The Seasons, and Castle of Indolence

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1838 edition. Excerpt: ...man's best delight to make; And by submissive wisdom, modest skill, With every gentle care-eluding art, To raise the virtues, animate the bliss, And sweeten all the toils of human life: This be the female dignity and praise. Ye swains, now hasten to the hazel bank, Where, down yon dale, the wildly-winding brook Falls hoarse from steep to steep. In close array, Fit for the thickets and the tangling shrub, Ye virgins, come. For you their latest song The woodlands raise; the clustering nuts for you The lover finds amid the secret shade; And, where they burnish on the topmost bough, With active vigour crushes down the tree; Or shakes them ripe from the resigning husk, A glossy shower, and of an ardent brown, As are the ringlets of Melinda's hair: Melinda! formed with every grace complete; Yet these neglecting, above beauty wise, And far transcending such a vulgar praise. Hence from the busy joy-resounding fields, In cheerful error, let us tread the maze Of Autumn, unconfined; and taste, revived, The breath of orchard big with bending fruit; Obedient to the breeze and beating ray, From the deep-loaded bough a mellow shower Incessant melts away. The juicy pear Lies, in a soft profusion, scattered round. A various sweetness swells the gentle race, By Nature's all-refining hand prepared; Of tempered sun, and water, earth, and air, In ever-changing composition mixed. Such, falling frequent through the chiller night, The fragrant stores, the wide-projected heaps Of apples, which the lusty-handed Year, Innumerous, o'er the blushing orchard shakes. A various spirit, fresh, delicious, keen, Dwells in their gelid pores; and, active, points The piercing cider for the thirsty tongue: Thy native theme, and boon inspirer too, Philips, Pomona's bard, the...