O heavenly poet! such thy verse appears, So sweet, so charming to my ravished ears, As to the weary swain, with cares opprest, Beneath the sylvan shade, refreshing rest; As to the feverish traveller, when first He finds a crystal stream to quench his thirst. In singing, as in piping, you excel; And scarce your master could perform so well. O fortunate young man! at least your lays Are next to his, and claim the second praise. Such as they are, my rural songs I join, To raise our Daphnis to the powers divine; For Daphnis was so good, to love whate'er was mine. MOPSUS. How is my soul with such a promise raised! For both the boy was worthy to be praised, And Stimicon has often made me long To hear, like him, so soft, so sweet a song. MENALCAS. Daphnis, the guest of heaven, with wondering eyes, Views, in the milky way, the starry skies, And far beneath him, from the shining sphere, Beholds the moving clouds, and rolling year. For this with cheerful cries the woods resound, } The purple spring arrays the various ground, } The nymphs and shepherds dance, and Pan himself is crowned. } The wolf no longer prowls for nightly spoils, Nor bird's the springes fear, nor stags the toils; For Daphnis reigns above, and deals from thence His mother's milder beams, and peaceful influence. The mountain-tops unshorn, the rocks, rejoice; The lowly shrubs partake of human voice. Assenting Nature, with a gracious nod, Proclaims him, and salutes the new-admitted god. Be still propitious, ever good to thine! Behold! four hallowed altars we design; And two to thee, and two to Phoebus rise; On both is offered annual sacrifice. The holy priests, at each returning year, Two bowls of milk, and two of oil, shall bear; And I myself the guests with friendly bowls will cheer. Two goblets will I crown with sparkling wine, } The generous vintage of the Chian vine: } These will I pour to thee, and make the nectar thine. } In winter shall the genial feast be made Before the fire; by summer, in the shade. Damoetas shall perform the rites divine, And Lyctian Ægon in the song shall join. Alphesiboeus, tripping, shall advance, And mimic Satyrs in his antic dance. When to the nymphs our annual rites we pay, And when our fields with victims we survey; While savage boars delight in shady woods, And finny fish inhabit in the floods; While bees on thyme, and locusts feed on dew-- Thy grateful swains these honours shall renew. Such honours as we pay to powers divine, To Bacchus and to Ceres, shall be thine. Such annual honours shall be given; and thou