L'ALLEGRO.

H'

ENCE, loathed Melancholy,

Of Cerberus, and blackest Mid-night born,

In Stygian cave forlorn,

'Mongft horrid shapes, and fhrieks, and fights unholy,

Find out fome uncouth cell,

Where brooding Darkness spreads his jealous wings,
And the night-raven fings ;

There under ebon fhades, and low-brow'd rocks,

As ragged as thy locks,

In dark Cimmerian defart ever dwell.

But come thou Goddess fair and free,
In Heav'n yclep'd Euphrofyne,
And by men, heart-easing Mirth,
Whom lovely Venus at a birth
With two fifter Graces more
To ivy-crowned Bacchus bore;
Or whether (as fome Sages fing)

The frolick wind, that breathes the spring,

IQ.

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Zephyr

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ROCUL hinc, O'procul efto informis Agrimonia,

Quam janitori Obfcuritas nigerrima
Sufcepit olim Cerbero,

Desertam in cavea Stygis profundâ,

Horribiles inter formas, vifufque profanos,,

Obfcænofque ululatus,

Incultam licet invenire fedem,

Nox ubi parturiens

Zelotypis furtim nido fuperincubat alis

Queriturque triftis noctua,

Sub denfis illic ebenis fcopulifque cavatis,
Veftri rugofis more fupercilii,

Æternùm maneas Cimmeriâ in domo.

Sed huc propinquet comis et pulcherrima,
Quæ nympha divis audit Ephrofyne choris,
Patiens tamen vocatur a mortalibus
Medicina cordis hilaritas, quam candida
Venus duabus infuper cum Gratiis
Dias Lyæo patri in auras edidit :
Sive ille ventus (cæteri ut Myftæ canunt)
Jccundus aurâ qui ver implet melleâ,

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Zephyrus

Zephyr with Aurora playing,
As he met her once a Maying,
There on beds of violets blue,

And fresh blown rofes wafh'd in dew,
Fill'd her with thee, a daughter fair,

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So buxom, blith, and debonair;

Hafte thee, Nymph, and bring with thee
Jeft and youthful Jollity,

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Quips and cranks, and wanton wiles,

Nods and becks, and wreathed fmiles,

Such as hang on Hebe's cheek,

And love to live in dimple fleek;

Sport, that wrinkled Care derides,
And Laughter holding both his fides;
Come, and trip it, as you go,
On the light fantastic toe :

And in thy right hand lead with thee
The mountain Nymph, fweet Liberty;
And if I give thee honour due,
Mirth, admit me of thy crew,

To live with her, and live with thee,

In unreproved pleasures free;
To hear the lark begin his flight,

And finging startle the dull night,

From his watch-tow'r in the fkies,

Till the dappled dawn doth rife;

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Then

Zephyrus puellam amplexus eft Tithoniam
Quondam calendis fer atam Maiis,
Tunc pallidis genuit fuper violariis,
Super et rofarum roscidâ lanugine,
Alacrem, beatam, vividamque filiam.
Agedum puella, quin pari vadant gradu
Jocus et Juventas, Scommata et Protervitas,
Dolufque duplex, nutus et nictatio,
Tenuifque rifus huc et huc contortilis ;

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Oreadum palantium fuaviffima;

Et, fi tuis honoribus non defui,

Me fcribe veftræ, læta Virgo, familiæ,
Ut illius fimul et tui confortio

Liberrimâ juvenemur innocentiâ;

Ut cum volatus aufpicatur concitos,.

Stupidamque alauda voce noctem territat;
Levata cœleftem in pharon diluculò,

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Priùfque gilvum quam rubet crepufculum.

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Tunc

Then to come in fpight of forrow,

And at my window bid good-morrow,
Thro' the fweet-briar, or the vine,

Or the twifted eglantine :

While the cock with lively din

Scatters the rear of darkness thin;

And to the ftack, or the barn-dcor,

Stoutly ftruts his dames before.

Oft lift'ning how the hounds and horn
Chearly roufe the flumb'ring morn,
From the fide of fome hoar hill,
Thro' the high wood echoing fhrill.
Sometimes walking not unseen

By hedge-row elms, on hillocks green,
Right against the eastern gate,
Where the great fun begins his state,
Rob'd in flames, and amber light,
The clouds in thousand liveries dight.
While the plowman near at hand,
Whiftles o'er the furrow'd land,
And the milkmaid fingeth blithe,
And the mower whets his feythe,
And every fhepherd tells his tale
Under the hawthorn in the dale.

Strait mine eye hath caught new pleafures,
Whilft the landkip round it measures,

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Ruffet