Beat by undumber'd wings. The swallow sweeps
The llimy pool, to build his hanging house
Intent. Ard often, from the careless back
Of herds and Mocks, a thousand tugging bills
Pluck hair and wool; and oft, when unobserv'd,
Steal from the barn attraw : till soft and warm, 636
Clean, and compleat, their habitation grows.

Asthus the patient dam afsiduous fits,
Not to be tempted from her tender talk,
Or by Tharp bunger, or by smooth delight,

660
Thoʻthe whole loosen'd Spring around her blows,
Her sympathizing lover takes his stand
High on th” opponent bank, and ceaseless fings
The tedious time away or else lupplies
Her place a moment, while the sudden its

665
To pick the scanty meal. Th' appointed time
With pious toil'd fulfill'd, the collow yöung,
Warm’d and expanded into perfect life,
Their brittle bondage break, and come to light,
A helpless family, demanding food

670
With constant clamour: 0 what passions then,
What melting sentiments of kindly care,
On the new parents seize ! - Away they fly
Affectionate, and undefiring bear
The most delicious morsel to their young;
Which equally distributed, again
The search begins. Even so a gentle pair,
By fortune funk, but form’d of generous mold,
And charm'd with cares beyond the vulgar breast,
Ia fome lone cot amid the diftant woods,
Sustain'd alone by providential Heaven,
Ost, as they weeping eye their infant train,
Check their own appetites, and give them all.

Nor to l alone they scorn : exalting love,
By the great Father of the Spring infpir’dl,
Give's initane courage to the fearful race,
And to the limple art. With itealthy wing
Should some rood foot their woody haunţs molest,
Amid a neighbouring bush they filent drop,
And whirring thence, as if alarm’d, deceive 690
Th' un feeling school-boy. Hence, around the head
Of wandering (wain, the white wing'd player wheels

Her

675

15

680

683

V

5

Her founding flight, and then directly on
In long excursion skims the level lawn,
To tempt him from her neit. The wild duck, hence,
O'er the rough moss, and o'er the trackless waste 696
The heath-hen futters, (pious fraud!) to lead
The hot pursuing (paniel far astray,

Be not the Muse asham'd, here to bemoan
Her brothers of the grove, by tyrant Man 700
Inhuman caught, and in the narrow cage
From liberty confin'd, and boundless air.
Dull are the pretty Naves, their plumage dull,
Ragged, and all its brightening luftre loft;
Nor is that sprightly wildness in their nores, 75
Which, clear and vigorous, warbles from the beecten
Oh then, ye friends of love and love-taught song,
Spare the soft tribes, this barbarous art forbear;
If on your bosem innocence can win,
Music engage, or picty persuade.

710
But let not chief the nightingale lament
Her ruin'd care, too delicately fram'd
To brook the harsh confinement of the cage.,
Ofc when, rețurning with her loaded bill,
Th' astonith'd mother finds a vacant nest, 715
By the hard hands of unrelenting clowns
Robb’d, to the ground the vain provision falls i
Her pinions ruffle, and low-drooping scarce
Cap bear the mourner to the poplar Thade;
Where, all abandon'd to despair, she fings 720
Her forrows chro' the night, and, on the bough,
Sole-litting, till. at every dying fall,
Takes up again her lamentable strain
Of winding woe; till wide around, the woods
Sigh to her song, and with her wail resound. 725

But now the feather youth their former bounds,
Ardent, disdain ; and, weighing off cheir wings,
Demand the poffefsion of the sky:
This one glad office more, and then disolves
Parental love at once, now needless grown. 730
Unlavith Wisdom never works in vain.
'Tis on fome evening, funny, grateful, mild,
When nought but balm is breathing thro' the woodsg.
With yellow luftre bright, that the new tribes

Visit

Visit the spacious heavens, and look abroad

755 On Nature's common, far as they can fee, Or wing, their range, and pasture. O'er the boughs Dancing about, Mill at the giddy verge Their resolution fails; the r pinions ftill, In locre libration Aretch'd, to trust the void

740 Trembling Jefufe : till down before them fly The parent-guides, and chide, exhort, command, Or push them off. The surging air receives The plumr burden : and their self-taught wings Witnow the waving element. On ground 745 Alighted, bolder up again they lead, Farther and farther on, the lengthening flight; Till vanish'd every fear, and every power Rous’d into life and aétion, light in air Th' acqu tred parents fee their foaring race, 750 And once rejoicing never know them more,

High from the lummit of a craggy cliff, Hung o'er the deep, such as amazing frowns On utmctt*Kida’s Thore, whose lonely race Relign the setting fun to Indian worlds, 755 The royal eagle draws his vigorous young, Strong-pounc'd, and ardent with paternal fire. Now fit to raise a kingdom of their own, He drives them from his fort, the tow'ring seat, For ages, of his empire; which in peace, 760 Unstain'd he holds, while many a league to fea He wings his course, and preys in diftant ifles.

