FABLE XX.The DEADLY NIGHTSHADE[23].
I.“DETESTEDweed, enrag’d, I said,“That spread’st thy poison’d train“In this fair land, midst blooming flow’rs,“Which grace the happy plain!II.“Thy baleful root most surely springs“From deep Tartarean shade;“By envious Dæmons nurs’d below,“In Stygian gloom array’d.III.“TheeCirce, andMedæatoo,“In black enchantment us’d;“With baneful plants most fitly mix’d,“In hellish steams suffus’d.IV.“Ah! why does ParentNatureform,“Such works,herworks to spoil;“And byher own handteach mankind,“Infernal arts and guile?V.“Say, fell Enchantress of the plain,“The foe of human-kind?“Say for what crimes man’s hapless race“From thee such evils find!VI.“Oh! quit the woods, the plains, the fields,“Where health and plenty bloom:“Retire to rocks and desart-wilds,“Or shade the Murd’rer’s tomb.VII.“Or rather haste toPluto’srealm;“Therehide thy hated head,“And flourish still unrival’d there;“Where Styx’ nine streams are spread.VIII.“Butheremay ev’ry healing flow’r“In prime of beauty bloom:“To sick’ning Man restoring health,“And shedding rich perfume!”IX.I ceas’d—The Flow’r indignant heard;And all its leaves display’dA deep’ning gloom, which flung aroundA doublenight of shade.X.“Insulting Man!” she trembling cry’d,“Of creatures most unjust;“Still taxing Nature with those faults,“Sprung fromhisevil lust.XI.“The poison’d Snake, the noxious Weed,“Earth’s venom’d juices drain;“And, more than all yon’ fragrant flow’rs,“Enrich with health the plain.XII.“Nay ofmy racegrows many a plant,“Which, of rich gifts possest,“The sage Physician culls with care,“To ease the Patient’s breast.XIII.“Let Man his own wild passions tame,“And hush them into Peace;“Medæa’swand, andCirce’scup,“Were innocent tothese.XIV.“Forme, great Nature’s high behest;“Contented I fulfil;“Nor dream that aught byherordain’d,“Can ever end inill.XV.“Go thou, fond youth, andVirtue’scharge“With equal care obey:“Then ev’ry Weed shall prove a Flow’r,“To strew thy destin’d way.”
I.“DETESTEDweed, enrag’d, I said,“That spread’st thy poison’d train“In this fair land, midst blooming flow’rs,“Which grace the happy plain!II.“Thy baleful root most surely springs“From deep Tartarean shade;“By envious Dæmons nurs’d below,“In Stygian gloom array’d.III.“TheeCirce, andMedæatoo,“In black enchantment us’d;“With baneful plants most fitly mix’d,“In hellish steams suffus’d.IV.“Ah! why does ParentNatureform,“Such works,herworks to spoil;“And byher own handteach mankind,“Infernal arts and guile?V.“Say, fell Enchantress of the plain,“The foe of human-kind?“Say for what crimes man’s hapless race“From thee such evils find!VI.“Oh! quit the woods, the plains, the fields,“Where health and plenty bloom:“Retire to rocks and desart-wilds,“Or shade the Murd’rer’s tomb.VII.“Or rather haste toPluto’srealm;“Therehide thy hated head,“And flourish still unrival’d there;“Where Styx’ nine streams are spread.VIII.“Butheremay ev’ry healing flow’r“In prime of beauty bloom:“To sick’ning Man restoring health,“And shedding rich perfume!”IX.I ceas’d—The Flow’r indignant heard;And all its leaves display’dA deep’ning gloom, which flung aroundA doublenight of shade.X.“Insulting Man!” she trembling cry’d,“Of creatures most unjust;“Still taxing Nature with those faults,“Sprung fromhisevil lust.XI.“The poison’d Snake, the noxious Weed,“Earth’s venom’d juices drain;“And, more than all yon’ fragrant flow’rs,“Enrich with health the plain.XII.“Nay ofmy racegrows many a plant,“Which, of rich gifts possest,“The sage Physician culls with care,“To ease the Patient’s breast.XIII.“Let Man his own wild passions tame,“And hush them into Peace;“Medæa’swand, andCirce’scup,“Were innocent tothese.XIV.“Forme, great Nature’s high behest;“Contented I fulfil;“Nor dream that aught byherordain’d,“Can ever end inill.XV.“Go thou, fond youth, andVirtue’scharge“With equal care obey:“Then ev’ry Weed shall prove a Flow’r,“To strew thy destin’d way.”
I.“DETESTEDweed, enrag’d, I said,“That spread’st thy poison’d train“In this fair land, midst blooming flow’rs,“Which grace the happy plain!
I.
