410 POEMS. 



Hangs the chill hermitage in middle air ; 

 Its haunts forsaken, and its feasts forgot, 

 A leaf-strown, lonely, desolated cot ! 



Is this the scene that late with rapture rang, 

 Where Delphy danc'd, and gentle Anna sang ; 

 With fairy-step where Harriet tripp'd so late, 

 And on her stump reclined the musing Kitty sate ? 



Return, dear nymphs ; prevent the purple spring, 

 Ere the soft nightingale essays to sing ; 

 Ere the first swallow sweeps the fresh'ning plain, 

 Ere love-sick turtles breathe their amorous pain ; 

 Let festive glee th' enliven' d village raise, 

 Pan's blameless reign, and patriarchal days : 

 With pastoral dance the smitten swain surprize, 

 And bring all Arcady before our eyes. 



Return, blithe maidens ; with you bring along 

 Free, native humour, all the charms of song ; 

 The feeling heart, and unaffected ease, 

 Each nameless grace, and ev'ry power to please. 



Nov. 1, 1763. 



ON THE RAINBOW. 



' Look upon the Rainbow, and praise him that made it : very beautiful is it in 

 the brightness thereof." 



ON morning or on evening cloud impress'd, 

 Bent in vast curve, the wat'ry meteor shines 

 Delightfully, to the levell' d sun oppos'd : 

 Lovely refraction ! while the vivid brede 

 In listed colours glows, th' unconscious swain 

 With vacant eye gazes on the divine 

 Phenomenon, gleaming o'er th' illumin'd fields, 

 Or runs to catch the treasure which it sheds. 

 Not so the sage, inspir'd with pious awe ; 

 He hails the federal arch ;* and looking up 

 Adores that God, whose fingers form'd this bow 

 Magnificent, compassing heav'n about 

 With a resplendent verge. " Thou mad'st the cloud, 

 Maker omnipotent, and thou the bow ; 

 And by that covenant graciously hast sworn 

 Never to drown the world again : henceforth, 



* Gen. ix. 1217. 



