"Fast, fast, they plunge amid the flashing Wave,
"And panting, labour to the farther Shore.
"Repeated this, till deep the well-wash'd Fleece
"Has drunk the Flood, and from his lively Haunt

"The Trout is banish'd by the sordid Stream;

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Heavy and dripping, to the breezy Brow

"Slow move the harmless Race; where as they spread

"Their swelling Treasures to the sunny Ray,

Inly disturb'd, and wond'ring what this wild Outrageous Tumult means, their loud Complaints "The Country tell; and toss'd from Rock to Rock, "Incessant Bleatings run around the Hills, "At last, of snowy white, the gather'd Flocks "Are in the wattled Pen innumerous press'd "Head above Head; and rang'd in lusty Rows "The Shepherds sit and whet the sounding Shears. "The Housewife waits to roll her fleecy Stores, "With all her gay drest Maids attending round. "One, Chief, in gracious Dignity inthron'd, "Shines o'er the rest, the Past'ral Queen, and rays "Her Smiles, sweet-beaming on her Shepherd King; "While the glad Circle round them yield their Souls "To festive Mirth, and Wit that knows no Gal.

66

Meantime, their joyous Task goes on apace: "Some mingling stir the melted Tar, and some "Deep on the new-shorn Vagrant's heaving Side "To stamp his Master's Cypher ready stand; "Others th' unwilling Wether drag along: "And glorying in his Might, the sturdy Boy "Holds by the twisted Horns th' indignant Ram. "Behold where bound, and of its Robe bereft,

By needy Man, that all-depending Lord, "How meek, how patient, the mild Creature lies! "What Softness in its melancholy Face, "What dumb complaining Innocence appears!

"Fear not, ye gentle Tribes! 'tis not the Knife

" Of

Of horrid Slaughter that is o'er you wav'd;
"No, 'tis the tender Swain's well-guided Shears,
"Who having now, to pay his annual Care,
"Borrow'd your Fleece, to you a cumbrous Load,
"Will send you bounding to your Hills again."

Line 368.

Mr. Bourne's Definition of a "Good Day" in this Chapter is a pleasant one: "He calls, says he, the Day it was held on, a good Day; that is, a Day of plentiful Eating and Drinking.”

፡፡

By Parity of Reasoning, the vulgar Ceremony of wishing a good Day to you, is synonimous with wishing you a good Dinner* !

*This calls to my Remembrance the following curious Passage in Dr. Moresin: Ebrietati, says he, et gulæ indulget Papa diebus suis festis: nam ampliùs largiusque rei divinæ caussa invitare se credebatur fas, unde et μúa inflexum Arist. putat, quod ebrii fierent, uera ró Juan, id est, post Sacrificium: quin dapes et Convivia dictitabant Joivas, à Deòs et divos, veluti deorum gratia amplius indulgendum foret. Cal. lib. 7. cap. 2. ant. lect. P. 52.

CHAP.

CHAP. XXIX.

Of Michaelmass: Guardian Angels the Discourse of Country People at this Time: That it seems rather true, that we are protected by a Number of Angels, than by one particular Genius.

THE Feast of this Season is celebrated in Commemoration of St. Michael, and all the Orders of Angels. It is called, The Dedica tion of St. Michael, because of a Church being dedicated to him on this Day in Mount Garganus.

At this Season of the Year, it is a general Custom to elect the Governors of Towns and Cities, to promote Peace among Men, and guard them against Harm from their malicious Fellow Creatures. Whether this particular Time of the Year has been chosen for electing them, because then is the Feast of Angels, the Guardians and Protectors of Men, and of their Communities and * Provinces, is not so certain. It is certainer, that when ever it comes, it brings into the Minds of the People, that old Opinion of Tutelar Angels, that

* Daniel, C. 10.

every Man has his Guardian Angel; that is one particular Angel who attends him from his Coming in, till his going out of Life, who guides hit through the Troubles of the World, and strives as much as he can, to bring him to Heaven.

Now that good Angels attend good Men is without Dispute. They guide them in the Mazes of the Wilderness of Life, and bring them to their desir'd Homes; they surround them in the Seas of Afflictions, and lead them to the Shores of Peace; and as when the Israelites passed through the Red-Sea, the Cloud became Light to them, but Darkness to their Enemies, so in the troublesome Seas of this Life, the Angels are both the Guides of good Men, and their Protectors from Evil, from the Devil and his Angels. And there-· fore the Psalmist says, The Angel of the LORD tarrieth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them; and that he will give his Angels Charge over good Men. They are also supposed to be that Hedge, which GOD placed about Job, which the Devil so much complains of; and sure we are, that when the Eyes of Elisha's Servants were open'd, he saw the Mountain full of Chariots

1

and Horses of Fire round about Elisha. That therefore good Men are guarded and protected by Angels the Scriptures shew very clearly. But that every Man has his particular Genius, seems to be founded more upon Tradition, than any certainty from Scripture. Thus the Egyptians believed that every Man had three Angels attending him; the Pythagoreans, that every Man had two; the Romans, that there was a good and an evil Genius. And hence it is that the Roman Poet says, Quisque suos patitur manes, every Man hath his evil Genius. And if we may believe the authority of Plutarch, the evil Genius of Brutus appeared to him the Night before the Battle of Philippi, and told him he was his evil Genius, and that he would meet him there.

But there are greater Authorities than these in Vindication of this Opinion: Casalion observes, it may be proved from Scripture, and not only from the Tradition of the * Heathens. And of this Opinion was Justin Martyr, Theodoret, St. Basil, St. Jerome, and St. Austin.

*

Unicuique Deus custodem apposuit; & asserimus indubitanter nos ex scripturas illam fidem, non gentium nugibus. Cassal. 217. P. de Vet. Christ. Rit,

There