Scud through the air; their fancy represents His mortal talons, and his ravenous beak Destructive; glad to shun his hostile gripe, They quit their thefts, and unfrequent the fields. SWINE TO BE KEPT FROM TREES. Besides, the filthy swine will oft invade The noxious herd, and print upon their ears SNAILS IN THE ORCHARD. The flagrant Procyon will not fail to bring Large shoals of slow, house-bearing snails, that creep O'er the ripe fruitage, paring slimy tracts In the sleek rinds, and unpressed cider drink. No art averts this pest; on thee it lies, With morning and with evening hand, to rid The preying reptiles; nor, if wise, wilt thou Decline this labor, which itself rewards With pleasing gain, whilst the warm limbec draws Salubrious waters from the nocent brood. WASPS ON APPLE-TREES. Myriads of wasps now also clustering hang, And drain a spurious honey from thy groves, Their winter food; though oft repulsed, again They rally, undismayed: but fraud with ease Ensnares the noisome swarms; let every bough Bear frequent vials, pregnant with the dregs Of Moyle, or Mum, or treacle's viscous juice; They, by the alluring odor drawn, in haste Fly to the dulcet cates, and, crowding, sip Their palatable bane; joyful thou 'It see The clammy surface all o'erstrewn with tribes Of greedy insects, that, with fruitless toil, Flap filmy pennons oft, to extricate Their feet, in liquid shackles bound, till death Bereave them of their worthless souls: such doom Waits luxury, and lawless love of gain! HOT AND WORMS IN APPLES.MILITARY MINES. Howe'er thou mayst forbid external force, Intestine evils will prevail; damp airs, And rainy winters, to the centre pierce Of firmest fruits, and by unseen decay The proper relish vitiate then the grub Oft unobserved invades the vital core, Pernicious tenant, and her secret cave Enlarges hourly, preying on the pulp Ceaseless; meanwhile the apple's outward form Delectable the witless swain beguiles, Till, with a writhen mouth, and spattering noise, He tastes the bitter morsel, and rejects Disrelished; not with the less surprise, than when Embattled troops with flowing banners pass Through flowery meads delighted, nor distrust The smiling surface; whilst the caverned ground, With grain incentive stored, by sudden blaze Bursts fatal, and involves the hopes of war In fiery whirls; full of victorious thoughts, Torn and dismembered, they aloft expire. CHOICE VARIETIES OF THE APPLE; THE GROVES OF ALCINOUS: THE PIPPIN MOILE; PERMAIN; OTTLEY; ELIOT; JOHNAPPLE; HARVEY; THRIFT; CODLING; POMROY; RUSSET; CAT'S-HEAD. Now turn thine eye to view Alcinous' Groves, The pride of the Phæacian isle, from whence, Sailing the spaces of the boundless deep, To Ariconium precious fruits arrived: The Pippin burnished o'er with gold, the Moile Of sweetest honeyed taste, the fair Permain, Tempered, like comeliest nymph, with red and white. Salopian acres flourish with a growth Peculiar, styled the Ottley: be thou first This apple to transplant; if to the name Its merit answers, nowhere shalt thou find A wine more prized, or laudable of taste. Nor does the Eliot least deserve thy care, Nor John-apple, whose withered rind, intrenched With many a furrow, aptly represents Decrepid age; nor that from Harvey named, Quick-relishing: why should we sing the Thrift, Codling, or Pomroy, or of pimpled coat The Russet, or the Cat's-head's weighty orb, Enormous in its growth; for various use Though these are meet, though after full repast Are oft required, and crown the rich dessert? PEAR-TREES A GOOD SHELTER; CHOICE PEAR-TREES; THE BOSBURY. What though the pear-tree rival not the worth In vain employ their roar, her trunk unmoved Would dread thy praise, and shun the dubious strife. CHOICE APPLE-TREES; THE MUSK-APPLE; HISTORY OF THE RED-STREAK. LORD SCUDAMORE. But how with equal numbers shall we match The Musk's surpassing worth! that earliest gives Sure hopes of racy wine, and in its youth, Its tender nonage, loads the spreading boughs With large and juicy offspring, that defies The vernal nippings, and