The Season described as it affects the various parts of Nature. Of uncorrupted Man, nor blush'd to see Or to the cheerful tendance of the flock. 245 Meantime the song went round; and dance and sport, Wisdom and friendly talk, succesive, stole Their hours away. While in the rosy vale 250 Love breath'd his infant sighs, from anguish free, And full replete with bliss; save the sweet pain, Nor yet injurious act, nor surly deed, Was known among those happy sons of Heaven; 255 For reason and benevolence were law. Harmonious Nature too look'd smiling on; Clear shone the skies, cool'd with eternal gales, 260 The Season described as it affects the various parts of Nature. Was meekened, and he join'd his sullen joy; 265 Soft sigh'd the flute; the tender voice was heard, Are found no more amid these iron times, Is off the poise within: the passions all Have burst their bounds; and reason half extinct, 275 The foul disorder. Senseless, and deform'd, 280 Base envy withers at another's joy, And hates that excellence it cannot reach. Ev'n love itself is bitterness of soul, 285 The Season described as it affects the various parts of Nature. A pensive anguish pining at the heart; 290 295 From ever-changing views of good and ill, Form'd infinitely various, vex the mind With endless storm: whence, deeply rankling, grows The partial thought, a listless unconcern, 300 Cold, and averting from our neighbour's good; Then dark disgust, and hatred, winding wiles, Coward deceit, and ruffian violence: At last, extinct each social feeling, fell, And joyless inhumanity pervades And petrifies the heart. Nature disturb'd Is deem'd, vindictive, to have chang'd her course. 305 310 The Season described as it affects the various parts of Nature. With universal burst, into the gulph ; And o'er the high-pil'd hills of fractur'd earth The Seasons since have, with severer sway, Oppress'd a broken world: the Winter keen 315 Green'd all the year; and fruits and blossoms blush'd, In social sweetness, on the self-same bough. Pure was the temperate air; an even calm 325 Perpetual reign'd, save what the zephyrs bland 330 The Season described as it affects the various parts of Nature. Our drooping days are dwindled down to nought, And yet the wholesome herb neglected dies; And worse. 335 340 The wolf, who from the nightly fold Fierce drags the bleating prey, ne'er drunk her milk Nor wore her warming fleece: nor has the steer, E'er plow'd for him. They too are temper'd high, 345 Nor lodges pity in their shaggy breast. But Man, whom Nature form'd of milder clay, With every kind emotion in his heart, And taught alone to weep; while from her lap 350 She pours ten thousand delicacies, herbs, Or beams that gave them birth: shall he, fair form! |