Thee Phoebus loves, and does inspire;
Phoebus is himself thy sire.
To thee, of all things upon Earth,
Life is no longer than thy mirth.
Happy insect! happy thou
Dost neither age nor winter know;
But when thou'st drunk, and danc'd, and sung
Thy fill, the flow'ry leaves among
(Voluptuous, and wise withal,
Epicurean animal!)
Sated with thy summer feast,
Thou retir'st to endless rest.
SAUL'S royal house two beauteous daughters grac'd; Merab the first, Michol the younger nam'd, Both equally, for diff'rent glories, fam'd. Merab, with spacious beauty, fill'd the sight, But too much awe chastis'd the bold delight; Like a calm sea, which to th' enlarged view, Gives pleasure, but gives fear and rev'rence too. Michol's sweet looks clear and free joys, did nove,
And no less strong, though much more gentle, love;
Like virtuous kings, whom men rejoice t'obey,
Tyrants themselves less absolute than they.
Merab appear'd like some fair princely tow'r;
Michol some virgin queen's delicious bow'r.
All Beauty's stores in little and in great;
But the contracted beams shot fiercest heat.
A clean and lively brown was Merab's dye,
Such as the prouder colours might envy :
Michol's pure skin shone with such taintless white,
As scatter'd the weak rays of human sight;
Her lips and cheeks a nobler red did show,
Than e'er on fruits, or flow'rs, Heav'n's pencil drew.
From Merab's eyes fierce and quick lightnings came;
From Michol's, the sun's mild, yet active, flame.
Merab's long hair was glossy chesnut brown;
Tresses of palest gold did Michol crown.
Such was their outward form; and one might find
A diff'rence not unlike it in the mind.
Merab, with comely majesty and state,
Bore high th' advantage of her worth and fate :
Such humble sweetness did soft Michol show,
That none who reach'd so high e'er stoop'd so low.
Merab rejoic'd in her rack'd lover's pain,
And fortified her virtue with disdain :
The grief she caus'd gave gentle Michol grief;
She wish'd her beauties less, for their relief,
Ev'n to her captives civil; yet th' excess
Of naked virtue guarded her no less.
Bus'ness and pow'r Merab's large thoughts did vex;
Her wit disdain'd the fetters of her sex:
Michol no less disdain'd affairs and noise,
Yet did it not from ignorance, but choice.
In brief, both copies were, more sweetly drawn,
Merab of Saul, Michol of Jonathan.
Two neighb'ring trees, with walls encompass'd round, Stand on a mod'rate rise, with wonder shown,
One a hard oak, a softer linden one :
I saw the place, and them, by Pittheus sent
To Phrygian realms, my grandsire's government.
Not far from thence is seen a lake, the haunt
Of coots, and of the fishing cormorant :
Here Jove with Hermes came; but, in disguise
Of mortal men, conceal'd their deities;
One laid aside his thunder, one his rod;
And many toilsome steps together trod :
For harbour at a thousand doors they knock'd;
Not one of all the thousand but was lock'd.
At last a hospitable house they found,
A homely shed; the roof, not far from ground,
Was thatch'd with reeds, and straw together bound.
There Baucis and Philemon liv'd, and there
Had liv'd long married, and a happy pair;
Now old in love, though little was their store,
Inur'd to want, their poverty they bore,
Nor aim'd at wealth, professing to be poor.
For master, or for servant here to call,
Was all alike, where only two were all;
Command was none, where equal love was paid;
Or rather both commanded, both obey'd.
From lofty roofs the gods repuls'd before,
Now stooping, enter'd through the little door :
The man (their hearty welcome first express'd).
A common settle drew for either guest,
Inviting each his weary limbs to rest :-
But, ere they sate, officious Baucis lays
Two cushions, stuff'd with straw, the seat to raise ;
Coarse, but the best she had; then rakes the load
Of ashes from the hearth, and spreads abroad
The living coals; and, lest they should expire,
With leaves and bark she feeds her infant fire:
It smokes; and then, with trembling breath, she blows,
Till in a cheerful blaze the flames arose ;
With brushwood and with chips she strengthens these,
And adds at last the boughs of rotten trees.
The fire thus form'd, she sets the kettle on
(Like burnish'd gold the little seether shone);
Next took the coleworts, which her husband got
From his own ground (a small well-water'd spot);
She stripp'd the stalks of all their leaves; the best
She cull'd, and them with handy care she dress'd.
High o'er the hearth a chine of bacon hung;
Good old Philemon seiz'd it with a prong,
And from the sooty rafter drew it down;
Then cut a slice, but scarce enough for one;
Yet a large portion of a little store,
Which, for their sakes alone, he wish'd were more.
This in the pot he plung'd without delay,
To tame the flesh, and drain the salt away.
The time between, before the fire they sat,
And shorten'd the delay by pleasing chat.
A beam there was, on which a beechen pail
Hung by the handle, on a driven nail:
This, fill'd with water, gently warm'd, they set
Before their guests: in this they bath'd their feet,
And after with clean towels dried their sweat.
This done, the host produc'd the genial bed,
Sallow the feet, the borders, and the stead:
Which with no costly coverlet they spread,
But coarse old garments: yet such robes as these
They laid alone at feasts, or holidays.
The good old housewife, tucking up her gown,
The table sets; th' invited gods lie down.
The trivet table of a foot was lame,
A blot which prudent Baucis overcame,
Who thrusts beneath the limping leg a sherd,
So was the mended board exactly rear'd :
Then rubb'd it o'er with newly gather'd mint,
A wholesome herb, that breath'd a grateful scent.
Pallas began the feast, where first was seen
The party-colour'd olive, black and green:
Autumnal cornels next in order serv'd,
In lees of wine well pickled and preserv'd.
A garden salad was the third supply,
Of endive, radishes, and succory :
Then curds and cream, the flow'r of country fare,
And new-laid eggs, which Baucis' busy care
Turn'd by a gentle fire, and roasted rare.
All these in earthen-ware were serv'd to board;
And next in place, an earthen pitcher, stor'd
With liquor of the best the cottage could afford.
This was the table's ornament and pride,
With figures wrought: like pages at his side
Stood beechen bowls; and these were shining clean,
Varnish'd with wax without, and lin'd within.
By this the boiling kettle had prepar'd,
And to the table sent the smoking lard;
On which with eager appetite they dine,
A sav'ry bit, that serv'd to relish wine:
The wine itself was suiting to the rest,
Still working in the must, and lately press'd.
The second course succeeds like that before,
Plums, apples, nuts, and, of their wintr'y store,
Dry figs, and grapes, and wrinkled dates were set,
In canisters, t'enlarge the little treat:
All these a milk-white honeycomb surround,
Which in the midst the country banquet crown'd ;
But the kind hosts their entertainment grace
With hearty welcome, and an open face:
In all they did, you might discern, with ease,
A willing mind, and a desire to please.
Meantime the beechen bowls went round, and
still,
Though often emptied, were observ'd to fill;
Fill'd without hands, and of their own accord
Ran without feet, and danc'd about the board.
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