The payntit powne" payfand with plumys gym,
Keft up his tale ane proud plesand quhile rym
Ifchrowdit in his fedderane bricht and schene,
Schapand the prent of Argois hundreth ene;
Amang the bronys" of the olyue twistis,
Sere fmale floulis, wirkand crafty nestis,
Endlang the hedgeis thik, and on rank akis
Ilk bird reiofand with thare mirthful makis:
In corneris and clere fenefteris of glas
Full befely Arachne weuand was,
To knyt hyr nettis and hyr wobbis fle,
Tharewith to cauch the litil mige' or fle:
Under the bewis bene in lufely valis,
Within fermance and parkis clois of palis,
The buftuous bukkis rakis furth on raw,
Heirdis of hertis throw the thyck wod schaw,
The zoung fownys followand the dun days',
Kiddis skippand throw ronnys eftir rais',
In lefuris" and on leyis litill lammes

Full tait and trig focht bletand to thare dammes.
On falt ftremes wolk Dorida and Thetis,
By rynnand ftrandis, nymphs and naiades,
Sic as we clepe wenfchis and damyffellis,
In gerfy grauis wanderand by spring wellis,
Of blomed branchis and flouris quhyte and rede
Plettand their lufty chaplettis for thare hede:
Sum fang ring fangis, ledis, and roundis,
With vocis fchil, quhil all the dale resoundis.
Dame naturis menftralis on that uthyr parte,
Thare blissful bay intonyng euery arte,

" Peacock.

• Wheel-rim.

P Branches,

↑ Oaks.

Gnat. • Does. Rocs.

- " Leafowes.

Τα

To bete thare amouris of thare nychtis bale,
The merle, the mauys, and the nychtingale,
With mirry notis myrthfully furth brist,
Enforfing thaym quha micht do clink it beft:
The kowschot" croudis and pykkis on the ryfe,
The stirling changis diuers fteuynnys nyfe*,
The fparrow chirmis in the wallis clyft,
Goldspink and lintquhite fordynnand the lyft',
The gukkow galis, and fo quhitteris the quale,
Quhil ryveris reirdit, fchawis, and euery dale,
And tendir twiftis trymblit on the treis,
For birdis fang, and bemyng of the beis,
In werblis dulce of heuinlie armonyis,
The larkis loude releischand' in the skyis,
Louis thare lege with tonys curious;

Bayth to dame Natur, and the fresche Venus,
Rendring hie laudis in thare obferuance,

Quhais fuggourit throttis made glade hartis dance,
And al fmal foulis fingis on the spray;

Welcum the lord of licht, and lampe of day,
Welcum fofterare of tendir herbis grene,

Welcum quhikkynnar of flurist flouris fchene,

Welcum fupport of euery rute and vane,
Welcum confort of al kind frute and grane,
Welcum the birdis beild. apoun the brere,
Welcum maifter and reulare of the zere,
Welcum welefare of husbandis at the plewis',
Welcum reparare of woddis, treis, and bewis,

Welcum depaynter of the blomyt medis,
Welcum the lyffe of euery thing that fpredis,
Welcum ftorare of all kynd bestial,

g

Welcum be thy bricht bemes gladand al.

The poetical beauties of this specimen will be relished by every reader who is fond of lively touches of fancy, and rural imagery. But the verses will have another merit with thofe critics who love to contemplate the progress of compofition, and to mark the original workings of genuine nature; as they are the effufion of a mind not overlaid by the descriptions of other poets, but operating, by its own force and bias, in the delineation of a vernal landscape, on such objects as really occurred. On this account, they deserve to be better understood: and I have therefore tranflated them into plain modern English profe. In the mean time, this experiment will ferve to prove their native excellence. Divested of poetic numbers and expreffion, they still retain their poetry; and, to use the comparison of an elegant writer on a like occafion, appear like Ulyffes, ftill a king and conqueror, although disguised like a peasant, and lodged in the cottage of the herdfman Eumaeus.

