Unhappy boy, thefe vain enquiries ceafe,
Thought could not guard, nor will restore thy peace:
Indulge the frenzy that thou must endure,

And footh the pain thou know'ft not how to cure.
Come, flatt'ring Memory, and tell my heart
How kind fhe was, and with what pleafing art
She ftrove its fondeft wishes to obtain,

chain.

Confirm her pow'r, and faster bind my
If on the green we danc'd, a mirthful band,
To me alone she gave her willing hand;
Her partial taste, if e'er I touch'd the lyre,
Still in my fong found fomething to admire.
By none but her my crook with flow'rs was crown'd,
By none but her my brows with ivy bound:
The world that Damon was her choice believ'd,
The world, alas! like Damon was deceiv'd.
When last I saw her, and declar'd my fire,
In words as foft as paffion could infpire,
Coldly fhe heard, and full of fcorn withdrew,
Without one pitying glance, one sweet adieu.
The frighted hind, who fees his ripen'd corn
Up from the roots by fudden tempeft torn,
Whofe faireft hopes deftroy'd and blasted lie,
Feels not fo keen a pang of grief as I.
Ah! how have I deferv'd, inhuman maid,
To have my faithful fervice thus repay'd?
Were all the marks of kindness I receiv'd,

But dreams of joy, that charm'd me and deceiv'd♪

Or did you only nurfe my growing love,
That with more pain I might your hatred prove f
Sure guilty treachery no place could find
In fuch a gentle, fuch a gen'rous mind:

A maid brought up the woods and wilds among,
Could ne'er have learnt the art of courts so young.
No; let me rather think her anger feign'd,
Still let me hope my Delia may be gain'd ;'
'Twas only modefty that feem'd disdain,
And her heart fuffer'd when she gave me pain.

Pleas'd with this flattering thought, the love-fick boy
Felt the faint dawnings of a doubtful joy;
Back to his flock more chearful he return'd,
When now the setting fun lefs fiercely burn'd;
Blue vapours rofe along the mazy rills,
And light's last blushes ting'd the distant hills.

Who bids me hope; and in that charming word
Has peace and transport to my foul restor❜d.
Begin, my pipe, begin the glad fome lay;
A kifs from Delia fhall thy music pay;
A kifs obtain'd 'twixt ftruggling and confent,
Giv❜n with forc'd anger, and disguis'd content:
No laureat wreaths I ask to bind my brows,
Such as the Muse on lofty bards bestows;
Let other fwains to praise or fame aspire:
I from her lips my recompence require.

Hark how the bees with murmurs fill the plain,
While every flow'r of every fweet they drain ;
See, how beneath yon hillock's fhady steep,
The shelter'd herds on flow`ry couches fleep:
Nor bees, nor herds, are half fo bleft as I,
If with my fond defires my Love comply:
From Delia's lips a fweeter honey flows,
And on her bofom dwells more foft repose.

Ah how, my dear, fhall I deferve thy charms?
What gift can bribe thee to my longing arms?
A bird for thee in filken bands I hold,
Whofe yellow plumage fhines like polish'd gold
From diftant ifles the lovely ftranger came,
And bears the Fortunate Canaries name;
In all our woods none boasts fo fweet a note,
Not ev'n the nightingale's melodious throat.
Accept of this; and could I add befide

What wealth the rich Peruvian mountains hide ;

If all the gems in Eaftern rocks were mine,
On thee alone their glitt'ring pride should shine.
But if thy mind no gifts have pow'r to move,
Phoebus himself fhall leave th' Aonian grove ;
The tuneful Nine, who never fue in vain,
Shall come fweet fuppliants for their fav'rite fwain.
For him each blue-ey'd Naiad of the flood,
For him each green-hair'd fifter of the wood,
Whom oft beneath fair Cynthia's gentle ray
His mufic calls to dance the night away.
And you, fair nymphs, companions of my Love,
With whom the joys the cowflip meads to rove,
I beg you recommend my faithful flame,
And let her often hear her fhepherd's name;
Shade all my faults from her enquiring fight,
And fhew my merits in the fairest light;
My pipe your kind affiftance fhall repay,
And ev'ry friend shall claim a diff'rent lay.

But fee! in yonder glade the heav'nly fair
Enjoys the fragrance of the breezy air-
Ah, thither let me fly with eager feet;
Adieu, my pipe, I go my Love to meet-
I find her as we parted laft,

0

may

And may each future hour be like the paft!
So fhall the whiteft lamb these paftures feed,
Propitious Venus, on thy altars bleed.

JEA

(XXXXXXXX

HOPE. ECLOGUE II.

To Mr. D ODDINGTON,

Afterwards Lord MELCOMBE.

EAR, DODDINGTON, the notes that fhepherds fing,
Notes foft as thofe of nightingales in fpring:

Nor Pan, nor Phoebus tune the shepherd's reed;
From Love alone our tender lays proceed :
Love warms our fancy with enliv'ning fires,
Refines our genius, and our verse inspires :
From him Theocritus, on Enna's plains,
Learnt the wild sweetness of his Doric ftrains:
Virgil by him was taught the moving art,
That charm'd each ear, and soften'd every heart :
O would't thou quit the pride of courts, and deign
To dwell with us upon the vocal plain,

Thee too his pow'r fhould reach, and every fhade
Refound the praises of thy fav'rite maid;

Thy pipe our rural concert would improve,
And we fhould learn of thee to please and love.
Damon no longer fought the filent shade,
No more in unfrequented paths he stray'd,

But