The Season described as it affects the various parts of Nature. From every cranny suffocated falls: Or scatters o'er the blooms the pungent dust 130 Of pepper, fatal to the frosty tribe: Or, when th' envenom'd leaf begins to curl, 135 Be patient, swains; these cruel-seeming winds Blow not in vain. Far hence they keep repress'd Those deepening clouds on clouds, surcharg'd with rain, That o'er the vast Atlantic hither borne, In endless train would quench the summer-blaze, 140 Warms the wide air; and o'er the void of heaven 150 The Season described as it affects the various parts of Nature. Oppressing life; but lovely, gentle, kind, And full of every hope and every joy, The wish of Nature. Gradual sinks the breeze Into a perfect calm; that not a breath 155 Is heard to quiver through the closing woods, 160 165 170 And looking lively gratitude. At last, The clouds consign their treasures to the fields; The Season described as it affects the various parts of Nature. Prelusive drops, let all their moisture flow, The stealing shower is scarce to patter heard, 175 But who can hold the shade, while Heaven descends In universal bounty, shedding herbs, And fruits, and flowers, on Nature's ample lap? Swift fancy fir'd anticipates their growth; And, while the milky nutriment distils, Beholds the kindling country colour round. Thus all day long the full-distended clouds Indulge their genial stores, and well-shower'd earth Till, in the western sky, the downward sun 180 185 Of broken clouds, gay-shifting to his beam. 190 The rapid radiance instantaneous strikes 'Th' illumin'd mountain, through the forest streams, 195 The Season described as it affects the various parts of Nature. 200 Moist, bright, and green, the landscape laughs around; Full swell the woods; their every music wakes, Mix'd in wild concert with the warbling brooks Increas'd, the distant bleatings of the hills, And hollow lows responsive from the vales, Whence blending all the sweetened zephyr springs. Meantime refracted from yon eastern cloud, Bestriding earth, the grand ethereal bow Shoots up immense; and every hue unfolds, In fair proportion, running from the red, To where the violet fades into the sky. Here, awful NEWTON! the dissolving clouds The various twine of light, by thee disclos'd To catch the falling glory; but amaz'd A softened shade, and saturated earth 205 210 215 The Season described as it affects the various parts of Nature. Rais'd through ten thousand different plastic tubes, Then spring the living herbs, profusely wild, In silent search; or through the forest, rank 220 225 Bursts his blind way; or climbs the mountain-rock, Fir'd by the nodding verdure of its brow. With such a liberal hand has Nature flung Their seeds abroad, blown them about in winds, 230 Innumerous mix'd them with the nursing mould, The moistening current, and prolific rain. But who their virtues can declare? who pierce, With vision pure, into these secret stores 235 240 The first fresh dawn then wak'd the gladdened race |