Oft lift'ning how the hounds and horn Through the high wood echoing shrill: By hedge-row elms, on hillocs green, 60 The clouds in thousand liveries dight, Hard by, a cottage chimney smokes, From betwixt two aged oaks, Of herbs, and other country messes, To the tann'd haycock in the mead. To many a youth, and many a maid, And young and old come forth to play On a sunshine holy-day, Till the live-long day-light fail; 85 90 95 Then to the spicy nut-brown ale, 100 With ftories told of many a feat, How faery Mab the junkets eat, She was pincht, and pull'd she said, Tells how the drudging Goblin swet, To earn his cream-bowl duly fet, 105 That . XIII. By whisp'ring winds foon lull'd asleep. Where throngs of knights and barons bold 110 115 120 Of wit, or arms, while both contend To win her grace, whom all commend. 125 In faffron robe, with taper clear, 130 Or sweetest Shakespear, fancy's child, 135 Lap me in foft Lydian airs, Mar Married to immortal verse, Such as the meeting Soul may pierce 140 The hidden foul of harmony; HE The brood of folly without father bred, How little you bested, Or fill'd the fixed mind with all your toys? Dwell in fome idle brain, And fancies fond with gaudy shapes poffefs, As thick and numberlefs As the gay motes that people the fun-beams, Or likeft hovering dreams 5 The The fickle penfioners of Morpheus train. But hail thou Goddefs, fage and holy, Hail divineft Melancholy, ΙΟ Whose faintly visage is too bright To hit the sense of human fight, And therefore to our weaker view 15 O'er-laid with black, ftaid wifdom's hue; Black, but such as in esteem Prince Memnon's fifter might beseem, Or that ftarr'd Ethiop queen that strove To set her beauties praise above The Sea-Nymphs, and their pow'rs offended: Thee bright-har'd Vesta long of yore His daughter fhe (in Saturn's reign, Such mixture was not held a stain.) pure, Сс 20 25 30 35 Come, |