FABLE II.The ALOE inBlossom.
I.“FROMwarmer climates early borne,“Where beams the god of light;“How gaily blooms yon lofty plant,“In native colours bright!II.“The root, the plant, the leaf, the flow’r,“Alike our wonder raise;“And all confess the fragrant stock,“Renown’d in ancient days.III.“Some say, but one revolving age“Beholds thy beauties spread;“And rear aloft to genial suns“Its highly blooming head.IV.“But thou, like Merit, kindly nurs’d,“An early spring wilt know;“While, check’d by rigid, frowning skies,“Thy gems forget to glow.V.“Emblem of Genius rarely known,“And still more rarely giv’n;“To reap the good itself imparts,“And share the gifts of Heav’n.VI.“Say, glorious stranger, rear’d erewhile“In distant, sunny lands;“Can either India more bestow,“Than Albion’s isle commands?VII.“In western and in southern climes“Too long hast thou been plac’d;“And India’s sands, and Afric’s wilds,“Thy beauteous presence grac’d.VIII.“Deign then, O sov’reign plant, thy balm,“On this our land bestow;“And give thy flow’rs in all their grace“And lustre here to blow.”—IX.The Guardian Sylph, that watch’d the flow’r,Confess’d before me stood;And shook his bright and sunny locks,And thus my suit withstood:X.“Cease, cease, he cry’d, such boons to ask,“As scarce deserve a name;“While Albion, favour’d from above,“Can greater blessings claim.XI.“Still, still, their gems and spicy store,“Let either India boast;“And Afric vaunt the precious sands,“That glitter on her coast.XII.“Not these, nor all the hidden wealth,“That earth or sea possess;“Can match those richer gifts of heav’n,“Which fair Britannia bless.XIII.“Peace, Freedom, Wealth from farthest shores,“By golden commerce brought;“All these are hers, and ev’ry good,“By happiest nations sought.XIV.“Northisalone; here Genius blooms,“AFlow’rexcellingmine.“Nor asks a whole revolving age,“In glories to refine.XV.“Here too the Fair, with beauty bright,“The hearts of heroes warm;“Thosehuman blossomsgenial blow,“And put forth ev’ry charm.XVI.“Cease then,nor envy other climes“Their beauties thinly strewn;“But learn with decent pride to prize“The blessings of your own.”
I.“FROMwarmer climates early borne,“Where beams the god of light;“How gaily blooms yon lofty plant,“In native colours bright!II.“The root, the plant, the leaf, the flow’r,“Alike our wonder raise;“And all confess the fragrant stock,“Renown’d in ancient days.III.“Some say, but one revolving age“Beholds thy beauties spread;“And rear aloft to genial suns“Its highly blooming head.IV.“But thou, like Merit, kindly nurs’d,“An early spring wilt know;“While, check’d by rigid, frowning skies,“Thy gems forget to glow.V.“Emblem of Genius rarely known,“And still more rarely giv’n;“To reap the good itself imparts,“And share the gifts of Heav’n.VI.“Say, glorious stranger, rear’d erewhile“In distant, sunny lands;“Can either India more bestow,“Than Albion’s isle commands?VII.“In western and in southern climes“Too long hast thou been plac’d;“And India’s sands, and Afric’s wilds,“Thy beauteous presence grac’d.VIII.“Deign then, O sov’reign plant, thy balm,“On this our land bestow;“And give thy flow’rs in all their grace“And lustre here to blow.”—IX.The Guardian Sylph, that watch’d the flow’r,Confess’d before me stood;And shook his bright and sunny locks,And thus my suit withstood:X.“Cease, cease, he cry’d, such boons to ask,“As scarce deserve a name;“While Albion, favour’d from above,“Can greater blessings claim.XI.“Still, still, their gems and spicy store,“Let either India boast;“And Afric vaunt the precious sands,“That glitter on her coast.XII.“Not these, nor all the hidden wealth,“That earth or sea possess;“Can match those richer gifts of heav’n,“Which fair Britannia bless.XIII.“Peace, Freedom, Wealth from farthest shores,“By golden commerce brought;“All these are hers, and ev’ry good,“By happiest nations sought.XIV.“Northisalone; here Genius blooms,“AFlow’rexcellingmine.“Nor asks a whole revolving age,“In glories to refine.XV.“Here too the Fair, with beauty bright,“The hearts of heroes warm;“Thosehuman blossomsgenial blow,“And put forth ev’ry charm.XVI.“Cease then,nor envy other climes“Their beauties thinly strewn;“But learn with decent pride to prize“The blessings of your own.”
I.“FROMwarmer climates early borne,“Where beams the god of light;“How gaily blooms yon lofty plant,“In native colours bright!
I.
