ry -,,''' i , I ornia r i M :lS t *v m f&R i^fe k^V ^* /i 01 ^ v' < w ^ v :^ '** f* ttr. THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES FREDERIC THOMAS BLANCHARD ENDOWMENT FUND I,: ! RURAL POEMS. Tranflated from the ORIGINAL GERMAN, O F M. G E S N E R. M> T is a maxim, with fome co o$o O I O critics, that Poetry Is not to O'M^^O ^ e tfAnfattd. I am afraid, alfo, however loth we tranflators may be to fubfcribe to it, that there is more truth in this aflertion than will 765742 fvi j be readily acknowleged. This is indubitably certain, that the mofl arduous tafk of a tranflator is to con- vey that happy combination of ftile and fentiment, in which poefy con- (ifts, from one language to another. The fenfe, and often the fpirit and elegance, of profe writings, however nervous or idiomatical in point of ftile, may, by due care, a perfect acquaintance with both languages, and moderate abilities in the under- taker, be transferred, without fuffer- ing any confiderable diminution of beauty or energy. Nothing lefs, how- ever, than a poet equal to the original compofition can give an adequate tranilation of a mafterly poem. And, indeed, even in fuch a cafe, although the copy mould not be inferiouf to the original, it would be in a great meafure [ vii] meafure different. Neither modes of expreffion nor ideas are equally poeti- cal in all countries and languages ; but are fo dependant on time, place and cuftom, that it is impoffible to preferve, without variation, at once the diction and fentiment in a tranfla- tion. One of them, therefore, muft undoubtedly give way j and it refts on the tranflator to determine, by the lofs of which his author, or the work, will fuffer leaft. At the fame time, it is clear the latter muft undergo fome alteration. And hence, per^ haps, our beft copies of foreign on-- ginals may be with more propriety termed Imitations than otherwife. IF this be the cafe with poetical productions in general, it is more pe- culiarly fo with competitions of the paftoral [ viii ] paftoral kind, wherein fo much de- pends on that unaffected and native fimplicity of ftyle, which is fo diffi- cult to be attained in any one lan- guage, and much more fo to be com- municated to another. If we add to this the minute, and circumftantial, marks of defcription, which frequent- ly enter into this fpecies of poetry, the reader will eafily conceive the ex- treme difficulty of the undertaking. I T may be hence objected, that this dilemma, under which poetical compofitions lie, of lofing either their fubftance or fpirit by tranflation, as it manifefts the impropriety fo it ef- fectually difproves the expediency of fuch tranflations. To this, however, it may be replied, that, (fetting afide the abfurdity of denying the expe- diency [ix] diency of a part where the whole is not to be obtain'd) the fame difficul- ty, which attends the tranflator, ac- companies the reader, alfo : For, whatever may be pretended, it is very rare to find perfons, who do not refide long in foreign parts, that have a tafte for poetry in any but their native language * : So that, while the poets of other nations claim our attention* even an indifferent tranflation of them may be read with pleafure by thofe who, neverthelefs, understand the ori- ginal. a THIS * It may be expected I mould except the French poetry, which fo many foreigners fo fluently read and write. But, perhaps, the reafon, why they do fo, is, that the French poetry is almoft as eafily written, and when written juft as good ? as profe. Indeed, if we except fome pafiages in the writings of Voltaire, Boileau and a few others, we mall be reduced to own, there is very little poetry to be found in the Jj^nch verification. [*] THIS confideration may ferve, therefore, as an apology for my un- dertaking the prefent tranflation ; in which I have endeavoured to do juftice both to my author and the reader; fleering a middle courfe between thofe who might have paid a fole regard to the felf-complacency of the one, or the amufement of the other. I could have given an imitation of thefe pieces in a fmoother flowing verfe, which might have been more agreeable to the ear of the Englifh reader ; or I could have given a more exact tranfla- tion of them, in profe. In the one cafe, however, the copy would have borne little refemblance to the ori- ginal j.and in the other, I mould not only have loft the pott, but have been without hopes of gaining a fingle reader. [xi] reader. Out of a regard to my au- thor, indeed, I have been more foli- citous to draw a good likenefs, tho' not fo finely pencilled, than a fine picture, in which none of his features could be difcerned. It may be thought, by fome nice readers, that I mould have given thefe pieces, in that florid ftyle, which has been of late much affected by our fine writers, and is quaintly termed by fomepro/aic verfe, or poetic profe. It is true, the original is not written in meafure ; the ftyle, however, is very different from that verbofe and fwelling bombafl I have juft been hinting at. The rea- der, perhaps, will better comprehend the difference by an example, taken from fome late, not inelegant, at- tempts toward a tranflation of thefe paftorals. " The fprightly lark, a 2 " mounting [xii] " mounting aloft, hails with her ** chearful note the new-born " day," lays the tranflator f : The author, fimply, thus. " Wie frob " faget die klelne Lerche in der hohen " luft /" i. e. " How merry fings *' the little foaring lark !" This con- cifenefs and fimplicity of expreffion is certainly the belt plea for difregarding meafurerin pieces of this kind : For if number and rhime be laid afide, circumlocution and redundancy are without f Perhaps the original was in this, as in other jnftances, feen only through the medium of a French tranflation. It reflects fome difgrace on Britifti literature, that this is too frequently the cafe with modern tranflators ; many of whom will undertake, on the ftrength of a little fmattering in the French tongue, to give Englifh translations of almoft any writers on any fubjeft, or in any lan- guage. But what a copy the tranflator of a tranfla- tor muft give of his original, I leave the reader to judge. without excufe. Our Englifh writers of this {lamp would do well to con- fider, and imitate the Germans in this particular, who, if they have fometimes difcardea rhime and mea- fure, have not done it out of mere impatience of reftraint, and without fubftituting fomething in the room of it. Thus Mr. Klopftock, ingenious author of The Meffiad, in reject- ing the monotony of modern rhime, laid himfelf under another, perhaps greater, reitraint, by introducing the hexameter meafure of Homer and Virgil into German poetry. And, if Mr. Gefner has not thought proper to write in any kind of meafured verfe, the want of it is abundantly made up, by the harmony of his pe- riods, the concifenefs, the elegance, and the fimplicity of his ftyle. How a 3 far far the tranflator has fucceeded, in rendering thefe pieces into Engliflr, is fubmitted to thofe who poflefs a com- petent knowlege of both languages, and have a tafte for German as well as Englim poetry. THE THE A U T H O R's PREFACE. H E following poems are the produce of fome of the moft delightful