Warms the wide Air, and o'er the Void of Heaven 145
Breathes the big Clouds with vernal Showers diftent.
At first a dufky Wreath they seem to rise,
Scarce ftaining Ether; but by fast Degrees,
In Heaps on Heaps, the doubling Vapour fails
Along the loaded Sky, and mingling deep
Sits on th' Horizon round a fettled Gloom...
Not such as wintry Storms on Mortals fhed,
Oppreffing Life, but lovely, gentle, kind,
And full of every Hope and every Joy,
The Wish of Nature. Gradual, finks the Breeze, 155
Into a perfect Calm; that not a Breath.
Is heard to quiver thro the clofing Woods,.
Or ruftling turn the many-twinkling Leaves
Of Afpin tall. Th' uncurling Floods, diffus'd
In glaffy Breadth, seem thro delufive Lapse
Forgetful of their Course.. 'Tis Silence all,
And pleasing Expectation. Herds and Flocks
Drop the dry Sprig, and mute-imploring eye
The falling Verdure. Hufh'd in fhort Sufpenfe,
The plumy People streak their Wings with Oil,
To throw the lucid Moisture trickling off;
And wait th' approaching, Sign to strike, at once,
Into the general Choir. Even Mountains, Vales,.
And Forefts feem, impatient,. to demand
The promis'd Sweetness. Man fuperior walks.
Amid the glad Creation,. mufing Praise,
And looking lively Gratitude. At last,,
The Clouds confign their Treasures to the Fields,
And, foftly fhaking on the dimpled Pool
Prelufive Drops, let all their Moisture flow,
In large Effufion o'er the freshen'd World.
The stealing Shower is scarce to patter heard,
By fuch as wander thro the Foreft-Walks,
Beneath th' umbrageous Multitude of Leaves.
But who can hold the Shade, while Heaven defcends 180
In univerfal Bounty, fhedding Herbs,
And Fruits, and Flowers, on Nature's ample Lap?
Swift Fancy fir'd anticipates their Growth;
And, while the milky Nutriment diftills,
Beholds the kindling Country colour round.
THUS all day long the full-diftended Clouds
Indulge their genial Stores, and well-fhower'd Earth
Is deep enrich'd with vegetable Life ;
Till, in the western Sky, the downward Sun
Looks out, effulgent, from amid the Flufh
Of broken Clouds, gay-fhifting to his Beam.
The rapid Radiance inftantaneous ftrikes
Th' illumin'd Mountain, thro the Forest streams,
Shakes on the Floods, and in a yellow Mift,
Far fimoaking o'er th' interminable Plain,
In twinkling Myriads lights the dewy Gems.
Moit, bright, and green, the Landfkip laughs around. Full fwell the Woods; their every Mufick wakes, Mix'd in wild Concert with the warbling Brooks
Increas'd, the diftant Bleatings of the Hills,
The hollow Lows refponfive from the Vales,
Whence blending all the fweeten'd Zephyr fprings.
Meantime refracted from yon eastern Cloud,
Beftriding Earth, the grand ethereal Bow
Shoots up immense; and every Hue unfolds,
In fair Proportion running from the Red,
To where the Violet fades into the Sky.
Here, awful NEWTON, the diffolving Clouds
Form, fronting on the Sun, thy fhowery Prism;
And to the fage-inftructed Eye unfold
The various Twine of Light, by thee disclos'd
From the white mingling Maze. Not fo the Swain,
He wondering views the bright Enchantment bend,
Delightful, o'er the radiant Fields, and runs
To catch the falling Glory; but amaz’d
Beholds, th' amusive Arch before him fly,
Then vanish quite away. Still Night fucceeds,
A foften'd Shade, and faturated Earth
Awaits the Morning-Beam, to give to Light,
Rais'd thro ten thousand different Plastic Tubes,
The balmy Treafures of the former Day.
THEN fpring the living Herbs, profufely wild,
O'er all the deep-green Earth, beyond the Power
Of Botanift to number up their Tribes :
Whether he steals along the lonely Dale,
In filent Search; or thro the Foreft, rank
With what the dull Incurious Weeds account,
Burfts his blind Way; or climbs the Mountain-Rock,
Fir'd by the nodding Verdure of its Brow.
With fuch a liberal Hand has Nature flung
Their Seeds abroad, blown them about in Winds,
Innumerous mix'd them with the nurfing Mold,
The moistening Current, and prolifick Rain..
BUT who their Virtues can declare? Who pierce With Vifion pure, into these secret Stores
235 Of Health, and Life, and Joy? The Food of Man,. While yet he liv'd in Innocence, and toldA Length of golden Years, unflesh'd in Blood, A Stranger to the favage Arts of Life, Death, Rapine, Carnage, Surfeit, and Disease, The Lord, and not the Tyrant of the World.
THE first fresh Dawn then wak'd the gladden'd Race Of uncorrupted Man, nor blush'd to fee
The Sluggard fleep beneath its facred Beam.
For their light Slumbers gently fum'd away;
And up they rofe as vigorous as the Sun,
Or to the Culture of the willing Glebe,
Or to the chearful Tendance of the Flock.
Meantime the Song went round.;. and. Dance and Sport
Wisdom and friendly Talk, fucceffive ftole.
Their Hours away. While in the rofy Vale
Love breath'd his infant Sighs, from Anguifh free,,
And full replete with Blifs; fave the sweet Pain,
That, inly thrilling, but exalts it more.
Nor yet injurious A&t, nor furly Deed,
Was known among these happy Sons of HEAVEN; For Reason and Benevolence were Law.
Harmonious Nature too look'd fmiling on.
Clear fhone the Skies, cool'd with eternal Gales,
And balmy Spirit all. The youthful Sun
Shot his beft Rays, and ftill the gracious Clouds
Drop'd Fatness down; as, o'er the swelling Mead,
The Herds and Flocks, commixing, play'd fecure.
This when, emergent from the gloomy Wood,
The glaring Lion faw, his horrid. Heart
Was meeken'd, and he join'd his fullen Joy.
For Mufic held the whole in perfect Peace:
Soft figh'd the Flute; the tender Voice was heard,
Warbling the vary'd Heart; the Woodlands round.
Apply'd their Quire; and Winds and Waters flow'd 270
In confonance. Such were those Prime of Days.
BUT now those white unblemish'd. Minutes, whence 'The fabling Poets took their golden Age,
Are found no more amid these iron Times,
Thefe Dregs of Life! Now the diftemper'd Mind 275 Has loft that Concord of harmonious Powers,
Which forms the Soul of Happiness ;. and all
Is off the Poife within.:. the Paffions all
Have burst their Bounds; and Reason half extinct,
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