Chapter XIX

He ceas’d;—the Nymph her task forsook,
And still together bloom
The beautous Tree, and fragrant Flow’rs,
Whence ZEPHYRS steal perfume.

FABLE XXVI.

The COCK’S COMB and SWEET WILLIAM.

I.

High rose the Sun, the fleeting hours
Verg’d tow’rds meridian height,
And all around the glitt’ring scene
Was lost in floods of light.

II.

The flocks and herds, that graz’d awhile,
Now left the sunny glade;
And in the stream their fervour cool’d,
Or sought the shelt’ring shade.

III.

Beneath a high projected fence,
At this irradiate hour,
The sweet _Dianthus_[25] humbly blew,
A solitary Flow’r.

[25] Another name for Sweet William.

IV.

But where a thousand mingling sweets
Diffus’d a rich perfume;
The gaudy COCK’S COMB, idly vain,
Appear’d in all its bloom.

V.

And “Matchless excellence!” he cry’d,
“With ME what can compare?
“The sweetest of the vernal train
“Were never half so fair.

VI.

“My crested head erect I rear,
“And bloom with matchless grace;
“The brightest hue my leaves adorns,
“Of all the flow’ry race.

VII.

“Nay, to immortal pow’rs a-kin,
“Descent from Heav’n I claim[26];
“And from eternal-blooming Flow’rs
“Derive my honour’d name.”

[26] This Flower is a kind of Bastard Amaranth.

VIII.

I view’d the Plant, its form admir’d;
When a more modest Flow’r
Engag’d my eye, where soft it rose
Within its lonely bow’r.

IX.

“Sweet tribes, (he sang,) fair FLORA’S care,
“What beauties you display!
“My breast expands with social joy
“To see your bright array.

X.

“To _me_, the last of flow’rets, give,
“Within this pale to grow:
“And give the west winds gentle breath
“O’er this my bed to blow.”

XI.

He spoke—the pow’rs indulgent heard,
Soft ZEPHYRS fann’d the trees;
And o’er his humble earthy bed
Diffus’d a gentle breeze.

XII.

Smit with the fragrance of the scent
The winds rejoicing bore;
I own’d the pow’r of modest worth,
Whose rival charm’d no more[27].

XIII.

Say, Fair-ones, is the Moral plain,
In easy Fable drest?
It is but this—_To Merit true,_
_Throw Coxcombs from your breast_.

[27] The Cock’s Comb being a gaudy Flower, without any agreeable smell to recommend it.

FABLE XXVII.

The JASMINE and HEMLOCK.

I.

Tow’ring aloft, a JASMINE sweet
In a rich garden stood;
And thence, nurs’d by wild Nature’s care,
The neighb’ring HEMLOCK view’d.

II.

High o’er the pale the angry flow’r
Rear’d her affronted head;
And, glowing in her vernal bloom,
She thus contemptuous said:

III.

“Say, worse than Aconite, pernicious weed!
“How dar’st thou here to grow;
“And thy detested head advance,
“Near where my blossoms blow?”

IV.

The angry HEMLOCK strait reply’d,
“Thou proud insulting thing!
“Vain is thy pride, and vain thy boast,
“Though deck’d by gaudy Spring.

V.

“Thou, in the blooming garden plac’d,
“May’st please the roving eye.
“I in some field or secret shade
“My useful aid supply.

VI.

“Nay, scornful flow’r! what I declare,
“Great Nature’s self will own:
“Ordaining all things fair and good,
“When once their use is known.

VII.

“Go ask of genial BACCHUS’ tree,
“Where purple clusters glow;
“(Whose juice produces gen’rous wine,
“The balm of human woe.)

VIII.

“Go ask what various ills attend,
“That precious balm’s abuse:
“Ills that too surely ev’n exceed
“Those of my baneful juice.

IX.

“Yet baneful _where_? when _mis-apply’d_;
“So is each blessing too.
“This lesson learn, and know thyself;
“Nor rob me of my due.

X.

“Me the grave Leech, who, greatly wise,
“Turns Nature’s volume o’er,
“Oft snatches from my low abode,
“And places in his store.

XI.

“There, amongst health-bestowing plants,
“He ranks my honour’d name;
“And, whilst he well employs _my_ pow’rs,
“Exalts _himself_ to fame.

XII.

“Thus death and life alike are _mine_,
“Neither to _thee_ belong:
“Though oft’ by poets most admir’d,
“The theme of idle song.

XIII.

“Be thou so still; but ne’er despise
“Those gifts thou canst not share:
“But keep this maxim in thy heart,
“_The_ USEFUL _is the_ FAIR.”

XIV.

She said—abash’d the JASMINE heard,
And hung her drooping head;
She saw, _That_ NATURE’S _works were good_,
And all her Boasting fled.

FABLE XXVIII.

The CARNATION and SOUTHERNWOOD.

I.

