68 ODE on the POPULAR SUPERSTITIONS of 



By night they fip it round the cottage-door, 



While airy minftrels warble jocund notes. 

 There every herd, by fad experience, knows 



How, wing'd with fate, their elf-hot arrows fly ; 

 When the fick ewe her fummer food foregoes, 



Or, ftretch'd on earth, the heart-fmit heifers lie. 

 Such airy beings awe th' untutor'd fwain : 



Nor thou, though learn'd, his homelier thoughts neglect j 

 Let thy fweet mufe the rural faith fuftain : 



Thefe are the themes of fimple, fure effecl:, 

 That add new conquefls to her boundlefs reign, 

 And fill, with double force, her heart-commanding ftrain. 



III. 



EV'N yet preferv'd, how often may'ft thou hear, 



Where to the pole the Boreal mountains run, 

 Taught by the father to his lift'ning fon 



Strange lays, whofe power had charm'd a SPENCER'S ear. 

 At ev'ry paufe, before thy mind pofleft, 



Old RUNIC bards (hall feem to rife around, 

 With uncouth lyres, in many-coloured veil, 



Their matted hair with boughs fantaftic crown'd : 

 Whether thoxi bid'ft the well-taught hind repeat * 



The choral dirge that mourns fome chieftain brave,. 

 When ev'ry fhrieking maid her bofom beat, 



And ftrew'd with choiceft herbs his fcented grave ^ 

 Or whether, fitting in the fliepherd's fhiel f, 



Thou hear'ft fome founding tale of war's alarms ; 

 When^ at the bugle's call, with fire and fteel, 



The fturdy clans pour'd forth their bony fwarms, 

 And hoflile brothers met to prove each other's arms. 



'Tis 



* Firft written, relate. 



f A kind of hut, built for a fummtr habitation to the herdfmen, when the cattle are 

 Tent to graze in diftant failures. 



