2l6 THE BEE, OR. , Feb. 9, 



;s the fcene contrafted with it. The lovely virgins noW 

 forgo all their amufements. They are retired, each 

 by herfelf^. They weep in fecret their fallen lovers; and 

 refufe all comfort. What heart not deftitute of feeling, 

 but muft fympathiz-e with them, and join the poet in 

 lamenting the untimely fate of the Flowers of the Fo- 

 rcjl. This metaphor ufed toexprefs the youth, is a ha,p- 

 py one. In thofe times, we may eafily fuppofe, gar- 

 dening was not carried to any degree of perfeftion. In 

 the fields and the woods only, they beheld the beauties 

 of nature's fpontaneous produftions. And what could 

 be a fitter emblem of the youth who had latel}' fallen, 

 than thofe wild flowers, which at beft were but for a 

 feafon ; and which were often cut off prematurely, from 

 various incidents. This metaphor fuggefls the age of 

 thofe who had fallen. They were in the bloom of youth, 

 in the prime of life. It fuggefls alfo their beauty. 

 They were fair and lovely flowers. They were lovely 

 in the eyes of the yirgins. They appeared ftill more 



lovely at their death They had fallen in a glorious 



caufe, fighting for their king and country. We find 

 in fqripture a beautiful allufion, very fimilar to this : 

 *' Man that is born of a woman, is of few days, and 

 " full of trouble. He cometh forth as a flower, and is 

 " cut down." 



IV. 



In har*ft at the {hearing, 

 Nae blyth, &:c. 



In this ftanza, we have another inftance of the change 

 that had taken place, fince the fatal battle. As the 

 poet had mentioned Jiacks in the former flanza, his 

 thoughts were naturally turned to the cutting down -tii 

 the grain in the harvefl ; which ufed to be a time of 

 great mirth and feftivily. But now the women only 

 were engaged in this work, no youths to afTift them. 



There is fomething very aflSetling in the circumflance 

 of the iinders. They are all old men — the fathers* 