moments of my life. What fituation, indeed, can be more delightful than that, in which our paffions are becalmed, and the aftive a 4 imagination imagination tranfports us, from the grofler fcenes of this iron age, to thofe of an age of gold ? Every defcription, of the charms of tranquillity and happy repofe, cannot fail to give pleafure to well-turned minds ; thofe fcenes, which poetry bor- rows from fimple Nature, pleafing us by fb much the more, as they feem to bear fbme refemblance to thofe foliations in life, in which we are moft happy. I ibme- times leave the town in difguft ; and feek relief in the charms of rural folitude. There, the furrounding beauties of Na- ture foon divert the difagreeable fenfa- tions, I brought with me. Enraptured by the ravifhing profpects, that prefent themfelves around me, and infpired with .a thoufand agreeable fentiments, I think myfelf as happy as a fhepherd in the gol- den age, and rich as a king. Paftoral t xvii ] Paftoral poetry ever makes choice of thefe rural fcenes , it peoples them with inhabitants worthy fo delightful an a- bode ; it defcribes, after Nature, the life of thefe happy people, the fimplicity of their manners, their cuftoms and inclina- tions, in every ftate of good or ill for- tune. Their hearts, as yet inaccefiible to corruption, preferve their primitive inte- grity. Free from the fervile reftraint of cuftom, and that multiplicity of wants, which, by deviating fo far from Nature, we have laid ourfelves under, they re- ceive the gift of happinefs immediately from the hands of that beneficent mo- ther : They refide in a climate, where me needs but little afiiftance, from art, to furnifh them plentifully with the inno- cent necefTaries of life. In fhort, this kind of poetry gives us a (ketch" of that age of gold, which did certainly once exift, as we may be convinced by reading the hiltory of the patriarchs. Even the fimplicity [ xviii ] fiinplicity of manners, which Homer de- fcribes in his poems, appears to be the remains of it, ftill preferved in the heroic ages. It is, indeed, the peculiar privi- lege of 'pafioral, to recur to the firfl ages of mankind ; and hence it receives great advantage ; as, by that means, the fcenes acquire a degree of probability, which they would not carry with them, if fup- pofed to exift in modern times ; wherein the unhappy peafant, fubjectcd to the hardeft labour, in order to procure, for his prince, or the inhabitants of large ci- ties, a fuperfluous abundance, groans himfelf, under the weight of mifery and oppreffion, and is thereby rendered mean, cunning and brutal. Not that I pretend a poet, who amufes himfelf in this kind of writing, may not ftrike into fome new paths, and difcover new beauties, in ob- ferving the manners and fentiments of our modern peafants. But it requires the niceft tafte to be able to diftinguifh, and [ xix ] and to polifli them without entirely di- vefting them of their character of ruf- ticity. I have always efteemed Theocritus as the beft model in this kind of writing ; this poet having exprefied, with the great- eft exactnefs, the ingenuous fimplicity of paftoral fentiments and manners. His Idyl- lions contain a great deal more than mere rofes and lillies. His defcriptions are not the vague effect of an imagina- tion, confined to the moft obvious and common objects. They appear to be al- ways copied immediately from Nature, the marks of whofe amiable fimplicity they bear. He has given his fhepherds the higheft degree of innocent fmcerity , making their lips ever exprefs the honeft dictates of their hearts. The poetical or- naments of their converfation are, all of them, taken from their rural occupa- tions, or from fcenes of Nature very lit- tle [ xx J tie embellifhed by art. They have no- thing of an epigrammatic turn, or icho- laftic affectation of period. Theocritus pofTefled the difficult art, of giving his verfes that amiable eafe and negligence, which mould characterize the infant ftate of poetry. He knew how to give his poems, an agreeable air of innocence, adapted to thofe early ages, wherein the ingenuous fentiments of the heart afTifted to warm the imagination, already excited by the moft enchanting fcenes of Nature. It mud be confefTed, indeed, that the fimplicity of manners prevailing in his own times, and the efteem in which agri- culture was ftill held, facilitated his en- deavours herein. The turn for epigram,, and quaintnefs of phrafe, had not made any way, nor had good fenfe, and a tafte for the truly beautiful, as yet given place to wit. A moft [ xxi ] A moft convincing proof to me, that Theocritus is truly excellent in this kind of writing, is, that he is perufed with plea- lure only by few. He gives little fatis- fadtion to thofe, who are not circum- ftantially acquainted with the beauties of Nature-, or to thofe whofe fentiments foar up to the affected fublime, or can tafte only the falie refinements of gallantry. Every thing that ijS rural difgufts fuch readers. To pleafe them, therefore, his fhepherds mould have had fentiments as refined as thole of a witty poet, and mould have known all the fubtilities of thinking. I know not whether it be out of contempt, that moft of our mo- dern poets have neglected to make them- felves familiar with the fentiments of innocence and fimplicity ; or whether it be out of complaifance to our own man- ners, and with a view to acquire more general approbation, that they have de- parted [ xxii ] parted fo far from the example of Theo- critus. For my part, I have taken him for my model, and mail think I have fuc- ceeded, if, like his, my paftorals mould not pleafe fuch readers as above-mention- ed. It is true, there are to be met with, in Theocritus, fome few fentiments and images, which, from our change of man- ners, appear to us grofs and indelicate. I have endeavoured to avoid all fuch, in my imitation. I do not Ipeak, however, of thofe, which a certain French tranfla- tor of Virgil would not excufe in the Bucolicks of that poet ; but of fuch as Virgil himfelf, an imitator of Theocritus, long ago rejected. CON- [ xxiii ] CONTENTS. rr'O DAPHNE Page r -* MILO 4 IDAS and MICON 7 DAPHNIS 10 MYRTILLIS 13 LYCAS and MILO it) AMYNTAS 23 DAMON and PAPHNE 25 DAMON and PHILLIS 29 The BROKEN JUG 33 ALEXIS, DAPHNIS and CHLOE 37 LYCAS; Or, The Invention of GARDENS 42 PALEMON 45 MYRTILLIS and THYRSIS 49 CHLOE 54 MENALCAS #*? Hunter Esc MINUS 57 PHILLIS am/ CHLOE 62 TlTYRUS <7i/ MfiNALCAS 67 On the Invention of the LYRE and of SINGING 71 The FAUN 79 Tfo Fixt RESOLUTION 82 7 be SPRING 85 * RE F L E c T ION s, in Expetfation of DAP HUE go * The WISH , 96 * Thefe two laft pieces are of a kind fomething different from the former, which may not improperly be filled Arca- dian Paftora'.s ; the fcenes and era agreeing with the received notions of .the golden age of the poets. Spu&lj will bt puUlJbtd t D A P H N I S. Translated from the GERMAN, O F M. G E S N E R. RURAL POEMS, DAPHNE. of viftorious chiefs diftain'd with blood, nor fields of carnage, fings the frolic Mufe. Timid and gentle, from fuch horrid fcenes, grafping her {lender flute, fhe fpeeds her flight. Led by the murmurs of refremirtg ftreams, and filent fliades of facred groves, fhe ftrays : Now by the brook, whofe