Grave Lycon's Prefence rous'd up all his Dread
Nor durft he speak: When thus the Elder faid:

O Swain! of Reafon and Remorse bereft, In Charge of Flocks unworthy to be left; Think, 'now your lawlefs Pleafures are difclos'd, 35 Think of your Sheep, unguarded and expos'd. While rav'nous Wolves are ravaging the Plain, What can prevent but Numbers may be flain?" Which (pafs the Pain that guiltlefs they endure) Will Shame, at once, and Poverty procure.

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Mark how your Actions penetrate the Sky! How Vengeance falls, regarded by each Eye! The Crow rapacious, and the Raven thrives, While your weak Lambkins figh away their Lives! If this convince you not, then look around, 45 And read your Crimes imprinted on the Ground.

The blafted Lawn no juicy Herbage yields;
No blushing Flowers bloffom in the Fields:

DAMON for his Wantonnefs and Neglect, and describing the unhappy Confequences thereof, it is prefumed, will be thought truly paftoral in a ftrict Senfe; befides that the moral Meaning, for which alone the whole was written, is fufficiently clear.

A dreary Waste o'er all the Plain extends;

And univerfal Winter never ends.

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Yet, bold in Vice, evin Judgments you defpife:
New Crimes afcend, when Penitence fhould rife.
Nay more; you glory in the Actions done;
Nor blush to fing them to the rifing Sun: 13
The rifing Sun, afham'd to view the Sight,.
Witholds his Beams, and fheds but half his Light.

To DAMON this: Ah! was it to no more.
(Yet your Example Virtue may restore.)
The dire Contagion spreads o'er all the Plain,
And guilty Paffion preys on ev'ry Swain...

As Yefter-night, alone, I took my Way,
A Song furpriz'd me, as did yours To-day:

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60

Ver. 59, 60.] The Author is aware, That the Reflection, in these two Lines, upon the Shepherds in general of LYCON'S Time, cannot be juftly understood in the myftical Senfe before pointed out. Doubtlefs our allegorical Shepherds, in these Days, are far from deferving a general Cenfure either on their Negligence or their Luxury!

Ver 65-80.] In this Manner, and much beyond it, we learn from our Predeceffors, the Poets of all Ages, to paint the Times that are paft; and the farther diftant they are, the better. In OVID's Days, and long before, the World was enter'd upon its Iron Age; and, if we believe fome Perfons, has

STREPHON and DAPHNIS, in alternate Rymes,
Sung of their Loves, and boafted of their Crimes.

Oh! could we fee fuch Days the Antients knew, 65 When ev'ry Shepherd to his Charge was true; When harmless Songs provok'd to chafte Delight By Day, and brought on gentle Sleep at Night: For genuine Virtue when both Sexes ftrove, And Friendship form'd the Prelude of their Love; 70 (Love, fuch as reign'd in EDEN's happy Shade, Ere Man rebell'd, and Mifery was made.) The Youth was pleas'd his Pleasure to forbear, Till Truth and HYMEN gave him up the Fair. Nor did ev'n Marriage captivate the Mind: Their Kindred Hearts were mutually inclin❜d,

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been growing worfe ever fince. It feems to have been the Hu mour of Mankind, as far back as we have any Memorials of their Humour, to speak ill of the present Time, and give ideal Descriptions, in a very agreeable Manner, of the Days of their Forefathers. These Descriptions however, if they have nothing elfe in them, contain the Picture of what their Authors imagine human Nature capable of being, and what confequently, in their Opinion, it ought to be: Tho' at prefent, I believe, with most People, it will hardly amount to a Queftion, Whether the Golden Age of the Poets ever exifted any where but in their Writings?

Then too did Providence delight to bless: The fleecy Flocks brought forth a large Increase: A lovely Smile on Nature's Face was feen : The Sheep were healthy, and the Paftures green. 8c

Oh, DAMON! learn thy Paffions to restrain,

That Halcyon Times may visit us again.

Thus LYCON's Sermon ended, without Art.

The sharp Reproof pierce'd deep the Shepherd's Heart:
The Nymph exprefs'd Repentance with her Eyes: 85
Both stood reclaim'd by Counsel of the Wife.
And hence we learn," how greatly may conduce
A Word in Seafon, to the nobleft Ufe!"

Ver. 82. Halcyon Times.] Times of Plenty and Tranquility, fuch as are before described.

Ver. 87, 88.1 This Poem being called a Fable, and an Allegory, it was proper to express the Moral of it, contrary to the ufual Cuftom in Paftoral Writings.

THE

THE

MODERN JUDGE:

A TA L L E. *

Infcrib'd to

Mr. ROBERT BROWNE, Painter.

A

LLY'D in Blood, while each pursues
The Dictates of His fav'rite Muse,

Methinks, O BROWNE! Thy Art and Mine,
With mingled Rays fhould ever fhine.

The friendly Teint and grateful Lay

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The Luftre lent Them might repay!

* Written with a View to the Hardships the moft excellent Masters in every Science are under, in being frequently obliged to depend for Encouragement on Perfons no ways capable to judge of their Performances.

Ver. 2. His fav'rite Mufe.] The Muses are reprefented as the Inventreffes and Patroneffes of all other curious Arts, as well as of Poetry.

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