O HARTFORD! fitted or to shine in courts With unaffected grace, or walk the plain In soft assemblage, listen to my song, AND see where surly WINTER passes off, While softer gales succeed, at whose kind touch, 15 Dissolving snows in livid torrents lost, The mountains lift their green heads to the sky. As yet the trembling year is unconfirm'd, 20 And WINTER oft at eve resumes the breeze; Lifts the light clouds sublime; and spreads them thin, 30 FORTH fly the tepid airs; and unconfin'd, Unbinding earth, the moving softness strays. Joyous, th' impatient husbandman perceives Relenting Nature, and his lusty steers 35 Drives from their stalls, to where the well-us'd plough 40 The master leans, removes th' obstructing clay, Winds the whole work, and sidelong lays the glebe. WHITE thro' the neighb'ring fields the sower stalks, With measur'd step; and liberal throws the grain 45 Into the faithful bosom of the ground: The harrow follows harsh, and shuts the scene. BE gracious, HEAVEN! for now laborious man Has done his part. Ye fostering breezes! blow; Ye softening dews! ye tender showers! descend; 50 And temper all, thou world-reviving sun! Into the perfect year. In luxury and ease, in Nor ye who live pomp and pride, Think these lost themes unworthy of your ear: B 2 55 In antient times, the sacred plough employ'd The kings, and aweful fathers of mankind. And some, with whom compar'd your insect tribes 60 Are but the beings of a summer's day, Have held the scale of empire, rul'd the storm The plough, and greatly independent liv'd. Ye generous BRITONS, venerate the plough; And o'er your hills, and long-withdrawing vales, Let Autumn spread his treasures to the sun, Luxuriant and unbounded: As the sea, Far thro' his azure turbulent domain, Your empire owns; and from a thousand shores NOR only thro' the lenient air, this change I 65 70 75 80 United light and shade! where the sight dwells FROM the moist meadow to the withered hill, Led by the breeze, the vivid verdure runs ; Where the deer rustle thro' the twining brake, With lavish fragrance; while the promis'd fruit 85 90 95 Within its crimson folds. Now from the town 100 Buried in smoke, and sleep, and noisome damps, Oft let me wander o'er the dewy fields, Where freshness breathes; and dash the trembling drops From the bent bush, as thro' the verdant maze Of sweet-briar hedges I pursue my walk; Or taste the smell of dairy; or ascend And see the country, far diffus'd around, 105 One boundless blush; one white-empurpled shower Of mingled bloffoms; where the raptur'd eye IIO Hurries from joy to joy, and, hid beneath IF, brush'd from RUSSIAN wilds, a cutting gale 120 The sacred sons of vengeance; on whose course 125 Or scatters o'er the blooms the pungent dust 130 Of pepper, fatal to the frosty tribe : Or, when th' envenom'd leaf begins to curl, With sprinkled water drowns them in their nest; The little trooping birds unwisely scares. Be patient, swains; these cruel seeming winds Blow not in vain. Far hence they keep repress'd 135 |