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Throw the declynying of his large round spere.
The frosty regioun ryngis of the zere,

In weeping Winter, when his orb declines,
Languid he looks, and wan and watry shines.
Now reign'd the power of keen congealing frost,
When all the beauty of the year is lost;
The Brumal season, bitter, cold, and pale, [vail
When short dull days, and sounding storms pre-
The wild north wind, tremendous from afar,
O'erwheim'd imperial Neptune in his carr,
Their scatter'd honours from the forests tore,
And dash'd the mad waves head'ong on the shore.
Fierce, foaming rivers, swell'd with torrents brown,
Hurl'd all their banks precipitately down;
Loud roar'd the thunder of the raging floods,
Loud as gaunt lions bellowing shake the woods.
Th' unwieldy monsters which the deeps contain,
Sought safety at the bottom of the majn.
Strife-stirring Mars, regressive in his sphere,
Sustain'd the cold dominions of the year;
And black Orion dim n'd the face of day,
Leading the luckless mariner astray.
Saturn, whose boding aspect, chill and wan,
Frowns in dread vengeance on the race of man,
Denouncing dearth, and desolating pest,
Held high his course progressive in the east;
And blooming Hebe, Juno's daughter gay,
Was ravish'd of her beautiful array.
Incessant rains had drench'd the floated ground,
And clouds o'ercast the firmament around:
White shone the hills involv'd in silver snow,
But brown and barren were the vales below:
On firm foundations of eternal stone
High rugged rocks in frosty splendour shone;
The hoary fields no vivid verdure wore,
Frost warpt the world. and beauty was no more.
Wide-wasting winds that chill'd the dreary day,
And seemed to threaten Nature with decay,
Reminded man, at every baleful breath,
Of wintry age, and all-subduing death.
Horrific gloom deform'd the turbid air.
And livid lightning shot a dismal glare:
Above pale meteors gleam'd, and all below
Was one bleak scene of drizzling slect and snow.
The hollow ditches, swell'd with sudden rains,
Pour'd a black deluge on the lowland plains,
And every road receiv'd the sordid flood,
Swam with the swell, or stiffen'd into mud.
Fern on the fallows wither'd as it grew,
And brown heaths bore a mossy-colour'd hue;
Bare were the bottoms, and the high hills hoar;
The drooping cattle moan'd upon the moor;
The red weed waver'd on the breezy dike;
Rills in deep channels murmuring roll'd oblique.
From horrid rocks, that lour'd upon the coast,
Hung icy spears, the beauteous work of frost.
Dun was the soil and steril, and decay'd
Was every flower, and every tender blade;
And every wood and wilderness around
Diffus'd their wither'd honours on the ground
So stoutly Boreas his loud bugle blew,
Down to the dales the trembling deer withdrew:
To thorny thickets flock'd the feather'd throng,
And pensive plied their melaucholy song,
Or to the shelter of the forest driven,
Escap'd the windy turbulence of Heaven.
Down the rough rock dash'd torrents with harsh
sound

The tyme and sessoun bitter, canld and pale,
The schort dayis, that clerkis clepe Brumale:
Quhen brym blastis of the northyn art
Ouerquhelmyt had Neptunus in his cart,
And all to schaik the leuys of the treis,
The rageand stormes ourwelterand wally seis,
Ryueris ran rede on spate with wattir broun,
And burnis harlis all thare bankis doun,
And landbirst rumbland rudely with sic bere,
Sa loud neuir rummyst wyld lyoun nor bere;
Fludis monstouris, sic as mereswynis and quhalis
For the tempest law in the deep deualis :
Mars occident retrogade in his spere,
Prouocand stryffe, regnit as lord that zere.
Ray Orioun with his stormy face
Bywauit oft the schipman by hys race:
Frawart Saturne, chil of complexioun,
Throw quhais aspect darth and infectioun
Bene causit oft and mortall pestilence,
When progressiue the greis of his ascence:
And lusty Hebe Junois dochter gay,
Stude spulzete of hir office and array:
The sole ysowpit in to wattir wak,
The firmament ouercast with cludis blak:
The ground fadit, and fauch wox al the feildis,
Mountane toppis slekit with snaw ouer heildis:
On raggit rolkis of hard hask quhyn stane,
With frosyn frontis cald clynty clewis schane:
Bewty was loist, and barrand schew the landis,
With frostis hare ouerfret the feildis standis.
Sere birtir bubbis and the schoutis snell
Semyt on the swarde in similitude of hell,
Reducing to our mynde in euery stede
Gousty schaddois of eild and grisly dede:
Thik drumly skuggis dirkinnit so the heuin,
Dym skyis oft furth warpit fereful leuin,
Flaggis of fyre, and mony felloun flaw,
Scharp soppis of sleit, and of the synppand snaw:
The dolly dikis war al donk and wate,
The law valis flodderit all wyth spate,
The plane stretis and eury hie way
Full of fluschis, dubbis, myre and clay,
Laggerit leyis wallowit fernis schew,
Broun muris kythit thare wyssinyt mossy hew,
Bank, bray and boddum blanschit wox and bare;
For gourd weddir growit beistis hare,
The wynd maid waif the rede wede on the dyk.
Bedowin in bonkis depe was euery sike:
Ouer craggis and the frontis of rochis sere
Hang grete yse schokkillis lang as ony spere:
The grund stude barrane widderit, dosk, and gray,
Herbis, flouris, and gerssis wallowit away:
Woddis, forestis with naket bewis blout
Stude stripit of thare wede in euery hout:
Sa bustouslie Boreas his bugill blew,
The dere full derne doun in the dalis drew:
Small birdis flokand throw thik ronnys thrang,
In chirmynge, and with cheping changit thare
sang,

