Begin, my pipe, begin the gladfome lay;
A kifs from Delia shall thy music pay;
A kifs obtain'd 'twixt ftruggling and confent,
Giv'n with forc'd anger, and disguis'd content :
No laureat wreaths I ask to bind my brows,
Such as the Mufe on lofty bards bestows;
Let other fwains to praife or fame afpire :
I from her lips my recompence require.

Hark how the bees with murmurs fill the plain,
While every flow'r of every sweet they drain;
See, how beneath yon hillock's fhady steep,
The shelter'd herds on flow'ry couches fleep:
Nor bees, nor herds, are half fo blest as I,
If with my fond defires my Love comply:
From Delia's lips a fweeter honey flows,
And on her bofom dwells more soft repose.

Ah how, my dear, fhall I deferve thy charms ?
What gift can bribe thee to my longing arms?
A bird for thee in filken bands I hold,
Whofe yellow plumage fhines like polish'd gold;
From diftant ifles the lovely ftranger came,
And bears the Fortunate Canaries name;
In all our woods none boafts fo fweet a note,
Not ev'n the nightingale's melodious throat.
Accept of this; and could I add befide
What wealth the rich Peruvian mountains hide;
If all the gems in Eastern rocks were mine,
On thee alone their glitt'ring pride fhould fhine.

But if thy mind no gifts have pow'r to move,
Phœbus himself shall leave th' Aonian grove;
The tuneful Nine, who never fue in vain,
Shall come sweet suppliants for their fav'rite swain.
For him each blue-ey'd Naiad of the flood,
For him each green-hair'd fifter of the wood,
Whom oft beneath fair Cynthia's gentle ray
His mufic calls to dance the night away.
And you, fair nymphs, companions of my Love,
With whom she joys the cowflip meads to rove,
I beg you recommend my faithful flame,
And let her often hear her shepherd's name ;
Shade all my faults from her enquiring fight,
And fhew my merits in the fairest light;
My pipe your kind assistance shall repay,
And every friend shall claim a diff'rent lay.

But fee! in yonder glade the heav'nly fair
Enjoys the fragrance of the breezy air-
Ah, thither let me fly with eager feet;
Adieu, my pipe, I go my Love to meet-
O may I find her as we parted last,

And may each future hour be like the past!
So fhall the whiteft lamb these pastures feed,
Propitious Venus, on thy altars bleed.

JE A

JEALOUSY.

ECLOGUE III.

To Mr. EDWARD WALPOLE.

THE
The gods is ditur'd by care, and by

HE gods, O WALPOLE, give no blifs fincere:
Wealth is disturb'd by care, and pow'r by fear.

Of all the paffions that employ the mind,

In gentle love the fweeteft joys we find ;
Yet e'en thofe joys dire Jealoufy molefts,
And blackens each fair image in our breasts.
O may the warmth of thy too tender heart
Ne'er feel the sharpness of his venom'd dart;
For thy own quiet think thy miftrefs juft,
And wifely take thy happiness on trust.

Begin my Mufe, and Damon's woes rehearíe,
In wildest numbers and disorder'd verse.
On a romantic mountain's airy head
(While browzing goats at eafe around him fed)
Anxious he lay, with jealous cares oppress'd;
Diftruft and anger lab'ring in his breast-
The vale beneath a pleasing profpect yields,
Of verdant meads and cultivated fields;
Through these a river rolls its winding flood,
Adorn'd with various tufts of rifing wood;

Here

Here half conceal'd in trees a cottage stands,
A castle there the op'ning plain commands,
Beyond, a town with glitt'ring fpires is crown'd,
And diftant hills the wide horizon bound:
So charming was the fcene, awhile the fwain
Beheld delighted, and forgot his pain;

But foon the ftings infix'd within his heart,
With cruel force renew'd their raging smart :
His flow'ry wreath, which long with pride he wore,
The gift of Delia, from his brows he tore :
Then cry'd; May all thy charms, ungrateful maid,
Like these neglected roses droop and fade ;
May angry Heav'n deform each guilty grace,
That triumphs now in that deluding face;
Thofe alter'd looks may every fhepherd fly,
And ev❜n thy Daphnis hate thee worse than I.
Say thou inconftant, what has Damon done,
To lose the heart his tedious pains had won?
Tell me what charms. you in my rival find,
Against whofe power no ties have ftrength to bind:
Has he, like me, with long obedience strove
To conquer your difdain, and merit love?
Has he with transport every smile ador'd,
And dy'd with grief at each ungentle word?
Ah, no! the conqueft was obtain'd with ease:
He pleas'd you, by not studying to please:
His careless indolence your pride alarm'd;
And had he lov'd you more, he lefs had charm'd.
3

O pain

O pain to think, another fhall poffefs
Those balmy lips which I was wont to press:
Another on her panting breast shall lie,

And catch fweet madness from her swimming eye!
I saw their friendly flocks together feed,`

I saw them hand in hand walk o'er the mead;
Would my clos'd eyes had funk in endless night,
Ere I was doom'd to bear that hateful fight!
Where'er they pafs'd be blasted every flow'r,
And hungry wolves their helpless flocks devour!--
Ah wretched fwain ! could no examples move
Thy heedlefs heart to fhun the rage of Love?
Haft thou not heard how poor * Menalcas dy'd
A victim to Parthenia's fatal pride?

Dear was the youth to all the tuneful plain,
Lov'd by the nymphs, by Phoebus lov'd in vain :
Around his tomb their tears the Mufes paid,
And all things mourn'd but the relentless maid.
Would I could die like him, and be at peace,
These torments in the quiet grave would cease;
There my vex'd thoughts a calm repofe would find,
And reft as if my Delia ftill were kind.

No, let me live her falfhood to upbraid;

Some god perhaps my juft revenge will aid.-
Alas! what aid, fond fwain, wouldst thou receive?
Could thy heart bear to see its Delia grieve?

*See Mr. GAY's Dione,

Protect