When years thee vigour gave, oh, then, how clear Did smother'd sparkles in bright flames appear! Amongst the woods to force the flying hart, To pierce the mountain wolf with feather'd dart; See falcons climb the clouds, the fox ensnare, Outrun the wind-outrunning Doedale hare, To breathe thy fiery steed on every plain, And in meand'ring gyres him bring again, The press thee making place, and vulgar things, In Admiration's air, on Glory's wings; Oh, thou far from the common pitch didst rise, With thy designs to dazzle Envy's eyes: Thou soughtst to know this All's eternal source, Of ever-turning heaven the restless course, Their fixed lamps, their lights which wandering run, Whence moon her silver hath, his gold the sun; If Fate there be or no, if planets can By fierce aspects force the free will of man; The light aspiring fire, the liquid air, The flaming dragons, comets with red hair, Heaven's tilting lances, artillery, and bow, Loud-sounding trumpets, darts of hail and snow, The roaring elements, with people dumb, The earth with what conceived is in her womb. What on her moves were set unto thy sight, Till thou didst find their causes, essence, might. But unto nought thou so thy mind didst strain, As to be read in man, and learn to reign: To know the weight and Atlas of a crown, To spare the humble, proud ones tumble down. When from those piercing cares which thrones invest, As thorns the rose, thou wearied wouldst thee rest, With lute in hand, full of celestial fire, To the Pierian groves thou didst retire: There garlanded with all Urania's flowers, In sweeter lays than builded Thebes' towers, Or them which charm'd the dolphins in the main, Or which did call Eurydice again, Thou sung'st away the hours, till from their sphere Stars seem'd to shoot thy melody to hear. The god with golden hair, the sister maids, Did leave their Helicon, and Tempe's shades, To see thine isle, here lost their native tongue, And in thy world-divided language sung.