SUMMER.

SUMMER.

THE ARGUMENT.

The Subject proposed.

Invocation.

Addrefs to Mr. Dodington. An introductory Reflection on the Motion of the beavenly Bodies; whence the Succeffion of the Seafons. As the Face of Nature in this Seafon is almost uniform, the Progress of the Poem is a Defcription of a Summer's Day. The Darun. Sunrifing. Hymn to the Sun. Forenoon. Summer Infets defcribed. Hay-making. Sheep-fhearing. Noonday. A Woodland Retreat. Groupe of Herds and Flocks. A folemn Grove. How it affects a contem plative Mind. A Cataract, and rude Scene. View of Summer in the torrid Zone. Storm of Thunder and Lightning. A Tale. The Storm over, a ferene Afternoon. Bathing. Hour of Walking. Tranfition to the Profpect of a rich well cultivated Country; which introduces a Panegyric on Great Britain. Sun-fet. Evening. Night. Summer Meteors. 4 Comet. The whole concluding with the Praife of Philofophy.

F

ROM bright'ning fields of ether fair disclos'd, Child of the fun, refulgent Summer comes, In pride of youth, and felt thio' Nature's depth: He comes attended by the fultry hours, And ever-fanning breezes, on his way; While, from his ardent look, the turning Spring Averts her blufhful face; and earth, and fkies, All-fmiling, to his hot dominion leaves.

Hence, let me hafte into the mid-wood fhade, Where fcarce a fun-beam wanders thro the gloom; And on the dark green graff, beĥide the brink Of haunted stream, that by the roots of oak Rolls o'er the rocky channel, lie at large,

B 6

And

And fing the glories of the circling year.
Come, Infpiration! from thy hermit feat,
By mortal feldom found: may Fancy dare,
From thy fix'd fer ous eye, and raptor'd glance
Shot on furrounding heaven, to fi cal one look
Creative of the poet, every power
Exalting to an extacy of foul.

And, thou, my youthful Mufe's early friend,
In whom the human graces all unite:
Pure light of mind, and tenderness of heart;
Genius and wifdom; the gay focial fenfe,
By decency chaitiz'd: goodness and wit,
In feldom-meeting harmony combin'd;
Unllemih'd honour, and an active zeal,
For Britain's glory, Liberty, and Man:
O Dodington attend my rural fong,
Stoop to my theme, infpirit every line,
And teach to deferve thy juft applaufe.

20

25

3°

35

49

With what an awful world-revolving power, Were firft the unweildy planets launch'd along Th' illimitable void! Thus to remain, Amid the flux of many thousand years, That oft has fwept the toiling race of men, And all their labour'd monuments away, Firm, unremitting, matchlefs, in their courfe; To the kind-temper'd change of night and day, And of the feafons ever ftealing round, Minutely faithful: Such th' all-perfect hand; That pois'd, impels, and rules the steady whole. When now no more th' alternate Twins are fir'd, And Cancer reddens with the folar blaze, Short is the doubtful empire of the night; And foon, obfervant of approaching day, The meck-ey'd morn appears, mother of dews, At first faint gleaming in the dappled east: Till far o'er ether f reads the widening glow; And, from before the lure of her face, White break the clouds away. With quicken'd frep Brown night retires: Young day pour'd in apace, And opens all the lawny profpect wide.'' The dripping rock, the mountain's mifty top Swell on the fight, and brighten with the dawn.

45

49

Blue