85

90

And when in youth he seeks the shady woods,
Oh let him fly the crystal lakes and floods,
Nor touch the fatal flow'rs; but, warn'd by me,
Believe a goddess fhrin'd in ev'ry tree.
My fire, my fifter, and my fpoufe, farewell!
If in your breasts or love or pity dwell,
Protect your plant, nor let my branches feel
The browzing cattle or the piercing steel.
Farewell! and fince I cannot bend to join
My lips to yours, advance at least to mine.
My fon, thy mother's parting kiss receive,
While yet thy mother has a kiss to give.
I can no more; the creeping rind invades
My clofing lips, and hides my head in fhades;
Remove your hands, the bark fhall foon fuffice
Without their aid to feal these dying eyes.

95

She ceas'd at once to speak, and ceas'd to be ; And all the nymph was loft within the tree; 10I Yet latent life through her new branches reign'd, And long the plant a human heat retain'd.

VERTUMNUS and POMONA:

FROM THE FOURTEENTH BOOK OF

OVID'S METAMORPHOSES

1

VERTUMNUS ET POMONA.

R

EGE fub hoc Pomona fuit: qua nulla Latinas

Inter Hamadryadas coluit folertius hortos,

Nec fuit arborei ftudiofior altera foetûs :
Unde tenet nomen. non fylvas illa, nec amnes; 5
Rus amat, et ramos felicia poma ferentes.
Nec jaculo gravis eft, fed adunca dextera falce: 10
Qua modo luxuriem premit, et fpatiantia paffim
Brachia compefcit; fiffa modo cortice virgam
Inferit; et fuccos alieno praeftat alumno.
Nec patitur fentire fitim: bibulaeque recurvas 15
Radicis fibras labentibus irrigat undis.

Hie

VERTUMNUS AND POMONA.

HE fair Pomona flourish'd in his reign ;

THE

Of all the Virgins of the fylvan train, None taught the trees a nobler race to bear, Or more improv'd the vegetable care.

5

To her the fhady grove, the flow'ry field,
The ftreams and fountains no delights could

yield;

'Twas all her joy the rip'ning fruits to tend, And fee the boughs with happy burthens bend. The hook she bore inftead of Cynthia's spear, To lop the growth of the luxuriant year, To decent form the lawless shoots to bring, And teach th' obedient branches where to fpring.

Now the cleft rind inserted graffs receives,

And yields an offspring more than nature

gives;

Now fliding streams the thirsty plants renew, 15 And feed their fibres with reviving dew.

4

These