ELEGY II. WRITTEN IN THE HOT SUMMER, 1757. THREE hours from noon the passing shadow shows, The sultry breeze glides faintly o'er the plains, The dazzling ether fierce and fiercer glows, And human nature scarce its rage sustains. Now still and vacant is the dusty street, And still and vacant where yon fields extend, Save where those swains, opprest with toil and heat, The grassy harvest of the mead attend. Lost is the lively aspect of the ground, Where are the flow'rs that made the garden gay? Where is their beauty, where their fragrance fled? Their stems relax, fast fall their leaves away, They fade and mingle with their dusty bed. All but the natives of the torrid zone, What AFRIC's wilds, or PERU's fields display, Pleas'd with a clime that imitates their own, They lovelier bloom beneath the parching ray. Where is wild nature's heart-reviving song, That fill'd in genial spring the verdant bow'rs? Silent in gloomy woods, the feather'd throng Pine thro' this long, long course of sultry hours. Where is the dream of bliss by Summer brought? Her pleasing colours paint the future gay; In diff'rent seasons diff'rent joys we place, O for some secret, shady, cool recess ! SomeGothic dome o'erhungwith darksome trees, Where thick damp walls this raging heat repress, Where the long aisle invites the lazy breeze, F G But why these plaints?-Amid his wastes of sand, Far more than this the wand'ring ARAB feels; Far more the INDIAN in COLUMBUS' land, While Phoebus o'er him rolls his fiery wheels: Far more the sensible of mind sustains, Rack'd with the poignant pangs of fear or shame; The hopeless lover, bound in beauty's chains, And he, whom envy robs of hard-earn'd fame: He, who a father or a mother mourns, Or lovely consort, lost in early bloom; Lest man should sink beneath the present pain, Fierce and oppressive is the sun we share, Reflect, and be content-for mankind's good 4 Ev'n now behold the grateful change at hand, Hark! in the east loud blust'ring gales arise; Wide, and more wide the dark'ning clouds expand, And distant lightnings flash along the skies. O! in the awful concert of the storm, While hail and rain, and wind and thunderjoin! Let the Great Ruler's praise my song inform, Let wonder, rev'rence, gratitude, be mine. ELEGY III. WRITTEN IN HARVEST. FAREWEL the pleasant violet-scented shade, The primros'd hill, and daisy-mantled mead, The furrow'd land with springing corn array'd, The sunny wall with bloomy branches spread; Farewel the bow'r with blushing roses gay, Farewel the fragrant trefoil-purpled field; Farewel the walk through rows of new-mown hay, When ev'ning breezes mingled odours yield; Farewel to these:- Ask PALESTINE, proud ASIA's early boast, Where now the groves that pour'd her wine and oil, Wherethe fairtowns that crown'd herwealthycoast, Where the glad swains that till'd her fertile soil? Ask, and behold, and mourn her hapless fall; Where rose fair towns, where wav'd the golden grain, Thrown on the naked rock and mould'ring wall, Pale Want and Ruin hold their dreary reign. Where JORDAN's vallies smil'd in living green, Where SHARON's flowers disclos'd their varied hues; The wand'ring pilgrim views the alter'd scene, And drops the tear of pity as he views. Ask GRECIA, mourning o'er her ruin'd tow'rs; Where now the prospects charm'd her bards of old, Her corn-clad mountains, and Elysian bow'rs; And silver streams thro' fragrant meadows roll❜d. Where freedom's praise along the vale was heard, And town to town return'd the fav'rite sound; Where patriot war her awful standard rear'd, And brav'd the millions PERSIA pour'd around; |