It is a pretty thing, As sweet unto a shepherd as a king; And sweeter too, For kings have cares that wait upon a crown, And cares can make the sweetest love to frown: Ah then, ah then, If country loves such sweet desires do gain, What lady would not love a shepherd swain?

In myrtle shades oft sings the happy swain, In myrtle shades despairing ghosts complain.

Thus, it appears that flowers were once worn by the betrothed as tokens of their engagement, and Quarles in his "Sheapheard's Oracles," 1646, tells us how, "Love-sick swains Compose rush-rings and myrtle-berry chains, And stuck with glorious kingcups, and their bonnets Adorn'd with laurell slips, chaunt their love sonnets.

Such airy beings awe th' untutored swain: Nor thou, though learn'd, his homelier thoughts neglect; Let thy sweet Muse the rural faith sustain: These are the themes of simple, sure effect, That add new conquests to her boundless reign, And fill, with double force, her heart-commanding strain.

Every writer, I think, who comes within the limits of pastoral as usually understood, has found a certain idealization and a certain refinement necessary in bringing rustic swains into the domain of art.

loveliest village of the plain; Where health and plenty cheered the labouring swain, Where smiling Spring its earliest visit paid, And parting summer's lingering blooms delayed: Dear lovely bowers of innocence and ease, Seats of my youth, when every sport could please, How often have I loitered o'er thy green, Where humble happiness endeared each scene!

* Peter and Sarah hardly exchanged a word during their return journey from the moors after the unlucky picnic; and at the door of Happy Jack's cottage in Youlestone village she commanded her obedient swain to deposit the luncheon basket, and bade him farewell.

Here on my view, confronting vividly 550 Those shepherd swains whom I had lately left, Appeared a different aspect of old age; How different!

"Ye must not court ye young swain with ye food or ye wine.

"From Cephalonia cross the surgy main Philætius late arrived, a faithful swain.

And what may cure a swain at his wit's end I know not: Simus, (true,) a mate of mine, Loved Epichalcus' daughter, and took ship And came home cured.

But times are altered; trade's unfeeling train Usurp the land and dispossess the swain; Along the lawn, where scattered hamlets rose, Unwieldy wealth and cumbrous pomp repose, And every want to opulence allied, And every pang that folly pays to pride.

Yet can he never die, but dying lives, And doth himself with sorrow new sustain, That death and life at once unto him gives, And painful pleasure turns to pleasing pain; There dwells he ever, miserable swain, Hateful both to himself and every wight; Where he, through privy grief and horror vain, Is waxen so deformed, that he has quite Forgot he was a man, and Jealousy is hight.

Laborious man, with moderate slumber blest, Springs chearful to his toil, from downy rest; Till grateful ev'ning with her silver train, Bid labour cease, and ease the weary swain!

Me gentle Delia beckons from the plain, Thus, hid in shades, eludes her eager swain; But feigns a laugh, to see me search around, And by that laugh the willing fair is found.

On Leven's banks, while free to rove, And tune the rural pipe to love, I envied not the happiest swain That ever trod the Arcadian plain.

" "I never see such a man for taking offence in all my born days," expostulated the boat-swain.

Who was this "flying fair" that the swain pursued with such despairing fervour?

" "We come not with design of wasteful prey To drive the country force the swains away.

In crowds around thee gaze the admiring swains, 30 And guard in silence the enchanted plains; Drop the still tear, or breathe the impassion'd sigh, And drink inebriate rapture from thine eye.

It has invested every hoary-headed swain, every busy housewife, and every little churchyard in the country with a special dignity and a lasting charm.

A hundred virgins join a hundred swains, And fond ADONIS leads the sprightly trains; [Adonis.

willow, Lay a | shepherd | swain, and |

Proud GLORIOSA led three chosen swains, 120 The blushing captives of her virgin chains.

Remote from cities lived a swain, Unvexed with all the cares of gain; His head was silvered o'er with age, And long experience made him sage; In summer's heat, and winter's cold, He fed his flock and penned the fold; His hours in cheerful labour flew, Nor envy nor ambition knew: His wisdom and his honest fame Through all the country raised his name.