banks are lined with reeds ; now in the walks, tHick-fhaded o'er with trees ; tram- pling the flowers : Or now, reclining on the mofly- B bank, bank, ftie fits at eafe and meditates the fong : For thee, fair Daphne, and for thee alone, whofe mind, replete with innocence and truth, is mild as is the brighteft morn of fpring : For thee me lings, whofe foft expreffive eyes look pure good-nature j while the fweeteft fmiles play round thy little mouth, and in the dimples of thy rofy cheeks. Yes, deareft Daphne, fince that happy day you calPd me friend, the time-to-come looks gay, and all the prefent teems with love and joy. O may I hope her artlefs fongs may pleafe I thofe fongs me oft has heard the fwains repeat, or of the Dryads and the Satyrs learnt, amidft the thick woods ftraying. There hath me often feen, in their cool grots, the wood-nymphs crown'd with reeds : There vifited the mofs-roof'd cot- tages, round which the ruftic habitant hath rais'd his {hading trees. Thence doth me copy fair the genuine tints of truth and goodnefs, and the na- tive fcenes of tranquil innocence. There too the God of Love furpriz'd her oft, beneath the ver- dant grot's thick-woven boughs, or by the ftream with willows overgrown : There did he llften to her foothing airs, and wove the laurel in her flow- ing hair, as love and pleafure were her joyou* theme. No r No other recompenfe my fongs demand; no greater honours, Daphne, than to fit befide thee and enjoy thy fmiles, thy foft approving fmiles, my fole reward. Lefs happy fongfters may go court the fame pofterity beflows. Be theirs the flatter- ing hope, that future times fhall plant green lau- rels round their hallow'd tombs and ftrew their graces with flowers. z M I L O. [4] M I L O. OThou, who lovelier art than dewy morn, How bright thy fine black eyes ! thy nut. brown locks, Adorn'd with flowers and fporting with the wind ! How lovely fweet thy rofy fmiling lips ! But fweeter far when rais'd thy voice to fing. I heard thee, Chloe, but the other day, Tranfported, heard thee, fitting by the fpring Between thofe branching oaks ; difpleas'd I chid The feather'd fongflers and the bubbling ftream That mix'd their founds with thy enchanting lays. Full nineteen harvefts, Chloe, have I feen ; My cheeks are ruddy and my face is fair : The fliepherds all are hufh'd whene'er my fongs In th' echoing vale are heard ; and not a flute Is better tun'd to Chloe's voice than mine. Give me thy heart, fair Chloe* for 'tis fweet Befide this hill, within my grot, to dwell : See how the dark-green ivy, creeping on, Spreads [5] Spreads its thick net-work o'er the Hoping rock, Whofe top with briars and prickly hawthorn's crown'd. Hung with foft fkins is my convenient grot, And round its entrance have I planted vines, That, fpreading, fhade me from the noon-day fun. See how the foaming wave defcends the rock, Watering the crefles, flow'rs and benty grafs, As on it flows into the lake below, O'erhung by willows and thick grown with reeds. By filent moonfhine, here the fportive Nymphs Dance to my flute, while flopping Fauns around, Clapping their clattering caftanets, keep time. See how the hazles, forming alleys green, In (lender ftems furround my (haded cot ! How the ripe black-berries, with their glofly hue, Mixt with the lively red of fweet-briar, grow. See how the apple-trees, ftuck round with vines, Bend down with fruit. Thefe, Chloe, all are mine : Thefe all the heart can wifh. But, ah ! fair maid, Shouldft thou not love me, what a difmal gloom Will overfpread this now-enchanting fcene! Take thefe, then, Chloe, and give me thy heart. Here on the tufted grafs we'll fit us down ; And fee the wild goats climb the ileep above, While (heep and heifers tamely graze below, Here at a diftance will wa view the fea, 3 3 On I 6) On whofe bright furface playful Tritons fporr, And Phoebus lights from his defcending car. Here will we fing ; the rude rocks echoing round, And Nymphs and Satyrs liftening to our itrains. Thus Milo fung, the fhepherd of the grot, while Chloe heard him from the green-wood (hade. Smiling fhe came and took the fhepherd's hand. " Milo," me faid, " dear fhepherd of the grot, " I love thee more than ewes the three-leav'd " grafs ; better than finging birds their morning fong. Lead me into thy grot ; for fweet thy ' kifs as honey to my lips ; lefs fweet the rivulet's " murmur to mine ear." IDAS IDAS and M I C O N. IDAS. GOOD day, fweet fongfter, Micon ! How my heart leaps for joy to fee you. Since the time, when fitting on the ftone befide the fpring, you fung that May-day fong, we have not met. MICON. Idas ! good day, fweer player on the flute ! Let us retire to fome cool fhady feat. IDAS, We will afcend this hillock, where the oak Pa- lemon planted cafts an ample (hade, and the cool breeze refrefhing plays around. Meanwhile my goats may climb the fhelving rock and browze among the trees. See from this fturdy trunk how far the fpreading branches caft a fhade. Near this fweet-fcented eglantine we'll fit, and let the breezes B 4 fan [ 8] fan our flowing hair. This, Micon, is to me a facred fpot. This oak a flourifhing memorial ftands, of good Palemon's piety and worth. The honeft fhepherd had a fcanty flock ; yet oft from thefe he facrificed to Pan. '* O Pan !" he cried, " increafe my little flock, that my poor neigh " hour here may (hare a part." His prayer was heard, and in a fruitful year Palemon's flock was doubled. Full the half he gave his needy neigh- bour ; then to Pan renew'd his grateful offerings ; planting here this monumental oak. " O Pan !'* {aid he, " I confecrate this day to thee, who " heardft, and haft fulfill'd, my vows. Blefs this " young oak, that in its future (hade my annual " facrifice may fmoke to thee." Micon, (hall I repeat the favorite fong I always chauat beneath this hallow'd oak? MICON. Sing it, and I will give thee for thy pains this pipe compofed of reeds of different tones. My- felf did cull them from the river's fide, fitted, and join'd them with fweet-fcented wax. I D A o fmgs. Fair-fpreading boughs, that o'er my head extend, What facred tranfports doth your (hade infpire ! Some [93 Some god unfeen feems hov'ring in the air, As round this oak refpires the grateful breeze. Ye goats, ye ewes, O fpare the verdant fhoots Of the young ivy, growing round its trunk. Spare them, and round its trunk, O, let them weave Garlands of lafting green ! No lightening's blaft, Nor ftormy wind mall rend this hallow'd tree ! Memorial of gratitude and truth ! Long malt thou flourifh, by the gods' decree, While from afar the mepherd fwain mail view Thy lofty head ; and tell his fon thy fame. The tender mother to her lift'ning babe. Upon her knee, mall alfo fing the tale Of good Palemon's honefly of heart. O plant, ye virtuous fwains ! more oaks like this ; That, as your children wander through the woods, Such monuments may ftrike their grateful minds With love of virtue. Thus Idas fang, and long had ccas'd to fing, when Micon ftill fat liftening. For of virtuous deeds he lov'd to hear. " Idas," he cried, " how *' lovely is the morn ! how fweet to me the gay " return of fpring ! But virtuous deeds are ftill " more lovely fweet." He faid, and gave the fongiler the nine-reeded flute. D A