2,62 MEMOIRS OF 



imagination that there is no refilling 'the 

 defire of quoting the paffage here : 



Sylphs, with light (hafts, you pierce the drowfy Fog, 

 That lingering (lumbers on the fedge-wove bog, 

 And with webb'd feet o'er midnight meadows creeps, 

 Or flings his hairy limbs o'er ftagnant deeps. 



The benevolent little fpirits are then 

 exhorted to combat Contagion, ftealing 

 from charnel-vaults to bring death to the 

 people. The plague, which in 1636 raged 

 in Holland, is here introduced, with a 

 beautiful ftory of faithful Love prevailing 

 over the defire of felf-prefervation. A 

 young maid is firft feized in a, till then, un- 

 infected family. This admirable line de- 

 notes the dread of it's other individuals to 

 approach, affift, or comfort her, 



And ftarting Friendmip fhunn'd her as me pafs'd. 



Perceiving herfelf deferted, and fearing 

 to fpread the infe&ion amongft thofe fhe 

 loved, Ihe feeks the garden, determined to 



die 