Sekand bidlis and birnys thame to hyde
Fra fereful thuddis of the tempestuus tyde:
The wattir lynnys rowtis, and euery lynd
Quhislit and brayit of the souchand wynd:

Pure labouraris and byssy husband men
Went weet and wery draglit in the fen:

Rush'd, and impetuous shook the country round,
The trees, that o'er the mountain's top reclin'd:
Wav'd their high heads, and murmur'd to the

wind.

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The cilly schepe and thare litill hird gromes Lurkis vnder lye of bankis, woddis and bromes: Ann theris dantit greter beistial, Within thare stabill sesit in the stall, Sic as mulis, hors, oxin or ky, Fed tuskit baris, and fat swyne in sty, Sustenit war be mannis gouernance On hervist, and on someris puruiance : Widequhare with sors so Eolus schoutis schill In this congelit sesoun scharp and chill, The callour are penetratiue and pure Dasing the blude in euery creature, Maid seik warme stouis and bene fyris hote, Ju doubil garment cled and wylecote, With mychty drink, and metis confortiue, Aganis the sterne wynter for to striue. Recreate wele and by the chymnay bekit, At eain be tyme doun in ane bed me strekit, Warpit my hede, kest on claithis thyrufald For to expell the perrellus persand cald : I crosit me, syne bownit for to slepe : Qubare lemand throw the glas I did take kepe "Latonia the lang irksum nycht

Hir subtell blenkis sched and watry lycht,

Full hie vp quhirlit in hir regioun,

Till Phebus right in opposicioun,

Into the crab hir propir mansioun draw,
Haldand the hicht althocht the son went law:
The hornyt byrd quhilk we clepe the nicht oule,
Within bir cauerne hard I schout and zoule,
Laithely of forme, with crukit camscho beik,
Ugsum to here was hir wylde Irische skreik.
The wyld geis eik claking by nychtis tyde
Attour the ciete fleand hard I glyde.

On slummer I slade full sone, and slepyt sound,
Qubill the horisont upwart can rebound:
Phebus crounit bird, the nychtis orlagere,
Clappin his wingis thryis had crawin clere:
Approching nere the greking of the day,
Within my bed I walkynyt quhare I lay,
Sa fast declynnys Cynthia the mone,
And kayis keklys on the rufe abone:
Palamedes birdis crowpand in the sky,
Fleand on randoun, schapin lyk ane Y;
And as ane trumpit rang thare vocis soun,
Quhais cryis bene pronosticacioun
Of wyndy blastis and ventositeis.
Fast by my chalmer on hie wisnit treis
The sary gled quhissilis with mony ane pew,
Qubarby the day was dawing wele I knew ;
Bad bete the fyre, and the candyll alicht,
Syne blissit me, and in my wedis dicht;
Ane schot wyndo unschet ane litel on char,
Persauyt the mornyng bla, wan and har,
Wyth cloudy gum and rak ouerquhelmyt the are,
'The sulze stiche, hasard, rouch and hare;
Branchis brattlyag, and blaiknyt schew the brayis,
With hirstis harsk of waggand wyndil strayis,
The dew droppis congelit on stibbil and rynd,
And scharp hailstanys mortfundyit of kynd,
Hoppand on the thak and on the causay by:
The schote I closit, and drew inwart in hy,
Cheuerand for cald, the sessoun was sa snell,
Schupe with nait flambis to fleme the fresing fell.

