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 freshened world. The stealing shower is fcarce to patter heard, By fuch as wander thro the foreft-walks, Beneath th' umbrageous multitude of leaves. But who can hold the fhade, 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 diftils, Beholds the kindling country colour round.
THUS all day long the full-distended clouds Indulge their genial ftores, and well-fhower'd earth Is deep enrich'd with vegetable life;
Till, in the western sky, the downward fun Looks out, effulgent, from amid the flush
Of broken clouds, gay-fhifting to his beam.
The rapid radiance inftantaneous ftrikes
Th' illumin'd mountain, thro the foreft ftreams, Shakes on the floods, and in a yellow mist,
Far fmoaking o'er th' interminable plain,
In twinkling myriads lights the dewy gems.
Moift, bright, and green, the landskip laughs around. Full fwell the woods; their every mufick wakes,
Mix'd in wild concert with the warbling brooks
Increas'd, the distant bleatings of the hills, The hollow lows refponfive from the vales, Whence blending all the fweetened zephyr fprings. Mean time refracted from yon eastern cloud, Beftriding earth, the grand ethereal bow Shoots up immenfe; 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 fun, thy showry prism; And to the fage-instructed eye unfold
The various twine of light, by thee disclos'd
From the white mingling maze. Not fo the fwain; 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 foftened shade, and saturated earth
Awaits the morning-beam, to give to light, Rais'd thro ten thousand different plastic tubes, The balmy treasures of the former day.
THEN fpring the living herbs, profufely wild, O'er all the deep-green earth, beyond the power Of botanist to number up their tribes:
Whether he steals along the lonely dale, In filent fearch; or thro' the forest, rank B 6
With what the dull incurious weeds account, Bursts 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 feeds 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 fecret stores
Of health, ahd life, and joy? The food of Man, While yet he liv'd in innocence, and told
A length of golden years; unflefh'd in blood, A ftranger to the favage arts of life,
Death, rapine, carnage, furfeit, and disease;
The lord, and not the tyrant of the world.
THE first fresh dawn then wak'd the gladdened race Of uncorrupted Man, nor blufh'd to fee
The fluggard fleep beneath its facred beam:
For their light flumbers gently fum'd away;
And up they rofe as vigorous as the fun, Or to the culture of the willing glebe, Or to the chearful tendance of the flock.
Mean time the fong went round; and dance and sport Wisdom and friendly tale, fucceffive stole
Their hours away. While in the rofy vale
Love breath'd his infant fighs, from anguish free,
And full replete with bliss; fave the sweet pain,
That, inly thrilling, but exalts it more.
Nor yet injurious act, nor furly deed,
Was known among thefe happy fons of HEAVEN; For reafon and benevolence were law. Harmonious Nature too look'd smiling on. Clear shone the skies, cool'd with eternal gales, And balmy spirit all. The youthful fun Shot his best rays, and still the gracious clouds Drop'd fatnefs down; as o'er the fwelling mead, The herds and flocks, commixing, play'd fecure. This when, emergent from the gloomy wood, The glaring lion faw, his horrid heart Was meekened, and he join'd his fullen joy. For mufick held the whole in perfect peace: Soft figh'd the flute; the tender voice was heard, Warbling the varied heart; the woodlands round Apply'd their quire; and winds and waters flow'd 270 In confonance. Such were thofe prime of days.
BUT now thofe 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 foul of happiness; and all
Is off the poife within: the paffions all
Have burft their bounds; and reafon half extinct,
And hates that excellence it cannot reach. Defponding fear, of feeble fancies full, Weak and unmanly, loofens every power. Even love itself is bitterness of foul, A penfive anguish pining at the heart; Or, funk to fordid intereft, feels no more That noble with, that never cloy'd defire, Which, felfish joy difdaining, feeks alone To blefs the dearer object of its flame. Hope fickens with extravagance; and grief, Of life impatient, into madness fwells; Or in dead filence waftes the weeping hours. Thefe, and a thousand mix'd emotions more, From ever-changing views of good and ill, Form'd infinitely various, vex the mind
With endless storm. Whence, deeply rankling, grows The partial thought, a liftless unconcern,
Cold, and averting from our neighbour's good;
Then dark difguft, and hatred, winding wiles,
Coward deceit, and ruffian violence:
At laft, extinct each focial feeling, fell
And joyless inhumanity pervades
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