Bright Thames's fhores the brightest beauties yield,

Feed here my lambs, I'll feek no diftant field.

DAPHNIS.

Celestial Venus haunts Idalia's groves;
Diana Cynthus, Ceres Hybla loves;

If Windfor-fhades delight the matchless maid,
Cynthus and Hybla yield to Windfor-fhade.

STREPHON.

65

All nature mourns, the fkies relent in show'rs, Hufh'd are the birds, and clos'd the drooping flow'rs; If Delia fmile, the flow'rs begin to spring,

The fkies to brighten, and the birds to fing,

DAPHNIS,

All nature laughs, the groves are fresh and fair,
The Sun's mild luftre warms the vital air;
If Sylvia fmiles, new glories gild the fhore,
And vanquish'd nature seems to charm no more,

STREPHON.

In fpring the fields, in autumn hills I love, At morn the plains, at noon the shady grove, But Delia always; abfent from her fight,

71

75.

Nor plains at morn, nor groves at noon delight. 80

VARIATIONS.

VER. 69, &c. Thefe verfes were thus at first :
All nature mourns, the birds their fongs deny,
Nor wasted brooks the thirty flow'rs fupply;
If Delia fmile, the flow'rs begin to fpring,
The brooks to murmur, and the birds to fing.

IMITATIONS.

VER. 69. All nature mourns,]

"Aret ager, vitio moriens fitit aëris herba," &c.

POPE.

"Phyllidis adventu noftræ nemus omne virebit." Virg. POPE.

Sylvia's

DAPHNIS.

Sylvia's like autumn ripe, yet mild as May, More bright than noon, yet fresh as early day; Ev'n spring displeases, when she shines not here; But bleft with her, 'tis fpring throughout the year.

STREPHON,

Say, Daphnis, fay, in what glad foil appears, A wondrous Tree that facred Monarchs bears; Tell me but this, and I'll disclaim the prize, And give the conquest to thy Sylvia's eyes.

DAPHNIS.

Nay tell me first, in what more happy fields
The Thistle fprings, to which the Lily yields:
And then a nobler prize I will refign ;
For Sylvia, charming Sylvia fhall be thine.

DAMON.

Ceafe to contend, for, Daphnis, I decree, The bowl to Strephon, and the lamb to thee:

REMARKS.

85

90

VER. 86. A wondrous Tree that facred Monarchs bears ;] An allusion to the Royal Oak, in which Charles II. had been hid from the pursuit after the battle at Worcester. POPE.

This is one of the most trifling and puerile conceits in any of our author's works; except what follows of the Thiftle and the Lily. WARTON. VER. 93. Ceafe to contend,] An author of ftrong sense, Dr. Johnson, fays, "That every intelligent reader fickens at the

IMITATIONS.

mention

VER. 90. The Thifle fprings, to which the Lily yields :] Alludes to the device of the Scots Monarchs, the Thiftle, worn by Queen Anne; and to the arms of France, the Fleur de lys. The two riddles are in imitation of thofe in Virg. Ecl. iii.

"Dic quibus in terris infcripti nomina Regum
Nafcantur Flores, et Phyllida folus habeto." POPE.

F 4

Bleft

Bleft Swains, whofe Nymphs in ev'ry grace excel; 95
Bleft Nymphs, whose Swains those graces fing so well!
Now rife, and hafte to yonder woodbine bow'rs,
A soft retreat from fudden vernal show'rs;

The turf with rural dainties fhall be crown'd,
While op'ning blooms diffuse their sweets around.
For fee! the gath'ring flocks to fhelter tend,
And from the Pleiads fruitful fhow'rs defcend.

VARIATIONS.

VER. 99. was originally,

The turf with country dainties fhall be spread,

ΙΟΙ

And trees with twining branches fhade your head. POPE.

REMARKS.

mention of the crook and the pipe, the sheep and the kids.” This appears to be an unjust and harsh condemnation of all Paftoral Poetry. WARTON.

Surely Dr. Johnfon's decrying the affected introduction of the "crook and pipe," &c. into English Pastorals, is not a condemnation of all Paftoral Poetry. Dr. Johnfon certainly could not very highly relish this fpecies of Poetry, witness his harsh criticisms on Milton's exquifite Lycidas, &c. but we almoft forgive his severity on several genuine pieces of poetic excellence, when we confider that he has done a fervice to truth and nature, in speaking with a proper and dignified contempt of such trite puerilities,

SUMMER:

THE SECOND PASTORAL.

OR

ALEXIS.

TO DR. GARTH.

A Shepherd's Boy (he seeks no better name)
Led forth his flocks along the filver Thame,
Where dancing fun-beams on the waters play'd,
And verdant alders form'd a quiv'ring fhade.

VARIATIONS.

VER. 1, 2, 3, 4, were thus printed in the first edition:
A faithful fwain, whom Love had taught to fing,
Bewail'd his fate befide a filver fpring;

Where gentle Thames his winding waters leads
Thro' verdant forefts, and thro' flow'ry meads.

VER. 3. Originally thus in the MS.

There to the winds he plain'd his hapless love,
And Amaryllis fill'd the vocal grove.

REMARKS.

POPE.

WARBURTON.

VER. 3. The Scene of this Paftoral by the river fide, suitable to the heat of the season; the Time, noon.

IMITATIONS.

VER. 1. Spenfer's Shepherd's Calendar, January:

A fhepherd's boy, (no better do him call,)

When Winter's wafteful fpight was almoft fpent,
All in a fun-fhine day, as did befall,

РОРЕ.

Led forth his flock, that had been long ypent

Soft

Soft as he mourn'd, the ftreams forgot to flow, 5
The flocks around a dumb compaffion fhow,
The Naïads wept in ev'ry wat'ry bow'r,
And Jove confented in a filent fhow'r.

Accept, O GARTH! the Mufe's early lays,
That adds this wreath of ivy to thy bays;
Hear what from Love unpractis'd hearts endure,
From Love, the sole disease thou canst not cure.

Ye fhady beeches, and ye cooling streams,
Defence from Phoebus', not from Cupid's beams,
To you I mourn, nor to the deaf I sing,
The woods fhall answer, and their echo ring.
The hills and rocks attend my doleful lay,

Why art thou prouder and more hard than they?

REMARKS.

10

15

VER. 9. Dr. Samuel Garth, Author of the Dispensary, was one of the first friends of our Poet, whose acquaintance with him began at fourteen or fifteen. Their friendship continued from the year 1703 to 1718, which was that of his death. POPE.

He was a man of the sweetest disposition, amiable manners, and univerfal benevolence, All parties, at a time when party violence was at a great height, joined in praifing and loving him. One of the moft exquifite pieces of wit ever written by Addison, is a defence of Garth against the Examiner, 1710. WARTON.

VER. 14. Defence from Phabus', c] A harfh line, and a falfe and affected thought.

VER. 16. The woods fkall answer, and their echo ring.] Is a line out of Spenfer's Epithalamion.

POPE

Ver. 18. Why art thou prouder and more hard than they ?] A line unworthy our Author, containing a false and trivial thought; as is also the 22d line.

IMITATIONS.

VER. 8. And Jove confented]

WARTON.

"Jupiter et læto defcendet plurimus imbri." Virg. POPE. VER. 15. nor to the deaf I fing,]

"Non canimus furdis, refpondent omnia fylvæ." Virg. POPE.

The