P H N I S. D A P H N I S. ONE winter's raorn fat Daphnis in his hut, whofe ftraw-crown'd roof was cover'd deep with fnow; the crackling wood, that blazed upon his hearth, diffufing warmth around, well-pleas'd he mus'd, and through the cafement view'd the wintry profped. Winter, he cried, has charms, altho' fevere. How pleafant is't to fee the melting rays fmile through the mift that hovers o'er the hills ! How brilliant is the fnow! What ftriking landfchapes do the fields afford ! the leaf lefs branches and the naked trunks of faplefs trees, the fnow-topt cottages of different hues, and hawthorn hedge* mixing ruffet brown with filver white. How pleafant 'tis to fee, the blades of corn lhoot up their heads, and give a verdant hue to ields of fnow ! How gay the fcene the neigh- bouring hedge-rows yield, while on the twigs f briars, or pointed thorns, the glittering icicles, from t tl ] from dew-drops form'd, wave with the wind and fparkle in the fun ! The fields forfaken, hear the lowing herds and bleating "flocks, fliut up in warmer flails, exult o'er winter's cold : ev'n fcarce the footfteps of the docile ox, who draws our winter's firing from the woods, near to the threlhold of his home, we trace. The birds have left the woods ; fave here and there a folitary titmoufe, finging ftill, in fpite of froft and cold; the little wren ftill hopping to and fro; or the bold fparrow that, familiar grown, picks up the grains, that round the the cottage fall. Beneath yon ruftic roof, from whence the fmoke rifes in curling clouds among the trees, my Fhillis dwells. There, even now, perhaps, tefide the fire, fhe fits, leaning her lovely cheek upon her hand, and thinks of me and wiflies for the fpring. Phillis is lovely, but her charms alone have pot pofTefs'd my heart. I lov'd her, from the day, when young Alexis loft two wandering goats, that headlong fell from yonder murdering cliff. " My father's poor," the young man cried ajid wept, " I've loft two goats, and one was big *' with young ; home to our cottage durft I ne'er " return." Then Philli* dropt the fympathizing tear; [ I*] tear; and from the beil of all her little flock fe- le&ed two and gave th' afHided fwain. " Here, ' take, Alexis, thefe two goats of mine," fhe faid, " the one is alfo big with young." The grateful fhepherd wept again for joy : And Phillis too for joy let fall a tear, that Ihe the unhappy fhep- herd had rehev'd. O winter ! be thou, as thou wilt, fevere ; my flute fhall not hang idle 'gainft the wall. But ev'ry day of PhilHs will J fmg the tendereft fongs. Tho* thy rude breath, and keen, hath ftripp'd the trees of leaves and fields of flowers ; I yet can weave a chaplet for her hair. The ever-green and ivy will I bring, and with the finging bird I lately caught, prefent to Phillis. Then fmg, fweet bird, thy fprightlieft, fweeteft note, and fhe will talk to thee again and fmile, and let thee feed upon her lovely hand. So fondly will fhe love what once was mine. MYRTJLLIS. M Y R T I L L' I S. > ' |"^ WAS on a filent fummer's eve, when JL young Myrtillis ftrayM befide the lake ; where the bright moon, reflefted from below, and the fweet nightingale, that on the fpray fung fweedy, caught his eye and ear. Here a while he flood in wrapt attention. Thence returning home, near his lone hut beneath a verdant bower he faw his aged father faft afleep. On the greea turf he lay, refting his hoary head upon, his hand. With arms acrofs, Myrtillis flood and gazed : Hh eyes now fixed upon his darling fire, and now in gratitude rais'd up to heaven ; while tears of joy ran trickling down his cheeks. ' O thou/ he faid, ' whom next the gods I ' honour ! my father ! Oh ! how gentle is thy ' fleep ? How foft and fweet the flumbers of the * juft! Hither thy tottering fteps were doubtlefs ' bent, to fpend in prayer the filent evening ' hour; but fleep hath feized thee ere thou didft * return. [ -4] * return. O my father ! thou too didft pray for ' me. Thrice happy I ! for fure the gods hav * always heard thy prayers: Elfe, wherefore ftands our cottage thus fecure from winds and ' ftorms, amidft our loaded orchard? Why thus * are bleft our flocks and fertile fields ? Whene'er my filial tendernefs thou feeft, and as the tear of joy flows down thy cheek, * to heaven thou lookeft up and giv'ft thy fon a * father's bleffing, O, what joys I feel ! My bo- ' fom fwells with tranfport and mine eyes o'er- * flow with tears. When, leaning on mine arm, ' you left our hut, t'enjoy the warmth of the ' enlivening fun, and take a noon-day profpeft of ' the herds, th fruitful trees and yellow fields ; * then didft thou fay, " In peace grown grey on ' thefe delightful plains, may they be ever bleft, " tho' deftm'd I to vifit happier plains, my fail- " ing eyes mall fee them foon no more." And ' muft I lofe thee? father! beft of friends ! lofe thee fo foon ? Alas, afflicting thought ! Clofe by ' thy tomb an altar will I raife, and ev'ry bleft < occafion life may yield it -iboth the wretched ' and relieve the opprefs'd ; on that good day, my * father, will I pour, in rich libations, milk upon ' 'by grave and ftrew it round with flowers.' He [ '5 ] He paus'd, and ftill his eyes, fwimming in tears, fixt on the good old man, he kept, atten- tive. " How at eafe he lies, and fmiles amidft " hisflumbers! Doubtlefs his virtuous deeds em- " ploy his dreams, and on his countenance imprefs " the fmiles of peace and goodnefs. How lovely " beams the moonfhine on his locks and filver " beard! Oh! may the evening breeze and falling " dew not hurt thee!" Then Hooping down he foftly kifs'd his cheek, gently to wake him, and to lead him home ; there on foft /kins within his hut t'enjoy lefs hazardous repofe. L Y C A S L Y C A S W M I L O. MI L O, young fongfter, on whofe downy chin the foft and ftraggling hairs grow here and there, as the green grafs, juft peering in the fpring, upon the beds of fnow ; and Lycas, handfome youth, with curling locks, bright as the golden ears of yellow harveft, met by chance, as in the fheep-walks near a beech-wood made they drove their bleating flocks. " Lycas, well met," the fongfter Milo faid, " well met, young fwainj" and offering him his hand, turn'd toward the melte r of the neighbouring wood. " Here let us reft " awhile," faid he; " meantime our flocks, befide " the lake, may both fecurely feed ; my careful " dog will fuffer none to ftray." LYCAS. No, Milo, rather underneath this rock, whofe top projefts above, we'll fit us down, upon the verdant mofs. This place is cool and pleafant. See [17] See how the clear fpring tumbles down the rock, foaming among the bufhes, while it feems chang'd into liquid duft, as through the waving twigs it rattles down, and pours into the lake. Here let us fit in this cool, pleafant fpot, .upon this mofs-crown'd ftone. The {hade of yonder trees, fee, reaches hither. [The two mepherds go and fit upon the ftones, cover'd with mofs, underneath the rock, when Milo thus addrefles Lycas.j MILO. Sweet player on the flute! I long have heard thy fongs commended and thy manner prais'd. Let you and I fee who can chaunt the beft; for me the Mufes too have taught to fing. I'll ftake that fpotted heifer, which, thou feeft, fo pret- tily is mark'd with black and white* LY