FABLE VII.The CROCUS.
I.“SAY, beauteous flow’r, whose burnish’d leaves“With Spring’s own livery glow:“In these bleak months, why dost thou chuse“T’ adorn a waste of snow?II.“Say, dost thou grudge to summer-skies,“That bloom divinely bright:“Or, are thy beauties clearer seen,“Through this thin Robe of White?III.“The Snow-drop, thy companion fair,“As well thy foil might prove,“And both might bloom in seasons sweet,“And far from hence remove.IV.“To Summer’s gayer months benign;“Should’st thou transfer thy reign,“Thy beauties still would brighter glow,“And doubly grace the plain.—”V.I said:—the lovely smiling flow’r,The beauty of its race;And friendly to the sons of men,Reply’d with decent grace:VI.“Nature’s great book before thee set:“She blames thee not to scan“Her works on every side display’d,“The fit employ of man.VII.“When Spring and Summer glad the earth,“Ten thousand beauties bloom;“And various flow’rs of brightest hue,“Diffuse a rich perfume.VIII.“Autumn of fruits her tribute brings,“With, yellow harvests crown’d;“Then laugh the hills and vales, and meads“With richest plenty crown’d.IX.“Winter, at length, with gloomy brow,“Comes on to close the year;“When flow’rs and fruits, and all their race,“Almost extinct appear.X.“Yet still some few the gracious Pow’rs“Permit of these to bloom:“Nor heap alike allFlora’srace,“In one remorseless tomb.XI.“And soon as to the wat’ry Signs,“The Sun retreats again;“Then she my flamy dyes awakes,“And bids me deck the plain.XII.“Nor less my worth because ’midst snows,“My head I early rear;“My flow’r still fresh and lively blooms,“As at the closing year.XIII.“And know, when Autumn’s Sun prevails,“My kindred flow’rs arise;“In forms which heav’nly pow’rs might praise,“And scent the ambient skies[14].XIV.“These ev’ry dismal gloom dispel;“Which mis’ry can impart,“And joy and gladness still inspire,“And harmonize the heart.XV.“Meanwhile my earlier station here,“(Health’s harbinger) I keep,“To glad the sad and cloudy days;“When Spring’s soft Zephyrs sleep.XVI.“So, in the Winter of his days,“Chear thou thy drooping friend;“His sorrows sooth, his griefs assuage,“And prompt assistance lend.XVII.“So, when his fate and fortune lour,“Thy better aid impart;“And with thy fortune’s warmer ray,“Revive his dying heart.XVIII.She said;—the moral well becameThe sweet, propitious flow’r;I mark’d the lore with heedful mind,And own’d fairfriendship’spow’r.
I.“SAY, beauteous flow’r, whose burnish’d leaves“With Spring’s own livery glow:“In these bleak months, why dost thou chuse“T’ adorn a waste of snow?II.“Say, dost thou grudge to summer-skies,“That bloom divinely bright:“Or, are thy beauties clearer seen,“Through this thin Robe of White?III.“The Snow-drop, thy companion fair,“As well thy foil might prove,“And both might bloom in seasons sweet,“And far from hence remove.IV.“To Summer’s gayer months benign;“Should’st thou transfer thy reign,“Thy beauties still would brighter glow,“And doubly grace the plain.—”V.I said:—the lovely smiling flow’r,The beauty of its race;And friendly to the sons of men,Reply’d with decent grace:VI.“Nature’s great book before thee set:“She blames thee not to scan“Her works on every side display’d,“The fit employ of man.VII.“When Spring and Summer glad the earth,“Ten thousand beauties bloom;“And various flow’rs of brightest hue,“Diffuse a rich perfume.VIII.“Autumn of fruits her tribute brings,“With, yellow harvests crown’d;“Then laugh the hills and vales, and meads“With richest plenty crown’d.IX.“Winter, at length, with gloomy brow,“Comes on to close the year;“When flow’rs and fruits, and all their race,“Almost extinct appear.X.“Yet still some few the gracious Pow’rs“Permit of these to bloom:“Nor heap alike allFlora’srace,“In one remorseless tomb.XI.“And soon as to the wat’ry Signs,“The Sun retreats again;“Then she my flamy dyes awakes,“And bids me deck the plain.XII.“Nor less my worth because ’midst snows,“My head I early rear;“My flow’r still fresh and lively blooms,“As at the closing year.XIII.“And know, when Autumn’s Sun prevails,“My kindred flow’rs arise;“In forms which heav’nly pow’rs might praise,“And scent the ambient skies[14].XIV.“These ev’ry dismal gloom dispel;“Which mis’ry can impart,“And joy and gladness still inspire,“And harmonize the heart.XV.“Meanwhile my earlier station here,“(Health’s harbinger) I keep,“To glad the sad and cloudy days;“When Spring’s soft Zephyrs sleep.XVI.“So, in the Winter of his days,“Chear thou thy drooping friend;“His sorrows sooth, his griefs assuage,“And prompt assistance lend.XVII.“So, when his fate and fortune lour,“Thy better aid impart;“And with thy fortune’s warmer ray,“Revive his dying heart.XVIII.She said;—the moral well becameThe sweet, propitious flow’r;I mark’d the lore with heedful mind,And own’d fairfriendship’spow’r.
I.“SAY, beauteous flow’r, whose burnish’d leaves“With Spring’s own livery glow:“In these bleak months, why dost thou chuse“T’ adorn a waste of snow?
