Begin then, fifters of the facred well,
That from beneath the feat of Jove doth spring;
Begin, and fomewhat loudly fweep the ftring.
Hence with denial vain, and coy excufe!
So may fome gentle Mufe
With lucky words favour my deftin'd urn ;
And as he paffes turn,
And bid fair peace be to my
For we were nurs'd upon the self-same hill,
Fed the fame flock, by fountain, shade, and rill.
Together both, ere the high lawns appear'd
Under the op'ning eye-lids of the morn,
We drove a-field, and both together heard
What time the grey-fly winds her fultry horn,
Batt'ning our flocks with the fresh dews of night;
Oft till the ftar that rose, at ev'ning, bright,
Tow'rd Heav'n's defcent had flop'd his weft'ring wheel.
Meanwhile the rural ditties were not mute:
Temper'd to th' oaten flute,
Rough Satyrs danc'd, and Fauns with cloven heel
From the glad found would not be abfent long;
And old Damætas lov'd to hear our fong.
But O the heavy change, now thou art gone ;
Now thou art gone, and never must return!
Thee, shepherd, thee the woods, and defart caves
With wild thyme and the gadding vine o'ergrown,
And all their echoes mourn.
The willows, and the hazel copfes green,
Shall Jow no more be seen,
Fanning their joyous leaves to thy foft lays.
As killing as the canker to the rofe,
Or taint-worm to the weanling herds that graze,
Or froft to flow'rs that their gay wardrobe wear.
When first the white-thorn blows;
Such, Lycidas, thy loss to shepherds ear,
Begin then, fifters of the facred well,
That from beneath the feat of Jove doth spring;
Begin, and fomewhat loudly fweep the ftring.
Hence with denial vain, and coy excufe!
With lucky words favour my deftin'd urn;
And as he paffes turn,
And bid fair peace be to my sable shroud:
For we were nurs'd upon the felf-fame hill,
Fed the fame flock, by fountain, fhade, and rill.
Together both, ere the high lawns appear'd
Under the op'ning eye-lids of the morn,
We drove a-field, and both together heard
What time the grey-fly winds her sultry horn,
Batt'ning our flocks with the fresh dews of night;
Oft till the ftar that rofe, at ev'ning, bright,
Tow'rd Heav'n's defcent had flop'd his weft'ring wheel.
Meanwhile the rural ditties were not mute :
Temper'd to th' oaten flute,
Rough Satyrs danc'd, and Fauns with cloven heel
From the glad found would not be abfent long;
And old Damætas lov'd to hear our fong.
But O the heavy change, now thou art gone;
Now thou art gone, and never must return!
Thee, shepherd, thee the woods, and defart caves
With wild thyme and the gadding vine o'ergrown,
And all their echoes mourn.
The willows, and the hazel copfes green,
Shall now no more be seen,
Fanning their joyous leaves to thy foft lays.
As killing as the canker to the rofe,
Or taint-worm to the weanling herds that graze,
Or froft to flow'rs that their gay wardrobe wear
When first the white-thorn blows;
Such, Lycidas, thy lofs to fhepherds ear.
Where were ye, nymphs, when the remorfelefs deep
Clos'd o'er the head of your lov'd Lycidas?
For neither were ye playing on the steep,
Where your old bards, the famous Druids, fie;
Nor on the fhaggy top of Mona high;
Nor yet where Deva fpreads her wizard stream.
Ay me! I fondly dream
Had ye been there; for what could that have done
What could the Mufe herfelf that Orpheus boré,
The Mufe herself for her enchanting fon,
Whom univerfal nature did lament,
When by the rout that made the hideous roar,
His goary vifage down the ftream was fent,
Down the swift Hebrus to the Lesbian shore?
Alas! what boots it with incessant care
To tend the homely flighted thepherd's trade,
And ftrictly meditate the thanklefs Mufe?
Were it not better done, as others use,
To fport with Amaryllis in the fhade,
Or with the tangles of Neæra's hair?
Fame is the fpur that the clear fpirit doth raife
(That laft infirmity of noble mind)
To fcorn delights, and live laborious days;
But the fair guerdon when we hope to find,
And think to burst out into fudden blaze,
Comes the blind Fury with th' abhorred shears,
And flits the thin-fpun life. But not the praife,"
Phoebus reply'd, and touch'd my trembling ears;
Fame is no plant that grows on mortal foil,
Nor in the glift'ring foil.
Set off to th' world, nor in broad rumour lies,
But lives and fpreads aloft by thofe pure eyes,
And perfect witnefs of all-judging Jove;
of Ashe pronounces laftly on each deed,
Of fo much fame in Heav'n expect thy meed."
O fountain Arethufe, and thou honour'd flood,
Smooth-fliding Mincius, crown'd with vocal reeds, edW
That strain I heard was of a higher mood !
He afk'd the waves, and ask'd the felon winds,
What hard mishap hath doom'd this gentle fwain PA YA
And question'd ev'ry guft of rugged wings
That blows from off each beaked promontory:
They knew not of his ftory.
And fage Hippotades their anfwer brings,
That not a blaft was from his dungeon ftray'd go d
The air was calm, and on the level brine
Sleek Panope with all her fifters play'd.
It was that fatal and perfidious bark,2001 Jada LalA
Built in th' eclipfe, and rigg'd with curfes dark,
That funk fo low that facred head of thine
Next Camus, reverend fire, went footing flow, His mantle hairy, and his bonnet fedge,^ w nog, oT Inwrought with figures dim, and on the edges w Like to that fanguine flow'r infcrib'd with woe: sme Ah! who hath reft,' quoth he, my dearest pledge P bus (endy'sh £10 or came, and last did so
Laft
The pilot of the Galilean lake;w nobreng ut oft tud
Two mafly keys he bore of metals twain, 2d bn A
(The golden opes, the iron fhuts amain)'d
He shook his miter'd locks, and ftern befpake:
How well could I have fpar'd for thee, young fwaing
• Enow of fuch as for their bellies fake ame
Creep and intrude, and climb into the fold: 11.
Of other care they little reck'ning make," o 192 a
Than how to fcramble at the fhearers feast, vil ta & *
And fhove away the worthy bidden gueft
• Blind mouths! that fcarce themselves know how to hold
A fheep-hook, or have learn'd aught elfe the leaft
|