And I will ftake againft it, of my goats the beft I have, with her young kid ; ev'n that which now is browzing by the lake and tears the ivy from the willow-tree, meanwhile her fportive kid is flapping round. But, Milo, who (hall judge? C Shall Shall I call old Menalcas, who, thou feeft, is - bufied there in digging from the lake a narrow rivulet, round this beechen-wood ? He underftands the beauties of the fong. [Menalcas is called; and, accepting the offer of being umpire, places himfelf between them ; when Milo begins to fmg.] M i L o. Happy are they who're favour' d by the Mufe ! When joy infpires the heart, fo fweet to fmg, And liften to the notes re-echoing round ! My fongs are fweeteft at the dawn of day, Or when the moon at fetting eve infpires. The fong enlivens every hour of care : Bleft then am I, to find the Mufes kind ; And, 'grateful, will I offer at their fhrine, Crowning its head with flow'rs, this milk-white goat; Chaunting aloud a new hymn to their praife. L Y c A s . While young I fat upon my father's knee And liften'd to his airs upon the flute, 1 lifp'd his fongs, or, taking from his mouth The [ '9 ] The fpeaking reeds, drew from them founds uncouth. But Pan appear'd foon after in a dream, And bade me from the wood fetch Hylas* flute, Which on his confecrated oak was hung. For thou, faid he, are worthy on't to play. For this, an offering yefterday I made Of the young moots of my new-grafted trees With one full jug of oil and one of milk. MILO. Love too infpires us fhepherd-fwains to fing, More than the brightnefs of the opening morn, The cooling made, *or moonlight on the green. How plea/ant is't to have the maids admire, And give us fmiles and chaplets for our fongs ! Daphne hath chofen Milo for her friend ; Since when my heart is blythe as chearful May, And ever fince more fweet the fongs I fing. Soft as the fmiles of Ceres Daphne's are ; And as the Mufe's is her {kill in fong. L Y CAS. For me, alas! long time untouch'd by love, I, tranquil, fung the praifes of the Gods, C The [ 20 ] The care of flocks and herds, of grafting trees And pruning vines ; but fince I Chloe faw, Hard-hearted Chloe ! plaintive are my fongs And bitter anguifh poifons all my joys. J hop'd I once had triumph'd o'er my pain, The fmart returning lightly now and then : But ah ! my hopes of triumph now are o'er, Since by the flowering thorn I heard her fing : Then, when the frolic Zephyrs in the bufh In Chloe's lap a mower of bloflbms pour'd, White as the milky flakes of winter's fnow. MILO. Near thofe black firtrees, where the rivulet flows Through the wild broom, oft Daphne drives her flock. There, late, at early dawn, with fefloons gay Of various flowers, I hung the ihrubs around ; A fcene for Venus' felf or Flora meet ! Here, on this pine, faid I, I'll carve our names, And hide me after underneath^bme bufh, To fee her fmile, and hear, when Daphne comes, What (he will fay. Then ftraight I went to work, \Vhen o'er my forehead fuddenly was thrown A wreath of flowers : In foft furprize I turn'd And faw my Daphne laughing ftand behind. Yes, I have overheard my fwain's intent, She She faid, and ftraight imprefs'd upon my lips The Aveeteft kifs. L Y C A S. Behind that hillock (lands my fliady hut. My goodly hives, in rows, in order ftand On a Toft-murmuring rivulet's flow'ry banks ; While, by cool-mading olives, work my bees. Beyond mine orchards never prone to ftray, From flow'ring fhrubs, and trees, and flow'rs, they cull The choiceft fweefs, and yield me ample ftore Of wax and honey. In the meadows rourtd Behold my grazing cow*. See how their bags Diftended fwell with milk. See how my goats And numerous fheep, ftrip the green boughs of leaves, Or crop the fweeteft grafs. Thefe, Chloe! thefe, The Gods have given me ; and they love me well, Becaufe I'm honeil. Wilt not thou too, Chloe ! Wilt not thou love me too, as do the Gods Becaufe I'm honeft ? Thus fung the fhepherds, and Menalcas faid, To whom, fvveet fongfters, can I judge the C 3 prize ? i " ] " prize ? As honey fweet are your mellifluous " lays. They flow as fmoothly as the rolling " fiream ; delightful as the kifs of rofy lips. " The fpotted heifer, Lycas, be for you ; and " Milo's, in exchange, the goat and kid." AMYNTAS. 23 3 A M Y N T A S. AS poor Amyntas return'd one morning, from the neighbouring foreft, with his hatchet if\ his hand, and a bundle of poles on his Ihoulder, he beheld a young oak planted by the fide of a rapid ftream. The violence of the current had waftied the earth from its roots, and the dry trunk feemed to wait a fpeedy and melancholy downfall. " What a pity it Up' faid he, " this young tree " mould fall a prey to the waters ! No, it {hall not " be torn away by the roots, and made the fport of " the impetuous torrent." Then, taking the pdles from his moulder, faying he could procure more for his other occafions, he drove them into the ground, making a hollow fence around the bottom of the tree, which he fill'd up with moift earth. Thus having completed his defign and fecured the roots of the oak, he threw his hatchet o'er his moulder, and enjoy'd the fatisfaclion of furveying his labour, under the Ihadow of the drooping tree he had favd. He was about to return to the foreft, t6 cut a frelh bundle of poles, when tjie Drvad of C 4 ' the [ U] the oak, {peaking in an hollow, but enchanting, voice from the trunk qf the tree, addrefs'd him thus. " What mall I do for thee, young fhepherd, " in return for this benevolent aft ? I know thou " art poor, and have only five ewes in the world. " What doft thou wifli for? Speak, and it is *' thine." " O Nymph," replied the poor fhep- herd, " if thou permitteft me to name iy " wifli, it is, That my neighbour Palemon, who * has been fick ever fince harveft, may be reftored " to health." His requeft was granted : Palemon recover'd j and Amyntas alfo experienced the protection of the divinity in his increasing flock, his fruits and trees. He became a rich mepherd ; a bright ex- ample that the Gods leave not benevolence unre- warded, DAMON DAMON and DAPHNE. DAMON. 1T\ A P H N E, 'tis paft ; the lowering ftorm is *-^ o'er. The dreadful voice of thunder's heard no more. No longer fear, my Daphne, for I fee no more the forked lightening dart its liquid fire between the clouds. Let us go forth abroad. The affrighted flocks, that fought e'en now the fhelter fliake from their fleecy fides the drops of rain ; and, fpreading o'er the fields, renew their pafhire. The plains, the trees, all breathe new fweets, from this refreihing fhower. Come forth, and let us view the brilliant fcene, gilt with 'the rays of the reful- gent fun. [They come, hand in hand, out of the grotto, where they had taken fhelter from the ftorm ; when Daphne, looking round with admiration, and preffing her ftiepherd's hand, cries eut in extafy,] '< How 1 16] " How fine ! how glorious, Damon, is the " profpeS ! O, how delightful looks the clear, " blue fey, between the paflihg clouds ! how ikim " the flying fhadows o'er the plain ! See, Damon, " fee, thofe cottages and herds now all embrown'd " in made ; and now the funfhine clothes them all " again, in lovely white. O, fee th' inconftant *' rays : mark hy they glitter on the tops of " flowers, as here