WRITTEN
IN
DEVONSHIRE
,
NEAR
THE
DART
.
HAIL
,
Devon
!
in
thy
bosom
let
me
rest
,
And
pour
forth
music
from
my
raptur'd
breast
:
I'll
stray
thy
meadow'd
hills
And
plains
along
,
And
loudly
sing
the
widely-varied
song
,
Tracing
thy
rivers
,
and
thy
bubbling
rills
.
Oft
,
rising
from
the
sea
,
the
tempest
lours
,
And
buoy'd
on
winds
the
clouds
majestic
sail
,
While
scattering
burst
in
wide
and
frequent
showers
,
Swelling
the
streams
which
glide
thro'
every
vale
;
Yet
are
the
marshy
plains
bedeck'd
with
flowers
,
And
balmy
sweets
are
borne
on
every
gale
.
Where
DART
romantic
winds
its
mazy
course
,
And
mossy
rocks
set
'neath
the
woody
hills
,
From
whence
each
creeping
rill
its
store
distils
,
And
wandering
waters
join
with
rapid
force
;
There
Nature's
hand
has
wildly
strewn
her
flowers
,
And
varying
prospects
strike
the
roving
eyes
;
Rough-hanging
woods
o'er
cultur'd
hills
arise
;
Thick
ivy
spreads
around
huge
antic
towers
,
And
fruitful
groves
Scatter
their
blossoms
fast
as
falling
showers
,
Perfuming
ev'ry
stream
which
o'er
the
landscape
pours
.
Along
the
grassy
banks
how
sweet
to
stray
,
When
the
mild
eve
smiles
in
the
glowing
west
,
And
lengthen'd
shades
proclaim
departing
day
,
And
fainting
sun-beams
in
the
waters
play
,
When
every
bird
seeks
its
accustom'd
rest
!
How
grand
,
to
see
the
burning
orb
descend
,
And
the
grave
sky
wrapp'd
in
its
nightly
robes
,
Whether
resplendent
with
the
starry
globes
,
Or
silver'd
by
the
mildly-solemn
moon
,
When
nightingales
their
lonely
songs
resume
,
And
folly's
sons
their
babbling
noise
suspend
!
Or
when
the
darkening
clouds
fly
o'er
the
sea
,
And
early
morning
beams
a
chearful
ray
,
Waking
melodious
songsters
from
each
tree
;
How
sweet
beneath
each
dewy
hill
Amid
the
pleasing
shades
to
stray
,
Where
nectar'd
flowers
their
sweets
distil
,
Whose
watery
pearls
reflect
the
day
!
To
scent
the
jonquil's
rich
perfume
,
To
pluck
the
hawthorn's
tender
briars
,
As
wild
beneath
each
flowery
hedge
Fair
strawberries
with
violets
bloom
,
And
every
joy
of
spring
conspires
!
Nature's
wild
songsters
from
each
bush
and
tree
Invite
the
early
walk
,
and
breathe
delight
;
What
bosom
heaves
not
with
warm
sympathy
When
the
gay
lark
salutes
the
new-born
light
?
Hark!
where
the
shrill-ton'd
thrush
,
Sweet
whistling
,
carols
the
wild
harmony
!
The
linnet
warbles
,
and
from
yonder
bush
The
robin
pours
soft
strains
of
melody
!
Hail
Devon
!
while
through
the
lov'd
woods
I
stray
,
O!
let
me
loudly
pour
the
grateful
lay
!
Tell
each
luxuriant
bank
where
violets
grow
,
Each
mazy
vale
,
where
fragrant
woodbines
wind
,
How
much
of
their
bewitching
charms
they
owe
To
the
sweet
peace
which
fills
my
happy
mind
.
Ah!
where
again
will
it
such
pleasures
find
?
O
,
lov'd
society
!
the
heartfelt
lay
Is
all
the
humble
Muse
can
now
bestow
;
Thy
praises
still
I
sing
,
as
on
I
stray
,
Writ
in
my
heart
amid
each
strain
they
flow
.