Tis fear's half brother, of refembling face,
But fix'd, unwavering, and bound down to place:
Earneft, alarmful gaze, intently keen,

Notes the weigh'd object -yet, diftrufts it, feen;
As in pale churchyards, gleam'd by filent night,
Shou'd fome crofs'd fpectre fhade the moon's dim
light,

Shudd'ry, the back'ning blood, revolving fwift,
Cloggs the prefs'd heart ftretch'd fibres fail to

lift:

Loft, in doubt's hard'ning froft - ftopt motion lies,
While fenfe climbs, gradual, to the ftraining eyes.

ป

Dyer.

Dyer.

Dyer.

Glücklicher noch in der beschreibenden, als in der ciz gentlichen didaktischen Dichtungsart war John Dyer, geb. 1700, geft. 1758. Das größte seiner Gedichte ist indeß von der leztern Gattung, und hat die Ueberschrift: The Fleece, øder, die wolle. Es besteht aus vier Büchern, woyon das erste die Schafzucht und Schafschur, das zweite die Gewin nung und Zubercitung der Wolle, das dritte das Verfahren beim Weben und Färben derselben, und das vierte den en glischen Wollhandel zum Inhalt hat. Die Wahl dieses Gegenstandes war nicht allzu glücklich, und konute bloß für seiz ne Nation durch den Umstand, daß der Wolhandel eins ih; rer vornehmsten Gewerbe ist, einiges Interesse gewinnen. Der Dichter wußte indeß seinen Gegenstand durch Hülfe sei: ner bilderreichen Phantasie, und durch einige ganz angenehme Episoden, stellenweise zu beleben; nur dem Ganzen manz gelt es'doch an lebhaft anziehender Kraft; wovon aber freis lich die Schuld mehr dem Subjekt, als dem Dichter beizus messen ist. Zur Probe gebe ich hier den Schluß des ersten Gesanges, worin die Freuden und festlichen Gebräuche bei der Schafschur, besonders in Wales, und am Ufer des Flußses Severn, geschildert werden. Vergl. Dusch's Briefe, Th. I. 10. 11.

THE FLEECE, B. I. v. 555. M.

Now, jolly Swains! the harveft of your cares
Prepare to resp, and feek the founding caves
Of high Brigantium, *) where, by ruddy flames,
Vulcan's strong fons, with nervous arm, around
The fteady anvil and the glaring mafs

Clat

the forges of Sheffield, in

*) The caves of Brigantium

-

Yorkshire, where the fhepherds' fheers, and all edge

tools, are made.

Dyer.

Clatter their heavy hammers down by turns,
Flatt'ning the fteel: from their rough hands re-
ceive

The fharpen'd inftrument that from the flock.
Severs the Fleece. If verdant elder spreads
Her filver flowr's; if humble daifies yield
To yellow crow-foot, and luxuriant grafs
Gay fhearing time approaches. First, howe'er
Drive to the double fold, upon the brim
Of a clear river, gently drive the flock

And plunge them one by one into the flood.
Plung'd in the flood, not long the ftruggler finks,
With his white flakes that gliften thro' the tide;
The sturdy ruftic, in the middle wave,
Awaits to feize him rifing; one arme bears
His lifted head- above the limpid ftream,
While the full clammy Fleece the other laves
Around, laborious, with repeated toil;
And then refigns him to the funny bank,

Where, bleating loud, he shakes his dripping
locks.

Shear them the fourth or fifth return of morn
Left touch of bufy fly-blows wound their fkin.
Thy peaceful fubjects without murmur yield
Their yearly tribute: 'tis the prudent part
To cherish and be gentle, while ye ftrip
The downy vefture from their tender fides.
Prefs not too clofe; with caution turn the points,
And from the head in regular rounds proceed:
But speedy, when ye chance to wound, with

tar

Prevent the wingy fwarm and fcorching heat;
And careful houfe them, if the low ring clouds
Mingle their ftores tumultuous: thro' the gloom
Then thunder oft' with pond'rous wheels rolls
loud

And breaks the cryftal urns of heav'n; adown
Falls ftreaming rain. Sometimes among the fteeps
Of Cambrian glades (pity the Cambrian giades!)
Faft tumbling brooks on brooks enormous swell

Beifp. Samml. 3. B. “

And.

Dyer.

And fudden overwhelm their vanifh'd fields:
Down with the flood away the naked fheep
Bleating in vain, are borne, and ftraw-built
huts,'

And rifted trees, and heavy enormous rocks
Down with the rapid torrent to the deep.
At fhearing time along the lively vales
Rural feftivities are often heard;

Beneath each blooming arbour all is joy
And lufty merriment. While on the grafs
The mingled youth in gaudy circles fport,
We think the Golden Age again return'd,
And all the fabled Dryades in dance:

Leering they bound along, with laughing air
To the fhrill pipe, and deep-remurm'ring cords
Of th' ancient harp or tabor's hollow found,
While th' old apart, upon a bank reclin'd,
Attend the tuneful carol, foftly mix'd
With every murmur of the ftiding wave,
And every
warble of the feather'd choir,

Mufic of Paradife! which still is heard
When the heart liftens, ftill the views appear
Of the first happy garden, when Content
To Nature's flowery scenes directs the fight.
Yet we abandon thofe Elyfian walks,
Then idly for the loft delight repine;
As greedy mariners, whofe defp'rate fails
Skim o'er the billows of the foamy flood,
Fancy they fee the leffening fhores retire,
And figh a farewell to the finking hills.

Could I recall thofe notes which once the
Mufe

Heard at a fhearing, near the woody fides
Of blue-topp'd Wreakin! *) Yet the carols fweet
Thro' the deep maze of the memorial cell
Faintly remurmur. Firft arofe in fong
Hoar-headed Damon, venerable fwain;

The

*) Wreakin, a high hill in Shropshire.

The footheft fhepherd of the flow'ry vale: This is no vulgar fcene; no palace-roof "Was e'er fo lofty, nor fo nobly rife

"9

"

Their polifh'd pillars as these aged oaks,

Dver.

"Which o'er our Fleecy wealth and harmless fports

"

Thus have expanded wide their fhelt'ring arms
Thrice told an hundred fummers, fweet Con-

tent

"Ye gentle Shepherds! pillow us at night."

"Yes, tuneful Damon, for our cares are short, Rifing and talling with the cheerful day." Colin reply d; and pleafing weariness

"

„Soon our unaching heads to fleep inclines. Is it in cities fo? where, poets tell,

"

The cries of forrow fadden all the streets,
And the difeafes of intemp rate wealth.

Alas! that any ills from wealth fhould rife!

May the fweet nightingale on yonder spray,

"May this clear ftream, thefe lawns, thofe fnowwhite lambs

"Which with a pretty innocence of look

„Skip on the green, and race in little troops;
"May that great lamp which finks behind the hills
And ftreams around variety of lights,

Recall them erring! this is Damon's with."

"Huge Breaden's *) ftony fummit once
I climb'd

After a kidling: Damon, what a scene!

"What various views unnumber'd spread beneath! Woods, tow'rs, vales, caves, dells, cliffs and torrent floods

"

And here and there, between the spiry rocks,
The broad flat fea Far nobler profpects thefe

Than gardens black with smoke in dufty towns
Where ftenchy vapours often blot the fun:

"Yet, flying from his quiet, thither crowds

*) Breaden, a hill on the borders of Montgomeryfhire.