And the Pine's tasteful Apple: autumn paints
Aufonian hills with Grapes; whilst English plains
Blush with pomaceous harvests, breathing sweets.
O let me now, when the kind early dew
Unlocks th' embofom'd odors, walk among
The well-rang'd files of trees, whofe full-ag'd ftore
Diffuse Ambrofial fteams, than Myrrh, or Nard,
More grateful, or perfuming flowery Bean!
Soft whispering airs, and the lark's mattin song
Then woo to musing, and becalm the mind
Perplex'd with irksome thoughts. Thrice happy time,
Best portion of the various year, in which
Nature rejoiceth, fmiling on her works
Lovely, to full perfection wrought! but ah!
Short are our joys, and neighbouring griefs disturb
Our pleasant hours! inclement winter dwells
Contiguous; forthwith frosty blafts deface

The blithsome year: trees of their thrivel'd fruits
Are widow'd, dreary storms o'er all prevail !
Now, now's the time, ere hafty funs forbid
To work, disburden thou thy sapless wood
Of its rich progeny; the turgid fruit
Abounds with mellow liquor: now exhort
Thy hinds to exercife the pointed steel
On the hard rock, and give a wheely form
To the expected grinder: now prepare
Materials for thy mill; a sturdy post
Cylindric, to fupport the grinder's weight
Exceffive; and a flexile fallow, entrench'd,
Rounding, capacious of the juicy hord.

Nor muft thou not be mindful of thy prefs,
Long ere the vintage; but with timely care
Shave the goat's fhaggy beard, left thou too late
In vain should'ft feek a ftrainer to difpart
The husky, terrene dregs, from purer Must.
Be cautious next a proper steed to find,
Whose prime is past; the vigorous horse difdains
Such fervile labours, or, if forc'd, forgets
His paft atchievements, and victorious palms.
Blind Bayard rather, worn with work, and years,
Shall roll th' unwieldy stone; with sober pace
He'll tread the circling path till dewy eve,
From early day-fpring, pleas'd to find his age
Declining not unuseful to his lord.

Some, when the prefs, by utmost vigour screw'd,
Has drain'd the pulpous mass, regale their swine
With the dry refuse; thou, more wife, shalt steep
Thy husks in water, and again employ
The ponderous engine. Water will imbibe
The small remains of spirit, and acquire
A vinous flavour; this the peasants blithe
Will quaff, and whistle, as thy tinkling team
They drive, and fing of Fusca's radiant eyes,
Pleas'd with the medley draught. Nor fhalt thou now
Reject the Apple-cheese, though quite exhaust;
Even now 'twill cherish, and improve the roots
Of fickly plants; new vigour hence convey'd
Will yield an harvest of unusual growth.
Such profit fprings from husks discreetly us'd!

The

The tender apples, from their parents rent
By stormy shocks, muft not neglected lie,
The prey
of worms: A frugal man I knew,
Rich in one barren acre, which, fubdued
By endless culture, with fufficient Muft
His casks replenish'd yearly: he no more
Defir'd, nor wanted; diligent to learn
The various feasons, and by skill repel
Invading pefts, fuccessful in his cares,
Till the damp Libyan wind, with tempests arm'd
Outrageous, blufter'd horrible amidst

His Cyder-grove: o'erturn'd by furious blasts,
The fightly ranks fall proftrate, and around
Their fruitage scatter'd, from the genial boughs
Stript immature: yet did he not repine,
Nor curfe his ftars; but prudent, his fallen heaps
Collecting, cherish'd with the tepid wreaths
Of tedded grafs, and the fun's mellowing beams
Rival'd with artful heats, and thence procur'd
A coftly liquor, by improving time,
Equal'd with what the happiest vintage bears.

But this I warn thee, and shall always warn,
No heterogeneous mixtures use, as fome
With watery turnips have debas'd their wines,
Too frugal; nor let the crude humours dance
In heated brass, steaming with fire intense;
Although Devonia much commends the use
Of strengthening Vulcan; with their native strength
Thy wines fufficient, other aid refuse;

And, when th' allotted orb of time 's compleat,

Are more commended than the labour'd drinks.
Nor let thy avarice tempt thee to withdraw
The priest's appointed fhare; with chearful heart
The tenth of thy increase bestow, and own
Heaven's bounteous goodness, that will fure repay
Thy grateful duty: this neglected, fear
Signal avengeance, fuch as overtook
A mifer, that unjustly once withheld.
The clergy's due. relying on himself,
His fields he tended, with fuccefslefs care,
Early and late, when or unwifh'd-for rain
Defcended, or unfeasonable frofts

Curb'd his increafing hopes; or, when around
The clouds dropt fatnefs, in the middle sky
The dew fufpended fraid, and left unmoist
His execrable glebe: recording this,
Be juft, and wife, and tremble to tranfgrefs.
Learn now the promife of the coming year,
To know, that by no flattering signs abus'd,
Thou wifely may'ft provide: the various moon
Prophetic, and attendant stars, explain
Each rifing dawn; ere icy crufts furmount
The current stream, the heavenly orbs ferene
Twinkle with trembling rays, and Cynthia glows
With light unfully'd now the fowler, warn'd
By thefe good omens, with swift early steps

Treads the crimp earth, ranging through fields and glades

Offenfive to the birds; fulphureous death

Checks their mid flight, and heedlefs while they ftrain

Their tuneful throats, the towering, heavy lead, O'ertakes their speed; they leave their little lives Above the clouds precipitant to earth.

The woodcocks early vifit, and abode Of long continuance in our temperate clime, Foretel a liberal harveft; he of times Intelligent, the harsh Hyperborean ice Shuns for our equal winters; when our funs Cleave the chill'd foil, he backward wings his way To Scandinavian frozen fummers, meet

For his numb'd blood. But nothing profits more
Than frequent fnows: O, may'st thou often fee
Thy furrows whiten'd by the woolly rain
Nutriceous! fecret nitre lurks within

The porous wet, quickening the languid glebe.
Sometimes thou fhalt with fervent vows implore
A moderate wind; the orchat loves to wave
With winter winds, before the gems exert
Their feeble heads; the loosened roots then drink
Large increment, earnest of happy years.

Nor will it nothing profit to obferve
The monthly stars, their powerful influence
O'er planted fields, what vegetables reign
Under each fign. On our account has Jove
Indulgent to all moons fome fucculent plant
Allotted, that poor helpless man might flack
His prefent thirst, and matter find for toil.
Now will the Corinths, now the Rafps, supply
Delicious draughts; the Quinces now, or Plumbs,
Or Cherries, or the fair Thisbeian fruit

Are preft to wines; the Britons fqueeze the works