205 Alike reserved to blame, or to commend, PART FOURTH THOMSON TO TENNYSON Cir. 1730-Cir. 1830 James Thomson 1700-1748 SPRING (1728) (From The Seasons) Come, gentle Spring, etherial mildness, come, And see where surly Winter passes off, The mountains lift their green heads to the sky. And Winter oft at eve resumes the breeze, 20 Chills the pale morn, and bids his driving sleets Deform the day delightless; so that scarce The bittern knows his time, with bill engulf'd To shake the sounding marsh; or from the shore The plovers when to scatter o'er the heath, 25 And sing their wild notes to the listening waste. At last from Aries rolls the bounteous Sun, And the bright Bull receives him. Then no more Th' expansive atmosphere is cramp'd with cold; But, full of life and vivifying soul, 30 Lifts the light clouds sublime, and spreads them thin, Fleecy and white, o'er all-surrounding heaven. 35 Relenting Nature, and his lusty steers Drives from their stalls, to where the well-us'd Lies in the furrow, loosen'd from the frost. They lend their shoulder, and begin their toil, 40 Cheer'd by the simple song and soaring lark. Meanwhile incumbent o'er the shining share The master leans, removes th' obstructing clay, Winds the whole work, and sidelong lays the glebe. While thro' the neighb'ring fields the sower stalks, 45 With measur'd step; and liberal throws the grain Into the faithful bosom of the ground: The harrow follows harsh, and shuts the scene. Be gracious, Heaven! for now laborious Man Has done his part. Ye fostering breezes, blow! 50 Ye softening dews, ye tender showers, descend! And temper all, thou world-reviving sun, Into the perfect year! Nor ye who live In luxury and ease, in pomp and pride, Think these lost themes unworthy of your ear: 55 Such themes as these the rural Maro sung To wide imperial Rome, in the full height Have held the scale of empire, rul'd the storm 65 The plough, and greatly independent, scorn'd Ye generous Britons, venerate the plough; And o'er your hills, and long-withdrawing vales, Let Autumn spread his treasures to the sun, 70 Luxuriant and unbounded: as the Sea, Far thro' his azure turbulent domain, Your empire owns, and from a thousand shores Wafts all the pomp of life into your ports; So with superior boon may your rich soil, 75 Exuberant, Nature's better blessings pour O'er every land, the naked nations clothe, And be th' exhaustless granary of a world! From the moist meadow to the wither'd hill, Led by the breeze, the vivid verdure runs And swells, and deepens, to the cherish'd eye. 90 The hawthorn whitens; and the juicy groves Put forth their buds, unfolding by degrees, . Till the whole leafy forest stands display'd, In full luxuriance to the sighing gales; Where the deer rustle through the twining brake. 95 And the birds sing conceal'd. At once array'd In all the colours of the flushing year, By Nature's swift and secret-working hand, 100 Lies yet a little embryo, unperceiv'd, |