The paffage yet was good; the wind 'tis true,
Was fomewhat high, but that was nothing new,
No more than ufual equinoxes blew.
The fun, already from the fcales declin'd,
Gave little hopes of better days behind,
But change from bad to worfe of weather and of wind.
Nor need they fear the dampnefs of the sky
Should flag their wings, and hinder them to fly,
'Twas only water thrown on fails too dry.
But, least of all, philofophy prefumes
Of truth in dreams, from melancholy fumes:
Perhaps the Martin hous'd in holy ground,
Might think of ghofts that walk their midnight
round,
'Till groffer atoms tumbling in the stream
Of fancy, madly met, and clubb'd into a dream :
As little weight his vain prefages bear,
Of ill effect to fuch alone who fear:
Moft prophecies are of a piece with these,
Each Noftradamus can foretel with ease:
Not naming perfons and confounding times,
One cafual truth fupports a thousand lying rhymes.
Th' advice was true; but fear had feiz'd the
And all good counsel is on cowards loft.
The queftion crudely put to fhun delay, 'Twas carry'd by the major part to stay.
His point thus gain'd, Sir Martin dated thence
His power, and from a priest became a prince.
He order'd all things with a busy care,
And cells and refectories did prepare,
And large provisions laid of winter fare :
But now and then let fall a word or two
Of hope, that heaven fome miracle might show,
And for their fakes the fun fhould backward go;
Against the laws of nature upward climb,
And mounted on the Ram, renew the prime :
For which two proofs in facred story lay,
Of Ahaz' dial, and of Joshua's day.
In expectation of fuch times as these,
A chapel hous'd them, truly call'd of ease:
For Martin much devotion did not ask
They pray'd fometimes and that was all their task.
It happen'd, as beyond the reach of wit
Blind prophecies may have a lucky hit,
That this accomplish'd, or at least in part,
Gave great repute to their new Merlin's art.
Some Swifts, the giants of the Swallow kind,
Large-limb'd, ftout-hearted, but of ftupid mind,
(For Swiffes, or for Gibeonites defign'd,)
Thefe lubbers, peeping thro a broken pane, To fuck fresh air, furvey'd the neighboring plain ;
And saw (but scarcely could believe their eyes)
New bloffoms flourish, and new flowers arife;
As God had been abroad, and, walking there,
Had left his footsteps, and reform'd the year;
The funny hills from far were feen to glow
With glittering beams, and in the meads below
The burnish'd brooks appear'd with liquid gold
to flow.
At last they heard the foolish Cuckow fing,
Whofe note proclaim'd the holy-day of fpring.
No longer doubting, all prepare to fly,
And repoffefs their patrimonial sky.
The priest before them did his wings display;
And that good omens might attend their way,
As luck would have it, 'twas St. Martin's day.
Who but the Swallow now triumphs alone?
The canopy of heaven is all her own :
Her youthful offspring to their haunts repair,
And glide along in glades, and skim in air,
And dip for infects in the purling springs,
And stoop on rivers to refresh their wings..
Their mothers think a fair provifion made,
That ev'ry fon can live upon his trade:
And, now the careful charge is off their hands,
Look out for husbands, and new nuptial bands:
The youthful widow longs to be fupply'd;
But first the lover is by lawyers ty'd
To fettle jointure-chimnies on the bride.
So thick they couple in fo fhort a space,
That Martin's marriage-offerings rife apace.
Their ancient houfes running to decay,
Are furbish'd
up and cemented with clay; They teem already; ftore of eggs are laid, And brooding mothers call Lucina's aid. Fame spreads the news, and foreign fowls appear In flocks to greet the new returning year, To blefs the founder, and partake the cheer.
And now 'twas time (so fast their numbers rifey To plant abroad and people colonies.
The youth drawn forth, as Martin had defir'd, (For fo their cruel destiny requir'd)
Were fent far off on an ill-fated day ;
The reft would needs conduct them on their way,
And Martin went, because he fear'd alone to stay.
So long they flew with inconfiderate hafte,
That now their afternoon began to wafte;
And, what was ominous, that very morn
The fun was enter'd into Capricorn;
Which by their bad astronomer's account,
That week the virgin balance should remount.
An infant moon eclips'd him in his way,
And hid the fmall remainders of his day.
The crowd, amaz'd, purfu'd no certain mark;
But birds met birds, and juftled in the dark:
Few mind the public in a panic fright;
And fear increas'd the horror of the night.
Night came, but unattended with repofe ;
Alone fhe came, no fleep their
eyes to clofe:
Alone, and black fhe came; no friendly stars
What should they do, befet with dangers round, No neighboring dorp, no lodging to be found, But bleaky plains, and bare unhofpitable ground. The latter brood, who just began to fly, Sick-feather'd, and unpractis'd in the sky, For fuccor to their helpless mother call; She spread her wings; fome few beneath them crawl;
She spread them wider yet, but could not cover all. T'augment their woes, the winds began to move Debate in air for empty fields above,
"Till Boreas got the skies, and pour'd amain His rattling hailstones mix'd with snow and rain.
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