Page images
PDF
EPUB

THE

EXCURSION.

A

POE E M.

IN

TWO CANTO S

CONTENT S.

CANTO I.

INVOCATION, addreffed to Fancy. Subject propofed; a fhort excurfive furvey of the Earth and Heavens. The poems opens with a description of the face of Nature in the different fcenes of morning, funrife, noon, with a thunder-storm, evening, night, and a particular night-piece, with the character of a friend deceafed.

With the return of morning Fancy continues her excurfion, first northward-A view of the arctic continent and the deferts of I artary-From thence fouthward a general profpect of the globe, followed by another of the mid-land part of Europe, fuppofe Italy. A city there upon the point of being swallowed up by an earthquake: figns that usher it in: defcribed in its caufes and effects at length-Eruption of a burning mountain, happening at the fame time and from the fame causes, likewise described.

CANTO II.

Contains, on the fame plan, a furvey of the folar fyftem, and of the fixed ftars.

This poem is among the author's earliest performances. Whether the writing may, in fome degree, atone for the irregularity of the compofition, which he confeffes, and does not even attempt to excufe, is fubnitted entirely to the candor of the reader.

THE

THE

EXCURSION.

CAN то I.

COMPANION of the Mufe, creative power,

Imagination! 'at whofe great command

Arife unnumber'd images of things,

Thy hourly offspring: thou, who canft at will
People with air-born fhapes the filent wood,
And folitary vale, thy own domain,

Where Contemplation haunts; Oh come, invok’d,
To waft me on thy many-tinctur'd wing,

O'er Earth's extended space: and thence, on high,
Spread to fuperior Worlds thy bolder flight,
Excurfive, unconfin'd. Hence from the haunts
Of vice and folly, vanity and man

To yon expanfe of plains, where Truth delights,
Simple of heart; and, hand in hand with her,
Where blameless Virtue walks. Now parting Spring,
Parent of beauty and of fong, has left,

His mantle, flower-embroider'd on the ground.

While Summer laughing comes, and bids the Months
Crown his prime season with their choicest stores;
Fresh rofes opening to the folar ray,

And fruits flow-fwelling on the loaded bough.
Here let me frequent roam, preventing morn,
Attentive to the cock, whofe early throat,

[blocks in formation]

Heard from the diftant village in the vale,

Crows chearly out, far-founding through the gloom.
Night hears from where, wide-hovering in mid-sky,
She rules the fable hour: and calls her train
Of vifionary fears, the fhrouded ghoft,

The dream diftrefsful, and th' incumbent hag,
That rife to Fancy's eye in horrid forms,
While reason flumbering lies. At once they fly,
As fhadows pafs, nor is their path beheld.

And now, pale-glimmering on the verge of heaven,
From east to north in doubtful twilight feen,
A whitening luftre fhoots its tender beam;
While fhade and filence yet involve the ball.
Now facred Morn, afcending, fimiles ferene
A dewy radiance, brightening o'er the world.
Gay daughter of the air, for ever young,
For ever pleafing! lo, fhe onward comes,
In fluid gold and azure loose-array'd,
Sun-tinctur'd, changeful hues. At her approach,
The western grey of yonder breaking clouds
Slow-reddens into flame: the rising mists,
From off the mountain's brow, roll blue away
In curling fpires; and open all his woods,
High waving in the fky: th' uncolour'd stream,
Beneath her glowing ray, translucent shines.
Glad Nature feels her through her boundless realms
Of life and fenfe: and calls forth all her fweets,
Fragrance and fong. From each unfolding flower
Transpires the balm of life, that Zephyr wafts,
Delicious, on his rofy wing: each bird,

Or

[ocr errors]

Or high in air, or fecret in the fhade,
Rejoicing warbles wild his mattin hymn.

While beafts of chace, by fecret instinct mov'd,
Scud o'er the lawns, and, plunging into night,
In brake, or cavern, flumber out the day.
Invited by the chearful morn abroad,

See, from his humble roof, the good Man comes
To tafte her freshnefs, and improve her rife
In holy mufing. Rapture in his eye,
And kneeling wonder speak his filent foul,
With gratitude o'erflowing, and with praise !
Now Industry is up. The village pours
Her useful fons abroad to various toil:

The labourer here, with

every

inftrument

Of future plenty arm'd; and there the fwain,
A rural king amid his fubject-flocks,
Whofe bleatings wake the vocal hills afar.
The traveller, tco, purfues his early road,
Among the dews of morn. Aurora calls:
And all the living landscape moves around.
But fee, the flush'd horizon flames intenfe
With vivid red, in rich profufion stream'd

O'er heaven's pure arch. At once the clouds affume
Their gayeft liveries; thefe with filvery beams
Fring'd lovely, fplendid thofe in liquid gold:
And speak their fovereign's ftate. He comes, behold!
Fountain of light and colour, warmth and life!
The King of Glory! round his head divine,
Diffusive showers of radiance circling flow,
As o'er the Indian wave up-rifing fair

« PreviousContinue »