And on each bough the feather'd choir employ
Their melting notes, and nought is heard but joy.
The painted flow'rs exhale a rich perfume,
The fruits are mingled with eternal bloom,

And Spring and Autumn hand in hand appear,
Lead on the merry months, and join to cloath the year.
Here, o'er the mountain's fhaggy fummit pour'd,

From rock to rock the tumbling torrent roar'd,
While beauteous Iris in the vale below

Paints on the rifing fumes her radiant bow.
Now through the meads the mazy current ftray'd,
Now hid its wand'rings in the myrtle fhade;

Or in a thousand veins divides its store,

Vifits each plant, refreshes every flow'r;

O'er gems and golden fands in murmurs flows,

And sweetly foothes the foul, and lulls to foft repofe.
If hunger call, no fooner can the mind.

Express her will to needful food inclin'd,
But in fome cool recefs, or op'ning glade,
The feats are plac'd, the tables neatly laid,
And instantly convey'd by magic hand
In comely rows the coftly dishes stand;
Meats of all kinds that nature can impart,
Prepar'd in all the niceft forms of art.

A troop

A troop of fprightly nymphs array'd in green,
With flow'ry chaplets crown'd, come fcudding in;
With fragrant blossoms these adorn the feast,
Those with officious zeal attend the guest;
Beneath his feet the filken carpet spread,

Or fprinkle liquid odours o'er his head.
Others in ruby cups with roses bound
Delightful! deal the sparkling nectar round
Or weave the dance, or tune the vocal lay;
The lyres refound, the merry minstrels play,
Gay health, and youthful joys o'erfpread the place,
And fwell each heart, and triumph in each face.
So when embolden'd by the vernal air,
The bufy bees to blooming fields repair;

For various use employ their chymic pow'r ;
One culls the fnowy pounce, one fucks the flow'r;
Again to diff'rent works returning home,
Some steeve the honey, fome erect the comb;
All for the general good in concert ftrive,
And every foul's in motion, every limb's alive.
And now descending from his flight, the God
On the
green turf releas'd his precious load;

There, after mutual falutations paft,

And endless friendship vow'd, they part in hafte;

■ Or slive, stipant.

P 4

Zephyr

Zephyr impatient to behold his love,

The prince in raptures wand'ring through the grove;
Now skipping on, and finging as he went,

Now stopping fhort to give his transports vent;
With fudden gufts of happiness opprefs'd,

Or ftands entranc'd, or raves like one poffefs'd;
His mind afloat, his wand'ring fenfes quite
O'ercome with charms, and frantic with delight;
From scene to scene by random steps convey'd,
Admires the diftant views, explores the fecret fhade,
Dwells on each spot, with eager eye devours

The woods, the lawns, the buildings, and the bow'rs;
New sweets, new joys at every glance arise,
And every turn creates a fresh surprize.
Close by the borders of a rifing wood,

In a green vale a crystal grotto stood;
And o'er its fide, beneath a beechen fhade,
In broken falls a filver fountain play'd.
Hither, attracted by the murm'ring stream,
And cool recefs, the pleas'd Porfenna came,
And on the tender grass reclining chose

To wave his joys awhile, and take a short repose.
The scene invites him, and the wanton breeze
That whispers through the vale, the dancing trees,

The

The warbling birds, and rills that gently creep,
All join their music to prolong his fleep.

The princess for her morning walk prepar'd;
The female troops attend, a beauteous guard.
Array'd in all her charms appear'd the fair;
Tall was her ftature, unconfin'd her air;
Proportion deck'd her limbs, and in her face
Lay love infhrin'd, lay fweet attractive grace
Temp'ring the aweful beams her eyes convey'd,
And like a lambent flame around her play'd.
No foreign aids, by mortal ladies worn,
From fhells and rocks her artless charms adorn;
For grant that beauty were by gems increas'd,
'Tis render'd more suspected at the least;
And foul defects, that would escape the fight,
Start from the piece, and take a stronger light.
Her chefnut hair in careless rings around

Her temples wav'd, with pinks and jes'mine crown'd,

And, gather'd in a filken cord behind,

Curl'd to the waist, and floated in the wind;
O'er these a veil of yellow gause she wore,

With amaranths and gold embroider'd o'er.
Her fnowy neck half naked to the view
Gracefully fell; a robe of purple hue

Hung

Hung loosely o'er her flender fhape, and tried
To fhade those beauties, that it could not hide.

The damfels of her train with mirth and fong
Frolic behind, and laugh and sport along.
The birds proclaim their queen from every tree;
The beasts run frisking through the groves to fee;
The Loves, the Pleasures, and the Graces meet
In antic rounds, and dance before her feet.
By whate'er fancy led, it chanc'd that day
They through the fecret valley took their way,
And to the crystal grott advancing spied

The prince extended by the fountain's fide.

He look'd as, by fome skilful hand exprefs'd,
Apollo's youthful form retir❜d to rest;

When with the chace fatigued he quits the wood
For Pindus' vale, and Aganippe's flood;
There fleeps fecure, his careless limbs display'd
At ease, encircled by the laurel fhade;
Beneath his head his fheaf of arrows lie,
His bow unbent hangs negligently by.

The flumb'ring prince might boast an equal grace,
So turn'd his limbs, fo beautiful his face.

Waking he started from the ground in haste, And faw the beauteous choir around him plac'd;

Then,