Or that starr'd Ethiope queen that strove

To fet her beauty's praise above

The fea nymphs, and their powers offended :

Yet thou art higher far defcended ;

The bright hair'd Vesta, long of yore,
To folitary Saturn bore;

His daughter fhe (in Saturn's reign.
Such mixture was not held a stain)
Oft in glimmering bowers, and glades
He met her, and in fecret fhades
Of woody Ida's inmoft grove,
While yet there was no fear of Jove.
Come, penfive nun, devout and pure,
Sober, ftedfaft, and demure,
All in a robe of darkest grain,
Flowing with majestic train,
And fable ftole of cypress lawn,
Over thy decent shoulders drawn.
Come, but keep thy wonted ftate,
With even step, and mufing gait,
And looks commercing with the fkies,
Thy wrapt foul fitting in thine eyes;
There, held in holy paffion ftill,
Forget thyfelf to marble, till

With a fad leaden downward caft,

Thou fix them on the earth as fait :

And join with thee calm Peace, and Quiet,,
Spare Faft, that oft with Gods doth diet,
And hear the Muses in a ring

Aye round about Jove's altar fing;
And add to these retired Leifure,

That in trim gardens takes his pleasure :

But firft, and chiefeft, with thee bring
Him that yon foars on golden wing,
Guiding the fiery wheeled throne,
The cherub Contemplation:
And the mute Silence hift along,
'Lefs Philomel will deign a fong,
In her fweeteft, faddeft plight,
Smoothing the rugged brow of night,
While Cynthia checks her dragon yoke,
Gently o'er the accuftom'd oak;

Sweet bird that fhun'ft the noise of folly,
Moft mufical, most melancholy !
Thee, chauntress, oft the woods among,
I woo to hear thy evening fong:
And miffing thee, I walk unfeen
On the dry fmooth-shaven green,
To behold the wand'ring moon,
Riding near her highest noon,
Like one that had been led aftray
Through the heaven's wide pathless way ;
And oft as if her head fhe bow'd
Stooping through a fleecy cloud.

Oft on a plat of rising ground,
I hear the far off Curfew found,
Over fome wide-water'd fhore,
Swinging flow with fullen roar.

Or if the air will not permit,
Some ftill removed place will fit,
Where glowing embers through the room,

Teach light to counterfeit a gloom,

For from all resort of mirth,

Save the cricket on the hearth,

Or

Or the bellman's drowsy charm,

To bless the doors from nightly harm.

Or let my lamp at midnight hour,

Be feen in fome high lonely tow'r,
Where I may oft out-watch the Bear,
With thrice great Hermes, or unfphere
The fpirit of Plato, to unfold ·

What worlds, or what vast regions hold :
The immortal mind that hath forfook
Her manfion in this fleshly nook :

And of thofe dæmons that are found
In fire, air, flood, or under ground,,
Whofe power hath a true confent
With planet, or with element.

Sometime let gorgeous Tragedy
In fcepter'd pall come fweeping by,
Prefenting Thebes, or Pelops' line,
Or the tale of Troy divine,

Or what (though rare) of later age,
Ennobled hath the bufkin'd ftage.

But, O fad virgin that thy power
Might raife Mufæus from his bower,,
Or bid the foul of Orpheus fing
Such notes as warbled to the ftring,
Drew iron tears down Pluto's cheek,

And made hell grant what love did feek:
Or call him that left half-told

up
The ftory of Cambuscan bold,
Of Camball, and of Algarfife,
And who had Canace to wife,

That own'd the virtuous ring and glass,
And of the wond'rous horfe of brass,

On which the Tartar king did ride;
And if aught elfe great bards befide
In fage and folemn tunes have fung,
Of tourneys and of trophies hung,
Of forefts and enchantments drear,
Where more is meant than meets the ear,
Thus night oft fee me in thy pale career,
Till civil-fuited morn appear

Not trick'd and frounc'd as fhe was went
With the Attic boy to hunt,

But kerchief'd in a comely cloud,
While rocking winds are piping loud

Or ufher'd with a fhower ftill,

When the guft hath blown his fill,
Ending on the ruftling leaves,

With minute drops from off the eaves.
And when the fun begins to fling
His flaring beams, me, Goddefs, bring
To arched walks of twilight groves,
And fhadows brown that Sylvan loves
Of pine or monumental oak,

Where the rude ax with heaved ftroke,
Was never heard the Nymphs to daunt,
Or fright them from their hallow'd haunt.
There in clofe covert by fome brook,
Where no profaner eye may look,
Hide me from day's garish eye,
While the bee with honeyed thigh,
That at her flow'ry work doth fing,
And the waters murmuring,
With fuch concert as they keep,
Entice the dewy-feather'd fleep :

And

And let fome ftrange myfterious dream,

Wave at his wings in airy ftream
Of lively portraiture display'd,
Softly on my eye-lids laid;

And as I wake sweet mufic breathe
Above, about, or underneath,

Sent by fome spirit to mortals' good,

Or th' unfeen Genius of the wood.
But let my due feet never fail'
To walk the studious cloyfter's pale,
And love the high embowed roof,
With antique pillars maffy proof,
And ftoried windows richly dight,
Cafting a dim religious light.
There let the pealing organ blow
To the full voiced quire below,
In fervice high, and anthems clear,
As may with sweetness, through mine ear':
Diffolve me into extafies,

And bring all heav'n before mine eyes.
And may at läft my weary age,
Find out the peaceful hermitage,
The hairy gown and moffy cell,
Where I may fit and rightly spell
Of ev'ry ftar that heav'n doth fhew,
And ev'ry herb that fips the dew;
'Till old experience do attain
To fomething like prophetic ftrain.
These pleasures, Melancholy, give,

And I wish thee will choose to live..