"Ye gentler maids! companions of my fair, "With downcast look and with dishevell'd hair,

"All beat the breast, and wring your hands and moan, "Her hour untimely might have prov'd your own, 80 "Her hour untimely help me to lament,

"And let your hearts at Stella's name relent. T "Awake, my pipe! in ev'ry note express

"Fair Stella's death and Colinet's distress. "In vain th' endearing lustre of your eyes "We dote upon, and you as vainly prize. "What tho' your beauty bless the faithful swain, "And in th' enamour'd heart like queens ye reign? "Yet in their prime does death the fairest kill, "As ruthless winds the tender blossoms spill. "Awake, my pipel in ev'ry note express "Fair Stella's death and Colinet's distress.

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Such Stella was; yet Stella might not live! 1 "And what could Colinet in ransome give? "Oh! if or music's voice or beauty's charm "Could milden death and stay his lifted arm, "My pipe her face, her face my pipe might save, "Redeeming each the other from the grave.

"Awake, my pipe! in ev'ry note express "Fair Stella's death and Colinet's distress.

"Ah, fruitless wish! fell death's uplifted arm: 2 ** "Nor beauty can arrest nor music charm, "Behold! oh baleful sight! see where she lie.♪

"Nor though I live the longest day to mourn,
"Will she again to life and me return."
"Awake, my pipe! in ev'ry noté express
"Fair Stella's death and Colinet's distress.
"Unhappy Colinet! what boots thee now

"To weave fresh girlonds for thy Stella's brow? 110 "No girlond ever more may Stella wear,

"Nor see the flow'ry season of the year,

"Nor dance, nor sing, nor ever sweetly smile, "And ev'ry toil of Colinet beguile.

"Awake, my pipe ! in ev'ry note express "Fair Stella's death and Colinet's distress. "Throw by the lily, daffodil, and rose, "Wreaths of black yew and willow pale compose, "With baneful hemlock, deadly night-shade, drest, "Such chaplets as may witness thine unrest, "If aught can witness. O ye shepherds! tell, "When I am dead, no shepherd lov'd so well! "Awake, my pipe! in ev'ry note express "Fair Stella's death and Colinet's distress.

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"Alack, my sheep! and thou dear spotless lamb! "By Stella nurs'd, who wean'd thee from the dam, "What heed give I to aught but to my grief, "My whole employment and my whole relief?

"

Stray where ye list, some happier master try;"

"Yet once, my flock! was none so blest as I. 130 "Awake, my pipe! in ev'ry note express

"My pipe, whose soothing sound could passion move, "And first taught Stella's virgin heart to love, "Shall silent hang upon this blasted oak, "Whence owls their dirges sing and ravens croak: "Nor lark nor linnet shall by day delight, "Nor nightingale suspend my moan by night; "The night and day shall undistinguish'd be "Alike to Stella and alike to me.

"No more, my pipe! here cease we to express "Fair Stella's death and Colinet's distress."

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Thus sorrowing did the gentle shepherd sing, And urge the valley with his wail to ring; And now that sheep-hook for my song I crave. ARG. Not this, but one more costly shalt thou have Of season'd elm, where studs of brass appear, To speak the giver's name, the month, and year, The hook of polish'd steel, the handle turn'd, And richly by the carver's skill adorn'd.

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O Colinet! how sweet thy grief to hear! How does thy verse subdue the list'ning ear Soft falling as the still refreshing dew, To slake the drought and herbage to renew : Not half so sweet the midnight winds, which move In drowsy murmurs o'er the waving grove, Nor valley brook that, hid by alders, speeds, O'er pebbles warbling and thro' whisp'ring reeds, Nor dropping waters which from rocks distil, And welly grots with tinkling echoes fill

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Thrice happy Colinet! who can relieve.q
Heart-anguish sore, and make it sweet to grieve!

And next to thee shall Myco bear the bell,
Who can repeat thy peerless song so well,
But see! the hills increasing shadows cast,
The sun, I ween, is leaving us in haste,
His weakly rays faint glimmer thro' the wood,
And bluey mists arise from yonder flood. 2:

Myco. Bid then our dogs to gather in the sheep:
Good shepherds with their flock betimes should sleep.
Who late lies down thou know'st as late will rise, 171
And sluggard-like to noon-day snoring lies,
While in the fold bis injur'd ewes complain,
And after dewy pastures bleat in vain,is 1677

PASTORAL V..

174

CUDDY.

In rural strains we first our music try,
And bashful into woods and thickets fly,
Mistrusting then our skill; yet if thro', time
Our voice improving gain a pitch sublime,
Thy growing virtues, Sackville ! shall engage
My riper verse and more aspiring age,
The sun, now mounted to the noon of day,

When with the flocks their feeders sought the shade
A venerable oak wide-spreading made:
What should they do to pass the loit'ring time?
As fancy led, each form'd his tale in rhyme,
And some the joys and some the pains of love,
And some to set out strange adventures strove,
The trade of wizards some, and Merlin's skill,
And whence to charms such empire o'er the will;
Then Cuddy last (who Cuddy can excel
In neat device?) his tale began to tell:
"When shepherds flourish'd in Eliza's reign,
"There liv'd in high repute a jolly swain,"

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Young Colin Clout, who well could pipe and sing, "And by his notes invite the lagging spring.

He, as his custom was, at leisure laid "In woodland bow'r, without a rival play'd, 66 Soliciting his pipe to warble clear, "Enchantment sweet as ever wont to hear "Belated wayfarers from wake or fair, "Detain'd by music hov'ring on in air. "Drawn by the magic of th' enticing sound "What troops of mute admirers flock'd around! "The steerlings left their food, and creatures wild

By nature form'd insensibly grew mild:

"He makes the gath'ring birds about him throng, "And loads the neighb'ring branches with his song. There with the croud a nightingale of fame,

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Jealous, and fond of praise, to listen came;

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