Industrious peasants, toil-enduring men,
Went wet and weary, draggled in the fen:
Beneath the wild broom, or the shelving steep,
Securely skulk'd the shepherd and his sheep;
But household animals which man had bred,
Enjoy'd warm cover, or in stables fed :

The mule, the horse, the ox, and brindled boar,
And liv'd at large on summer's golden store.
The hollow-howling winds, and frost intense,
Benumb'd man's vigour, and congeal'd the sense;
And loudly told him what his wants require,
A double garment, and bright-burning fire,
And generous wine, and comfortable cheer,
To guard against the rigour of the year.
Warm from the hearth, and plentifully fed,
With early eve I press'd my downy bed,
And of soft covering added many a fold
To dissipate the penetrating cold;
Then, duly cross'd, prepar'd for balmy sleep,
When through the glass I saw pale Cynthia peep:
Her silver orb display'd a watery light,
And faintly glimmer'd all the livelong night;
She calmly sailing through th' etherial way,
Full orb'd, oppos'd the glorious lamp of day,
And reach'd the sign where Cancer's kingdoms
glow,

Thron'd in her zenith, tho' the Sun was low.
In boding note, within her darksome bower,
Where crawling ivy clasps yon antient tower,
I heard the solitary owl complain, [strain:
Saddening dread midnight with her hideous
While clamourous wild-geese in long trains ou
With lazy pinions fann'd the liquid sky; [high,
Lull'd by the drowsy din in sleep I lay,
Till from the east pale gleam'd the dubious day;
Till chanticleer his merry notes begun, [Sun.
Thrice clapt his wings, and call'd the lingering
Rous'd by his orisons from sweet repose,
I shook off slumbers as the morning rose;
The morning rose, but shed a languid light,
And down in ocean sunk the queen of night.
Then jack-daws chatter'd on the chimney high;
And cranes renewed their voyage thro' the sky:
Whose piercing clamours sounded in my ear,
Presage of wintery winds and tempests gathering

near.

Perch'd on a tree that nigh my chamber grew,
The kite began her lamentable pew,
Whereby the dawning of the day I knew; [drest,
Then call'd for lights, and Heav'n with pray'r ad-
And wrapt my cold limbs in the warmest vest,
And thro' the window half-way opening saw
The melancholy morning bleak and raw;
Thick clouds envelop'd all the mountains round,
And rough and rigid was the hoary ground;
The bare boughs clashing rattled to the blast,
And tall grass trembled as the wild wind past.
Like pendent pearls, on every shrub that grew
And every stubble, hung the frozen dew;
And hail-stones pattering from the chilling sky
Hopt on the thatch, and on the causeway by.
Aghast, the joyless season to behold,

My teeth all chattering with the piercing cold,
I clos'd the casement, and retir'd in haste
To quell with cheering blaze the horrour-breath.
ing blast,

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Sike, a rivulet.
Skuggis, shades.

Slak, a bottom,or valley.
Slekit, smooth.

Snell, piercing, sharp.
Snyppand, nipping.
Sole, soil. [Lat. solum.]
Soppis, showers, clouds.
Sore, sorrel, chesnut.
Souch, to make a noise.
Spate, foam, froth.

Sprayngis, rays, streaks of different colours.

Sprinkilland, gliding swiftly.

Spulzeit, spoiled, robbed.

Stabyillt, settled, calm

Stanryis, the shore.

Stede, place.

Sternes, stars.

Steuynnis, notes, sounds.
Storare, restorer.

Stouis, vapours, exhalations.
Stourand, stirring.
Strandis, strands,-
vulets.

Strekit, stretched.

Sulze, the soil, ground.

sometimes signifies ri

Sulzeart, bright, glittering,

Sum dele, somewhat, a little.

Swarde, the surface of the ground.

Syne, then, afterwards.

Syon, a scion, or young shoot.

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Selkouth, strange, uncommon.

Semelie, seemly.

Sence, incense.

Sert, several, likewise sore,

violent.

Sesit, rested.

Seye, sea.

Sic, such.

Resolv'd to travel with this courtly spark, PART OF SAT. VI. BOOK II. OF HO- And gain the city when securely dark. RACE, TRANSLATED.

BEGINNING AT, PERDITUR HÆC INTER MISERO
LUX, NON SINE VOTIS, &c.

CONSUM'D in trifles, thus the golden day
Steals, not without this ardent wish, away;
When shall I see my peaceful country farm,
My fancy when with antient authors charm?
Or, lull'd to sleep, the cares of life elude
In sweet oblivion of solicitude?

