DAPHNI S. O Love! for Sylvia let me gain the prize, And make my tongue victorious as her eyes; No lambs or fheep for victims I'll impart, Thy victim, Love, fhall be the fhepherds heart. STRE PHON. Me gentle Delia beckons from the plain, Then hid in fhades, eludes her eager fwain; But feigns a laugh, to fee me fearch around, And by that laugh the willing fair is found. DAPHNI S. The fprightly Sylvia trips along the green, She runs, but hopes fhe does not run unseen; While a kind glance at her purfuer flies, How much at variance are her feet and eyes! STREPHON. O'er golden fands let rich Pactolus flow, And trees weep amber on the banks of Po; Bleft Thames's fhores the brightest beauties yield, Feed here my lambs, I'll feek no distant field. DAPHNI S. Celestial Venus haunts Idalia's groves; If Windsor-fhades delight the matchless maid. STREPHON. All nature mourns, the skies relent in fhow'rs, Hufh'd are the birds, and clos'd the drooping flow'rs; If Delia fmile, the flow'rs begin to fpring, The skies to brighten, and the birds to fing. DAPHNI S. All nature laughs, the groves frefh honours wear, The Sun's mild luftre warms the vital air; If Sylvia fmiles, new glories gild the fhore, And vanquish'd nature feems to charm no more. STREPHON. In fpring the fields, in autumn hills I love, At morn the plains, at noon the fhady grove, But Delia always; forc'd from Delia's fight, Nor plains at morn, nor groves at noon delight. DAPHNI S. DAPHNI S. Sylvia's like autumn ripe, yet mild as May, More bright than noon, yet fresh as early day, Ev'n fpring difpleafes, when the fhines not here, But bleft with her, 'tis fpring throughout the year. STREPH ON. Say, fhepherd, fay, in what glad foil appears A wond'rous Tree that facred Monarchs bears? 1 Tell me but this, and I'll disclaim the prize, And give the conqueft to thy Sylvia's eyes. DAPHNI S. Nay tell me first, in what more happy fields The Thistle fprings, to which the Lilly yields? And then a nobler prize I will refign, For Sylvia, charming Sylvia, fhall be thine. DAMO N.: ་ Ceafe to contend, for (Daphnis) I decree ... The bowl to Strephon, and the lamb to thee : Bleft Swains, whofe Nymphs in ev'ry grace excell, Bleft Nymphs, whofe Swains thofe graces fing fo well! Now rife and hafte to yonder woodbine bow'rs, A foft retreat from fudden vernal show'rs; The The turf with rural dainties fhall be crown'd, While opening blooms diffuse their sweets around. For fee! the gath'ring flocks to fhelter tend, And from the Pleiads fruitful fhow'rs defcend. 18 SUMMER. THE SECOND PASTORAL. A To Dr. GARTH faithful swain, whom Love had taught to fing, Where gentle Thames his winding waters leads Accept, O Garth, the Mufe's early lays, Hear |