Shines there, and flourishes. The golden boast

Of Portugal and weftern India there,

The ruddier orange, and the paler lime,

Peep through their polished foliage at the ftorm,
And seem to fmile at what they need not fear.
The amomum there with intermingling flowers
And cherries hangs her twigs. Geranium boafts
Her crimfon honours, and the spangled beau,
Ficoides, glitters bright the winter long.

All plants, of every leaf, that can endure

The winter's frown, if fcreened from his fhrewd bite,
Live there, and profper. Those Aufonia claims,
Levantine regions thefe; the Azores fend
Their jeffamine, her jeffamine remote
Caffraia foreigners from many lands,
They form one focial fhade, as if convened
By magic fummons of the Orphean lyre.
Yet juft arrangement, rarely brought to pafs
But by a mafter's hand, difpofing well
The gay diversities of leaf and flower,

Muft lend its aid to illuftrate all their charms,
And drefs the regular yet various scene.
Plant behind plant aspiring, in the van
The dwarfish, in the rear retired, but ftill
Sublime above the reft, the ftatelier ftand.
So once were ranged the fons of ancient Rome,
A noble fhow! while Rofcius trod the ftage;

And fo, while Garrick, as renowned as he,
The fons of Albion; fearing each to lofe
Some note of Nature's mufic from his lips,
And covetous of Shakespeare's beauty, seen
In every flash of his far-beaming eye.
Nor taste alone and well-contrived display
Suffice to give the marshalled ranks the grace
Of their complete effect. Much yet remains
Unfung, and many cares are yet behind,
And more laborious; cares on which depend
Their vigour, injured foon, not foon restored.
The foil must be renewed, which often washed
Lofes its treasure of falubrious falts,

And disappoints the roots; the slender roots
Close interwoven, where they meet the vase,
Muft smooth be fhorn away; the faplefs branch
Muft fly before the knife; the withered leaf
Muft be detached, and where it ftrews the floor
Swept with a woman's neatness, breeding else
Contagion, and diffeminating death.

Discharge but these kind offices, (and who
Would spare, that loves them, offices like thefe?)
Well they reward the toil. The fight is pleased,
The scent regaled, each odoriferous leaf,
Each opening bloffom, freely breathes abroad
Its gratitude, and thanks him with its sweets.

So manifold, all pleafing in their kind, All healthful, are the employs of rural life, Reiterated as the wheel of time

Runs round; ftill ending, and beginning ftill.
Nor are thefe all. To deck the fhapely knoll,
That foftly fwelled and gaily dreffed appears
A flowery island, from the dark green lawn
Emerging, must be deemed a labour due
To no mean hand, and afks the touch of tafte.
Here also grateful mixture of well-matched

And forted hues (each giving each relief,
And by contrafted beauty fhining more)

Is needful. Strength may wield the ponderous fpade,
May turn the clod, and wheel the compoft home;
But elegance, chief grace the garden shows,

And moft attractive, is the fair refult

Of thought, the creature of a polished mind.
Without it all is gothic as the scene,

To which the infipid citizen resorts

Near yonder heath; where industry mispen,

But proud of his uncouth ill-chosen task,

Has made a heaven on earth; with funs and moons Of close-rammed ftones has charged the encumbered foil,

And fairly laid the zodiac in the duft.

He therefore, who would fee his flowers difpofed

Sightly and in juft order, ere he gives

The beds the trusted treasure of their feeds,

Forecafts the future whole; that when the fcene
Shall break into its preconceived display,
Each for itself, and all as with one voice
Confpiring, may atteft his bright defign.
Nor even then, difmiffing as performed
His pleasant work, may he suppose it done.
Few self-supported flowers endure the wind
Uninjured, but expect the upholding aid
Of the smooth-fhaven prop, and neatly tied
Are wedded thus, like beauty to old age
For intereft fake, the living to the dead.
Some clothe the foil that feeds them, far diffused
And lowly creeping, modest and yet fair,
Like virtue, thriving moft where little feen:
Some more aspiring catch the neighbour shrub
With clasping tendrils, and inveft his branch,
Elfe unadorned, with many a gay feftoon
And fragrant chaplet, recompenfing well
The ftrength they borrow with the grace they lend.
All hate the rank fociety of weeds,

Noisome, and ever greedy to exhaust

The impoverished earth; an overbearing race
That, like the multitude made faction-mad,
Difturb good order, and degrade true worth.

Oh bleft feclufion from a jarring world, Which he, thus occupied, enjoys! Retreat Cannot indeed to guilty man reftore

Loft innocence, or cancel follies past;
But it has peace, and much fecures the mind
From all affaults of evil; proving ftill
A faithful barrier, not o'erleaped with ease
By vicious cuftom, raging uncontrolled
Abroad, and defolating public life.

When fierce temptation, feconded within
By traitor appetite, and armed with darts
Tempered in hell, invades the throbbing breast,
To combat may be glorious, and fuccefs
Perhaps may crown us; but to fly is fafe.
Had I the choice of fublunary good,

What could I wish, that I poffefs not here?
Health, leifure, means to improve it, friendship, peace,

No loofe or wanton, though a wandering, muse,

And conftant occupation without care.

Thus bleft I draw a picture of that blifs,

Hopeless indeed that diffipated minds,
And profligate abufers of a world

Created fair fo much in vain for them,

Should feek the guiltlefs joys, that I defcribe,

Allured by my report: but fure no lefs,