That hover o'er the muse-resounding groves,
And all thy colourings, all thy fhapes display.
Thou to be here, Experience, fo fhall I
My rules nor in low profe jejunely fay,
Nor in smooth numbers musically err;
But vain is Fancy and Experience vain,
If thou, O Hefiod! Virgil of our land,
Or hear❜ft thou rather, Milton, bard divine,
Whofe greatness who fhall imitate, fave thee?
If thou O* Philips fav'ring doft not hear
Me, inexpert of verfe; with gentle hand
Uprear the unpinion'd mufe, high on the top
Of that immeafurable mount, that far
Exceeds thine own Plinlimmon, where thou tun'st
With Phoebus' felf thy lyre. Give me to turn
Th' unwieldly fubject with thy graceful eafe,
Extol its baseness with thy art; but chief
Illumine, and invigorate with thy fire.
When Phoebus looks thro' Aries on the spring, And vernal flow'rs promife the dulcet fruit,
Autumnal pride! delay not then thy fetts
In Tellus' facile bofom to depofe
The Quincunx with well regulated hills.
Soon from the dung-enriched earth, their heads
Thy young plants will uplift their virgin arms,
They'll stretch, and marriageable claim the pole.
Nor fruftrate thou their wishes, so thou may'st
Expect an hopeful iffue, jolly Mirth,
Sifter of taleful Jocus, tuneful Song,
And fat Good-nature with her honest face.
But yet in the novitiate of their love,
And tenderness of youth fuffice small shoots
Cut from the widow'd willow, nor provide
Poles infurmountable as yet. 'Tis then
When twice bright Phoebus' vivifying ray,
Twice the cold touch of winter's icy hand,
They've felt; 'tis then we fell fublimer props.
'Tis then the sturdy woodman's axe from far Resounds, refounds, and hark! with hollow groans Down tumble the big trees, and rushing roll
O'er the crush'd crackling brake, while in his cave
Forlorn, dejected, 'midft the weeping dryads
Laments Sylvanus for his verdant care.
The afh, or willow for thy ufe select,
Or ftorm-enduring chefnut; but the oak
Unfit for this employ, for nobler ends
Infuriate, like Jove's armour-bearing bird,
Fly on thy foes; They, like the parted waves,
Which to the brazen beak murmuring give way
Amaz'd, and roaring from the fight recede.---
In that sweet month, when to the lift'ning fwains
Fair Philomel fings love, and every cot
With garlands blooms bedight, with bandage meet
The tendrils bind, and to the tall pole tie,
Elfe foon, too foon their meretricious arms
Round each ignoble clod they'll fold, and leave
Averse the lordly prop. Thus, have I heard
Where there's no mutual tye, no ftrong connection
Of love-conspiring hearts, oft the young bride
Has prostituted to her flaves her charms,
While the infatuated lord admires
Fresh-budding fprouts, and iffue not his own.
Now turn the glebe: foon with correcting hand
When smiling June in jocund dance leads on
Long days and happy hours, from ev'ry vine.
Dock the redundant branches, and once more
With the fharp fpade thy numerous acres till.
The shovel next muft lend its aid, enlarge
The little hillocks, and erafe the weeds.
This in that month its title which derives
* Miraturque novas frondes, & non fua poma.
From great Auguftus' ever facred name!
Sovereign of Science!: mafter of the Mufe!
Neglected Genius' firm ally! Of worth
Best judge, and best rewarder, whose applause
To bards was fame and fortune! O! 'twas well,
Well did you too in this, all glorious heroes!
Ye Romans!---on Time's wing you've ftamp'd his praise, And time shall bear it to eternity..
Now are our lab'rours crown'd with their reward,
Now bloom the florid hops, and in the stream
Shine in their floating filver, while above
T'embow'ring branches culminate, and form.
A walk impervious to the fun; the poles
In comely order stand; and while you cleave
With the small skiff the Medway's lucid wave,
In comely order ftill their ranks preserve,,
And seem to march along th' extenfive plain..
In neat arrangement thus the men of Kent,
With native, oak at once adorn'd and arm'd,
Intrepid march'd; for well they knew the cries
Of dying Liberty, and Aftræa's voice,
Who as the fled, to echoing woods complain'd
Of tyranny, and William; like a god,
Refulgent stood the conqueror, on his troops
He fent his looks enliv'ning as the fun's,
But on his foes frown'd agony, frown'd death.
On his left fide in bright emblazonry
His falchion burn'd; forth from his fevenfold fhield 365 A bafilifk fhot adamant; his brow
Wore clouds of fury !---on that with plumage crown'd
Of various hue fat a tremendous cone:
Thus fits high-canopied above the clouds,
Terrific beauty of nocturnal skies,
*Northern Aurora; fhe thro' th' azure air
Shoots, shoots her trem'lous rays in painted streaks
Continual, while waving to the wind
O'er Night's dark veil her lucid treffes flow.
The trav❜ler views th' unfeafonable day
Aftound, the proud bend lowly to the earth,
The pious matrons tremble for the world.
But what can daunt th' infuperable fouls
Of Cantium's matchlefs fons? On they proceed,
All innocent of fear; each face exprefs'd
Contemptuous admiration, while they view'd
The well-fed brigades of embroider'd flaves
That drew the fword for gain. Firft of the van,
With an enormous bough, a fhepherd swain
Whistled with ruftic notes; but fuch as show'd
A heart magnanimous: The men of Kent
* Aurora Borealis, or lights in the air; a phoenomenon which of late years has been very frequent here, and in all the more northern countries.
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