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WINTER.

THE

FOURTH PASTORAL,

OR

DAPHN E.

To the Memory of Mrs. TEMPEST.

THYR

LYCIDA S.

HYRSIS, the mufic of that murm'ring spring Is not fo mournful as the ftrains you fing. Nor rivers winding through the vales below, So fweetly warble, or so smoothly flow.

REMARK S.

WINTER.] This was the Poet's favourite Paftoral. Mrs. Tempeft.] This Lady was of an ancient family in Yorkshire, and particularly admired by the Author's friend Mr. Walsh, who, having celebrated her in a Paftoral Elegy, defired his friend to do the fame, as appears from one of his Letters, dated Sept. 9, 1706. "Your laft Eclogue being on the fame fubject with mine on Mrs. "Tempeft's death, I fhould take it very kindly in you "to give it a little turn, as if it were to the memory of "the fame lady." Her death having happened on the

66

Now fleeping flocks on their foft fleeces lie,
The moon, ferene in glory, mounts the sky,
Whilft filent birds, forget their tuneful lays,
Oh fing of Daphne's fate, and Daphne's praise !

THYRSI S.

Behold the groves that shine with filver frost,
Their beauty wither'd, and their verdure loft.
Here fhall I try the fweet Alexis' ftrain,
That call'd the lift'ning Dryads to the plain?
Thames heard the numbers as he flow'd along,
And bade his willows learn the moving fong.

LYCID A S.

5

10

So may kind rains their vital moisture yield, 15 And fwell the future harvest of the field.

Begin; this charge the dying Daphne gave,
And faid, "Ye fhepherds fing around my grave!"
Sing, while befide the fhaded tomb I mourn,

And with fresh bays her rural shrine adorn. 20

REMARKS.

night of the great form in 1703, gave a propriety to this eclogue, which in its general turn alludes to it. The scene of the Pastoral lies in a grove, the time at midnight. P.

VER. 9. fhine with filver froft,] The image is a fine one, but improperly placed. The idea he would raife is the deformity of Winter, as appears by the following line: but this imagery contradicts it. It fhould have been-glare with hoary froft, or fome fuch expreffion: the fame inaccuracy in 31. where he ufes pearls, when he should have faid tears.

IMITATIONS.

VER. 13. Thames beard, etc.]

Audiit Eurotas, juffitque edifcere lauros. Virg. P.

THYRS IS.

Ye gentle Muses, leave your crystal spring, Let Nymphs' and Sylvans cypress garlands bring; Ye weeping Loves, the stream with myrtles hide, And break your bows, as when Adonis dy'd ; And with your golden darts, now ufelefs grown, 25 Infcribe a verse on this relenting stone:

"Let nature change, let heav'n and earth deplore, "Fair Daphne's dead, and love is now no more!"

'Tis done, and nature's various charms decay,
See gloomy clouds obfcure the cheerful day!
Now hung with pearls the dropping trees appear,
Their faded honours scatter'd on her bier.
See, where on earth the flow'ry glories lie,
With her they flourish'd, and with her they die.
Ah what avail the beauties nature wore?
Fair Daphne's dead, and beauty is no more!
For her the flocks refufe their verdant food,
The thirsty heifers fhun the gliding flood,
The filver fwans her hapless fate bemoan,

In notes more fad than when they fing their own;

VARIATION S.

VER. 29. Originally thus in the MS.

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35

'Tis done, and nature's chang'd fince you are gone Behold the clouds have put their Mourning on.

IMITATION S.

VER. 23, 24, 25. Inducite fontibus umbras

Et tumulum facite, et tumulo fuperaddite carmen. P.

In hollow caves fweet Echo filent lies,
Silent, or only to her name replies;

Her name with pleasure once she taught the shore,
Now Daphne's dead, and pleasure is no more!
No grateful dews defcend from ev'ning skies! 45
Nor morning odours from the flow'rs arife;
No rich perfumes refresh the fruitful field,
Nor fragrant herbs their native incenfe yield.
The balmy Zephyrs, filent fince her death,
Lament the ceafing of afweeter breath;
Th' industrious bees neglect their golden ftore!
Fair Daphne's dead, and sweetness is no more!

50

No more the mounting larks, while Daphne fings,
Shall lift'ning in mid-air fufpend their wings;
No more the birds shall imitate her lays,

Or hush'd with wonder, hearken from the sprays :
No more the streams their murmurs fhall forbear,
A fweeter mufic than their own to hear,
But tell the reeds, and tell the vocal fhore,
Fair Daphne's dead, and music is no more!
Her fate is whisper'd by the gentle breeze,
And told in fighs to all the trembling trees;
The trembling trees, in ev'ry plain and wood,
Her fate remurmur to the filver flood;
The filver flood, fo lately calm, appears

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60

865

Swell'd with new paffion, and 'o'erflows with tears;

IMITATIONS.

VER. 69, 70.

miratur limen Olympi.

Sub pedibufque videt nubes et fydera Daphnis.

Virg. P.

The winds, and trees, and floods her death deplore, Daphne, our grief! our glory now no more!,

70

But fee! where Daphne wond'ring mounts on high
Above the clouds, above the ftarry sky!
Eternal beauties grace the fhining scene,
Fields ever fresh, and groves for ever green!
There while you reft in Amaranthine bow'rs,
Or from those meads select unfading flow'rs,
Behold us kindly, who your name implore,

Daphne, our Goddefs, and our grief no more!
LYCID A S.

75

80

How all things liften, while thy Muse complains! Such filence waits on Philomela's ftrains, In fome ftill ev'ning, when the whifp'ring breeze Pants on the leaves, and dies upon the trees. To thee, bright goddefs, oft a lamb fhall bleed, If teeming ewes encreafe my fleecy breed. While plants their fhade, or flow'rs their odours give, Thy name, thy honour, and thy praise fhall live! THYRS I S.

But fee, Orion sheds unwholesome dews; --85 Arife, the pines a noxious shade diffuse;

VARIATIONS.

VER. 83. Originally thus in the MS.

While vapours rife, and driving fnows defcend,
Thy honour, name, and praise fhall never end.

IMITATIONS,

illius aram

VER. 81.

VER. 86.

Juniperi gravis umbra.

Sæpe tener noftris ab ovilibus imbuet agnus. Virg. P. folet effe gravis cantantibus umbra,

Virg. P.