i
L Y CI D A S.
HYRSIS, the music of that murm'ring spring
Is not so mournful as the strains

you sing.
Nor rivers winding thro' the vales below,
So sweetly warble, or so smoothly flow.

Now

Winter:] This was the Poet's favourite Pastoral.'

Mrs. Tempeft.) This Lady was of an ancient family in Yorkhire, and particularly admired by the Author's friend Mr. Walsh, who, having celebrated her in a Paitoral Elegy, desired his friend to do the same, as appears from one of his Letters, dated Sept. 9, 1706. “ Your last Eclogue

“ being IMITATIONS. VER. 1. Thyrfis, the music, etc.) *adó

Th, etc. Theocr. Id. i.

Now sleeping flocks on their soft fleeces lie, S
The moon, serene in glory, mounts the sky,
While filent birds forget their tuneful lays,
Oh sing of Daphne's fate, and Daphne's praise !

TH YRS I S.
Behold the groves that shine with silver frost,
Their beauty wither’d, and their verdure loft. IO
Here shall I try the sweet Alexis strain,
That call’d the listning Dryads to the plain?
Thames heard the numbers as he flow'd along,
And bade his willows learn the moving song.

L Y CI D A S.
So may kind rains their vital moisture yield, 15
And swell the future harvest of the field.
Begin ; this charge the dying Daphne gave;
And said, “ Ye shepherds, sing around my grave !"
Sing, while beside the shaded tomb I mourn,
And with fresh bays her rural shrine adorn.

TH YRS I S.
Ye gentle Muses, leave your crystal spring,
Let Nymphs and Sylvans cypress garlands bring;

Ye

20

" being on the fame subject with mine on Mrs. Tem

pest's death, I should take it very kindly in you to give “ it a little turn as if it were to the memory of the same “ lady.” Her death having happened on the night of the great storm in 1703, gave a propriety to this eclogue, which in its general turn alludes to it. The scene of the Pastoral lies in a grove, the time at midnight. P.

'IMITA TIONS. Ver. 13. Thames beard, etc.)

Audiit Eurotas, juffitque edifcere lauros.' Virg. P.

35

Ye weeping Loves, the stream with myrtles hide, And break your bows, as when 'Adonis dy’d; And with your golden darts; now useless grown, Inscribe a verse on this relenting itone: hd vi 26 “ Let nature change, let heav'n and earth deplore, « Fair Daphne's dead, and love is now no more !

'Tis done, and nature's various charms decay, See gloomy clouds obscure the chearful day ! 30 Now hung with pearls the dropping trees appear, Their faded honours scatter'd on her bier, See, where on earth the flow'ry glories lie, With her they flourishid, and with her they die. Ah what avail the beauties nature wore ? Fair Daphne's dead, and beauty is no more!

For her the flocks refuse their verdant food, The thirsty heifers fhun the gliding flood. The silver swans her hapless fate bemoan, In notes more fad than when they sing their own;, In hollow caves sweet Echo silent lies,

41 Silent, or only to her name replies';

7 Her name with pleasure once she taught the shore, Now Daphne's dead, and pleasure is no more!

No grateful de ws descend from ev'ning skies, Nor morning odours from the flow'rs arise

$751, 911d Is

No V

ARIATIONS. Ver. 29. Originally thus in the MS.

'Tis done, and nature's chang'a fince you ate gone; Behold the clouds have put their Mourning on.

IMITATIONS.
VER.
• 23, 24, 25

Inducite fontibus umbras --05:0.5 V
Et tumulum facite, et tumindo ya peraddit carmen. P.

46

No rich perfumes refresh the fruitful field,
Nor fragrant herbs their native incense yield.
The balmy Zephyrs, filent since her death,
Lament the ceasing of a sweeter breath;

50 Th' industrious bees neglect their golden store ! Fair Daphne's dead, and sweetness is no more.!

No more the mounting larks, while Daphne sings,
Shall list’ning in mid air suspend their wings ;
No more the birds shall imitate her lays, 55
Or hush'd with wonder, hearken from the sprays:
No more the streams their murmurs Thall forbear,
A sweeter' music than their own to hear,
But tell the reeds, and tell the vocal shore,
Fair Daphne's dead, and music is no more! 60

Her fate is whisper'd by the gentle breeze,
And told in fighs to all the trembling trees ;
The trembling trees, in ev'ry plain and wood,
Her fate remurmur to the silver flood;
The silver flood, so lately calm, appears

::65 Swelld with new paffion, and o'erflows with tears; The winds and trees and floods her death deplore, Daphne, our grief ! our glory now no more!

But fee! where Daphne wond'ring mounts on high Above the clouds, above the starry sky ! 70 Eternal beauties grace the shining scene, Fields ever fresh, and groves for ever green! There while you reft in Amaranthine bow'rs, Or from those meads select unfading flow'rs,

Behold

IMITATIONS.
VER. 67, 70. miratur limen Olympi,

Sub pedibusque videt nubes et lydera Dupbris. Virg. P.

Bebold us kindly, who your name implore, 75 Daphne, our Goddess, and our grief no more!

LYCIDAS.
How all things listen, while thy Muse complains!
Such filence waits on Philomela's strains,
In some ftill ev’ning, when the whisp'ring breeze
Pants on the leaves, and dies upon the trees. 80
To thee, bright goddess, oft a lamb shall bleed,
If teeming ewes encrease my fleecy breed.
While plants their shade, or flow'rs their odours give,
Thy name, thy honour, and thy praise shall live!

TH Y RS I S.
But see, Orion sheds unwholsome dews,
Arise, the pines a noxious shade diffuse;
Sharp Boreas blows, and Nature feels decay,
Time conquers all, and we must Time obey.

Adieu,

85

VARIATION S.
Ver. 83. Originally thus in the MS.

While Vapours rise, and driving snows descend,
Thy honour, name, and praise Thall never end.

IMITATION S.
VER. 81.

illius aram
Sæpe tener noftris ab ovilibus imbuet agnus. Virg. P.
VER. 86. folet elle gravis cantantibus umbra,

Juniperi gravis umbra. Virg. P.
VĒr. 88. Time conquers all, etc.

Omnia vincit amor, et nos cedamus amori,
Vid. etiam Sannazarii Ecl. et Spencer's Calendar.
VOL. I.

D