TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE

Sufannah Countess of Eglinton.

MADAM,

HE love of approbation, and a defire to please

to

their defigns with chearfulnefs. But confcious of their own inability to oppose a storm of spleen and haughty illnature, it is generally an ingenious cuftom amongst them to chufe fome honourable thade.

Wherefore I beg leave to put my Paftoral under your Ladyfhip's protection. If my patronefs fays, the Shepherds fpeak as they ought, and that there are several natural flowers that beautify the rural wild, I fhall have good reafon to think myfelf fafe from the aukward cenfure of fome pretended judges, who condemn before examination.

I am fure of vaft numbers that will croud into your Ladyfhip's opinion, and think it their honour to agree in their fentiments with the Countess of Eglinton, whose penetration, fuperior wit, and found judgment, fhines with uncommon luftre, while accompanied with the diviner charms of goodnefs and equality of mind.

If it were not for offending only your Ladyfhip, here, Madam, I might give the fulleft liberty to my mufe to delineate the finest of women, by drawing your Ladyfhip's character, and be in no hazard of being deemed a flatterer; fince flattery lies not in paying what is due to merit, but in praifes misplaced.

Were I to begin with your Ladyfhip's honourable birth and alliance, the field is ample, and presents us with

numberless great and good patriots, that have dignified the names of Kennedy and Montgomery. Be that the eare of the herald and the historian. 'I'is perfonal merit, and the heavenly fweetness of the fair, that infpire the tuneful lays. Here every Lesbia must be excepted, whose tongues give liberty to the flaves, which their eyes had made captives. Such may be flattered; but your Lady. fhip justly claims our admiration and profoundest refpect. For whilft you are poffeffed of every outward charm in the most perfect degree, the never-fading beauties of wildom and piety, which adorn your Ladyfhip's mind, command devotion.

All this is very true, cries a four-plumb of better sense than good-nature; but what occasion have you to tell us the fun fhines, when we have the use of our eyes, and feel his influence?Very true: but I have the liberty to ufe the poet's privilege, which is, To fpeak what every body thinks. Indeed, there might be fome ftrength in the reflection, if the Idalian regifters were of as hort duration as life but the bard, who fondly hopes immortality, has a certain praife-worthy pleafure in com. municating to pollerity the fame of diftinguished characters.I write this laft fentence, with a hand that trembles between hope and fear; but if I fhould prove fo happy as to pleafe your Ladyfhip in the following attempt, then all my doubts fhall evanifli like a morning vapour; I fhall hope to be claffed with Taffo and Guari ni, and fing with Ovid,

If 'tis allow'd to poets to divine,
One half of round eternity is mine,

TO THE

COUNTESS OF EGLINTON,

With the following

PASTORA L.

A

CCEPT, Oh, Eglinton! the rural lays,
That, bound to thee, thy poet humbly pays:
The mufe, that oft has rais'd her tuneful ftrains,
A frequent guest on Scotia's blifsful plains;
That oft has fung, her lift'ning youth to move,
The charms of beauty, and the force of love;
Once more refumes the ftill fuccessful lay,
Delightful through the verdant meads to stray.
Oh, come, invok'd and pleas'd, with her repair,
To breathe the balmy fweets of purer air,
In the cool evening negligently laid,

Or near the stream, or in the rural fhade;
Propitious hear, and, as thou hear'st, approve
The Gentle Shepherd's tender tale of love.

Inftructed from these scenes, what glowing fires
Inflame the breast that real love infpires!
The fair fhall read of ardors, fighs, and tears,
All that a lover hopes, and all he fears.
Hence too, what paffions in his bofom rife!
What dawning gladnets fparkles in his eyes!
When first the fair-one, piteous of his fate,
Kill'd of her fcorn, and vanquish'd of her hate,

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With willing inind, is bounteous to relent,
And blushing, beauteous, fmiles the kind confent!
Love's paffion here in each extreme is shown,
In Charlot's fmile, or.in Maria's frown.

With words like these, that fail'd not to engage,
Love courted beauty in a golden age;

Pure and untaught, fuch nature first inspir'd,
Ere yet the fair affected phrafe defir'd.
His fecret thoughts were undifguis'd with art,
His words ne'er knew to differ from his heart.
He fpeaks his loves fo artlefs and fincere,
As thy Eliza might be pleas'd to hear.

Fleav'n only to the rural ftate bestows

Conqueft o'er life, and freedom from its woes;
Secure alike from envy and from care;

Nor rais'd by hope, nor yet deprefs'd by fear :
Nor want's lean hand its happiness constrains,
Nor riches torture with ill-gotten gains.
No fecret guilt its stedfaft peace destroys,
No wild ambition interrupts its joys.

Bleft ftill to spend the hours that heav'n has lent,
In humble goodness, and in calm content.
Serenely gentle, as the thoughts that roll,
Sinlets and pure, in fair Humeia's foul.

But now the rural state these joys has loft;
Even fwains no more that innocence can boast.
Love speaks no more what beauty may believe,
Prone to betray, and practis'd to deceive.
Now happinets forfakes her bleft retreat,
The peaceful dwelling where the fix'd her feat;
The pleating fields the wont of old to grace,
Companion to an upright fober race;
When on the funny hill, or verdant plain,
Free and familiar with the fons of men,
To crown the pleasures of the blameless feast,
She, uninvited, came a welcome guest.
Ere yet an age, grown rich in impious arts,
Brib'd from their innocence incautious hearts:
Then grudging hate and finful pride fucceed,
Cruel revenge, and falfe unrighteous deed;,
Then dow'rlefs beauty loft the pow'r to move;
The ruft of lucre ftain'd the gold of love.

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