild;
Or as the rose amid the morning dew,'

Fresh from Aurora's hand, more sweetly glows.
While thus she wanton'd, now beneath the wave
But ill-conceal'd ; and now with streaming locks,
That half-embrac'd her in a humid veil,

Rising again, the latent DAMON drew

Such madning draughts of beauty to the soul,
As for a while o'erwhelm'd his raptur'd thought
With luxury too daring. Check'd, at last,
By love's respectful modesty, he deem'd
The theft profane, if aught profane to love

Can e'er be deem'd; and, struggling from the shade,
With headlong hurry fled : but first these lines,
Trac'd by his ready pencil, on the bank

With trembling hand he threw. « Bathe on, my fair,

Yet unbeheld save by the sacred eye

» Of faithful love: I go to guard thy haunt,

>> To keep from thy recess each vagrant foot,
» And each licentious eye ». With wild surprize,
As if to marble struck, devoid of sense,

A stupid moment motionless she stood:

So stands the (1) statue that inchants the world,
So bending tries to veil the matchless boast,
The mingled beauties of exulting, Greece.
Recovering, swift she flew to find those robes
Which blissful Eden knew not; and, array'd
In careless haste, th' alarming paper snatch'd.
But, when her DAMON's well-known hand she saw
Her terrors vanish'd, and a softer train

Of mixt emotions, hard to be describ'd,

Her sudden bosom seiz'd shame void of guilt,
The charming blush of innocence, esteem,
And admiration of her lover's flame,
By modesty exalted: even a sense

Of self approving beauty stole across
Her busy thought. At length, a tender calm
Hush'd by degrees the tumult of her soul;
And on the spreading beech, that o'er the stream.
Incumbent hung, she with the silvan pen
Of rural lovers this confession cary'd, </
Which soon her' DAMON kiss'd with weeping joy:

D

C

« Dear youth! sole judge of what these verses mean,

By fortune too much favour'd, but by love,

>> Alas! not favour'd less, be still as now

» Discreet ; the time may come you need not fly
The sun has lost his rage : his downward orb
Shoots nothing now but animating warmth,
And vital lustre; that, with various ray,

J

Lights up the clouds, those beauteous robes of heaven, Incessant roll'd into romantic shapes,

(1) The Venus of Medici.

The dream of waking fancy! Broad below,
Cover'd with ripening fruits, and swelling fast
Into the perfect year, the pregnant earth!!
And all her tribes rejoice. Now the soft hour
Of walking comes : for him who lonely loves
To seek the distant hills, and there converse
With Nature; there to harmonize his heart,
And in pathetic song to breathe around
The harmony to others. Social friends,
Attun'd to happy unison of soul;

To whose exalting eye a fairer world,
Of which the vulgar never had a glimpse,
Displays its charms; whose minds are richly fraught
With philosophic stores, superior light;
And in whose breast, enthusiastic, burns
Virtue, the sons of interest deem romance;
Now call'd abroad enjoy the falling day:
Now to the verdant Portico of woods,
To Nature's vast Lyceum forth they walk,

By that kind School where no proud master reigns,
The full free converse of the friendly heart,

Improving and improv'd. Now from the world,
Sacred to sweet retirement, lovers steal,'

I

And pour their souls in transport, which the SIRE
Of love approving hears, and calls it good. '
Which way, AMANDA', shall we'bend our course?
The choice perplexes. Wherefore should we chuse?
All is the same with thee. Say, shall we wind
Along the streams? or walk the smiling mead?
Or court the forest-glades? or wander wild
Among the waving harvests? or ascend,

While radiant Summer opens all its pride,

Thy hill, delightful (1) Shene? Here let us sweep
The boundless landskip, now the raptur'd eye,
Exulting swift, to huge AUGUSTA send,
Now to the (2) Sister-Hills that skirt her plain,
To lofty Harrow now, and now to where
Majestic Windsor lifts his princely brow,
In lovely contrast to this glorious view
Calmly magnificent, then will we turn

To where the silver THAMES first rural grows,
There let the feasted eye unwearied stray :
Luxurious, there, rove thro' the pendent woods
That nodding hang o'er HARRINGTON's retreat;
And, stooping thence to Ham's embowering walks,
Beneath whose shades, in spotless peace retir'd,
With HER the pleasing partner of his heart,
The worthy QUEENSB'RY yet laments his GAY,
And polish'd CORNEBURY Wooes the willing Muse;
Slow let us trace the matchless VALE of THAMES;
Fair-winding up to where the Muses haunt
In Twit'nam's bowers, and for their POPE inplore
The healing God (3); to royal Hampton's pile,
To Clermont's terrass'd height, and Esher's groves,
Where in the sweetest solitude, embrac'd,

By the soft windings of the silent Mole,
From courts and senates PELHAM finds repose.
Inchanting vale! beyond whate'er the Muse
Has of Achaia or Hesperia sung!

(1) The old name of Richmond, signifying in Saxon Shin-
or Splendor.

ing) Highgate and Hamstead, (3) In his last sickness.

O vale of bliss! O softly-swelling hills!
On which the Power of Cultivation lies,
And joys to see the wonders of his toil.

Heavens! what a goodly prospect spreads around,
Of hills, and dales, and woods, and lawns, and spires,
And glittering towns, and gilded streams, till all
The stretching landscape into smoke decays!
Happy BRITANNIA! where the QUEEN of ARTS,
Inspiring vigour, LIBERTY abroad

Walks, unconfin'd, even to thy farthest cotts,
And scatters plenty with unsparing hand.

Rich is thy soil, and merciful thy clime :
Thy streams unfailing in the summer's drought;
Unmatch'd thy guardian-oaks; thy valleys float
With golden waves: And on thy mountains flocks
Bleat numberless; while, roving round their sides,
Bellow the blackening herds in lusty droves.
Beneath, thy meadows glow, and rise unquell'd
Against the mower's scythe. On every hand
Thy villas shine. Thy country teams with wealth;
And property assures it to the swain;
Pleas'd, and unwearied, in his guarded toil.
Full are the cities with the sons of art;
And trade and joy, in every busy street,
Mingling are heard: Even Drudgery himself,
As at the car he sweats, or dusty hews

The palace-stone, looks gay. Thy crouded ports,
Where rising masts an endless prospect yield,
With labour burn, and echo to the shouts
Of hurried sailor, as he hearty waves

His last adieu, and, loosening every sheet,