and there they beam upon the ' plain." " True, Daphne : But look there," faid Da- mon, " fee yon beauteous rain-bow. What lively " colours doth its radiance throw upon the hills I " How far it reaches yonder crofs the vale \ The " goddefs Iris cafts thefe lovely rays among the ' clouds j a/Turing calms, and fmiling on the vale *' the ftorm hath fpared." [Daphne replied, while tenderly her arm acrofs his neck me threw,] " See how the returning Zephyrs fport among " the flowers, re-animated by the rain, whofe ** mining drops ftill hang upon their leaves. Ob- ' ferve thofe wandering butterflies, that play de- " lighted in the funny rays ; and that clear lake ' O, how the mining leaves of the wet bume* " and * and the trembling willows on its banks refieS " the fun ! See how its tranquil furface gives us " back the image of the ferene fky, and the trees " that grow on its fides." DAMON. What rapture fills my breaft ! Embrace me, Daphne ! clafp me in thine arms. How beautiful is ev'ry thing we fee ! How inexhauftible of true delight are Nature's fcenes ! Down from the all- enlivening fun e'en to the meaneft plant, all is aftonifhing. What grateful joy tranfports me ! When from the fummit of the neighbour in--; hill, I caft mine eyes around the plain below ; wheL on the lawn I mark the immenfe variety of flowers, of plants, and infedls, their minute inhabitants : Or, when at night I view the firmament fiudded with liars ; when I reflect on the revolving feafons, and on the vegetation of the earth ; when I contO'- plate all thefe wondrous things, my bofom ' within ; my crouded thoughts rufh on r confufed : I weep, and, falling on my k ftammer my aftoniihment to him who m world. O Daphne, how delightful are th,e ports! and yet not more than to be lov'd I. I . DAPHNE, [ 28 ] DAPHNE. I, Damon, too, tranfported with delight, be- hold thefe wondrous things. Let us, embracing, at the rifing morn and fetting eve, or in the milder beams of the pale moon, admire together thefe en- chanting fcenes ; lock'd in each other's arms in mutual love and joy. O inexpreffible is the de- light, when tranfports fuch as thefe with love's foft tranfports join ! DAMON \ ansegif ^r&^&FR^ff* ^ ** Amyntas, fee your ba&et on my arm.'* TlTYRVj T i T Y R u s and MENALCAS. BY the fide of a hill lay the grey-hair'd Me- nalcas, enjoying the benign rays of the fun. Wrapt in agreeable contemplation he call his looks around the plains, embellifhed by the riches of Autumn : In the mean while, Tityrus, his youngeft fon, had flood by him fome time unob- ferved. In pleafing extafy the good old man gave frequent fighs, and his fon continued to look on him with pleafure. ' O, my father,' faid he, breaking a long filence, ' how delightful muft ' be your contemplations ! I have been looking on ' thee for fome time calling thine eyes over the ' plains, embellimed by the riches of Autumn * arftl have heard thee frequently figfc. My father, 1 wilt thou grant me a favour?' MEN A L c A 9. What doft thou ask, my dear fon ? Sit down by my fide and tell me, while I kifs thy fore- head. F z Thea [68 J Then Tityrus fat down by his father, and fcheold mankifled the forehead of his fon. My * father!' continued Tityius, ' my elder brother ' hath told me (for often, when we fit in the fhade, ' watching our flocks, we talk of thee, while ' tears of love run trickling down our cheeks) he 5 told me in thy youth thou waft efteemed the firft of fongfters, and that thou oft haft won the prixe ' in finging. If this delightful profpeft of the fields, all ripe for harveft, fill thy foul with tranfport, O my father, try, and fmg thy fon a ' fong.' Menalcas replied, with a tender fmile, " I will " try, my fon, and if the Mnfes, who fo often ' affifted me formerly to gain the prize, will aid " me ftill, I will fmg thee a fong." Then, carting his eyes again over the beau- tiful profpeft around him, he thus began. Hear me, ye Mufes, hear my broken voice ; Ye, who, by murmuring ftreams, and filent woods, Ne'er, in my youth, refufed to hear my call ; Give to my hoary age once more to fing. What tranfports doth this profpecT; of the fields, Rich in the harveit's golden fpoils, infpire ! How How gayly dreft is the expiring year ! In yellow borders, round the flag nan t lakes, The reeds and ofiers grow : the blighted leaves Of pears and apple-trees, of yellow hue, And the wild cherry-tree, of flaming red, Beftrew the verdant fields. The woods are dreft In colours various as the flowery meads In early fpring. The fide of yonder hill, Down from its fumroit to the vale beneath, Is cloath'd in ruffe: brown, fave here and there Where the tall pine-trees wear their ever-green. The fallen leaves, fcatter'd along the way, Ruftle beneath the traveller's trampling feet. The fober flocks ftray dully o'er the plains, Stript of their fummer flowers. O, foon, ye trees"} Soon will the winter's calm repofe be yours. Ye, who fo late bent down with loads of fruit, And lent the fwains and flocks a friendly made. May none of us enjoy the grave's repofe Till thus we've yielded fruit and fpread the fhade Of pity and protection o'er th' unhappy ! Within the cottage of the juft, my fon ! A bleffing dwells, and in their plenteous barns. The Good-at-heart, and thofe who truft the Gods, May e'en the quaking morafs fafely tread :. For, when they facrifice, the fmoke afcends TO high Olympus, and th' attentive Gods F 3 With With joy receive their thanks, and hear their vows. Nor fhrieking owl, nor croaking frog, denotes To them misfortune ; but, in fafe repofe, Beneath their peaceful roofs, their houfhold gods Their virtuous maxims hear, and blefs their ways. A gloomy day is fometimes feen in fpring, And thunder-ftorms deform the fummer's fky. But murmur not, my fon, that Jove decrees With fome few gloomy hours to cloud thy days. Forget not, fon, but thefe my precepts keep, "When I am gone before thee to the grave. O, fpare, ye ftorms, the woods and fields around; Nor rob the autumn of its gay attire : But let the foft breeze gently flrip the trees. So, may I yet this variegated fcene At times review with joy. Another autumn Mine cged eyes may not furvive to fee ; Another year, perhaps, the falling leaves In heaps (hall lie and wither on my grave. Thus fung the old Menalcas; when his fon, Seizing his father's hand, bath'd it in tears, t 7 On the Invention of the LYRE and of SINGING. T N the firft ages of the world, when the wants of mankind, as yet uncorrupted, were few, and the infant arts were employed in fuch as were dictated by nature and innocence, there lived a young maiden, the mofl beautiful and fufceptible of her fex. With tears of joy, me faluted the rifmg fun and the glorious profpeft it prefented > with equal tranfports me beheld it fetting in the weft, and welcomed the placid glimpfes of the moon. Singing confifted then only of a fimple, irregular cry of joy. The cock had no fooner proclaimed, one furr.mer's morn, the approach of day, than the young beauty obey'd the fignal. For already mankind had found means, for their convenience and amufement, to affemble domeftic animals about their cottages. The maiden left the hut, beneath which me had repofed in the night: This hut was conftrudled of reeds and ofiers faf. F 4 tened [ 7*] tcned to the trunks and branches of the neigh- bouring trees : The birds neftled in the green roof, and fung their morning fongs beneath its ihade. She went forth, to take a view of the fields covered with dew, and to hear the fweet concert of the birds in the neighbouring wood. Ravifhed with their delightful notes, fhe fat down to liilen, and foon began to imitate them. Then it was that flowed from her lips the moll harmo- nious founds, fuch as no fhepherdefs had form'd before. The different tones, which fhe learnt, with her charming voice, to repeat after each bird, fhe collected and modelled into various airs. Then raifing her voice to fmg, fhe thus began. Ye little warblers of the grove ! how fweet The foft melodious accents that you breathe, Or in the k>fty trees or lowly fhrub ! Why cannot I, with founds as fweet and clear, Salute Aurora, at the break of day ? Teach me your fweet variety of notes, That I my tranfports may, with you, exprefs, When o'er the hills the morning fun appears. 