SPRING. THE ARGUMENT. The fubject propofed. Infcribed to the Countess of Hartford. The Seafon is defcribed as it affects the vari ous parts of Nature, afcending from the lower to the bigber; with digreffions arifing from the fubject. Its influence on inanimate Matter, on Vegetables, on brute Animals, and laft on Man; concluding with a diffua* five from the zuild and irregular passion of Love, oppofed to that of a pure and happy kind. C OME, gentle Spring, ethereal Mildness, come, O Hartford, fitted or to fhine in courts Which thy own feafon paints; when Nature all And fee where furly Winter paffes off, 10 The mountains lift their green heads to the sky. A 3 And And fing their wild notes to the listening wafte. 25 At last from Aries rolls the bounteous fun, And the bright Ball receives him. Then no more Lifts the light clouds fublime, and spreads them thin, 35 40 Drives from their talls, to where the well-us'd 46 Be gracious, Heav'n! for now laborious man Has done his part. Ye fostering breezes blow! Ye foflering dews, ye tender thowers, defcend! 50 And temper all, thou world-reviving fun, Into the perfect year! Nor ye who live In Luxury and ease, in pomp and pride, Think thefe loft themes unworthy of your ear: Such themes as these the rural Maro fung To wide-imperial Rome, in the full height Of elegance and tafte. by Greece refin'd. In ancient times, the facred plough employ'd The kings, and awful fathers of mankind: 55 And fome, with whom compar'd your infect tribes 60 Have held the fcale of empire, rul'd the ftorm The plough, and greatly independant fcorn'd 65 Ye generous Britons, venerate the plough I' 70 75 80' United light and fhade! where the fight dwells 85 By Nature's swift and secref-working hand, With lavith fragrance;le the promis'd fruit Lies yet a little emb unperceiv'd, Within its crimfor JS. Now from the town 100 (drops Where freshnefs breathes, and dah the trembling" 105 From the bent bufh, as thro' the verdant maze And And fee the country, far diffus'd around. The fair profufion, yellow Autumn spies. 115 120 If, bruth'd from Ruffian wilds, a cutting gale Rife not, and fcatter from his humid wings The clammy mildew; or, dry-blowing, breathe Untimely froft; before whofe baleful blaft The full-blown fpring thro' all her foliage fhrinks, Joylefs and dead, a wide dejected waste. For oft, engender'd by the hazy north, Myriads on myriads, infect armies waft Keen in the poifon'd breeze; and wasteful eat, Thro' buds and bark, into the blackened core, Their eager way. A feeble race! yet oft The facred fons of vengeance! on whofe courfe 125 Corrofive famine waits, and kills the year. To check this plague the fkilful farmer, chaff, And blazing ftraw, before his orchard burns; Till, all involv'd in fmoke, the latent foe From every cranny fuffocated falls: 130 Or fcatters o'er the blooms the pungent duft Or, when th' invenom'd leaf begins to curl, Be patient, fwains; thefe cruel-feeming winds Blow not in vain. Far hence they keep, reprefs'd Thofe deep'ning clouds on clouds, furcharg'd with That o'er the vaft. Atlantic hither borne, [rain, In end'efs train, would quench the fummer-blaze, 141 And, chearless, drown the crude unripen'd year. The north-east fpends his rage; he now, thut up Within his iron cave, th' effufive fouth 144 Warms the wide air, and o'er the void of heaven Breathes the big clouds with vernal fhowers diftent. At first a dufky wreath they feem to rife, Scarce ftaining ether; but by fait degrees, In heaps on heaps, the doubling vapour fails Along the loaded fky, and mingl ng deep 150 |