cold sideral blasts! Yet let her to the Red-streak yield, that once Was of the sylvan kind, uncivilized, Of no regard, till Scudamore's skilful hand Improved her, and by courtly discipline Taught her the savage nature to forget: Hence styled the Scudamorean plant; whose wine Whoever tastes, let him with grateful heart THE RED-STREAK APPLE THE BEST OF APPLES; ITS PRAISE. Let every tree in every garden own All other fields ! Heaven's sweetest blessing, hail! PRAISE OF HEREFORDSHIRE ; ITS PRODUCTS; MEADOWS, WHEAT, HOPS, BARLEY, ALE, APPLES. Nor let the Rhodian, nor the Lesbian vines, Vaunt their rich must, nor let Tokay contend For sovereignty; Phanæus' self must bow To the Ariconian vales and shall we doubt To improve our vegetable wealth, or let The soil lie idle, which, with fit manure, Will largest usury repay, alone Empowered to supply what nature asks Frugal, or what nice appetite requires? The meadows here, with battening ooze enriched, Give spirit to the grass; three cubits high The jointed herbage shoots; the unfallowed glebe Yearly o'ercomes the granaries with store Of golden wheat, the strength of human life. Lo, on auxiliary poles, the hops, Ascending spiral, ranged in meet array! Lo, how the arable with barley grain Stands thick, o'ershadowed, to the thirsty hind Transporting prospect! These, as modern use Ordains, infused, an auburn drink compose, Wholesome, of deathless fame. Here, to the sight, Apples of price, and plenteous sheaves of corn, Oft interlaced occur, and both imbibe Fitting congenial juice; so rich the soil, So much does fructuous moisture o'er-abound! SCENERY OF WEST-ENGLAND. THE BRITISH OAK, IRON, WOOL, SAFFRON. Nor are the hills unamiable, whose tops To heaven aspire, affording prospect sweet To human ken; nor at their feet the vales Descending gently, where the lowing herd Chews verdurous pasture; nor the yellow fields Gayly interchanged, with rich variety," Pleasing, as when an emerald green, enchased In flamy gold, from the bright mass acquires A nobler hue, more delicate to sight. Next add the sylvan shades, and silent groves, Haunt of the Druids, whence the hearth is fed With copious fuel; whence the sturdy oak, A prince's refuge once, the eternal guard Of England's throne, by sweating peasants felled, Stems the vast main, and bears tremendous war To distant nations, or with sovereign sway Awes the divided world to peace and love. Why should the Chalybes or Bilboa boast Their hardened iron; when our mines produce As perfect martial ore? Can Tmolus' head Vie with our saffron odors? or the fleece Bætic, or finest Tarentine, compare With Lemster's silken wool? THE MEN OF WEST-ENGLAND; THE SILURES TRIBE; BRYDGES; THE CHANDOS FAMILY. Where shall we find Men more undaunted, for their country's weal More prodigal of life? In ancient days, The Roman legions and great Cæsar found Our fathers no mean foes and Cressy plains, And Agincourt, deep-tinged with blood, confess What the Silures' vigor unwithstood Could do in rigid fight; and chiefly what Brydges' wide-wasting hand, first gartered knight, Puissant author of great Chandos' stem, High Chandos, that transmits paternal worth, Prudence, and ancient prowess, and renown, To his noble offspring. O thrice happy peer! That, blest with hoary vigor, view'st thyself Fresh blooming in thy generous son; whose lips, Flowing with nervous eloquence exact, Charm the wise senate, and attention win In deepest councils: Ariconium, pleased, Him, as her chosen worthy, first salutes. Him on the Iberian, on the Gallic shore, Him hardy Britons bless; his faithful hand Conveys new courage from afar, nor more The general's conduct than his care avails. THE CECIL FAMILY; ALTERENNIS; ALDRICH; BURLEIGH; HANMER; BROMLEY; WINTON. Thee also, glorious branch of Cecil's line, This country claims; with pride and joy to thee Thy Alterennis calls: yet she endures Patient thy absence, since thy prudent choice Has fixed thee in the muse's fairest seat, Where Aldrich reigns, and from his endless store Of universal knowledge still supplies