When firft the tender Blades of Grafs appear,
And Buds that yet the Blaft of Eurus fear, (Year
Stand at the Door of Life, and doubt to cloath the
'Till gentle Heat, an foft repeated Rains,
Make the green Blood to dance within their Veins ;
Then, at their Call embolden'd, out they come,
And fwell the Gems, and burst the narrow Room :
Broader and broader yet their Blooms difplay,
Salute the welcome Sun, and entertain the Day.
Then from their breathing Souls their Sweets repair
To fcent the Skies, and purge th' unwholfom Air.
Joy fpreads the Heart, and with a gen'ral Song
Spring iffues out, and leads the jolly Months along.
(Dryd. Flow, and the Leaf.
Now lavish Nature has adorn'd the Year;
Now the pale Primrofe, and blue Vi'let fpring,
And Birds effay their Throats, difus'd to fing.
(Dryd. The Cock and the Fox.
Three beamy Stags command a lordly Train
Of branching Heads; the more ignoble Throng
Attend their stately Steps, and flowly graze along
Thus when a fearful Stag is clos'd around
With crimson Toils, or in a River found,
High on the Bank the deep-mouth'd Hound appears,
Still op'ning, following still where'er he steers:
The perfecuted Creature to and fro,
Turns here and there, to 'fcape his Umbrian Foe :
Steep is th' Afcent, and if he gain the Land,-
The purple Death is pitch'd along the Strand.
His eager Foe, determin'd to the Chafe,
Stretch'd at his length, gains Ground at ev'ry Pace:
Now to his beamy Head he makes his Way,
And now he holds, or thinks he holds the Prey;
Juft at the Pinch, the Stag fprings out with Fear,
He bites the Wind,and fills his founding Jaws with Air:
The Rocks, the Lakes, the Meadows ring with Cries,
The mortal Tumult mounts, and thunders in the Skies.
Thus like a Stag, whom all the Troop furrounds
Of eager Huntímen, and invading Hounds:
No Flight is left, nor Hopes to force his Way;
Embolden'd by Defpair, he ftands at Bay,
Refolv'd on Death, he diffipates his Fears,
And bounds aloft, against the pointed Spears.
(Dryd. Virg.
So the tall Stag upon the Brink
Of fome Smooth Stream, about to drink,
Surveying there his armed Head,
With Shame remembers that he fled
The Dogs he scorn'd: refolves to try;
The Combat next; but if their Cry
Invade agen his trembling Ear,
He ftrait refumes his wonted Care,
Leaves the untafted Spring behind,
And, wing'd with Fear, out-flies the Wind.
On the Head of a STAG.
So we fome antique Heroe's Strength
Learn by his Lance's Weight and Length,
As thefe vaft Beams exprefs the Beaft,
Whofe fhady Brows alive they drefs'd.
O fertile Head, which ev'ry Year
Could fuch a Crop of Wonder bear!
Which might it never have been cast,
Each Year's Growth added to the last,
These lofty Branches had fupply'd
The Earth's bold Sons prodigious Pride :
Heav'n with thefe Engines had been scal'd,
When Mountains heap'd on Mountains fail'd.
STANDARD.
He from the glitt'ring Staff unfurl'd
Th' imperial Enfign, which full high advanc'd
Shone like a Meteor ftreaming to the Wind,
With Gems and golden Luftre rich imblaz❜d,
= Seraphick Arms and Trophies! all the while
Sonorous Metal blowing martial Sounds.
All in a Moment thro' the Gloom were feen,
Ten thousand Banners rife into the Air,
With orient Colours waving.
He wav'd his royal Banner in the Wind; Where in an argent Field the God of War Was drawn triumphant on his Iron Carr; Red was his Sword and Shield, and whole Attire, And all the Godhead feem'd to glow with Fire. Ev'n the Ground glitter'd where the Standard flew, And the green Grass was dy'd to fanguin Hue.
The arched Concave of the World behold, Studded with Stars, and skirted round with Gold : Think not, tho' shining Luminaries blaze, That idle Man may on the Prospect gaze : For highest Jove, whofe forming Hand they boaft, Sow'd not the Heav'ns with that unnumber'd Hoft, That we might upward caft our wand'ring Eyes, And praise the curious Picture of the Skies; From deeper Reasons of the Maker's Thought, Was that fine System of Creation wrought. Observ'st thou not the Fluxes here below, As diff'rent Stars their diffrent Faces fhow, How Heats they caufe, or Show'rs or Tempests range, And ev'ry Element alternate change.
As when the Stars in their Ethereal Race,
At length have roll'd around the liquid Space,
At certain Periods they refume their Place.
From the fame Point of Heav'n their Course advance,
And move in Measures of their former Dance. Dryd.
Dog Star.
See how the Dog-Star's Fire the Meadows burns, Drinks Rivers up, and drains their thirsty Urns,
Bright Hesperus, that leads the Starry Train;
Whofe Office is to bring
Twilight upon the Earth; fhort Arbiter
'Twixt Day and Night.
The feeming Stars fall headlong from the Skies,
And, fhooting thro' the Darkness, gild the Night
With fweeping Glories, and long Trails of Light.
The shooting Stars end all in purple Jellies.
Fairest of Stars, last in the Train of Night,
If better thou belong not to the Dawn:
Sure Pledge of Day, that crown'st the smiling Morn
Guide of the ftarry Flock.
So from the Seas exerts his radiant Head
The Star, by whom the Lights of Heav'n are led ;
Shakes from his rofy Locks the pearly Dews,
Difpels the Darkness, and the Day renews. Dryd, Virg.
Th' ambitious States-man labours dark Designs,
Now open Force employs, now undermines :
By Paths direct his End he now perfues,
By fide Approaches now, and flanting Views,
He carv'd in Ivory fuch a Maid, so fair,
As Nature could not with his Art compare,
Were he to work, but in her own Defence
Muft take her Pattern here, and copy hence:
Pleas'd with his Idol, he commends, admires,
Adores; and laft, the Thing ador'd, defires.
A very Virgin in her Face was feen,
And, had the mov'd, a living Maid had been.
377
One would have thought she could have stirr'd, but ftrove
With Modefty, and was afham'd to move.
Art hid with Art, fo well perform'd the Cheat,
It caught the Carver with his own Deceit ;
He knows 'tis Madness, yet he must adore,
And ftill the more he knows it, loves the more.
The large Receiver for Concoction made,
Behold amidst the warmest Bowels laid:
The Spleen to this, and to the adverse Side
The glowing Liver's Comfort is apply'd :
Beneath, the Pancreas has its proper Seat,
To chear its Neighbour, and augment its Heat.
More to aflift it for its deftin'd Ufe,
The ample Bag is stor❜d with active Juice,
Which can with Eafe fubdue, with Eafe unbind
Admitted Meats of ev'ry diff'rent Kind.
This pow'rful Ferment mingling with the Parts,
The leven'd Mafs to milky Chyle converts.
The Stomach's Fibres this concocted Food,
By their Contraction's gentle Force exclude;
Which by the Mouth on the right side descends
Thro' the wide Pafs, which from the Mouth depends.
(Black. Creat,
Hee cryde, as rageing Seas are wont to rore,
When wintry Storme his wrathfull wreck does threat,
The rolling Billows beat the ragged Shore,
And they, the Earth would fhoulder from her feat,
And greedy gulf does gape, as he would eat
His neighbour Element in his revenge :
Then gin the bluftering breathren boldly threat,
To move the world from off his fted faft henge,
And boyftrous battell make, each other to avenge.
Like to a Storme that hovers under Skie
Long here and there, and round about doth flie,'
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