"Fresh Aurora, the wife of Tithonus, iffued from her "faffron bed, and ivory house. She was cloathed in a robe "of crimson and violet-colour; the cape vermilion, and the "border purple: fhe opened the windows of her ample "hall, overspread with rofes, and filled with balm, or nard. "At the fame time, the crystal gates of heaven were thrown open, to illumine the world. The glittering ftreamers of "the orient diffused purple streaks mingled with gold and "azure. The steeds of the fun, in red harness of rubies, "of colour brown as the berry, lifted their heads above the sea, to glad our hemifphere: the flames burft from their

--

VOL. II.

& Restorer.

P p

"noftrils;

"noftrils: - While fhortly, apparelled in his luminous array, Phebus, bearing the blazing torch of day, iffued "from his royal palace; with a golden crown, glorious "vifage, curled locks bright as the chryfolite or topaz, and "with a radiance intolerable.-The fiery sparks, bursting "from his eyes, purged the air, and gilded the new ver"dure. The golden vanes of his throne covered the ocean "with a glittering glance, and the broad waters were all in a blaze, at the first glimpse of his appearance. It was glorious to fee the winds appeafed, the fea becalmed, the "soft season, the ferene firmament, the still air, and the

་

beauty of the watery fcene. The filver-scaled fishes, on "the gravel, gliding haftily, as it were from the heat or fun, "through clear ftreams, with fins fhining brown as cinna"bar, and chiffel-tails, darted here and there. The new “luftre, enlightening all the land, beamed on the small pebbles on the sides of rivers, and on the strands, which "looked like beryl: while the reflection of the rays played the banks in variegated gleams; and Flora threw forth "her blooms under the feet of the fun's brilliant horfes. "The bladed foil was embroidered with various hues. Both "wood and forest were darkened with boughs; which, re"flected from the ground, gave a fhadowy luftre to the red "rocks. Towers, turrets, battlements, and high pinnacles, "of churches, caftles, and every fair city, feemed to be painted; and, together with every bastion and story, expreffed their own shape on the plains. The glebe, fearless of the northern blasts, spread her broad bofom. The corn-crops, and the newand the new-fprung barley, recloathed the "earth with a gladfome garment. The variegated vefture "of the valley covered the cloven furrow; and the barley"lands were diverfified with flowery weeds. The meadow was befprinkled with rivulets: and the fresh moisture of "the dewy night restored the herbage which the cattle had cropped in the day. The bloffoms in the blowing garden

trufted

"trufted their heads to the protection of the young fun. "Rank ivy-leaves overspread the wall of the rampart. The

'

blooming hawthorn cloathed all his thorns in flowers. The budding clusters of the tender grapes hung end-long, by "their tendrils, from the trellifes. The gems of the trees "unlocking, expanded themselves into the foliage of Na"ture's tapestry. There was a foft verdure after balmy "fhowers. The flowers fmiled in various colours on the bending stalks. Some red, &c. Others, watchet, like the "blue and wavy fea; fpeckled with red and white; or, bright as gold. The daify unbraided her little coronet. "The grafs ftood embattelled, with banewort, &c. The "feeded down flew from the dandelion. Young weeds appeared among the leaves of the ftrawberries. Gay gilli"flowers, &c. The rose buds, putting forth, offered their "red vernal lips to be kiffed; and diffused fragrance from the

cr

crisp scarlet that furrounded their golden feeds. Lilies, "with white curling tops, fhewed their crefts open. The "odorous vapour moistened the filver webs that hung " from the leaves. The plain was powdered with round dewy pearls. From every bud, fcyon, herb, and flower, "bathed in liquid fragrance, the bee fucked sweet honey."The swans clamoured amid the rustling reeds; and fearch"ed all the lakes and gray rivers where to build their nefts. "The red bird of the fun lifted his coral creft, crowing "clear among the plants and rutis gent, picking his food "from every path, and attended by his wives Toppa and "Partlet. The painted peacock with gaudy plumes, un"folded his tail like a bright wheel, infhrouded in his fhining feathers, refembling the marks of the hundred eyes of Argus. Among the boughs of the twifted olive, "the fmall birds framed their artful nefts, or along the " thick hedges, or rejoiced with their merry mates on the "tall oaks. In the fecret nook, or in the clear windows of glafs, the fpider full bufily wove her fly net, to enfnare Pp 2

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"the