45(> SPRING AND THE POETS. 



Then the etheriai Father, Lord of life, 



Sinks on the bosom of his blissful wife; 



With showers prolific feeds the vast embrace, 



That fills all nature, and renews her race. 



Then rings with tuneful birds the pathless grove, 



The cattle then renew their yearly love. 



Bathed in soft dew, and fann'd by western winds, 



Each field its bosom to the gale unbinds ; 



The blade dares boldly rise new suns beneath ; 



The tender vine puts forth its flexile wreath ; 



And, freed from southern blast and northern shower, 



Spreads without fear each bud, and leaf and flower." 



As we write these exquisite lines, a fragrant April breeze is 

 whispering around us, and brings to our remembrance an Italian 

 translation of them, so full of grace, delicacy, and gentleness, that we 

 cannot refrain from repeating it to our reader. 



" Al frondeggiar de' boschi, ed a le selve 

 IJtile e I'amorosa Primavera. 

 Turgide al suo tepor fansi le terre, 

 E desiose co 1'aperte fibre 

 Chieggon le marital virtu dei semi. 

 L'onnipotente allora Etereo Padre 

 Con li fecondi umori a 1'alma Sposa. 

 Diceso in grembro ne 1'immenso corpo 

 Si mesce immenso, e de le case tutte 

 II lieto pullular sviluppa, e move. 

 Dipinti augelli risonare al canto 

 S'odon allora i solitari boschi ; 

 Tornan lieti d'amore a 1'opre usate 

 Ne 'fissi tempi i mansueti armenti : 

 Nov' erbe partorire, e novi fiori 

 Vedesi il campo, ed a le tepid' aure 

 De' Zefiri amorosi aprire il grembo 

 In ogni germe il nutritivo umore 

 Felice abbonda ; a' rai del nuovo sole 

 Monstran sicure le crescenti erbette 

 L'aperta fronte, ed il furor non pave 

 D'Austro sorgente la pampinea vite 

 Ne il sibilare d'Aquilon nevoso 

 Di nembi apportator, ma fuor la gemme 

 Mette sicura, e le novelle frondi." 



Spenser wrote and felt much in the same manner, for the mantle of 

 Virgil and Chaucer had descended to him. 



" Is not this the merry month of May 



* * * * when all is yclad 

 With pleasance the ground with grass, the woods 

 With green leaves, the bushes with blossoming buds ? 