I.
“SAY, beauteous flow’r, whose burnish’d leaves
“With Spring’s own livery glow:
“In these bleak months, why dost thou chuse
“T’ adorn a waste of snow?
II.“Say, dost thou grudge to summer-skies,“That bloom divinely bright:“Or, are thy beauties clearer seen,“Through this thin Robe of White?
II.
“Say, dost thou grudge to summer-skies,
“That bloom divinely bright:
“Or, are thy beauties clearer seen,
“Through this thin Robe of White?
III.“The Snow-drop, thy companion fair,“As well thy foil might prove,“And both might bloom in seasons sweet,“And far from hence remove.
III.
“The Snow-drop, thy companion fair,
“As well thy foil might prove,
“And both might bloom in seasons sweet,
“And far from hence remove.
IV.“To Summer’s gayer months benign;“Should’st thou transfer thy reign,“Thy beauties still would brighter glow,“And doubly grace the plain.—”
IV.
“To Summer’s gayer months benign;
“Should’st thou transfer thy reign,
“Thy beauties still would brighter glow,
“And doubly grace the plain.—”
V.I said:—the lovely smiling flow’r,The beauty of its race;And friendly to the sons of men,Reply’d with decent grace:
V.
I said:—the lovely smiling flow’r,
The beauty of its race;
And friendly to the sons of men,
Reply’d with decent grace:
VI.“Nature’s great book before thee set:“She blames thee not to scan“Her works on every side display’d,“The fit employ of man.
VI.
“Nature’s great book before thee set:
“She blames thee not to scan
“Her works on every side display’d,
“The fit employ of man.
VII.“When Spring and Summer glad the earth,“Ten thousand beauties bloom;“And various flow’rs of brightest hue,“Diffuse a rich perfume.
VII.
“When Spring and Summer glad the earth,
“Ten thousand beauties bloom;
“And various flow’rs of brightest hue,
“Diffuse a rich perfume.
VIII.“Autumn of fruits her tribute brings,“With, yellow harvests crown’d;“Then laugh the hills and vales, and meads“With richest plenty crown’d.
VIII.
“Autumn of fruits her tribute brings,
“With, yellow harvests crown’d;
“Then laugh the hills and vales, and meads
“With richest plenty crown’d.
IX.“Winter, at length, with gloomy brow,“Comes on to close the year;“When flow’rs and fruits, and all their race,“Almost extinct appear.
IX.
“Winter, at length, with gloomy brow,
“Comes on to close the year;
“When flow’rs and fruits, and all their race,
“Almost extinct appear.
X.“Yet still some few the gracious Pow’rs“Permit of these to bloom:“Nor heap alike allFlora’srace,“In one remorseless tomb.
X.
“Yet still some few the gracious Pow’rs
“Permit of these to bloom:
“Nor heap alike allFlora’srace,
“In one remorseless tomb.
XI.“And soon as to the wat’ry Signs,“The Sun retreats again;“Then she my flamy dyes awakes,“And bids me deck the plain.
XI.
“And soon as to the wat’ry Signs,
“The Sun retreats again;
“Then she my flamy dyes awakes,
“And bids me deck the plain.
XII.“Nor less my worth because ’midst snows,“My head I early rear;“My flow’r still fresh and lively blooms,“As at the closing year.
XII.
“Nor less my worth because ’midst snows,
“My head I early rear;
“My flow’r still fresh and lively blooms,
“As at the closing year.
XIII.“And know, when Autumn’s Sun prevails,“My kindred flow’rs arise;“In forms which heav’nly pow’rs might praise,“And scent the ambient skies[14].
XIII.
“And know, when Autumn’s Sun prevails,
“My kindred flow’rs arise;
“In forms which heav’nly pow’rs might praise,
“And scent the ambient skies[14].
XIV.“These ev’ry dismal gloom dispel;“Which mis’ry can impart,“And joy and gladness still inspire,“And harmonize the heart.
XIV.
“These ev’ry dismal gloom dispel;
“Which mis’ry can impart,
“And joy and gladness still inspire,
“And harmonize the heart.
XV.“Meanwhile my earlier station here,“(Health’s harbinger) I keep,“To glad the sad and cloudy days;“When Spring’s soft Zephyrs sleep.
XV.
“Meanwhile my earlier station here,
“(Health’s harbinger) I keep,
“To glad the sad and cloudy days;
“When Spring’s soft Zephyrs sleep.
XVI.“So, in the Winter of his days,“Chear thou thy drooping friend;“His sorrows sooth, his griefs assuage,“And prompt assistance lend.
XVI.
“So, in the Winter of his days,
“Chear thou thy drooping friend;
“His sorrows sooth, his griefs assuage,
“And prompt assistance lend.
XVII.“So, when his fate and fortune lour,“Thy better aid impart;“And with thy fortune’s warmer ray,“Revive his dying heart.
XVII.
“So, when his fate and fortune lour,
“Thy better aid impart;
“And with thy fortune’s warmer ray,
“Revive his dying heart.
XVIII.She said;—the moral well becameThe sweet, propitious flow’r;I mark’d the lore with heedful mind,And own’d fairfriendship’spow’r.
XVIII.
She said;—the moral well became
The sweet, propitious flow’r;
I mark’d the lore with heedful mind,
And own’d fairfriendship’spow’r.