'Twas thus fhe fung, without perceiving that her words ran naturally into meafure. Obferving, however, at length, the melodious cadence of her expreflions, fhe went on, in a kind of extafy ; O, [73] O, how delightful this harmonious grove ! How beautiful the dew-befpangled plains ! O, where art thou, from whom thefe wonders came ? Unfeen Creator ! O, what joys I feel, That I can fing thy praife, in accents clear, And yet unknown to my companions. She fung, and all, that breathed or look'd a- round, the birds themfelves all filent on the fpray, wrapt in attention, Ijften'd to her fong. Fond of fo pleafing a difcovery, (he exercifed her new art every morning in the wood, whither a young fhepherd frequently repaired to hear her. Tranfported with delight, he hid himfelf behind the buflies, and, when me had done finging, figh'd and retired to the inmoft recefTes of the wood, in order to imitate what he had heard. As he ftood, one day, in a profound reverie, lean- ing on his bow ; for he had already invented the art of mooting with the bow and arrow, to kill the birds of prey, that deftroy the harmlefs doves, for whom he had built a little habitation, in a neigh- bouring tree, with twigs of interwoven oziers as he ftood thus leaning on his bow, * What un- ' known emotion is this, faid he, that fills my heart ' with [74 ] * with difquietude ? moft flrange difquietude ! that ' is mingled with tranfports of joy, when I fee the ' young fhepherdefs in the wood and hear her " fmg; but, when me is abfent, fills my heart with c chagrin. Ah ! wherefore do I figh ?'- As he faid this, his finger, with which he had ftretched the firing of his bow, let it fuddenly loofe, and immediately his ear was affefted by an agreeabl 6 found. He liflen'd and repeated the trial. The jarring firing repeated the found ; and he began to meditate on the methods of improving his new difcovery. He tried feveral times to play on the fingle bow-firing, made of the twilled entrails of birds of prey ; when a thought fuddenly came into his mind, and he went and cut four flicks ; two longer than the other. Thefe he fattened to- gether by their ends, in the manner of a frame, and ftretched the founding firings acrofs. Then ftriking the new-ftrung chords, he perceived they produced an agreeable variety of founds, according to their flrength. Then difpofmg a greater num- ber of firings, in order of harmony, he began to play and to leap for joy at his mufick. From this time, the young fnepherd went every morning to >he grove, in order to exercife his new art; endeavouring to form, on his inftru- rcent, the founds befl adapted to accompany the voice [75] voice of the young fhepherdefs, he had heard in the wood. Vain were his endeavours a long time, nor could he produce the deiired harmony, till, at length, a Deity affifted him, to give a more advantageous difpofition to the chords of his lyre, and play'd feveral airs thereon before him. In- ftru&ed by thefe lefTons, the young Ihepherd watched the fair maid every morn into the wood; and, as he learnt the airs me fung, play'd them .on his lyre by the fide of a neighbouring foun- tain. Now on a pleafant morn in May, fat the young (hepherdefs, as ufual fmging in the wood, her hair adorned with flowers. Hail, glorious fun ! that o'er th mountain tops Darteft around thy brilliant rays of light, Already has thou tipt the trees with gold, And deck'd the plumage of the fearing lark The feather'd fongfters of the fpray begin To chaunt thy praife. Already ~ Ha! Struck with the found of the young fhepherd's lyre, the maiden ceas'd to fing. Surpriz'd, flic faid, "What cb arm Jng founds accompany my fong? * They mimic every note!" Then with ailonifhment me [ 76] ihe look'd around, and thus exprefled her ad- miration. " O thou charming voice ! Where art thou gone? Why art thou filent? Sing, fweet " voice ! again. Art thou a feather'd fongfter of '* the grove? Come, if thou art, and, perch'd on ' this fair pine, O, let me fee thy form and " hear thee fing." Then, looking all about among the trees, '* Ha! wert thou frightened, my fweet " bird," me faid, " and art thou flown ? Or rather ' but perhaps mine ear deceives me ; forfuch founds " I never heard within this wood before. And yet ' it furely cannot be a dream, I'll fing another * fong. Welcome, flowers fo fweet and gay, In the bud but yefterday; While upon your open breafts Cooling Zephyrs panting lie, The buzzing bee that never refts, And the gaudy butterfly, Fluttering round and fipping dew; I bid thee welcome and adieu. As me fung this fong, the fhepherdefs fre- quently broke off and look'd around ; the un- known found of the fhepherd's lyre accompany- ing her voice as fhe fung. But as me perceived not whence the found came, fhe began to be a little frightened- [ 77] frightened. " No," faid fhe, " I am not miftaken, " the voice abfolutely accompanied every note.'* Thefe words no fooner dropt from her lips, than the young fhepherd appeared from behind the bufhes, with his lyre under his arm, and a chap- let of flowers on his head. Then, taking, with a fmile, the timid maiden by the hand, ' Charming * fhepherdefs,' faid he, with an engaging air, and in an enchanting tone of voice, it is no winged ' inhabitant of the woods that repeated your ftrains : ' It was I who accompanied your fweet voice, ( on thefe chords. I have every morning attended to your fongs, and have taken pleafure in prac- ' tifing the repetition of your notes on thefe firings : . And, wilt thou believe me, mepherdefs ? a Deity * met, and inftrufted me, in forming this inftru- ment and repeating your fongs.' The mepherdefs, glancing her eyes, with a timid air, on the fwain, fix'd them intently on his lyre; while the young fhepherd continued his addrefs. ' O charming maid,' faid he, looking languifhingly in her downcaft eyes, ' how delighted fliould I be, if thou wouldft ' permit me to follow thee up and down thefe ' woods, and fit by your fide, and to accompany * thy fweet voice with my lyre!' The young fhep- herdefs then look'd up, and faid, " Young fwain, < I am enchanted with the accompanyment of thy " lyre: The found of it is fweeter than echo itfelf. " But, " But, come beneath the made of my bower, for " already the