A timely care to bring the truants back. The task is easy--but to clip the wings Of their high-flying arbitrary kings. At their command, the people swarm away: Confine the tyrant, and the slaves will stay. Sweet gardens, full of saffron flowers, invite The wandering gluttons, and retard their flight-- Besides the god obscene, who frights away, With his lath sword, the thieves and birds of prey With his own hand, the guardian of the bees, For slips of pines may search the mountain trees, And with wild thyme and savory plant the plain, Till his hard horny fingers ache with pain; And deck with fruitful trees the fields around, And with refreshing waters drench the ground. Now, did I not so near my labours end, } Strike sail, and hastening to the harbour tend, } My song to flowery gardens might extend-- } To teach the vegetable arts, to sing The Pæstan roses, and their double spring; How succory drinks the running streams, and how Green beds of parsley near the river grow; How cucumbers along the surface creep, With crooked bodies, and with bellies deep-- The late narcissus, and the winding trail Of bear's-foot, myrtles green, and ivy pale: For, where with stately towers Tarentum stands, And deep Galæsus soaks the yellow sands, I chanced an old Corycian swain to know, } Lord of few acres, and those barren too, } Unfit for sheep or vines, and more unfit to sow; } Yet, labouring well his little spot of ground, Some scattering pot-herbs here and there he found, Which, cultivated with his daily care, And bruised with vervain, were his frugal fare. Sometimes white lilies did their leaves afford, With wholsome poppy-flowers, to mend his homely board; For, late returning home, he supped at ease, } And wisely deemed the wealth of monarchs less; } The little of his own, because his own, did please. } To quit his care, he gathered, first of all, In spring the roses, apples in the fall; And, when cold winter split the rocks in twain, And ice the running rivers did restrain, He stripped the bear's-foot of its leafy growth, And, calling western winds, accused the spring of sloth. He therefore first among the swains was found } To reap the product of his laboured ground, } And squeeze the combs with golden liquor crowned. } His limes were first in flowers; his lofty pines, With friendly shade, secured his tender vines. For every bloom his trees in spring afford, An autumn apple was by tale restored. He knew to rank his elms in even rows, } For fruit the grafted pear-tree to dispose, } And tame to plums the sourness of the sloes. } With spreading planes he made a cool retreat, To shade good fellows from the summer's heat.