Story of Damon and Musidora.

Or as the rose amid the morning dew,

Fresh from Aurora's hand, more sweetly glows.

1325

While thus she wanton'd, now beneath the wave But ill-conceal'd; and now with streaming locks, That half-embrac'd her in a humid veil,

Rising again, the latent DAMON drew

Such madning draughts of beauty to the soul,

As for a while o'erwhelm'd his raptur'd thought
With luxury too daring. Check'd, at last,
By love's respectful modesty, he deem'd

1330

The theft profane, if aught profane to love

1335

Can e'er be deem'd; and, struggling from the shade,

With headlong hurry fied: but first these lines,

Trac'd by his ready pencil, on the bank,

With trembling hand he threw : " Bathe on, my fair, "Yet unbeheld save by the sacred eye

"Of faithful love: I go to guard thy haunt; "To keep from thy recess each vagrant foot,

"And each licentious eye." With wild surprise, As if to marble struck, devoid of sense,

A stupid moment motionless she stood:

So stands the statue that enchants the world;

1340

1345

Ꮮ

Story of Damon and Musidora.

So bending tries to veil the matchless boast,
The mingled beauties of exulting Greece.

Recovering, swift she flew to find those robes
Which blissful Eden knew not; and, array'd
In careless haste, th' alarming paper snatch'd.

1350

But, when her DAMON's well-known hand she saw,
Her terrors vanish'd, and a softer train

Of mixt emotions, hard to be describ'd,

Her sudden bosom seiz'd: shame void of guilt; 1355

The charming blush of innocence; esteem

And admiration of her lover's flame,

By modesty exalted: ev'n a sense

Of self-approving beauty stole across

Her busy thought. At length, a tender calm

1360

Hush'd by degrees the tumult of her soul;
And on the spreading beech, that o'er the stream
Incumbent hung, she with the sylvan pen

Of rural lovers, this confession carv'd,

Which soon her DAMON kiss'd with weeping joy: 1365 "Dear youth! sole judge of what these verses mean; "By fortune too much favour'd, but by love,

"Alas! not favour'd less; be still as now
"Discreet; the time may come you need not fly."

1

Evening described.

The sun has lost his rage: his downward orb 1370 Shoots nothing now but animating warmth,

And vital lustre; that, with various ray,

Lights up the clouds, those beauteous robes of Heaven,
Incessant roll'd into romantic shapes,

The dream of waking fancy! Broad below,
Cover'd with ripening fruits, and swelling fast
Into the perfect year, the pregnant earth
And all her tribes rejoice. Now the soft hour
Of walking comes: for him who lonely loves
To seek the distant hills, and there converse
With Nature; there to harmonize his heart,
And in pathetic song to breathe around
The harmony to others. Social friends,

Attun'd to happy unison of soul;

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To whose exalting eye a fairer world,

Of which the vulgar never had a glimpse,

1385

Displays its charms; whose minds are richly fraught

With philosophic stores, superior light;

And in whose breast, enthusiastic, burns

Virtue, the sons of interest deem romance;
Now call'd abroad enjoy the falling day:
Now to the verdant Portico of woods,

1390

The River Thaines.

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To Nature's vast Lyceum, forth they walk;

1395

By that kind School where no proud master reigns,
The full free converse of the friendly heart,
Improving and improv'd. Now from the world,
Sacred to sweet retirement, lovers steal,

2

And pour their souls in transport; which the SIRE
Of love approving hears, and calls it good.

1405

Which way, AMANDA, shall we bend our course?
The choice perplexes. Wherefore should we chuse ?
All is the same with thee. Say, shall we wind
Along the streams? or walk the smiling mead?
Or court the forest-glades? or wander wild
Among the waving harvests? or ascend,
While radiant SUMMER opens all its pride,
Thy hill, delightful Shene? Here let us sweep
The boundless landskip: now the raptur'd eye,
Exulting swift, to huge AUGUSTA send;
Now to the Sister-hills that skirt her plain;
To lofty Harrow now, and now to where
Majestic Windsor lifts his princely brow.
In lovely contrast to this glorious view,
Calmly magnificent, then will we turn

To where the silver THAMES first rural

grows.

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The River Thames.

There let the feasted

eye

unwearied stray :

1420

Luxurious, there, rove through the pendant woods
That nodding hang o'er HARRINGTON's retreat;
And, stooping thence to Ham's embowering walks,
Beneath whose shades in spotless peace retir'd,
With HER the pleasing partner of his heart,
The worthy QUEENSB'RY yet laments his GAY;
And polish'd CORNBURY Wooes the willing Muse.
Slow let us trace the matchless VALE of THAMES s;
Fair-winding up to where the Muses haunt

1425

In Twit'nam's bowers, and for their POPE implore
The healing God; to royal Hampton's pile;
To Clermont's terrass'd height; and Esher's groves;
Where in the sweetest solitude, embrac'd

By the soft windings of the silent Mole,

1430

From courts and senates PELHAM finds repose.

Inchanting vale! beyond whate'er the Muse

Has of Achaia or Hesperia sung!

O vale of bliss! O softly-swelling hills!

On which the Power of Cultivation lies,

1435

And joys to see the wonders of his toil.

Heavens! what a goodly prospect spreads around, Of hills, and dales, and woods, and lawns, and spires,