WINTE THE R. FOURTH PASTORAL. T To the Memory of Mrs. TEMPEST*. HYRSIS, LYCIDAS. the music of that murm'ring spring, Is not fo mournful as the strains you fing. Nor rivers winding thro' the vales below, THYRSIS. Behold the groves that shine with filver frost, 5 10 * This, which was our Author's favourite Pastoral, was written to the memory of Mrs. Tempest, a lady of an ancient family in Yorkshire, and particularly admired by our 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, where he says, "Your last eclogue being on the fame subject with that of mine, on Mrs. Tempeft's death, &c." Her death happening on the night of the great storm in 1702, gave a propriety to this eclogue, which in its general turn alludes to it. The Scene of this Paftoral lies in a grove, the Time at Midnight. 3 LYCIDAS. : Begin; this charge the dying Daphne gave, THYRSIS. 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 useless grown, Inscribe 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 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 seek the gliding flood. The filver swans her hapless fate bemoan, No grateful dews descend from ev'ning skies, Th'industrious bees neglect their golden store; 55 A fweeter music than their own to hear, 60 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; > 65 The filver flood, so lately calm, appears But fee! where Daphne wond'ring mounts on high, Above the clouds, above the starry sky! LYCIDAS. How all things listen, while thy Muse complains! In some still ev'ning, when the whisp'ring breeze 70 75 80 1 THYRSIS, Sharp Boreas blows, and Nature feels decay, Time conquers all, and we must Time obey. Adieu'ye vales, ye mountains, streams, and gr Adieu ye shepherds' rural lays and loves; Adieu my flocks, farewell ye fylvan crew, Daphne farewell, and all the world adieu * ! * These four laft lines allude to the several fubjects of the fo and to the several scenes of them, particularized before in each. |