His noble care; he generous thoughts instils Of true nobility, their country's love Shalt grace this isle, and rise to Burleigh's fame. THE BEAUFORT FAMILY. Muse, raise thy voice to Beaufort's spotless fame, To Beaufort, in a long descent derived From royal ancestry, of kingly rights Faithful asserters: in him centring meet Their glorious virtues, high desert from pride Disjoined, unshaken honor, and contempt Of strong allurements. O, illustrious prince! O, thou of ancient faith! Exulting, thee In her fair list this happy land inrolls. THE EARL OF WEYMOUTH. Who can refuse a tributary verse To Weymouth, firmest friend of slighted worth Of daily guests; whose board, with plenty crowned, In acts of secret goodness, shuns the praise, ROBERT HARLEY. But who is he, that on the winding stream Of Vaga first drew vital breath, and now Approved in Anna's secret councils sits, Weighing the sum of things, with wise forecast Solicitous of public good? How large His mind, that comprehends whate'er was known To old, or present time; yet not elate, Not conscious of its skill? What praise deserves His liberal hand, that gathers but to give, Preventing suit? O, not unthankful muse, Him lowly reverence, that first deigned to hear Thy pipe, and screened thee from opprobrious tongues. Acknowledge thy own Harley, and his name Inscribe on every bark; the wounded plants Will fast increase, faster thy just respect. THE WOMEN OF HEREFORD. Such are our heroes, by their virtues known, Or skill in peace and war of softer mould, 1 Advantageous. The female sex, with sweet attractive airs, Catch sudden love, and sigh for nymphs unknown, WOMAN'S LOVE AND WOMAN'S FRIENDSHIP. A friend, with whom I mutually may share THE LADY TREVOR; THE AUTHOR'S FRIEND IN SICKNESS. Indelible a grateful sense remain Of favors undeserved!-0 thou! from whom I now had wandered; and these empty thoughts THE SYCOPHANT AND HYPOCRITE DENOUNCED. Let me be grateful, but let far from me In courts and gilded roofs. Some loose the bands Of ancient friendship, cancel Nature's laws By lucre swayed, and act the basest things THE HONEST MAN DESCRIBED; HIS PEACE. THE EMPLOYMENTS OF THE VIRTUOUS MAN; DOING GOOD, When Chanticleer, with clarion shrill, recalls Ben'fit the human race or else his thoughts Of good, and just, and meet, and the wholesome rules VIRGIL'S LIFE; HOMER'S, SPENSER'S, MILTON'S. And how to improve his grounds, and how himself: Best poet! fit exemplar for the tribe Of Phoebus, nor less fit Mæonides, Poor, eyeless pilgrim! and if after these, BOOK II. ADDRESS TO THE EARL OF HARCOURT, ABSENT IN ITALY. O Harcourt, whom the ingenuous love of arts Tibur, and Tusculum, or Virgil's urn DEDICATION TO HARCOURT. — CIDER. Meanwhile (although the Massic grape delights, Pregnant of racy juice, and Formian hills Temper thy cups, yet) wilt not thou reject Thy native liquors: lo! for thee my mill Now grinds choice apples, and the British vats O'erflow with generous cider; far remote Accept this labor, nor despise the muse, That, passing lands and seas, on thee attends. THE CIDER-CROP PRECARIOUS. Thus far of trees: the pleasing task remains, To sing of wines, and Autumn's blest increase. The effects of art are shown, yet what avails With tasteless water wash thy droughty throat. AUTUMNAL FRUITS. A thousand accidents the farmer's hopes Berries, and sky-dyed plums, and what in coat And the pine's tasteful apple: Autumn paints APPLE-GATHERING. Inclement Winter dwells THE CIDER-MILL; HOW TO MAKE IT; THE STRAINER. 385 Rounding, capacious of the juicy horde. BLIND BAYARD IN THE HORSE-MILL. Be cautious next a proper steed to find, HOW TO DISPOSE OF THE APPLE-CHEESE; FOR A SECOND Some, when the press, by utmost vigor screwed, The ponderous engine. Water will imbibe HOW TO DISPOSE OF WINDFALLS. THE ONE-ACRE ORCHARD. The tender apples, from their parents rent, Till the damp Libyan wind, with tempests armed His cider-grove : o'erturned by furious blasts, Nor curse his stars; but, prudent, his fallen heaps CIDER NOT TO BE ADULTERATED, NOR FORCED BY BOILING. |