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[Page 316]
CONTENT:
A PASTORAL.
I.
1 O'ER moorlands and mountains, rude, barren, and bare,
2 As wilder'd and weary'd I roam,
3 A gentle young shepherdess sees my despair,
4 And leads me — o'er lawns — to her home.
5 Yellow sheafs from rich Ceres her cottage had crown'd,
6 Green rushes were strew'd on her floor,
7 Her casement, sweet woodbines crept wantonly round,
8 And deck'd the sod seats at her door.
II.
[Page 317]9 We sate ourselves down to a cooling repast:
10 Fresh fruits! and she cull'd me the best:
11 While thrown from my guard by some glances she cast,
12 Love slily stole into my breast!
13 I told my soft wishes; she sweetly reply'd,
14 (Ye virgins, her voice was divine!)
15 I've rich ones rejected, and great ones deny'd,
16 But take me, fond shepherd — I'm thine.
III.
17 Her air was so modest, her aspect so meek!
18 So simple, yet sweet, were her charms!
19 I kiss'd the ripe roses that glow'd on her cheek,
20 And lock'd the lov'd maid in my arms.
21 Now jocund together we tend a few sheep,
22 And if, by yon prattler, the stream,
23 Reclin'd on her bosom, I sink into sleep,
24 Her image still softens my dream.
IV.
25 Together we range o'er the slow rising hills,
26 Delighted with pastoral views,
27 Or rest on the rock whence the streamlet distils,
28 And point out new themes for my muse.
29 To pomp or proud titles she ne'er did aspire,
30 The damsel's of humble descent;
31 The cottager, Peace, is well known for her sire,
32 And shepherds have nam'd her CONTENT.
About this text
Author: John Cunningham
Themes:
happiness; contentment
Genres:
pastoral
References:
DMI 26952
Text view / Document view
Source edition
Mendez, Moses. A collection of the most esteemed pieces of poetry: that have appeared for several years. With variety of originals, by the late Moses Mendez, Esq; and other contributors to Dodsley's collection. To which this is intended as a supplement. London: printed for Richardson and Urquhart, 1767, pp. 316-317. [8],320p. ; 8⁰. (ESTC T124631; DMI 1073; OTA K099398.000) (Page images digitized from a copy in the Bodleian Library [Harding C 148].)
Editorial principles
The text has been typographically modernized, but without any silent modernization of spelling, capitalization, or punctuation. The source of the text is given and all editorial interventions have been recorded in textual notes. Based on the electronic text originally produced by the TCP project, this ECPA text has been edited to conform to the recommendations found in Level 5 of the Best Practices for TEI in Libraries version 4.0.0.