And from the boughs brush off the evil dew, That sit upon the nine infolded spheres, And keep unsteady Nature to her law, Whate'er the skill of lesser gods can show, And so attend ye toward her glittering state; II. SONG. O'ER the smooth enamell'd green, Where no print of step hath been, Follow me, as I sing And touch the warbled string, Under the shady roof Of branching elm star-proof. I will bring you where she sits, Such a rural Queen All Arcadia hath not seen. III. SONG. NYMPHS and Shepherd, dance no more By sandy Ladon's lilied banks; On old Lycæus, or Cyllene hoar, A better soil shall give ye thanks. From the stony Mænalus Bring your flocks, and live with us; Here ye shall have greater grace, To serve the Lady of this place. Though Syrinx your Pan's mistress were, Yet Syrinx well might wait on her. Such a rural Queen All Arcadia hath not seen. SONNETS. I. TO THE NIGHTINGALE. ( NIGHTINGALE, that on yon bloomy spray Warblest at eve, when all the woods are still; Thou with fresh hope the lover's heart dost fill, While the' jolly Hours lead on propitious May. Thy liquid notes that close the eye of day, First heard before the shallow cuckoo's bill, Portend success in love; O, if Jove's will Have link'd that amorous power to thy soft lay, Now timely sing, ere the rude bird of hate Foretel my hopeless doom in some grove nigh; As thou from year to year hast sung too late For my relief, yet hadst no reason why: Whether the Muse, or Love, call thee his mate, Both them I serve, and of their train am I. II. DONNA leggiadra, il cui bel nome honora De sui atti soavi giamai parco, E i don', che son d'amor sactte ed arco, Quando tu vaga parli, o lieta canti Che mover possa duro alpestre legno, Guardi ciascun a gli occhi, ed a gli orecchi L'entrata, chi di te si trouva indegno; Gratia sola di su gli vaglia, inanti III. QUAL in colle aspro, al imbrunir di sera Va bagnando l'herbetta strana e bella Cosi Amor meco insù la lingua snella Desta il fior novo di strania favella, Mentre io di te, vezzosamente altera, Canto, dal mio buon popol non inteso E'l bel Tamigi cangio col bel Arno. Amor lo volse, ed io a l'altrui peso Seppi ch' Amor cosa mai volse indarno. Deh! foss'il mio cuor lento e'l duro seno A chi pianta dal ciel si buon terreno. CANZONE. RIDONSI donne e giovani amorosi M' accostandosi attorno, e perche scrivi, Spuntati ad hor, ad hor a la tua chioma L'immortal guiderdon d' eterne frondi Perche alle spalle tue soverchia soma? IV. DIODATI, e te'l dirò con maraviglia, Quel ritroso io ch'amor spreggiar soléa Gia caddi, ov❜ huom dabben talhor s'impiglia. E degli occhi suoi auventa si gran fuoco V. PER certo i bei vostr'occhi, Donna mia Scosso mi il petto, e poi n'uscendo poco |