Ev'n now, when filent fcorn is all thy gain,
A thousand court you, tho' they court in vain,
A thoufand fylvans, demigods, and gods, 75
That haunt our mountains and our Alban woods.
But if you'll prosper, mark what I advise,
Whom age, and long experience render wife,
And one whofe tender care is far above
All that thefe lovers ever felt of love,
(Far more than e'er can by yourself be guest),
Fix on Vertumnus, and reject the rest.
For his firm faith I dare engage my own;
Scarce to himself, himself is better known.
To diftant lands Vertumnus never roves;
Like you, contented with his native groves;
Nor at firft fight, like moft, admires the fair;
For you he lives; and you alone shall share
His laft affection, as his early care.
Sollicitata procis: nec que Lapitheia movit
Prolia, nec conjux timidis audacis Ulyffei.
Nunc quoque, cum fugias averferifque petentes,
Mille proci cupiunt; et femideique deique,
Et quæcunque tenent Albanos numina montes.
Sed tu, fi fapies, fi te bene jungere, anumque
Hanc audire voles, (quæ te plus omnibus illis, 80
Plus quam credis, amo), vulgares rejice tædas:
Vertumnumque tori focium tibi felige: pro quo
Me quoque pignus habe. neque enim fibi notior
ille eft,
Quam mihi. nec toto paffim vagus errat in orbe.
Hæc loca fola colit. nec, uti pars magna procorum,
Quam modo vidit, amat. tu primus et ultimus illi
Ardor erit; folique fuos tibi devovet annos.
Befides, he's lovely far above the rest,
With youth immortal, and with beauty bleft.
Add, that he varies ev'ry fhape with cafe,
And tries all forms that may Pomona please.
But what should most excite a mutual flame,
Your rural cares and pleasures are the fame.
To him your orchard's early fruits are due,
(A pleafing off'ring when 'tis made by you).
He values thefe; but yet (alas!) complains,
That still the best and dearest gift remains.
Not the fair fruit that on yon branches glows 100
With that ripe red th' autumnal fun bestows;
Nor tafteful herbs that in these gardens rife,
Which the kind foil with milky fap fupplies;
You, only you, can move the God's defire:
Oh crown fo conftant and fo
pure a fire!
Let foft compaffion touch your gentle mind;
Think, 'tis VERTUMNUS begs you to be kind!
So may no froft, when early buds appear,
Destroy the promise of the youthful year;
Adde, quod eft juvenis; quod naturale decoris 90
Munus habet; formafque apte fingetur in omnes:
Et, quod erit juffus (jubeas licet omnia) fiet.
Quid, quod amatis idem? quod, quæ tibi poma co-
luntur,
Primus habet; lætaque tenet tua munera dextra?
Sed neque jam fœtus defiderat arbore demtos.
Nec, quas hortus alit, cum fuccis mitibus herbas;
Nec quidquam, nifi te, miferere ardentis: et ipfum,
Qui petit, ore meo præfentem crede precari.----
Sic tibi nec vernum nafcentia frigus adurat
Poma; nec excutiant rapidi florentia venti.
Nor winds, when first your florid orchard blows,
Shake the light bloffoms from their blasted boughs!
This when the various God had urg'd in vain,
He ftraight affum'd his native form again;
Such, and fo bright an aspect now he bears,
As when thro' clouds th' emerging fun appears,
And thence exerting his refulgent ray,
116
Difpels the darkness, and reveals the day.
Force he prepar'd, but check'd the rash defign;
For when, appearing in a form divine,
The Nymph furveys him, and beholds the
grace
Of charming features, and a youthful face,
In her foft breast confenting paffions move,
And the warm maid confefs'd a mutual love.
Hæc ubi nequicquam formas Deus aptus in
Edidit; in juvenem rediit: et anilia demit
Inftrumenta fibi: talifque apparuit illi,
Qualis ubi oppofitas nitidiffima folis imago
Evicit nubes, nullaque obftante reluxit.
Vimque parat: fed vi non eft opus; inque figura
Capta Dei Nympha eft, et mutua vulnera fentit..
IMITATIONS of ENGLISH POETS.
Done by the Author in his Youth.
WOMEN ben full of ragerie,
Yet fwinken nat fans fecrefie.
Thilke moral fhall ye underftond,
From schoole-boy's tale of fayre Irelond:
Which to these fennes hath him betake,
To filch the gray ducke fro the lake.
Right then, there paffen by the way
His aunt, and eke her daughters tway.
Ducke in his trowses hath he hent,
Not to be fpied of ladies gent.
"But ho! our nephew," (crieth one),
"Ho!" quoth another, "Cozen John;"
And ftoppen, and lough, and callen out,
This filly clerk full low doth lout:
They afken that, and talken this,
"Lo here is coz, and here is mifs."
But, as he glozeth with speeches foote,
The ducke fore tickleth his erfe roote:
Fore-piece and buttons all-to-breft,
Forth thrust a white neck, and red creft.
Te-be, cry'd ladies; clerke nought spake:
Mifs ftar'd; and gray ducke crieth Quaake.
"O moder, moder," (quoth the daughter),
"Be thilke fame thing maids longer a❜ter?
"Bette is to pyne on coals and chalke,
Than truft on mon, whofe yerde can talke,”
N ev'ry town, where Thamis rolls his tyde, A narrow pass there is, with houfes low; Where ever and anon the stream is ey'd, And many a boat foft fliding to and fro. There oft are heard the notes of infant-woe, 5 The short thick fob, loud fcream, and thriller
How can ye, mothers, vex your children fo?
Some play, fome eat, fome cack against the wall, And as they crouchen low, for bread and butter call, II.
And on the broken pavement, here and there, 10
Doth many a ftinking fprat and herring lie;
A brandy and tobacco shop is near,
And hens, and dogs, and hogs are feeding by;
And here a failor's jacket hangs to dry.
At ev'ry door are fun-burnt matrons seen, 15
Mending old nets to catch the fcaly fry;
Now finging fhrill, and scolding eft between; Scolds anfwer foul-mouth'd fcolds; bad neighbourhood I ween.
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