WINTER.

THE

FOURTH PASTORAL,.

O. R

DAPHNE.

To the Memory of Mrs. TEMPEST,

T

LYCIDAS.

HYRSIS, the mufic of that murm'ring (pring
Is fo

not mournful as the strains you fing.

Nor rivers winding thro' the vales below,
So fweetly warble, or fo fmoothly flow.

Now

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 Paitoral Elegy, defired his friend to do the fame, as appears from one of his Letters, dated Sept. 9, 1706. "Your laft Eclogue being

IMITATIONS.

VER. 1. Thyrfis, the mufic, etc.]
Ti, etc. Theocr. Id. i.

'Adú

66

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

1

Behold the groves that shine with filver froft,
Their beauty wither'd, and their verdure loft,
Here fhall I try the sweet 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.

LYCIDA S.

IQ

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 beside the shaded tomb I mourn,
And with fresh bays her rural fhrine adorn.

THY RSI S.

Ye gentle Mufes, leave your crystal spring, Let Nymphs and Sylvans cyprefs garlands bring;

20

Ye

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

1

IMITATIONS.

VER. 13. Thames heard, etc.]

Audiit Eurotas, juffitque edifcere lauros. Virg. P.

30

Ye weeping Loves, the stream with myrtles hide,
And break your bows, as when 'Adonis dy'd ;
And with your golden darts, now useless grown,
Inscribe a verse on this relenting ftone: 26
"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 chearful 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 refuse their verdant food,
The thirsty heifers fhun the gliding flood.
The filver fwans her haplefs fate bemoan,

In notes more fad than when they fing their own;
In hollow caves fweet Echo filent lies,
Silent, or only to her name replies;

35

41

T

Her name with pleasure once fhe taught the fhore, Now Daphne's dead, and pleafure is no more!

No grateful dews defcend from ev'ning fkies, Nor morning odours from the flow'rs arife;"

VARIATIONS.

VER. 29. Originally thus in the MS.

46

No

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

Inducite fontibus umbras

Et tumulum facite, et tumulo fuperaddit carmen. P.

-50

55

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 a sweeter breath;
Th' induftrious bees neglect their golden ftore!..
Fair Daphne's dead, and sweetness is no more.!!
No more the mounting larks, while Daphne fings,
Shall lift'ning in mid air suspend their wings;
No more the birds fhall imitate her lays,
Or hufh'd with wonder, hearken from the fprays:
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 mufic 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

60

65

Swell'd with new paffion, and o'erflows with tears; The winds and trees and floods her death deplore, Daphne, our grief! our glory now no more!

But fee! where Daphne wond'ring mounts on high

Above the clouds, above the starry 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 felect unfading flow'rs,

70

Behold

VER. 69, 70.

IMITATIONS.

miratur limen Olympi,

Sub pedibufque videt nubes et fydera Daphnis.Virg. P.

Behold us kindly, who your name implore,
Daphne, our Goddefs, and our grief no more!

LYCIDA S.

75

How all things liften, while thy Mufe complains! Such filence waits on Philomela's strains,

80

In fome ftill ev'ning, when the whisp'ring breeze
Pants on the leaves, and dies upon the trees.
To thee, bright goddess, oft a lamb fhall bleed,
If teeming ewes encrease my fleecy breed,
While plants their fhade, or flow'rs their odours give,
Thy name, thy honour, and thy praise fhall live!

THYRSIS.

But fee, Orion fheds unwholfome dews, Arife, the pines a noxious fhade diffuse; Sharp Boreas blows, and Nature feels decay, Time conquers all, and we must Time obey.

85

Adieu,

VARIATION S.

VER. 83. Originally thus in the MS.

While Vapours rife, and driving fnows defcend,
Thy honour, name, and praise shall never end.

VER. 81.

IMITATIONS.

illius aram

Sæpe tener noftris ab orrilibus imbuet agnus. Virg. P.

VER. 86.

folet effe gravis cantantibus umbra,

Juniperi gravis umbra.

VER. 88. Time conquers all, etc.

Virg. P.

Omnia vincit amor, et nos cedamus amori.

Vid. etiam Sannazarii Ecl. et Spencer's Calendar.