And they that never pass their brick-wall bounds
Το range the fields and treat their lungs with air,
Yet feel the burning instinct: over-head
Sufpend their crazy boxes, planted thick,
And water'd duly. There the pitcher stands
A fragment, and the fpoutlefs tea-pot there;
Sad witnesses how close-pent man regrets
The country, with what ardour he contrives
A peep at nature, when he can no more.

Hail, therefore, patronefs of health, and ease, And contemplation, heart-confoling joys And harmless pleafures, in the throng'd abode Of multitudes unknown! hail, rural life! Addrefs himself who will to the purfuit Of honours, or emolument, or fame; I fhall not add myself to fuch a chace, Thwart his attempts, or envy his fuccefs. Some must be great. Great offices will have Great talents. And God gives to ev'ry man The virtue, temper, understanding, tafte, That lifts him into life; and lets him fall Juft in the niche he was ordain'd to fill. To the deliv'rer of an injur'd land

He gives a tongue t'enlarge upon, an heart

To feel, and courage to redrefs her wrongs;
To monarchs dignity; to judges fense;
To artifts ingenuity and skill;

To me an unambitious mind, content
In the low vale of life, that early felt

A wish for ease and leifure, and ere long

Found here that leifure and that ease I wish'd.

THE TASK.

BOOK V.

ARGUMENT OF THE FIFTH BOOK.

A frofy morning.-The foddering of cattle.-The woodman and his dog.-The poultry.-Whimfical effects of froft at a waterfall.-The Empress of Ruffia's palace of ice.-Amufements of monarchs.War, one of them.-Wars, whence-And whence monarchy. The evils of it.—English and French loyalty contrafled.-The Baflille, and a prifoner there.-Liberty the chief recommendation of this country.—Modern patriotism questionable, and why.— The perishable nature of the best human inflitutions.— Spiritual liberty not perishable.—The flavish state of man by nature.-Deliver him, Deift, if you can. Grace must do it.-The respective merits of patriots and martyrs ftated.-Their different treatment.Happy freedom of the man whom grace makes free.— His relifh of the works of God.—Addrefs to the Creator.