Rich in a thousand beauteous dyes,
The sweet CARNATION stood;
While with a proud disdainful eye
The SOUTHERNWOOD she view’d.

II.

“Great is thy Pride,” the flow’r exclaim’d,
“To place thee near my side;
“For ev’n to grow in this retreat,
“Argues thy matchless pride.

III.

“Say, what art thou, thyself no flow’r,
“That dar’st intrude thee here;
“’Midst plants fit for a prince’s bow’r,
“Flow’rs fit for kings to wear?

IV.

“Whate’er I am,” the Plant reply’d,
“My post I well maintain;
“And chearful lend my needful aid,
“Where thine, alas! were vain.

V.

“Say, could thy flow’rs of brightest dye
“_Infection’s_ force withstand?
“Ah! what could all thy beauties do,
“If plagues laid waste the land?

VI.

“Mean as I am, the task is mine,
“To purge th’ unwholesome air;
“To clear the brain, the blood refine,
“And seat HYGEIA[28] there.

[28] The Goddess of Health.

VII.

“Nay farther still;—thyself shalt own
“How oft’ I’m join’d with thee;
“And thy bright blossoms brighter bloom,
“Because they’re plac’d by me.

VIII.

“Are not the _various tints_, which deck
“This scene, the Florist’s pride?
“ME then, imperious! venerate
“For pow’rs to thee deny’d.—

IX.

“Say, if each warbler of the grove
“Should chuse the self-same strain;
“Would the tir’d ear the concert please,
“Or wish to hear again?

X.

“Nature, who made us what we are,
“Did diff’rent gifts impart;
“And gave to all their portion due
“Of her all-plastic art.

XI.

“Contented then in diff’rent spheres
“Unenvying let us move:
“For this must still most grateful be
“To THOSE who rule above.

XII.

“_Me_ let _thy_ sweetest fragrance grace,
“Ev’n from the early May;
“And _thee_ will _I_ in gardens fair
“With sov’reign balm repay.

XIII.

“For, thus united while we stand,
“We need to ask no more;
“While mutually we take and give,
“We double all our _store_.”

XIV.

Prudent she said;—her rival, pleas’d,
Adopts the smelling green;
And one for _Use_, and one for _Show_,
Together now are seen.

XV.

Learn hence, _That various talents giv’n_
_Mean variously to bless:_
_And thus on mutual wants kind Heav’n_
_Builds mutual Happiness_.

FABLE XXIX.

The ROSEMARY and FIELD FLOWER.

I.

Upon the fam’d HYPANIS’ banks,
By chance, in days of yore,
A tuft of Rosemary there grew,
Which scented all the shore.

II.

And near at hand a Field-flow’r rear
Its variegated head;
And view’d full many a spacious track,
With dreary desarts spread.

III.

But where the river roll’d its stream,
Unnumber’d insects swarm’d;
Which rose in myriads into life,
By PHŒBUS’ influence warm’d[29].

[29] On the banks of the river Hypanis, there is a sort of insect, whose life is said only to extend from the rising to the setting of the sun.

IV.

The same revolving day that saw
Their scene of life begun,
Beheld them sink to dust again,
With the declining sun.

V.

And one of these, at noon-tide hour,
(The hardiest of his race)
Urg’d to the Field-flow’r bright and gay
His quick and eager pace.

VI.

But when no fragrant scent he found
In that same flow’r so bright;
He to the sweeter Rosemary
Immediate urg’d his flight.

VII.

The _lasting_ aromatic plant,
His speed with wonder view’d;
Advis’d him other flow’rs to seek,
Nor on her spot intrude.

VIII.

“And how can I for _thee_ (she said)
“My happier pow’rs display,
“Or with my lasting flow’r support
“The insect of a day?

IX.

“Sure Nature form’d thy race in sport,
“Continual to destroy;
“Nor ever meant thy race to taste
“One pure, substantial joy.”

X.

“Not so,” the wiser Insect cry’d,
“My high descent I claim
“From PHŒBUS’ self—you cannot more,
“Nor wish a higher name.

XI.

“What if to me a shorter date
“By Nature’s law is giv’n;
“Each moment that I live, _t’ enjoy_,
“Is all I ask of Heav’n.

XII.

“Beneath the Mushroom’s spacious shade,
“Or in the mossy bow’r,
“Or still at noon as _now_ reclin’d,
“Beneath some fragrant flow’r.

XIII.

“Know, that as much of life I trace
“In one revolving sun;
“As yonder herds, whose destin’d course
“Full many an age has run.

XIV.

“For equal are great Nature’s gifts,
“And but an idle dream;
“The boast of time, which glides away
“Swift as the passing stream.

XV.

“Well to employ the present hour,
“Sweet plant, be ever thine;
“LIFE’S little day, _when once elaps’d_,
“_Shall seem as short as_ MINE.”

FABLE XXX.

The JUDGEMENT of FLOWERS.