“DETESTEDweed, enrag’d, I said,
“That spread’st thy poison’d train
“In this fair land, midst blooming flow’rs,
“Which grace the happy plain!
II.“Thy baleful root most surely springs“From deep Tartarean shade;“By envious Dæmons nurs’d below,“In Stygian gloom array’d.
II.
“Thy baleful root most surely springs
“From deep Tartarean shade;
“By envious Dæmons nurs’d below,
“In Stygian gloom array’d.
III.“TheeCirce, andMedæatoo,“In black enchantment us’d;“With baneful plants most fitly mix’d,“In hellish steams suffus’d.
III.
“TheeCirce, andMedæatoo,
“In black enchantment us’d;
“With baneful plants most fitly mix’d,
“In hellish steams suffus’d.
IV.“Ah! why does ParentNatureform,“Such works,herworks to spoil;“And byher own handteach mankind,“Infernal arts and guile?
IV.
“Ah! why does ParentNatureform,
“Such works,herworks to spoil;
“And byher own handteach mankind,
“Infernal arts and guile?
V.“Say, fell Enchantress of the plain,“The foe of human-kind?“Say for what crimes man’s hapless race“From thee such evils find!
V.
“Say, fell Enchantress of the plain,
“The foe of human-kind?
“Say for what crimes man’s hapless race
“From thee such evils find!
VI.“Oh! quit the woods, the plains, the fields,“Where health and plenty bloom:“Retire to rocks and desart-wilds,“Or shade the Murd’rer’s tomb.
VI.
“Oh! quit the woods, the plains, the fields,
“Where health and plenty bloom:
“Retire to rocks and desart-wilds,
“Or shade the Murd’rer’s tomb.
VII.“Or rather haste toPluto’srealm;“Therehide thy hated head,“And flourish still unrival’d there;“Where Styx’ nine streams are spread.
VII.
“Or rather haste toPluto’srealm;
“Therehide thy hated head,
“And flourish still unrival’d there;
“Where Styx’ nine streams are spread.
VIII.“Butheremay ev’ry healing flow’r“In prime of beauty bloom:“To sick’ning Man restoring health,“And shedding rich perfume!”
VIII.
“Butheremay ev’ry healing flow’r
“In prime of beauty bloom:
“To sick’ning Man restoring health,
“And shedding rich perfume!”
IX.I ceas’d—The Flow’r indignant heard;And all its leaves display’dA deep’ning gloom, which flung aroundA doublenight of shade.
IX.
I ceas’d—The Flow’r indignant heard;
And all its leaves display’d
A deep’ning gloom, which flung around
A doublenight of shade.
X.“Insulting Man!” she trembling cry’d,“Of creatures most unjust;“Still taxing Nature with those faults,“Sprung fromhisevil lust.
X.
“Insulting Man!” she trembling cry’d,
“Of creatures most unjust;
“Still taxing Nature with those faults,
“Sprung fromhisevil lust.
XI.“The poison’d Snake, the noxious Weed,“Earth’s venom’d juices drain;“And, more than all yon’ fragrant flow’rs,“Enrich with health the plain.
XI.
“The poison’d Snake, the noxious Weed,
“Earth’s venom’d juices drain;
“And, more than all yon’ fragrant flow’rs,
“Enrich with health the plain.
XII.“Nay ofmy racegrows many a plant,“Which, of rich gifts possest,“The sage Physician culls with care,“To ease the Patient’s breast.
XII.
“Nay ofmy racegrows many a plant,
“Which, of rich gifts possest,
“The sage Physician culls with care,
“To ease the Patient’s breast.
XIII.“Let Man his own wild passions tame,“And hush them into Peace;“Medæa’swand, andCirce’scup,“Were innocent tothese.
XIII.
“Let Man his own wild passions tame,
“And hush them into Peace;
“Medæa’swand, andCirce’scup,
“Were innocent tothese.
XIV.“Forme, great Nature’s high behest;“Contented I fulfil;“Nor dream that aught byherordain’d,“Can ever end inill.
XIV.
“Forme, great Nature’s high behest;
“Contented I fulfil;
“Nor dream that aught byherordain’d,
“Can ever end inill.
XV.“Go thou, fond youth, andVirtue’scharge“With equal care obey:“Then ev’ry Weed shall prove a Flow’r,“To strew thy destin’d way.”
XV.
“Go thou, fond youth, andVirtue’scharge
“With equal care obey:
“Then ev’ry Weed shall prove a Flow’r,
“To strew thy destin’d way.”
Fab. XXI.The Crown Imperial and Heartsease.Fab. XXII.The Water Lily.
Fab. XXI.
The Crown Imperial and Heartsease.
Fab. XXII.
The Water Lily.