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Now leaves the trees, and flow'rs adorn the ground; Begin, the vales fhall ev'ry note rebound.

STREP HON.

Infpire me, Phoebus, in my Delia's praife, With Waller's ftrains, or Granville's moving lays! A milk white bull fhall at your altars ftand, That threats a fight, and fpurns the rifing fand.

DAPHNI S,

victorion

45

as her eyes;

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O Love! for Sylvia let me gain the prize,
And make my tongue
No lambs or fheep for victims I'll impart,
Thy victim, Love, shall be the fhepherd's heart.
STREP HON.

Me gentle Delia beckens from the plain, -
Then hid in fhades, eludes her eager fwain;
But feigns a laugh, to fee me fearch around,
And by that laugh the willing fair is found.
DAPHNI S.

The fprightly Sylvia trips along the green, She runs, but hopes fhe does not run unfeen;

VARIATIONS.

VER. 49. Originally thus in the MS.

Pan, let my numbers equal Strephon's lays,
Of Parian stone thy ftatue will I raife;
But if I conquer and augment my fold,

Thy Parian ftatue fhall be chang'd to gold,

NOTES.

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VER. 46. Granville) George Granville, afterwards Lord Lanfdown, known for his Poems, most of which he compos'd very young, and propos'd Waller as his model.

IMITATIONS.

VER 47. A milk-white bull) Virg. - Pafcite taurum,

Qui cornu petat, & pedibus jam fpargat arenam.

While a kind glance at her purfuer flies,
How much at variance are her feet and eyes!
STREP HON.

O'er golden fands let rich Pactolus flow,
And trees weep amber on the banks of Po;
Bleft Thames's fhores the brightest beauties yield,
Feed here my lambs, I'll feek no diftant field.
DAPHNI S.

Celestial Venus haunts Idalia's groves;
Diana Cynthus, Ceres Hybla loves;
If Windfor-fhades delight the matchlefs maid,
Cynthus and Hybla yield to Windfor- fhade.
STREPHON.

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65

All nature mourns, the fkies relent in fhow'rs, Hufh'd are the birds, and clos'd the drooping flow'rs; If Delia fiile, the flow'rs begin to spring, The fkies to brighten, and the birds to fing.

VARIATIONS.

VER. 61. It food thus at first:

Let rich Iberia golden fleeces boaft,

Her purple wool the proud Affyrian coaft,
Bleft Thames's flores, etc. P.

VER. 61. Originally thus in the MS.

Go, flow'ry wreath, and let my Sylvia know,

Compar'd to thine how bright her beauties show;
Then die; and dying teach the lovely maid
How foon the brighteft beauties are decay'd.

DAPHNI S.

Go, tuneful bird, that pleas'd the woods fo long,

Of Amaryllis learn a sweeter fong:

To Heav'n arifing then her notes convey,

For Heav'n alone is worthy fuch a lay.

IMITATIONS.

VER. 58. She runs, but hopes( Imitation of Virgil,
Malo, me Galatea petit, lafciva puella,

Et fugit ad falices, fed fe cupit ante videri.

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DAPHNI S,

All nature laughs, the groves are fresh and fair, The Sun's mild luftre warms the vital air;

If Sylvia fimiles, new glories gild the fhore,
And vanquish'd nature feems to charm no more.
STREP HON.

75

In fpring the fields, in autumn hills I love, At morn the plains, at noon the fhady grove, But Delia always; abfent from her fight, Nor plains at morn, nor groves at noon delight. 80 DAPHNI S.

Sylvia's like autumn ripe, yet mild as May, More bright than noon, yet frefh as early day; Ev'n fpring difpleases, when fhe fhines not here; But bleft with her, 'tis fpring throughout the year. STREP HON.

Say, Daphnis, fay, in what glad foil appears, A wond'rous Tree that facred Monarchs bears: 86

VARIATIONS.

VER. 69, etc. Thefe verfes were thus at first:
All nature niourns, the birds their songs deny,
Nor wafted brooks the thirty flow'rs fupply;
If Delia fmile, the flowr'rs begin to spring,
The brooks to murmur, and the birds to fing.
NOTES.

VER. 86. A wondrous Tree that facred Monarchs bears.) An allufion to the Royal Oak, in wich Charles II. had been hid from the purfuit after the battle of Worcefter.

IMITATIONS.

VER. 69. All nature mourns.)

Aret ager,

vitio moriens fitit aëris herba, etc.

Phyllidis adventu noftræ nemus omne virebir.

Virg.

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Tell me but this, and I'll difclaim the prize,
And give the conqueft to thy Sylvia's eyes.

DAPHNI S.

Nay tell me first, in what more happy fields The Thistle fprings, to which de Lily yields: And then a nobler prize I will refign;

For Sylvia, charming Sylvia shall be thine.

DAMON.

90

Ceafe to contend, for, Daphnis, I decree,
The bowl to Strephon, and the lamb to thee:
Bleft Swains, whofe Nymphs in ev'ry grace excel;
Bleft Nymphs,
whofe Swains thofe graces fing se

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well!
Now rife, and hafte to yonder woodbine bow'rs,
A foft retreat from fudden vernal fhow'rs;//
The turf with rural dainties fhall be crown'd,
While op'ning blooms diffufe their fweets around.
For fee! the gath'ring flocks to fhelter tend,
And from the Pleiads fruitful fhow'rs descend.

VARIATIONS.

VER. 99. was originally,

The turf with country dainties fhall be fpread,
And trees with twining branches Thade your head.

IMITATIONS.

96

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VER. 90. The Thistle springs to which the Lily yields,) Alludes to the device of the Scots Monarchs, the Thistle, worn by Queen Anne; and to the arms of France, the Fleur de lys. The two riddles are in imitation of those in Virg. Ecl. iii.

Dic quibus in terris infcripti nomina Regum

Nafcantur Flores, & Phyllida folus habeto.

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A

TO Dr. GARTH.

S.

Shepherd's, Boy (he feeks no better name) Led forth his flocks along the filver Thame, Where dancing fun-beams on the waters play'd, And verdant alders form'd a quiv'ring fhade. Soft as he mourn'd, the ftreams forgot to flow, The flocks around a dumb compaffion fhow, The Naïds wept in ev'ry wat'ry bow'r, And Jove confented in a filent show'r.

VARIATIONS.

VER. I, 2, 3, 4. were thus printed in the first edition:
A faithful fwain, whom Love had taught to fing,
Bewail'd his fate beside a filver spring;

Where gentle e Thames his winding waters leads.
Thro verdant forefts, and thro' flow'ry meads,

VER. 3. Originally thus in the MS.

There to the winds he plain'd his hapless love,
And Amaryllis fill'd the vocal grove.

NOTES.

VER. 3. The Scene of this Paftoral by the river's fide; fuis able to the heat of the feafon; the time noon.

IMITATIONS.

VER. 8. And Jove confented)

Jupiter & æto defcender plurimus imbri.

Virg

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