“FROMwarmer climates early borne,
“Where beams the god of light;
“How gaily blooms yon lofty plant,
“In native colours bright!
II.“The root, the plant, the leaf, the flow’r,“Alike our wonder raise;“And all confess the fragrant stock,“Renown’d in ancient days.
II.
“The root, the plant, the leaf, the flow’r,
“Alike our wonder raise;
“And all confess the fragrant stock,
“Renown’d in ancient days.
III.“Some say, but one revolving age“Beholds thy beauties spread;“And rear aloft to genial suns“Its highly blooming head.
III.
“Some say, but one revolving age
“Beholds thy beauties spread;
“And rear aloft to genial suns
“Its highly blooming head.
IV.“But thou, like Merit, kindly nurs’d,“An early spring wilt know;“While, check’d by rigid, frowning skies,“Thy gems forget to glow.
IV.
“But thou, like Merit, kindly nurs’d,
“An early spring wilt know;
“While, check’d by rigid, frowning skies,
“Thy gems forget to glow.
V.“Emblem of Genius rarely known,“And still more rarely giv’n;“To reap the good itself imparts,“And share the gifts of Heav’n.
V.
“Emblem of Genius rarely known,
“And still more rarely giv’n;
“To reap the good itself imparts,
“And share the gifts of Heav’n.
VI.“Say, glorious stranger, rear’d erewhile“In distant, sunny lands;“Can either India more bestow,“Than Albion’s isle commands?
VI.
“Say, glorious stranger, rear’d erewhile
“In distant, sunny lands;
“Can either India more bestow,
“Than Albion’s isle commands?
VII.“In western and in southern climes“Too long hast thou been plac’d;“And India’s sands, and Afric’s wilds,“Thy beauteous presence grac’d.
VII.
“In western and in southern climes
“Too long hast thou been plac’d;
“And India’s sands, and Afric’s wilds,
“Thy beauteous presence grac’d.
VIII.“Deign then, O sov’reign plant, thy balm,“On this our land bestow;“And give thy flow’rs in all their grace“And lustre here to blow.”—
VIII.
“Deign then, O sov’reign plant, thy balm,
“On this our land bestow;
“And give thy flow’rs in all their grace
“And lustre here to blow.”—
IX.The Guardian Sylph, that watch’d the flow’r,Confess’d before me stood;And shook his bright and sunny locks,And thus my suit withstood:
IX.
The Guardian Sylph, that watch’d the flow’r,
Confess’d before me stood;
And shook his bright and sunny locks,
And thus my suit withstood:
X.“Cease, cease, he cry’d, such boons to ask,“As scarce deserve a name;“While Albion, favour’d from above,“Can greater blessings claim.
X.
“Cease, cease, he cry’d, such boons to ask,
“As scarce deserve a name;
“While Albion, favour’d from above,
“Can greater blessings claim.
XI.“Still, still, their gems and spicy store,“Let either India boast;“And Afric vaunt the precious sands,“That glitter on her coast.
XI.
“Still, still, their gems and spicy store,
“Let either India boast;
“And Afric vaunt the precious sands,
“That glitter on her coast.
XII.“Not these, nor all the hidden wealth,“That earth or sea possess;“Can match those richer gifts of heav’n,“Which fair Britannia bless.
XII.
“Not these, nor all the hidden wealth,
“That earth or sea possess;
“Can match those richer gifts of heav’n,
“Which fair Britannia bless.
XIII.“Peace, Freedom, Wealth from farthest shores,“By golden commerce brought;“All these are hers, and ev’ry good,“By happiest nations sought.
XIII.
“Peace, Freedom, Wealth from farthest shores,
“By golden commerce brought;
“All these are hers, and ev’ry good,
“By happiest nations sought.
XIV.“Northisalone; here Genius blooms,“AFlow’rexcellingmine.“Nor asks a whole revolving age,“In glories to refine.
XIV.
“Northisalone; here Genius blooms,
“AFlow’rexcellingmine.
“Nor asks a whole revolving age,
“In glories to refine.
XV.“Here too the Fair, with beauty bright,“The hearts of heroes warm;“Thosehuman blossomsgenial blow,“And put forth ev’ry charm.
XV.
“Here too the Fair, with beauty bright,
“The hearts of heroes warm;
“Thosehuman blossomsgenial blow,
“And put forth ev’ry charm.
XVI.“Cease then,nor envy other climes“Their beauties thinly strewn;“But learn with decent pride to prize“The blessings of your own.”
XVI.
“Cease then,nor envy other climes
“Their beauties thinly strewn;
“But learn with decent pride to prize
“The blessings of your own.”
Fab. III.The Rose & HornetFab. IV.The Sensitive Plant
Fab. III.
The Rose & Hornet
Fab. IV.
The Sensitive Plant