The winds and trees and floods her death deplore, Daphne, our grief! our glory now no more!

70

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 rest in Amaranthine bow'rs, Or from thofe meads select unfading flow'rs, Behold us kindly, who your name implore, Daphne, our Goddefs, and our grief no more!

LYCIDA S.

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

In fome ftill ev'ning, when the whifp'ring breeze
Pants on the leaves, and dies upon the trees.. 80
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 shall live!

VARIATIONS.

VER. 83. Originally thus in the MS.

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

IMITATIONS.

75

VER. 69, 70,

miratur limen Olympi,

Sub pedibufque videt nubes et fydera Daphnis. Virg.

VER. 81.

illius aram

Sæpe tener noftris ab ovilibus imbuet agnus. Virg.

t

THYRS I S.

But fee, Orion fheds unwholesome dews;
Arife, the pines a noxious fhade diffuse;
Sharp Boreas blows, and Nature feels decay,
Time conquers all, and we must Time obey.
Adieu, ye vales, ye mountains, ftreams and groves,
Adieu, ye fhepherd's rural lays and loves;
Adieu, my flocks; farewell, ye fylvan crew;
Daphne, farewell; and all the world adicu!

90

VER. 86.

NOTES.

VER. 89, etc.] These four last lines allude to the feveral fubjects of the four Pastorals, and to the several scenes of them, particularized before in each.

IMITATIONS.

folet effe gravis cantantibus umbra,
Virg.

Juniperi gravis umbra.

VER. 88. Time conquers all, etc.

Omnia vincit amor, et nos cedamus amori.
Vid. etiam Sannazarii Ecl. et Spenfer's Calendar.

85

MESSIAH.

A

Sacred ECLOGUE,

In Imitation of

VIRGIL's POLLIO.

Advertisement.

I

N reading feveral paffages of the Prophet Ifaiah, which foretell the coming of Christ and the felicities attending it, I could not but obferve a remarkable parity between many of the thoughts, and thofe in the Pollio of Virgil. This will not seem surprising, when we reflect, that the Eclogue was taken from a Sibylline prophecy on the same subject. One may judge that Virgil did not copy it line by line, but felected fuch ideas as beft agreed with the nature of paftoral poetry, and difpofed them in that manner which ferved most to beautify his piece. I have endeavoured the fame in this imitation of him, though without admitting any thing of my own; fince it was written with this particular view, that the reader, by comparing the feveral thoughts, might see how far the images and defcriptions of the Prophet are fuperior to those of the Poet. But as I fear I have prejudiced them by my management, I fhall fubjoin the paffages of Isaiah, and those of Virgil, under the fame difadvantage of a literal tranflation. P.