Ye forefts bend, ye harvests wave, to Him; 60 65 70 75 The liftening fhades, and teach the night His praise. So VOL. I. 85 Or Or if you rather chufe the rural fhade, And find a fane in every fecret grove; There let the fhepherd's flute, the virgin's lay, The prompting feraph, and the poet's lyre, 90 Still fing the God of Seasons, as they roll. Be my tongue mute, my fancy paint no more, Should fate command me to the fartheft verge In the void wafte as in the city full; And where He vital breathes, there must be joy. Myfelf in Him, in Light ineffable; Come then, expreffive Silence, mufe His praife. 95 ICC 105 110 II THE ADVERTISEMENT. THIS poem being writ in the manner of Speñfer, the obfolete words, and a fimplicity of diction in fome of the lines, which borders on the ludicrous, were neceffary, to make the imitation more perfect. And the ftyle of that admirable poet, as well as the meafure in which he wrote, are, as it were, appropriated by cuftom to all allegorical poems writ in our language; just as in French the ftile of Marot, who lived under Francis I. has been used in tales, and familiar epiftles, by the politeft writers of the age of Louis XIV. EXPLANATION of the OBSOLETE WORDS used in this Poem. ARchimage-the chief Fays-fairies. or greateft of magici- Gear or Geer-furniture, equipage, drefs. Glaive-fword. (Fr.) Hight-named, called; and fometimes it is used for is called. See ftanza vii. Idlefs-Idleness. Imp-child, or offspring; from the Saxon impan, to graft or plant. Keft—for caft. Lad-for led. Lea-a piece of land, ei meadow. Lig-to lie. Dan-a word prefixed to Libbard—leopard. names. Deftly-skilfully. Depainted-painted. Lofel-a loofe idle fellow. Louting-bowing, bending. Drowly-head-drowsiness. Lithe-loose, lax. Eath-eafy. Mell-mingle. |