fun approaches the burning height ' of noon. Come, and I will give thee choice " fruits for dinner, and the fweeteft milk." They went together into the bower; and it was of them the young men and maidens learned to fing, and play on the lyre. It was not till long after, that they fung to the accompanyment of the flate; when Marfyas prefented to the Satyrs the flute, which Minerva, inventrefs of that in- ftrument, had thrown away with indignation at the railleries which the Goddefles caft on her, on that occafion. Two trees were planted OH a rifing ground, in honour of this young man and maid, and to per- petuate to future generations the invention of the lyre and of the fong. I 79) The F A U N. O not one happy day fhall I fee more,* cried a complaining Faun, as in the morn he left his cave. ' E'er fmce the loveliefl Nymph ' efcaped my arms, I hate the day-light. And till * I find her, no ivy-garland fhall adorn my horns ; * no flowers mail bloom around or near my grot : * But down I'll trample them before they blow : My flute and jug too will I break in pieces, un- * der my feet.* He then began to trample on the flowers, hi* flute and jug ; when now a brother Faun came by. Hey-day !" (aid he, " what art thou drunk, or mad ? on fuch a day as this ! the feaft of Bac- chus ! Hafte, and twine about thy horns an ivy wreath, and come with me. I go to celebrate the joyfulleft day of all the year." ' No not a joyful day fhall I fee more,' re- plied the Faun, * I've fworn, that, till I find her, ' not [8o] ' not a leaf of ivy mall be twined about my horns. * Unlucky moment when that Nymph efcaped me ! * I had purfued her to the river fide, where fhe * flood trembling, and my heart rejoiced, as if fe- ' cure I had her in my arms ; when all at once the ' Tritons left the ftream, curlt robbers ! feiz'd the * Nymph around the waift, and fwam acrofs the * ftream, founding their Ihells in triumph. Then ' fwore I, by the Styx, till I recaught the fugitive, ' no ivy-chaplet mould my horns adorn.' " Ho ! ho ! and is't the cruelty of a Nymph ?" replied the other Faun, " how mall I forbear " laughing ? Is the cruelty of a Nymph to make *' your days for ever miferable ? Love never trou- " bled me a fingle hour in my life. If one refufes " me a kifs, I immediately apply to another. ' Hearkee, friend, I will venture to fwear to thee, '* that, if even on this day of feftivity and re- " joking, it be in the power of a Nymph to de- " tain me a fingle hour in her arms, I will never tf kifs another as long as I live. For my part, I " love them all. Come on, my friend, throw off '* this vile chagrin ; you yet are young and brifk ; " your brown face too is handfome ; that full black " eye piercing and fharp ; and thy curling hair " twines naturally round thy crooked horns, that " from thy bufhy locks rife like two tall oaks from " the the brum-wood round. There, let me crown thee, Faun ; thefe twigs are fine and green. Let me then crown thee. I hear already the confufed noife of diftant caftanets and flutes. Come, ftoop thy head, and let me twine the wreath about thine horns. The noife approaches, it defcends the hill. See the fierce tygers draw the car of Bacchus. See, friend, the Fauns and Nymphs delighted dancing round. O what a joyous rout. O ! ho ! Evan, Evoe ! There, now thou'rt crown'd. Come, hafle, and let us join the jovial train. O ! ho ! Evan ; Evoe ! Ho ! " The 7$y walks, wifli often to fee my friends ftraying round my lonely cottage, Mcffrs. Klcfftoek, Bodmtr, Breitinger, Wvhr.d, Kltifi and Gleim, are German poets, of the firft reputation. [ -05] cottage, or gather'd together in a body, coming forward to meet me. Then would we ramble together over the fmiling fields ; while mixing our ferious difcourfe with agreeable pleafantry, the time would pafs away infenfibly, free from cha- grin or care. Here fhould we gain an appetite, the beft fauce to the fimple viands, which my garden, my fifh-pond and my little farm-yard, ihould furnim for my table; which, at our return, we Ihould find fpread under a verdant bower in the middle of the garden. At other times, feated under the boughs, we would fit, by the light of the moon, and laugh and troll the merry fong ; unlefs the melancholy notes of the fweet nightin- gale mould invite us to filence and attention. But, what am I dreaming of? How long hath my deluded fancy purfued this empty vifion ! Vain wift! I mall never fee thee accompliihed. Dif- contented man inceflantly contemplates the pro- fpect of happinefs in diftant fcenes, from which he is feparated by impenetrable labyrinths. Hence we fpend our days in fruitlefs fighs and wishes, and neglecl that happinefs, which providence has laid before us, in the route we are deftined to purfue. True blifs confifts only in virtue. That man is truly wife, and truly happy, who, without murmuring, fills up the place the eternal architect intended for him in the general plan of I the t 106 ] the univerfe. Yes, it is thou, celeitial virtue! that doft conftitute our happinefs ; it is thou, that doft diffufe joy and felicity over all the fituations of life. Who is there I can envy, at the moment that terminates a life, which thou haft rendered happy ? There is none. No, then fhall I die fatisfied, and lamented by thofe worthy minds, who loved me, for thy fake. O my friends, when ye fhall tread the green turf round my tomb, may ye join hands, and, cordially embracing, fay, " Peace to his afhes, for his heart was good: " Heav'n now rewards him with eternal joys : " Soon fhall our afhes mix with his, and everlafting " blifs be alfo ours." And thou, the gentle miftrefs of my heart, may thy foft eyes bedew my grave with tears, when the wild daify and the benty grafs, that wave around, recall me to thy Blind ! and if it be permitted to the bleft, to vifit once again thofe peaceful fhades, thofe dear, de- lightful haunts, where they have meditated oft, in life, on facred things and future fcenes fub- lime ; if they be permitted to revifit thofe whom once they loved ; full oft my foul fhall hover round thee, fhall attend thy fteps ; and, when in holy contemplation wrapt, fhall kifs thy cheek, and breathe into thy mind the fwcet remembrance f thy once-lov'd friend. The END, NEW BOOKS, Printed for T. BECKET, and P. A. DE HONDT at Tally's Head, near Surry-Street, in the Strand. i.TT P ios. 6d. 2. Poems on feveral Occafions. By R. Lloyd, 410. ios. 6d. 3. 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Oeuvres de Mr. De VOLTAIRE, complete en 19 Vol. 8vo. Geneve, 1757 1762. 21. Sermon du Rabin Akib, par Mr. De VOL- TAIRE, 8vo. 1762. 22. Campaigne du Marefchal Villars en 1703, 2 Vol. i2mo. 1762. 23. Memoire et Confiderations fur la Commerce et les Finances d'Efpagne, 2 Vol. i2mo. 1762. 24. Ecclairciffmens fur les Moeurs, I2mo. 1762. 25. Obfervations fur les Scavans incredules et fur quelques-uns de leur Ecrits, par J. F. de Luc. Geneve, 1762. 26. Les Idylles et Poemes Champetres de Mr, Gefner, 1762. 27. La Mort d'Abel, par Mr. Gefner, 1762. University of California SOUTHERN REGIONAL LIBRARY FACILITY 405 Hilgard Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90024-1388 Return this material to the library from which it was borrowed. I Hill * 000 007 763 PT 1886 AlIiE 1762