Venture abroad, nor any dangers fears,

E'er their young opening leaves the trees unfold,
Or yet the winter's ificles are thaw'd,

Diffolv'd in drops by the fun's melting beam.

The crocus next her yellow top unveils,
Gently, and with a timid air---fhe hears
The howling winter's blasts that blow around
• Her infant bloffoms---fearful yet to heave

Her head above the bursting glebe, she hides
Her tender leaves still in her bed enclos'd,
Not vent'ring yet to the bleak chilling sky
To truft her golden foliage, while the north
Pours out its rattling ftorms across the air.
Nor are the violets gay heads the last

Of all the shining train that cloath the year
With vernal beauty, whofe accomplish'd grace,
That might a royal garden's beds adorn,
Yet humbly condescends in all her bloom
To line our hedges, nor difdains to breathe
Her fweets beneath the fhrubs cool rural shade.
Freely and unimplor'd her bounty throws
From off her flowers emiffive rich perfumes,
While she herself her blushing beauties hides

In

In the close covert, chufing more to give
The eye a pleasure, than to shine admir'd.

This fragrant early flower that late adorn'd
Th' embroider'd border with her shining dyes,
Oft from her bed transplanted to bestow

Fresh beauty on our windows; see how soon
She fades and languishes, the eye beholds
With fadness all her vernal bloom decay,
Each after each expiring, till at laft
Drooping each beauty finks into the grave.

The lofs is foon forgot---for fee, array'd
In all her pride, with richest colours gay,
Th' auricula now fpreads her varied plumes!
How bright her chryftal eye, her fhining robe
Of gloffy fattin, breathing sweet perfumes
From out her scented cells, all powder'd o'er
With filver grains of duft.---Not one of all
This spreading family but shines renown'd
With honour'd titles; heroes, monarchs, queens,

Are known to dignify the royal tribes

Of this illuftrious race: but ah! how foon
Has the fun's glowing fervor quite exhal'd
Their stock of fragrance? every beauty loft

That

That lately pleas'd, tranfports the eye no more.
Whose heart, what tears fufficing to bemoan
Their abfence, had not heaven's indulgent care
Now wak'd the tulip from its bed to shine
With rival luftre; this, the gayest tribe
That flush the rich parterre, in colours dress'd
The faireft, blooming nature ever wears.

Say, can the gaudy splendid beau, array'd
In all his birth-night finery, display

A drefs more beautiful, or richly chofe

Than this enamell'd flower, whofe leaves excel
The beauties woven in art's curious loom.
Here sportive nature her vagaries plays,

Her guiltless freaks indulging, while she sheds
A thousand various colours to array

The tulip's glowing leaves; no wantons these
To kindle loose defire, but neatly dress'd,
Their great Creator's glory to proclaim.
Next view the bright anemony arise,

With a rich spreading robe her bafis crown'd,
Rounded her head in yet a fairer dome.
The flowing mantle that she wears, displays
A noble negligence; its tufts that bend

How gently downward, equally difclofe

As nice a fymmetry. Fain would I call
This fplendid flower the garden's gaudy beau,
Boafting the mix'd felicity to join,

And reconcile the ftrokes of art with eafe.
What wonder next arifes to regale

The

eye with varied beauties ?---"Tis the bloom The vivid gay ranunculus unfolds.

How bold, how graceful it expands around
Its fhining foliage, boafting by degrees
Each still excell❜d by each, fuch various hues
As fhame the works of art, and throw a fhade
O'er each faint fcene the pencil ever drew.
This lordly flower its richness fcorns to draw
From powders or from effences, that give
Their merits to the garden's meaner tribes;
This no attractions wants, more pleas'd to fhine
In its own native luftre, own'd by all
The favourite of the curious---while each eye

Is raptur'd to furvey its mingling charms,
Its elegance of form, the radiant bloom
Its tinges fpread; its dignity allow'd
Superior, when it glows with all its flame.

See,

The

See, nature still improves, her laft effays
Still the most elegant---to crowd the scene
With fairer products of her genial care,
And grace the rich collation; fee, fhe wakes
gay carnation; with what colours grac'd!
What glories round her opening leaves unfold,
Her various gifts delighting to diffuse,
The smell obliging, while they cheer the eye.
In her sweet blooming bud are center'd all
Perfections by each other tribe enjoy'd.
The moment she appears her beauties claim
Attention from each ravish'd eye that views
Her varied elegance, which fheds no tear
The lofs bemoaning of each other flower.

While all the reft now bloom, and foon decay,
The beauties of a morn, that spring and die,
While yet we are admiring.---There behold
The gilly-flower, a conftant real friend
Attending you thro' every fleeting change
And revolution of the rolling year!

A tranfient vifit while all others pay,

This not a guest, but chufes to be thought

A kind inhabitant, pleas'd to adorn