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0, for those beans which my own fields provide!
Deem'd by Pythagoras to man allied;
The savoury pulse serv'd up in platters nice,
And herbs high-relish'd with the bacon slice?
O, tranquil nights in pleasing converse spent,
Ambrosial suppers that might gods content!
When with my chosen friends (delicious treat!)
Before the household deities we eat ;

The slaves themselves regale on choicest meat.
Free from mad laws we sit reclin'd at ease,
And drink as much, or little, 'as we please.
Some quaff large bumpers that expand the soul,
And some grow mellow with a moderate bowl.
We never talk of this man's house or vill,
Or whether Lepos dances well or ill:
But of those duties which ourselves we owe,
And which 'tis quite a scandal not to know:
As whether wealth or virtue can impart
The truest pleasure to the human heart:
What should direct us in our choice of friends,
Their own pure merit, or our private ends:
What we may deem, if rightly understood,
Man's sovereign bliss, his chief, his only good.
Mean-time my friend, old Cervius, never fails
To cheer our converse with his pithy tales:
Praise but Arellius, or his ill-got store,
His fable thus begins: "In days of yore
A country mouse within his homely cave
A treat to one of note, a courtier, gave;
A good plain mouse our host, who lov'd to spare
Those heaps of forage he had glean'd with care;
Yet on occasion would his soul unbend,
And feast with hospitality his friend :

He brought wild oats and vetches from his hoard; Dried grapes and scraps of bacon grac'd the board:

In hopes, no doubt, by such a various treat,
To tempt the dainty traveller to eat.
Sqnat on fresh chaff, the master of the feast
Left all the choicest viands for his guest,
Nor one nice morsel for himself would spare,
But
gnaw'd coarse grain, or nibbled at a tare.
At length their slender dinner finish'd quite,
Thus to the rustic spoke the mouse polite:
"How can my friend a wretched being drag
On the bleak summit of this airy crag?
Say, do you still prefer this barbarous den
To polish'd cities, savages to men?
Come, come with me, nor longer here abide,
I'll be your friend, your comrade, and your
guide.

Since all must die that draw this vital breath, Nor great nor small can shun the shafts of death, 'Tis ours to sport in pleasures while we may : For ever mindful of life's little day.' [mouse, "These weighty reasons sway'd the country And light of heart he sallied from his house.

"Now midnight hover'd o'er this earthly ball, When our small gentry reach'd a stately hall, Where brightly glowing, stain'd with Tyrian dye,

On ivory couches richest carpets lie;
And in large baskets, rang'd along the floor,
The rich collation of the night before.

On purple bed the courtier plac'd his guest,
And with choice cates prolong'd the grateful
feast;

And was his waiter, and his taster too.
He carv'd, he serv'd, as much as mouse could do,
Joy seiz'd the rustic as at ease he lay :
This happy change had made him wondrous gay-
When lo! the doors burst open in a trice,
And at their banquet terrified the mice:
They start, they tremble, in a deadly fright,
And round the room precipitate their flight;
The high-roof'd room with hideous cries resound:
Of baying mastiffs, and loud-bellowing hounds
Then thus the rustic in the courtier's ear;

Adieu! kind sir! I thank you for your cheer:
Safe in my cell your state I envy not ;
Tares be my food, and liberty my lot !'"'

A PARODY ON THE CITY AND COUN-
TRY MOUSE.

A COUNTRY Vicar in his homely house,
Pleas'd with his lot, and happy in his spouse,
With simple diet, at his humble board,
Once entertain'd the chaplain of a lord;-
He gave him (all he could) a little fish,
With sauce of oysters, in no silver dish;
And, for the craving stomach's sure relief,
The glory of Old England, rare roast-beef,
Horse-raddish and potatoes, Ireland's pride;
A pudding too the prudent dame supplied:
Their cheering beverage was a pint of port
(Tho' small the quantum) of the better sort;
But plenty of good beer, both small and stout,
With wine of elder to prevent the gout.

The vicar hop'd, by such a various treat,
To tempt his scarf-embellish'd friend to eat;
With nicest bits provok'd his guest to dine,
He carv'd the haddock, and he serv'd the wine:
Content his own sharp stomach to regale
With plain, substantial roast meat, and mild ale.
Our courtly chaplain, as we may suppose,
At such old-fashion'd commons curl'd his nose;
He tried in vain to piddle, and, in brief,
Pish'd at the pudding, and declin'd the beef;-
At length, their homely dinner finish'd quite,
Thus to the vicar spoke the priest polite:

"How can my brother in this paltry town
Live undistinguish'd, to the world unknown?
And not exalt your towering genius higher,
Than here to herd with country clown-or squire;
Stunn'd with the discord of hoarse cawing rooks,
The roar of winds, the dissonance of brooks,
Which discontented through the valley stray,
Plaintive and murmuring at their long delay.
Come, come with me, nor longer here abide;
You've friends in town, and I will be your guide:
Soon great preferment to your share will fall,
A good fat living, or perhaps a stall."

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