And now his fhadow reach'd her as the run, 195 Faint, breathlefs, thus fhe pray'd, nor pray'd in vain ; "Ah, Cynthia! ah-though banish'd from thy train, 200 "Let me, O let me, to the fhades repair, 66 205 210 My native fhades-there weep, and murmur there.” She faid, and, melting as in tears the lay, In a soft silver stream dissolv'd away. The filver ftream her virgin coldnefs keeps, For ever murmurs, and for ever weeps ; Still bears the name the haplefs virgin bore, And bathes the forest where the rang'd before. In her chafte current oft the Goddefs laves, And with celestial tears augments the waves. Oft in her glafs the mufing fhepherd spies The headlong mountains and the downward fkies, The watery landskip of the pendant woods, And absent trees that tremble in the floods; In the clear azure gleam the flocks are seen, And floating forefts paint the waves with green; Through the fair scene roll flow the lingering streams, Then foaming pour along, and rufh into the Thames. Thou, too, great father of the British floods! With joyful pride furvey'ft our lofty woods; Where towering oaks their growing honours rear, And future navies on thy fhores appear, F VOL. I. 215 220 Not Not Neptune's felf from all her streams receives A wealthier tribute, than to thine he gives. No feas fo rich, fo gay no banks appear, No lake fo gentle, and no fpring fo clear. Nor Po fo fwells the fabling Poet's lays, While led along the skies his current strays, Nor all his ftars above a luftre show, Like the bright Beauties on thy banks below; Happy the man whom this bright Court approves, 225 230 Whom Nature charms, and whom the Muse inspires; He gathers health from herbs the forest yields, 240 VARIATIONS. Ver. 233. It flood thus in the MS. And force great Jove, if Jove's a lover still, Ver. 235. Happy the man, who to the fhades retires, But doubly happy, if the Muse inspires! Bleft whom the fweets of home-felt quiet pleafe; Now Now marks the courfe of rolling orbs on high; 245 250 To follow nature, and regard his end; Or looks on heaven with more than mortal eyes, Amid her kindred ftars familiar roam, 255 Such was the life great Scipio once admir'd, 260 Thus Atticus, and Trumbal thus retir'd. 265 VARIATION. Ver. 267. It flood thus in the MS. Methinks around your holy fcenes I rove, And hear your music echoing through the grove: Led Led by the found, I roam from shade to shade, Here his first lays majestic Denham sung; 270 There the last numbers flow'd from Cowley's tongue. O early loft! what tears the river shed, 275 280 When the fad pomp along his banks was led ! 285 290 VARIATIONS. Here Ver. 275. What fighs, what murmurs, fill'd the vocal fhore! Ver. 290. her filver ftar.] All the lines that follow were not added to the poem till the year 1710. What immediately followed this, and made the conclufion, were thefe, My humble Mufe, in unambitious ftrains, Where Here noble Surrey felt the facred rage, 293 Oh would'st thou fing what heroes Windsor bore, Stretch his long triumphs down through every age, Then, from her roofs when Verrio's colours fall, And leave inanimate the naked wall, Still in thy fong fhould vanquish'd France appear, And bleed for ever under Britain's spear. 310 Let fofter strains ill-fated Henry mourn, And palms eternal flourish round his urn., VARIATIONS. Where I obfcurely pafs my careless days, Pleas'd in the filent fhade with empty praise, Enough for me that to the liftening fwains First in these fields I fung the fylvan ftrains. Ver. 307. Originally thus in the MS. Here When Brafs decays, when Trophies lie o'erthrown, And mouldering into duft drops the proud stone. |