網頁圖片
PDF
ePub 版

The hollow murmur of the ocean-tide;
The hum of bees, and linnet's lay of love,
And the full choir that wakes the universal grove.

XXXIX.

The cottage-curs at early pilgrim bark;

Crown'd with her pale the tripping milk-maid fings; The whistling plowman ftalks afield; and, hark! Down the ruff flope the ponderous waggon rings; Through rustling corn the hare aftonish'd fprings; Slow tolls the village-clock the drowsy hour; The partridge burfts away on wherring wings; Deep mourns the turtle in fequefter'd bower, And fhrill lark carols clear from her aerial tour.

XL.

O Nature, how in every charm fupreme!
Whose votaries feaft on raptures ever new!
O for the voice aud fire of feraphim,
To fing thy glories with devotion due!
Bleft be the day L'fcaped the wrangling orew,
From Pyrrho's maze, and Epicurus' fty;

And held high converfe with the godlike few,
Who to th' enraptur'd heart, and ear, and eye,
Teach beauty, virtue, truth, and love, and melody.

XLI.

Hence! ye, who fnare and ftupify the mind,
Sophifts, of beauty, virtue, joy the bane!
Greedy and fell, though impotent and blind,
Who fpread your filthy nets in Truth's fair fane,
And ever ply your venom'd fangs amain!

Hence to dark Error's den, whofe wrankling flime Firft gave you form! hence! left the Mufe fhould deign, (Though loath on theme fo mean to waste a rhyme) With vengeance to purfae your facrilegious crime.

XLII.

But hail, ye mighty mafters of the lay,

Nature's true fons, the friends of man and truth!

Whose fong, fublimely fweet, ferenely gay,
Amused my childhood, and inform'd my youth.
O let your spirit ftill my bofom footh,

Infpire my dreams, and my wild wanderings guide!
Your voice each rugged path of life can smooth;
For well I know, where-ever ye refide,

There harmony, and peace, and innocence, abide.

XLIII.

Ah me! abandon'd on the lonesome plain,
As yet poor Edwin never knew your lore,
Save when againft the winter's drenching rain,
And driving fnow, the cottage fhut the door.
Then, as instructed by tradition hoar,
Her legends when the Beldam 'gan impart,
Or chant the old heroic ditty o'er,

Wonder and joy ran thrilling to his heart;
Much he the tale admir'd, but more the tuneful art.

XLIV.

Various and ftrange was the long-winded tale;
And halls, and knights, and feats of arms difplay'd;
Or merry swains, who quaff the nut-brown ale,
And fing, enamour'd of the nut-brown maid;
The moon-light revel of the fairy glade;
Or hags, that fuckle an infernal brood,
And ply in caves th' unutterable trade*,

Midft fiends and fpectres, quench the moon in blood, Yell in the midnight storm, or ride th' infuriate flood.

XLV.

But when to horror his amazement rofe,
A gentler train the Beldam would rehearse,

Allufion to SHAKESPEAR.

Macbeth. How now, ye fecret, black, and midnight hags, What is't you do?

Witches. A deed without a Name,

C

A tale of rural life, a tale of woes, The orphan-babes, and guardian uncle fierce. O cruel! will no pang of pity pierce That heart by luft of lucre fear'd to stone! For fure, if aught of virtue laft, or verfe, To latest times fhall tender fouls bemoan, Thofe helpless orphan-babes by thy fell arts undone.

XLVI.

Behold, with berries fmear'd, with brambles torn
The babes now famifh'd lay them down to die.
'Midft the wild howl of dark fome woods forlorn,
Folded in one another's arms they lie;

Nor friend, nor ftranger, hears their dying cry:
For from the town the man returns no more.'
But thou, who Heaven's juft vengeance dareft defy,
This deed with fruitless tears fhalt foon deplore,
When Death lays waste thy houfe, and flames confume
thy ftore.

XLVII.

A ftifled fimile of ftern vindictive joy

Brighten'd one moment Edwin's starting tear.-
But why fhould gold man's feeble mind decoy,
'And Innocence thus die by doom severe ?
O Edwin! while thy heart is yet fincere,
Th' affaults of difcontent and doubt repel :
Dark even at noon-tide is our mortal sphere;
But let us hope,- to doubt is to rebel,
Let us exult in hope that all fhall yet be well.

XLVIII.

Nor be thy generous indignation check'd,
Nor check'd the tender tear to Mifery given;
From Guilt's contagious power fhall that protect,
This foften and refine the foul for heaven.

See the fine old ballad, called, The Children in the
Wood.

But dreadful is their doom, whom doubt hath driven To cenfure Fate, and pious Hope forego: Like yonder blafted boughs by lightening riven, Perfection, beauty, life, they never know, But frown on all that pafs, a monument of wo.

XLIX.

Shall he, whofe birth, maturity, and age,
Scarce fill the circle of one fummer-day,
Shall the poor gnat with discontent and rage
Exclaim, that Nature haltens to decay,
If but a cloud obftruct the folar ray,
If but a momentary fhower defcend!
Or fhall frail man Heaven's dread decree gainsay,
Which bade the series of events extend

Wide through unnumber'd worlds, and ages without end!

L.

One part, one little part, we dimly fean Through the dark medium of life's feverish dream; Yet dare arraign the whole ftupendous plan,.. If but that little part incongruous feem. Nor is that part perhaps what mortals deem ; Oft from apparent ill our bleffings rife. O then renounce that impious felf-esteem, That aims to trace the fecrets of the skies; For thou art but of duft; be humble, and be wife.

LI.

Thus Heaven enlarged his foul in riper years.
For Nature gave him ftrength, and fire, to foar,
On Fancy's wing, above this vale of tears;
Where dark cold-hearted feeptics, creeping pore
Through microfcope of metaphyfic lore :
And much they grope for truth, but never hit.
For why? their powers, inadequate before,
This art prepofterous renders more unfit ;

Yet deem they darkness light, and their vain blunders

wit.

C 2

LIL

Nor was this ancient dame a foe to mirth. Her ballad, jeft, and riddle's quaint device Oft chear'd the fhepherds round her focial hearth; Whom levity or fpleen could ne'er entice To purchase chat or laughter at the price Of decency. Nor let it faith exceed, That Nature forms a ruftic tafte fo nice.Ah! had they been of court or city breed, Such delicacy were right marvellous indeed.

LIII.

Oft when the winter florm had ceas'd to rave, He roam'd the fnowy wafte at even, to view The cloud ftupendous, from th' Atlantic wave High-towering, fail along the horizon blue: Where 'midft the changeful feenery ever new Fancy a thoufand wondrous forms defcries More wildly great than ever pencil drew, Rocks, torrents, gulfs, and fhapes of giant fize; And glittering cliffs on cliffs, and fiery ramparts rife.

LIV.

Thence mufing onward to the founding fhore, The lone enthusiast oft would take his way, Liftening with pleafing dread to the deep roar Of the wild-weltering waves. In black array When fulphurous clouds roll'd on the vernal day, Even then he hafted from the haunt of man, Along the darkening wilderness to ftray, What time the lightening's fierce career began, And o'er heaven's rending arch the rattling thunder ran.

LV.

Refponfive to the fprightly pipe when all

In fprightly dance the village-youth were join'd,
Edwin, of melody aye held in thrall,

From the rude gambol far remote reclined,
Sooth'd with the foft notes warbling in the wind.
Ah then, all jollity feem'd noife and folly.

« 上一頁繼續 »