Amusive birds ! say where your hid retreat 

 "When the frost rages and the tempests beat ; 

 Whence your return, by such nice instinct led, 

 "When spring, soft season, lifts her bloomy head? 

 Such baffled searches mock man's prying pride. 

 The God of Nature is your secret guide ! 



While deep'ning shades obscure the face of day 

 To yonder bench leaf-shelter'd let us sti'ay, 

 Till blended objects fail the swimming sight, 

 And all the fading landscape sinks in night ; 

 To hear the drowsy dorr come brushing by 

 With buzzing wing, or the shrill cricket* cry ; 

 To see the feeding bat glance through the wood ; 

 To catch the distant falling of the flood ; 

 While o'er the cliff th' awaken'd churn-owl hung 

 Through the still gloom protracts his chattering song ; 

 While high in air, and pois'd upon his wings, 

 Unseen, the soft enamour'd woodlark sings : 

 These, Nature's works, the curious mind employ, 

 Inspire a soothing melancholy joy : 

 As fancy warms, a pleasing kind of pain 

 Steals o'er the cheek, and thrills the creeping vein ! 



Each rural sight, each sound, each smell combine ; 

 The tinkling sheep-bell, or the breath of kine ; 

 The new-mown hay that scents the swelling breeze, 

 Or cottage-chimney smoking through the trees. 



The chilling night-dews fall : — away, retire ; 

 For see, the glowworm lights her amorous fire ! 

 Thus, ere night's veil had half obscured the sky, 

 Th' impatient damsel hung her lamp on high : 

 True to the signal, by love's meteor led, 

 Leander hasten'd to his Hero's bed. 



Selborne, May 29, 1769. 



Gryllus cajnpesti is. 



97 



