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English Garden, and invokes the genius both of poetry and 

 painting 



that at my birth 



Auspicious smil'd, and o'er my cradle dropp'd 

 Those magic seeds of Fancy, which produce 

 A Poet's feeling, and a Painter's eye. 



with lenient smiles to deign to cheer, 



At this sad hour, my desolated soul. 



For deem not ye that I resume the lyre 



To court the world's applause ; my years mature 



Have learn'd to slight the toy. No, 'tis to soothe 



That agony of heart, which they alone, 



Who best have lov'd, who best have been belov'd, 



Can feel, or pity : sympathy severe ! 



Which she too felt, when on her pallid lip 



The last farewell hung trembling, and bespoke 



A wish to linger here, and bless the arms 



She left for heav'n. — She died, and heav'n is her's ! 



Be mine, the pensive solitary balm 



That recollection yields. Yes, angel pure ! 



While memory holds her seat, thine image still 



Shall reign, shall triumph there ; and when, as now, 



Imagination forms a nymph divine, 



To lead the fluent strain, thy modest blush, 



Thy mild demeanour, thy unpractis'd smile, 



Shall grace that nymph, and sweet Simplicity 



Be dress'd (ah, meek Maria !) in thy charms. 



Dr. Thomas Warton thus speaks of the above poem, 

 when reviewing Tusser's Husbandry : — " Such were the 

 rude beginnings in the English language of didactic poetry, 

 which, on a kindred subject, the present age has seen 

 brought to perfection, by the happy combination of judi- 

 cious precepts, with the most elegant ornaments of language 

 and imagery, in Mr. Mason's English Garden." His Elfrida 

 and Caractacus, are admired for boldness of conception and 



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