Your progress next the wondering Muse Thro' narrow galleries pursues ;
Where Earth the miner's way to close, Did once the massy rock oppose:
In vain, his daring axe he heaves,
Tow'rds the black vein a passage cleaves : Dissever'd by the nitrous blast,
The stubborn barrier bursts at last. Thus urg'd by Hunger's clamorous call, Incessant Labor conquers all.
In spacious rooms once more You tread, Whose roofs with figures quaint o'erspread_// Wild Nature paints with various dyes, With such as tinge the evening skies.
A different scene to this succeeds: The dreary road abruptly leads Down to the cold and humid caves, Where hissing fall the turbid waves.] Resounding deep thro' glimmering shades The clank of chains your ears invades. Thro' pits profound from distant day, Scarce travels down light's languid ray...... High on huge axis heav'd, above, See balanc'd beams unweary'd move! While pent within the iron womb Of boiling caldrons pants for room, Expanded steam, and shrinks, or swells, As cold-restrains, or heat impells,
And, ready for the vacant space, Incumbent air resumes his place, Depressing with stupendous force
Whate'er resists his downward course. 3 Pumps mov'd by rods from ponderous beams Arrest the unsuspecting streams,
Which soon a sluggish pool would lie ; Then spout them foaming to the sky.
Sagacious Savery! taught by thee Discordant elements agree, Fire, water, air, heat, cold, unite, And listed in one service fight, Pure streams to thirsty cities send, Or deepest mines from floods defend. 40 Man's richest gift thy work will shine; Rome's aquaeducts were poor to thine!
At last the long descent is o'er; Above your heads the billows roar : High o'er your heads they roar in vain ; Not all the surges of the main
The dark recess can e'er disclose,
Rocks heap'd on rocks th' attempt oppose Thrice Dover's cliff from you the tides With interposing roof divides!
From such abyss restor❜d to light, Invade no more the realms of night.
For Heroines it may well suffice Once to have left these azure skies. Heroes themselves, in days of yore, Bold as they were, achiev'd no more. Without a dread descent you may The mines in their effects survey, And with an easy eye look down On that fair port and happy town.
Where late along the naked strand The fisher's cot did lonely stand, And his poor bark unshelter'd lay, Of every swelling surge the prey, Now lofty piers their arms extend, And with their strong embraces bend Round crowded fleets, which safe defy All storms that rend the wintry sky, And bulwarks beyond bulwarks chain The fury of the roaring main.
The peopled vale fair dwellings fill, And length'ning streets ascend the hill; Where Industry, intent to thrive,
Brings all her honey to the hive; Religion strikes with reverent awe, - Example works th' effect of law, And Plenty's flowing cup we see Untainted yet by luxury.
These are the glories of the mine! Creative Commerce, these are thine!
Here while delighted, You impart Delight to every eye and heart; Behold, grown jealous of your stay, Your native stream his charms display, To court you to his banks again; Now wind in wanton waves his train, Now spread into a chrystal plain; Then hid by pendent rocks would steal, But tuneful falls his course reveal,
As down the bending vales he roves 200 Thro' Yanwath woods, and Buckholm's groves; Whose broad o'erspreading boughs beneath Warbling he flows, while Zephyrs breathe.
Here softly swells the spacious lawn, Where bounds the buck, and skips the fawn, Or, couch'd beneath the hawthorn-trees, In dappled groups enjoy the breeze.
Amid yon sunny plain, alone, To patriarchal reverence grown, An oak for many an age has stood 210
Himself a widely waving wood,
While men and herds, with swift decay,
Race after race, have pass'd away.
See still his central trunk sustain
Huge boughs, which round o'erhang the plain,
And hospitable shade inclose,
Where flocks and herbs at ease repose!
There the brown fells ascend the sky,
Below, the green inclosures lie;
Along their sloping sides supine The peaceful villages recline:
On azure roofs bright sun-beams play, And make the meanest dwelling gay. Thus oft the wise all-ruling Mind Is to the lowly cottage kind; Bids there his beams of favor fall, While Sorrow crowds the lofty hall ; That this may fear his awful frown, And grateful that his goodness own.
If, grown familiar to the sight, Lowther itself should less delight, Then change the scene: to Nature's pride, Sweet Keswick's vale, the Muse will guide. The Muse, who trod th' inchanted ground, Who sail'd the wonderous lake around, With You will haste once more to hail The beauteous brook of Borrodale.
From savage parent, gentle stream! Be thou the Muse's favorite theme: O soft insinuating glide
Silent along the meadow's side,
Smooth o'er the sandy bottom pass
Resplendent all thro' fluid glass, Unless upon thy yielding breast Their painted heads the lilies rest,
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