Those deepening clouds on clouds, surcharg'd with rain, That o'er the vast ATLANTIC hither borne, In endless train, would quench the summer-blaze, 140 And, chearless, drown the crude unripened year. THE North-east spends his rage; he now shut up Within his iron cave, th' effusive South sails Warms the wide air; and o'er the void of heaven 150 The wifh of Nature. Gradual sinks the breeze Into a perfect calm; that not a breath 155 Is heard to quiver through the closing woods, 160 To throw the lucid moisture trickling off; And wait th' approaching sign to strike at once, The promis'd sweetness. Man superior walks And looking lively gratitude. At last, The clouds confign their treasures to the fields; In large effusion, o'er the freshened world. THE stealing shower is scarce to patter heard, By such as wander thro' the forest walks, Beneath th' umbrageous multitude of leaves. 165 170 175 But who can hold the shade, while Heaven descends In universal bounty, shedding herbs, And fruits, and flowers, on Nature's ample lap? And, while the milky nutriment distils, THUS all day long the full-distended clouds 180 185 Indulge their genial stores, and well-shower'd earth Is deep enrich'd with vegetable life; Till in the Western sky, the downward sun Of broken clouds, gay-shifting to his beam. 190 The rapid radiance instantaneous strikes Th' illumin'd mountain, thro' the forest streams, 195 MOIST, bright, and green, the landskip laughs around; Full swell the woods; their every music wakes, HERE, awful NEWTON! the dissolving clouds The various twine of light, by thee disclos'd To catch the falling glory; but amaz'd Beholds th' amusive arch before him fly, Then vanish quite away. Still night succeeds; A soften'd shade, and saturated earth Awaits the morning-beam; to give to light C 200 205 210 215 Rais'd thro' ten thousand different plastic tubes, THEN spring the living herbs, profusely wild, In silent search; or thro' the forest, rank With what the dull incurious weeds account, 220 225 Bursts his blind way; or climbs the mountain-rock, Fir'd by the nodding verdure of its brow. With such a liberal hand has nature flung Their seeds abroad; blown them about in winds, 230 Innumerous mix'd them with the nursing mould, The moistening current, and prolific rain. BUT who their virtues can declare? who pierce, With vision pure, into these secret stores Of health, and life, and joy? The food of Man, 235 A length of golden years; unflesh'd in blood, Death, rapine, carnage, surfeit, and disease; The lord, and not the tyrant, of the world. 249 THE first fresh dawn then wak'd the gladden'd race Of uncorrupted Man, nor blush'd to see The sluggard sleep beneath its sacred beam; For their light slumbers gently fum'd away; And up they rose as vigorous as the sun, 245 Or to the culture of the willing glebe, Or to the cheerful tendance of the flock. Meantime the song went round; and dance and sport, Wisdom and friendly talk, successive, stole Their hours away. While in the rosy vale Love breath'd his infant sighs, from anguish free, NOR yet injurious act, nor surly deed, 250 Was known among those happy sons of Heaven; 255 260 Was meeken'd, and he join'd his sullen joy; 265 Soft sigh'd the flute; the tender voice was heard, Apply'd their quire; and winds and waters flow'd BUT now those white unblemish'd manners, whence The fabling poets took their golden age, |