SELECT POE M S.

HEALTH.

AN ECLOGUE.

BY PARNELL.

Now early shepherds o'er the meadows pafs,
And print long footsteps on the glitt'ring grafs;
The cows, neglectful of their pafture, stand,
By turns obfequious to the milker's hand.

When Damon foftly trod the fhaven lawn,
Damon a youth from city cares withdrawn ;
Long was the pleasing walk he wander'd through,
A cover'd arbour clos'd the diftant view;

There refts the youth, and, while the feather'd throng Raise their wild mufic, thus contrives a fong.

Here, wafted o'er by mild Etefian air, Thou country Goddefs, beauteous Health! repair, Here let my breast through quiv'ring trees inhale Thy rofy bleffings with the morning gale. What are the fields, or flow'rs, or all I fee? Ah! taftelefs all, if not enjoy'd with thee.

A

Joy to my foul! I feel the goddefs nigh, The face of nature cheers as well as I; O'er the flat green refreshing breezes run, The fmiling daifies blow beneath the fun, The brooks run purling down with filver waves, The planted lanes rejoice with dancing leaves, The chirping birds from all the compass rove To tempt the tuneful echoes of the grove: High funny fummits, deeply fhaded dales, Thick moffy banks, and flow'ry winding vales, With various prospects gratify the fight, And scatter fix'd attention in delight.

Come, country Goddefs, come, nor thou fuffice,
But bring thy mountain fifter, Exercise :
Call'd by thy lovely voice, the turns her pace,
Her winding horn proclaims the finish'd chace;
She mounts the rocks, she skims the level plain,
Dogs, hawks and horses, crowd her early train:
Her hardy face repels the tanning wind,
And lines and meshes loosely float behind.
All these as means of toil the feeble fee,

But these are helps to pleasure join'd with thee.
Let floth lie foft'ning 'till high noon in down,
Or lolling fan her in the fultry town,

Unnerv'd with reft; and turn her own disease,
Or fofter others in luxurious ease:

I mount the courfer, call the deep-mouth'd hounds,
The fox unkennell'd flies to covert grounds;

I lead where ftags through tangled thickets tread,
And shake the saplings with their branching head;
I make the falcons wing their airy way,

And foar to seize, or stooping strike their prey;
To fnare the fish I fix the luring bait;

To wound the fowl I load the gun with fate.
'Tis thus through change of exercise I range,
And strength and pleasure rise from ev'ry change.
Here beauteous Health for all the year remain,
When the next comes, I'll charm thee thus again,
Oh come, thou Goddess of my rural fong!
And bring thy daughter, calm Content, along;
Dame of thy ruddy cheek and laughing eye,
From whose bright presence clouds of forrow fly:
For her I mow my walks, I plat my bow'rs,
Clip my low hedges, and fupport my flow'rs;
To welcome her, this summer-feat I dreft,
And here I court her when the comes to rest;
When the from exercise to learned ease
Shall change again, and teach the change to please.
Now friends converfing my soft hours refine,

And Tully's Tufculum revives in mine:

Now to grave books I bid the mind retreat,
And fuch as make me rather good than great.
Or o'er the works of eafy fancy rove,
Where flutes and innocence amuse the grove:
The native bard that on Sicilian plains
First fung the lowly manners of the swains;

H