Embrac'd thy boughs, thy ring bark delay'd, 55
There with'd to grow, and mingle fhade with

fade.

60

Behold Andræmon and th' unhappy fire
Appear and for their Dryope enquire;
A pringing tree for Dryope they find,
And print warm kiffes on the panting rind;
Prostrate, with tears their kindred plant bedew,
And clofe embrace as to the roots they grew.
The face was all that now remain'd of thee,
No mo e a woman, nor yet quite a tree;
Thy branches hung with humid pearls appear, 65
From every leaf ditils a trickling tear,
And flrait à voice, while yet a voice remains,
Thus through the trembling boughs in fighs com-
phins:

If to the wretched any faith be given,

10

'Twas all her joy the ripening fruits to tend,
And fee the boughs with happy burthens bend,
The hook the bore inflead of Cynthia's fpear,
To lop the growth of the luxuriant year,
To decent form the lawlefs fhoots to bring.
And teach th' o edient branches where to spring.
Now the cleft rind inferted graffs receives,
And yields an offspring more than nature gives;
Now fliding ftreams the thirfty plants renew, 15
And feed their fibres with reviving dew.

These cares alone her virgin breaft employ,
Averfe from Venus and the nuptial joy.
Her private orchards, wall'd on every fide,
To lawless fylvans all accefs deny'd.
How oft the Satyrs and the wanton Fawns,
Who haunt the forefts, or frequent the lawns,
The God whofe enfign feares the birds of prey,

I fwear by all th' u pitying powers of Heaven, 70 And old Silenus, youthful in decay,

No wilful crime this heavy vengeance bred;

85

In mutual innocence our lives we led:
If this be falfe, let thefe new greens decay,
Let founding axes lop my limbs away,
And crackling flames on all my honours prey!
But from my branching arms this infant bear, 76
Let fome ind nurfe fupply a mother's care:
And to his mother let him oft be led,
Sport in her fhades, and in her fhades be fed;
Teach him, when firft his infant voice fhall frame
Imperfect words, and lifp his mother's name,
To hail this tree; and fay, with weeping eyes,
Within this plant my hapless parent lies:
And when in youth he feeks the flady woods,
Oh, let him fly the cryftal lakes and floods,
Nor touch the fatal flowers; but warn'd by me,
Believe a Goddefs fhrin'd in every tree.
My fire, my fifter, and my fpoufe, farewell!
Ji in your breafts 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 leaft to mine.
My fon, thy mother's parting kifs receive,
While yet thy mother has a kifs 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 thefe dying eyes.

95

She ceas'd' at once fo fpeak, and ceas'd to be; And all the nymph was loft within the tree; 100 Yet latent life through her new branches reign'd, And long the plant a human heat retain❜d.

VERTUMNUS

AND

POMONA.

20

25

30

65

Employ'd their wiles and unavailing care,
To país the fences, and furprize the fair!
Like thefe Vertumnus own'd his faithful flame,
Like thefe rejected by the scornful dame,
To gain her fght a thousand forms he wears;
And firft a reaper from the field appears,
Sweating he walks, while loads of golden grain
C'ercharge the shoulders of the feeming fwain.
Oft o'er his back a crooked fcythe is laid,
And wreaths of hay his fun-burnt temples fhade:
Oft in his harden'd hand a goad he bears,
Like one who late unyoak'd the fweating fteers.
Sometimes his pruning-hook corrects the vines,
And the loofe ftragglers to their ranks confines.
Now gathering what the bounteous year allows,
He pulls ripe apples from the bending boughs. 4e
A foldier now, he with his fword appears;
A fifher next, his trembling angle bears.
Each fhape he varies, and each art he tries,
On her bright charms to feaft his longing eyes.
A female form at last Vertumnus wears,
With all the marks of reverend age appears,
His temples thinly fpread with fiver hairs;
Propp'd on his ftaff, and ftooping as he goes,
A painted mitre fades his furrow'd brows.
The God in this decrepit form array'd,
The gardens e ter'd, and the fruit survey'd;
Happy you!" (he thus addrefs'd the
maid)
"Whofe charms as far all other nymphs outshine,
"As other gardens are excell'd by thine!"
Then kifs'd the fair; his kiffes warmer grow 55
Than fuch as women on their fex beflow;)
Then plac'd befide her on the Bowery ground,
Beheld the trees with autumn's bounty crown'd.
An elm was near, to whofe embraces led,
The curling vine her fwelling clusters spread; 60
He view'd her twining branches with delight,
And prais'd the beauty of the pleafing fight.

And "

50

Yet this tall elm, but for his vine (he faid)
Had food neglected, and a barren fhade;
And this fair vine, but that her arms furround
Her marry'd elm, had crept along the ground.
Ah, beauteous maid! let this example move
Your mind, averfe from all the joys of love,
Deign to be lov❜d, and every heart fubdue!
What nymph coulde'erattrac fuch crouds as you?

