The Poetical Works Author:James Thomson Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: WINTER. THE ARGUMENT. The subject proposed. Address to the Earl of Wilmington. First approach of Winter. According to the natural course of the season, var... more »ious storms described. Rain. Wind. Snow. The driving of the snows: a man perishing among them ; whence reflections on the wants and miseries of human life. The wolves descending from the Alps and Apennines. A winter evening described;—as spent by philosophers; by the country people; in the city. Frost. A view of Winter within the polar circle. A thaw. The whole concluding with moral reflections on a future state. See, Winter comes, to rule the varied year, Sullen and sad, with all his rising train— Vapours, and clouds, and storms. Be these my theme ; These, that exalt the soul to solemn thought And heavenly musing. Welcome, kindred glooms ! Congenial horrors, hail! With frequent foot, Pleas'd have I, in my cheerful morn of life, When nurs'd by careless Solitude I liv'd, And sung of Nature with unceasing joy,— Pleas'd have I wander'd through your rough domain; Trod the pure virgin-snows, myself as pure ; u Heard the winds roar, and the big torrent burst; Or seen the deep-fermenting tempest brew'd In the grim evening sky. Thus pass'd the time, Till through the lucid chambers of the South Look'd out the joyous Spring,—look'd out, and smil'd. To thee, the patron of tins first essay, 17 The Muse, 0 Wilmington ! renews her song. Since has she rounded the revolving year : Skiram'd the gay Spring; on eagle-pinions borne, Attempted through the Summer-blaze to rise ; Then swept o'er Autumn with the shadowy gale ; And now among the Wintry clouds again, Roll'd in the doubling storm, she tries to soar; To swell her note with all the rushing winds ; To suit her sounding cadence to th...« less