When Damon, stretch'd beneath an olive shade, } 25 Yet shall my dying breath to heaven complain. Begin with me, my flute, the sweet Mænalian strain. 30 "The pines of Mænalus, the vocal grove, Are ever full of verse and full of love: They hear the hinds, they hear their god complain, Begin with me, my flute, the sweet Mænalian strain. 35 Mopsus triumphs; he weds the willing fair. When such is Nisa's choice, what lover can despair? 40 Begin with me, my flute, the sweet Mænalian strain. 45 "O Nisa! justly to thy choice condemn'd! 150 Whom hast thou taken, whom hast thou contemn'd? 55 Then scarce the bending branches I could win; I saw, I perish'd, yet indulg'd my pain. Begin with me, my flute, the sweet Mænalian strain. "I know thee, love! in deserts thou wert bred, And at the dugs of savage tigers fed; Alien of birth, usurper of the plains! Begin with me, my flute, the sweet Mænalian strains. "Relentless love the cruel mother led, The blood of her unhappy babes to shed: 60 65 Love lent the sword; the mother struck the blow; Alien of birth, usurper of the plains! Begin with me, my flute, the sweet Mænalian strains. "Old doting Nature, change thy course anew; 70 And let the trembling lamb the wolf pursue. Let oaks now glitter with Hesperian fruit, And hooting owls contend with swans in skill; 75 Hoarse Tityrus strive with Orpheus in the woods, And challenge fam'd Arion on the floods. Or, Oh,let Nature cease, and Chaos reign! Begin with me, my flute, the sweet Mænalian strain. "Let earth be sea, and let the whelming tide 80 The lifeless limbs of luckless Damon hide: Now take your turns, ye Muses, to rehearse 85 90 Make fat with frankincense the sacred fires, 'Tis done: we want but verse.-Restore, my charms, My ling'ring Daphnis to my longing arms. "Pale Phoebe, drawn by verse, from heav'n descends; Verse fires the frozen veins.-Restore, my charms, 100 "Around his waxen image first I wind Three woollen fillets, of three colours join'd; Thrice bind about his thrice devoted head, Which round the sacred altar thrice is led. Unequal numbers please the gods.-My charms, 105 Restore my Daphnis to my longing arms. "Knit with three knots the fillets: knit them strait; Then say,These knots to love I consecrate.' Haste, Amaryllis, haste!-Restore, my charms, 110 "As fire this figure hardens, made of clay, Crumble the sacred mole of salt and corn: 115 Next in the fire the bays with brimstone burn; And, while it crackles in the sulphur, say, 'Tis I for Daphnis burn; thus Daphnis burn away! 120 "As when the raging heifer, through the grove, 125 While I so scorn his love!- Restore, my charms, My ling'ring Daphnis to my longing arms. "These garments once were his, and left to me. The pledges of his promis'd loyalty, Which underneath my threshold I bestow. 130 These pawns, O sacred earth! to me my Daphnis owe. With these, to call from tombs the stalking ghosts, 140 Such is the strength of spells. Restore, my charms, 145 My ling'ring Daphnis to my longing arms. "Bear out these ashes: cast them in the brook; Cast backwards o'er your head; nor turn your look: Since neither gods nor godlike verse can move, Break out, ye smother'd fires, and kindle smother'd love. See, while my last endeavours I delay, The waking ashes rise, and round our altars play! Good heav'n! may lovers what they wish believe? 155 160 PASTORAL IX. QR, LYCIDAS AND MERIS. ARGUMENT. When Virgil, by the favour of Augustus, had recovered his patrimony near Mantua, and went in hope to take possession, he was in danger to be slain by Arius the centurion, to whom those lands were assigned by the emperor, in reward of his service against Brutus and Cassius. This pastoral therefore is filled with complaints of this hard usage; and the persons introduced are the bailiff of Virgil, Moris, and his friend Lycidas. LYCIDAS. Ho, Moris! whither on thy way so fast? This leads to town. MERIS. O Lycidas! at last LYCIDAS. Your country friends were told another tale'That from the sloping mountain to the vale, 5 10 |