Should I my steps turn to the rural feat, Whole lofty elms, and venerable oaks, Tavite the rook, w!so high amid the boughs, 765 In early Spring, his airy city builds, And ceaseless caws amufive; there, well-pleas'd, 1 might the various polity furvey Of the mixt houthold kind. The careful hen Calls all her chirping family around,

770 Fed and defended by the fearless cock; Wholerbreast with ardour flames, as on he walks, Graceful, and crows defiance. In the pond, The finely-checker'd duck, before her train, Row garrulous. The stately sailing fwan

Gives * The furtheft of ibe wofern ifands of Scotland.

775

Gives out his snowy plumage to the gale ;
And arching proud his neck, with oary feet
Bears forward ficrce, and guards his olier-ine,
Protective of his young. The turkey nigh,
Loud threatning, reddens; while the peacock spreads
His every colour'd glory to the fun,

781
And swims in radiant Majesty along.
O'er the whole homely scene, the cooing dove
Flies thick in amorous chace, and wanton rolls
The glancing eye, and turns the changeful neck.

While thus the gentle tenants of the Thade 786
Indu.ge their purer loves, the tougher world
Of brutes, below, rush furious into fiame,
And fierce defire. Thro' all his lusty veins
The bull, deep. scorch'd, the raging paflion feels.
Of pasture sick, and negligent of food, 791
Scarce seen, he wades among the yellow broom,
While o'er his ample fides the' rambling sprays
Luxuriant fhoot; or Thro' the mazy wiod.
Dejected wanders, nor th' inticing bub 795
Crops, tho' it presses on his careless sense.
And oft, in jealous madning fancy wrapt,
He seeks the fight; and, idly-butting, feigns
His rival gor'd in every knotty trunk.
Him should he meet, the bellowing war begins :
Their eyes flash fury; to the hollow'd earib, sot
Whence the land flies, they mutter bloody deeds,
And groaning deep th’impetuous battle mix :
While the fair heifer, balmy-breathing, near,
Stands kindling up their rage. The trembling steed,
With this hot impulse seiz’d in every nerve

806
Nor hears the rein, nor heeds the founding throng;
Blows are not felt; uut toffing high his head,
And by the well-known joy to diftant plains
Attracted strong, all wild he bursts away ;.

810
O'er rocks, and woods, and craggy mountains flies;
And, neighing, on the aerial lummit takes
TA’exciting gale; the steep-descending cleaves
The headlong torrents foaming down the hills,
Even where the madness of the traiten'd stream
Turns in black eddies round : such is the force 816
With which his frantic heart and linews swell.

Nor

835

Nor ur delighted by the boundless Spring
Are the broad monfters of the foaming deep :
From the deep poze and gelidi cavern rus'd, 820
They Aounce and tumble in unweildy joy.
Dire were the frain, and diffonant, to sing
The cruel raptures of the savage kind :
How by this Aame their native wrath fublim'd
They roam, amid the fury of their heart, 825
The far-resounding waste in fiercer bands,

And growl their horrid loves. But this the theme 6

1 ling. enraptur’d, to the British Fair,
Forbids, a'd leads me to the mountain-brow,
Where fits the thepherd on the graffy turf, 830
Inhaling, healthful, the descending sun.
Around him feeds his many-bleating flock,!
Of various cadence; and his sportive lambs,
This way and that convolv’d, in friskful glee,
Their frosicks play. And now the sprightly race

Invites them forth; when swift, the fignal gven, 35 They start away, and sweep the masly mound

Thai runs around the hill, the rampart once,
Of iron war, in ancient barbarous times,
When disunited Britain ever bled,
Lost in eternal broil: ere yet the grew
To this deep-laid indiffoluble state,
Where Wealth and Commerce lift the golden head;
And, o'er our labours, Liberty and Law,
Impartial, watch ; the wonder of a world!

What is this mighty breath, ye curious, say, ed

, Thar, în a powerful language, felt not heard, do Instructs che fowls of heaven, and thro' their breaft $ Thefmarts of love diffuses? What; but God?

Inspiring God! who boundless Spirit all, 850

And unremitting Energy, pervades,
110 Adjusts, fuftains, and agitates the whole.
e); He ceaseless works alone; and yet alone

Seems not to work; with such perfection fram'd
In this complex itupendous scheme of tnings. 855
But, tho' conceal'd, to every purer eye

Th’informing Author in his works appears :
Bill Chief, lovely Spring, in thce, and thy foft scenes,

The smiling God is seen ; while water, earth, Not

840

845