While in the fold his injur'd ewes complain, THE FIFTH PASTORAL. CUDDY. N rural ftrains we firft our music try, IN And bashful into woods and thickets fly, Miftrufting then our skill; yet if through time Our voice, improving, gain a pitch fublime, Thy growing virtues, Sackville, fhall engage My riper verfe, and more aspiring age. The fun, now mounted to the noon of day, Began to shoot direct his burning ray; When, with the flocks, their feeders fought the fhade A venerable oak wide-spreading made: What should they do to pass the loitering time? As fancy led, each form'd his tale in rhyme : In neat device?) his tale began to tell. "When shepherds flourish'd in Eliza's reign, "There liv'd in high repute a jolly swain, 12 17 20 Young Colin Clout; who well could pipe and fing, "And by his notes invite the lagging fpring. "He, as his cuftom was, at leifure laid "In woodland bower, without a rival play'd, 24 "Soliciting "Soliciting his pipe to warble clear, Enchantment sweet as ever wont to hear Belated wayfarers, from wake or fair "Detain'd by mufic, hovering on in air: "Drawn by the magic of th' inticing found, "What troops of mute admirers flock'd around! "The steerlings left their food.; and creatures, wild By Nature form'd, infenfibly grew mild. 28 32 "He makes the gathering birds about him throng, "The shepherd heard with wonder, and again, The rudeness of my rural fife I fee; From thee I learn no more to vaunt my fkill: 36. 48. 52 "The "The vanquish'd fwain. Provok'd, at laft, he ftrove "To show the little minstrel of the grove 56 60 "His utmost powers, determin'd once to try "How art, exerting, might with nature vy; "For vy could none with either in their part, "With her in Nature, nor with him in Art. "He draws-in breath, his rifing breath to fill: "Throughout the wood his pipe is heard to fhrill. "From note to note, in hafte, his fingers fly; "Still more and more the numbers multiply : "And now they trill, and now they fall and rife, "And swift and flow they change with sweet surprise. "Attentive the doth scarce the founds retain; "But to herself first cons the puzzling strain, "And tracing, heedful, note by note repays 64 68 The fhepherd in his own harmonious lays, "Through every changing cadence runs at length, "And adds in fweetness what he wants in ftrength. 72 "Then Colin threw his fife difgrac'd afide, "While the loud triumph fings, proclaiming wide "Her mighty conqueft, and within her throat "Twirls many a wild unimitable note, "To foil her rival. What could Colin more? 76 A little harp of maple-ware he bore: "The little harp was old, but newly ftrung, "Which, ufual, he acrofs his fhoulders hung. 80 "Now take, delightful bird, my last farewel, "He faid, and learn from hence thou doft excel· "No trivial artist: and anon he wound "The murmuring ftrings, and order'd every found: 84 "Then "Then earnest to his inftrument he bends, 88 96 “Now, lightly skimming, o'er the strings they pass, "Like winds which gently brush the plying grafs, 92 "While melting airs arise at their command: "And now, laborious, with a weighty hand "He finks into the cords with folemn pace, "To give the fwelling tones a bolder grace; "And now the left, and now by turns the right, "Each other chace, harmonious both in flight: "Then his whole fingers blend a fwarm of founds, "Till the sweet tumult through the harp redounds, 100 "Ceafe, Colin, ceafe, thy rival cease to vex; "The mingling notes, alas! her ear perplex: "She warbles, diffident, in hope and fear, “And hits imperfect accents here and there, "And fain would utter forth fome double tone, "When foon fhe falters, and can utter none : "Again she tries, and yet again fhe fails; "For ftill the harp's united power prevails. "Then Colin play'd again, and playing fung: "She, with the fatal love of glory stung, "Hears all in pain: her heart begins to swell: "In piteous notes fhe fighs, in notes which tell "Her bitter anguish: he, ftill finging, plies "His limber joints: her forrows higher rise. Y 104 108 112 116 "How fhall fhe bear a conqueror, who, before, "No equal through the grove in music bore? "She droops, the hangs her flagging wings, fhe moans, "And fetcheth from her breast melodious groans. "Opprefs'd with grief at laft too great to quell, "Down, breathlefs, on the guilty harp fhe fell. "Then Colin loud lamented o'er the dead, "And unavailing tears profufely fhed, 120 And broke his wicked ftrings, and curs'd his skill; "And beft to make atonement for the ill, "If, for fuch ill, atonement might be made, "He builds her tomb beneath a laurel fhade, 124 "Then adds a verfe, and sets with flowers the ground, And makes a fence of winding ofiers round. "A verfe and tomb is all I now can give; "And here thy name at least, he said, shall live.” Thus ended Cuddy with the fetting fun, 128 And, by his tale, unenvy'd praises won. 132 THE SIXTH PASTORAL. GERON, HOBBINOL, LANQUET. GERON. HOW fill the fea behold! how calm the sky! And how, in fportive chace, the fwallows fly! My goats, fecure from harm, fmall tendance need, 4 Prepare. |