Not the whofe beauty urg'd the Centaur's arms,
Ulyfies' Queen; nor Helen's fatal charms.
Ev'n now, when filent fcorn is all they gain,
A thoufand court you, though they court in vain,
A thoufand fylvans, demigods, and gods,
That haunt our moun ains, and our Alban woods.
But if you'll profper, mark what I advise,
Whom age and long experience render wife,
And one whofe tender care is far above
All that these lovers ever felt of love,
(Far more than e'er can by yourself be guess'd)
Fix on Vertärnus, and reject the rest.
For his firm faith I dare engage my own;
Scarce to himfelf, himfelf is better known.
To diftant lands Vertumnus never roves;
Like you, contented with his native groves;
Nor at first fight, like moit, admires the fair;
For you he lives, and you alone fall flare
His last affections as his early care.
Befides, he's lovely far above the rest;
With youth immortal, and with beauty Bleft.
Ad, that he varies every shape with ease,
And tries all forms that may Pomona please.
But what should most excite a mutual flame;
Your rural cares and pleasures are the same.
To him your orchard's early fruit are due,
(A pleating offering when 'tis made by you)
He values thefe; but yet (alas !) complains,
That still the best and deareft gift remains.
Not the fair fruit that on yon' branches glows
With that ripe red th' autumnal fun bestows;
Nor tafteful herbs that in thefe gardens rife,
Which the kind foil with milky fap fupplies;
You, only you, can move the God's defire:
Oh, crown fo conftant and fo pure a fire;
Let foft compaffion touch your gentle mind;
Think, 'tis Vertuninus begs you to be kind :

may no troft, when early tuds appear, Destroy the promife of the youthful year;

75

80

}

W

OMEN ben full of Ragerie,

Yet fwinken nat fans fecrefie:
Thilke moral fhall ye understond,

85 From Schoole-boy's Tale of fayre İrelond
Which to the Fennes hath him betake,
To filch the gray Ducke fro the Lake.
Right then, there paffen by the way
His Aunt, and eke her Daughters tway.
go Ducke in his Trowfes hath he hent,
Not to be fpied of Ladies gent.
"But ho! our Nephew, (crieth one)
"Ho! quoth another, Cozen John;"
And stoppen, and lough, and callen out,
95 This filly Clerk full low doth lout:

They afken that, and talken this,
"Lo here is Coz, and here is Mifs."
But, as he glozeth with fpeeches foote,
The Ducke fore tickleth his Erfe roote :
100 Fore-piece and buttons all-to-breft,

105

Nor winds, when firit your florid orchard blows, 110
Shake the light bloffoms from their blafted boughs!

This when the various God had urg'd in vain,

He ftrait affam'd his native form again;
Such, and fo bright an afpect now he bears,

As when through clouds th' emerging fun appears, 115
And thente exciting his refulgent ray,

Difpels the darkriefs, and reve Is the day.
Force he prepar'd, but check'd the rash defign:
For when, appearing in a form divine,

The Nymph furveys him, and beholds the grace 120
Of charming features, and a youthful fice;
In her foft breath confenting paflions move,
And the warm maid confefs'd a mutual lovei

VOL. Vi

Forth thrust a white neck, and red creft.
Te-he, cry'd Ladies; Clerke nought spake:
Mifs ftar'a; and gray Ducke tryeth Quaake.
"O Moder, Moder, (quoth the daughter)
"Be thilke fame thing Maids longer a ter?
"Bette is to pine on coals and chalke,
"Then trust on Mon, whofe yerde can talke."

II.

SPENCER.

THE ALLEY.

I.

5

S

20

25

25 CO

5 Where Summer's beauty midft of Winter ftays, And Winter's Coolness fpite of Summer's rays.

VIII.

Yet thy indulgence is by both confefs'd;
Folly by thee lies fleeping in the breast,

And 'tis in thee at laft that Wisdom feeks for reft,

IX.

Silence, the knave's repute, the whore's good

name,

The only honour of the wifhing dame;

Thy very want of tongue makes thee a kind of Fame.
X.

But couldst thou feize fome tongues that now are

free,

How Church and State should be oblig'd to thee!
At Senate, and at Bar, how welcome wouldst tho

be !

XI.

Yet speech ev'n there, fubmiffively withdraws, From rights of subjects, and the poor man's caufe ;. Then pompous Silence reigns, and ftills the noify. Laws.

XII.

Paft fervices of friends, good deeds of foes,
What Favourites gain, and what the Nation owes
Fly the forgetful world, and in thy arms repofe.
XIII.

The country wit, religion of the town,
The courtier's learning, policy o' th' gown,
Are beft by thee exprefs'd; and fhine in thee along
XIV.

And in thy bofom lurks in Thought's difguife; Chou varnisher of Feols, and cheat of all the Wife!}

The parfon's cant the lawyer's fophiftery,
Lord's quibble, critic's jeft, all end in thee,
All reft in peace at last, and fleep eternally,

VL

E. OF DORSET.

ARTEMISIA,

Of councils, claffics, fathers, wits;
Reads Malbranche, Boyle, and Locke;
Yet in fome things methinks the fails,
'Twere well if the would pare her nails,
And wear a cleaner fmock.

Haughty and huge as High-Dutch bride,
Such naftiness, and fo much pride,

Are oddly join'd by fate:

On her large fquab you find her spread,
Like a fat corpfe upon a bed,

That lies and ftinks in ftate.

She wears no colours (fign of grace)
On any part except her face;

All white and black befide:
Dauntiefs her look her gesture prouda
Her voice theatrically loud,

And masculine her stride.