in the person of Henry VII.-The crowns of England and Scotland united in James I.—Act of Union between the two kingdoms.-The power and importance it gives to Britain.

O HARCOURT! whom the' ingenuous love of arts
Has carried from thy native soil beyond
The' eternal alpine snows, and now detains
In Italy's waste realms, how long must we
Lament thy absence? whilst in sweet sojourn
Thou view'st the relics of old Rome, or what
Unrivall❜d authors by their presence made
For ever venerable, rural seats,

Tibur and Tusculum, or Virgil's urn,

Green with immortal bays, which haply thou,
Respecting his great name, dost now approach
With bended knee, and strow with purple flowers,
Unmindful of thy friends, that ill can brook
This long delay. At length, dear youth! return,
Of wit and judgment ripe in blooming years,
And Britain's isle with Latin knowledge grace;
Return, and let thy father's worth excite
Thirst of pre-eminence. See how the cause
Of widows and of orphans he asserts
With winning rhetoric and well-argued law!
Mark well his footsteps, and like him deserve
Thy prince's favour, and thy country's love.
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 labour, nor despise the Muse
That, passing lands and seas, on thee attends.

Thus far of Trees; the pleasing task remains
To sing of Wines and autumn's bless'd increase.
The' effects of art are shown, yet what avails
'Gainst Heaven? oft, notwithstanding all thy care
To help thy plants, when the small fruitery seems
Exempt from ills, an oriental blast

Disastrous flies, soon as the hind fatigued
Unyokes his team; the tender freight, unskill'd
To bear the hot disease, distemper'd pines
In the year's prime! the deadly plague annoys
The wide enclosure: think not vainly now
To treat thy neighbours with mellifluous cups,
Thus disappointed: if thy former years
Exhibit no supplies, alas! thou must
With tasteless water wash thy droughty throat.
A thousand accidents the farmer's hopes
Subvert or check: uncertain all his toil,
Till lusty Autumn's lukewarm days, allay'd
With gentle colds, insensibly confirm
His ripening labours. Autumn to the fruits
Earth's various lap produces, vigour gives
Equal, intenerating milky grain,

Berries, and sky-dyed plums, and what in coat
Rough, or soft rind, or bearded husk or shell,
Fat olives, and pistachio's fragrant nut,
And the pine's tasteful apple: autumn paints
Ausonian hills with grapes, whilst English plains
Blush with pomaceous harvests, breathing sweets.
O let me now, when the kind early dew
Unlocks the' embosom'd odours, walk among
The well-ranged files of trees, whose full-aged stores
Diffuse ambrosial steams, than myrrh or nard

More grateful, or perfuming flowery bean!
Soft whispering airs and the lark's matin song
Then woo to musing, and becalm the mind,
Perplex'd with irksome thoughts. Thrice happy
Best portion of the various year, in which [time,
Nature rejoiceth, smiling on her works

Lovely, to full perfection wrought! But ah!
Short are our joys, and neighbouring griefs disturb
Our pleasant hours! inclement Winter dwells
Contiguous; forthwith frosty blasts deface
The blithsome year: trees of their shrivell'd fruits
Are widow'd, dreary storms o'er all prevail!
Now, now the time, ere hasty suns forbid
To work, disburden thou thy sapless wood
Of its rich progeny: the turgid fruit
Abounds with mellow liquor; now exhort
Thy hinds to exercise the pointed steel
On the hard rock, and give a wheely form
To the expected grinder; now prepare
Materials for thy mill, a sturdy post
Cylindric, to support the grinder's weight
Excessive, and a flexile fallow entrench'd,
Rounding, capacious of the juicy hoard.
Nor must thou not be mindful of thy press,
Long ere the vintage, but with timely care
Shave the goat's shaggy beard, lest thou too late
In vain shouldst seek a strainer, to dispart
The husky terrene dregs from purer must.
Be cautious next a proper steed to find
Whose prime is pass'd; the vigorous horse disdains
Such servile labours; or, if forced, forgets
His past achievements and victorious palms :
Blind Bayard rather, worn with work and years,
Shall roll the' unwieldy stone; with sober pace

He'll tread the circling path, till dewy eve
From early dayspring, pleased to find his age,
Declining, not unuseful to his lord.

Some, when the press by utmost vigour screw'd Has drain'd the pulpous mass, regale their swine With the dry refuse; thou, more wise, shalt steep Thy husks in water, and again employ

The ponderous engine. Water will imbibe
The small remains of spirit, and acquire
A vinous flavour; this the peasants blithe
Will quaff, and whistle as thy tinkling team
They drive, and sing of Fusca's radiant eyes,
Pleased with the medley draught. Nor shalt thou

now

Reject the apple-cheese, though quite exhaust ;
Even now 'twill cherish and improve the roots
Of sickly plants; new vigour hence convey'd,
Will yield an harvest of unusual growth:
Such profit springs from husks discreetly used!
The tender apples from their parents rent
By stormy shocks, must not neglected lie
The prey of worms, A frugal man I knew,
Rich in one barren acre, which subdued
By endless culture, with sufficient must
His casks replenish'd yearly: he no more
Desired nor wanted, diligent to learn
The various seasons, and by skill repel
Invading pests; successful in his cares,
Till the damp Libyan wind, with tempests arm'd
Outrageous, bluster'd horrible amidst

His Cider grove: o'erturn'd by furious blasts,
The sightly ranks fall prostrate, and around
Their fruitage scatter'd, from the genial boughs
Stripp'd immature: yet did he not repine,

Nor curse his stars! but prudent, his fallen heaps
Collecting, cherish'd with the tepid wreaths
Of tedded grass and the sun's mellowing beams,
Rivall'd with artful heats, and thence procured
A costly liquor, by improving time
Equall'd with what the happiest vintage bears.

But this I warn thee, and shall always warn,
No heterogeneous mixtures use, as some
With watery turnips have debased their wines,
Too frugal; nor let the crude humours dance
In heated brass, steaming with fire intense,
Although Devonia much commends the use
Of strengthening Vulcan : with their native strength
Thy wines sufficient other aid refuse,

And when the' allotted orb of time's complete,
Are more commended than the labour'd drinks.
Nor let thy avarice tempt thee to withdraw
The priest's appointed share; with cheerful heart
The tenth of thy increase bestow, and own
Heaven's bounteous goodness; that will sure repay
Thy grateful duty. This neglected, fear
A signal vengeance; such as overtook
A miser, that unjustly once withheld
The clergy's due: relying on himself,
His fields he tended with successless care
Early and late, when or unwish'd-for rain
Descended, or unseasonable frosts
Curb'd his increasing hopes, or when around
The clouds dropp'd fatness, in the middle sky
The dew suspended staid, and left unmoist
His execrable glebe. Recording this,
Be just and wise; and tremble to transgress.
Learn now the promise of the coming year
To know, that by no flattering signs abused