A
VISION
.
Methought
a
boundless
plain
entranc'd
I
view'd
,
Beyond
what
waking
eye
could
ever
scan
,
With
thousand
and
ten
thousand
flocks
bestrew'd
,
Emblems
,
I
soon
descried
,
of
fallen
man
.
Thro'
tangled
wilds
and
crooked
ways
with
speed
Numbers
I
saw
on
numbers
heedless
run
,
Yet
oft
they
stopt
to
crop
each
pois'nous
weed
,
That
shew'd
it's
gaudy
colours
to
the
sun
.
With
grief
I
mark'd
their
fleeces
torn
and
rent
,
As
thro'
the
brambles
eagerly
they
rush'd
,
Some
,
on
their
own
and
other's
ruin
bent
,
Turn'd
round
enrag'd
,
and
at
each
other
push'd
.
The
young
their
folds
and
fertile
vales
forsook
,
And
vent'rous
climb'd
the
wild
and
craggy
rock
,
But
soon
the
wolf
the
straggling
lamb
o'ertook
,
Who
rashly
dar'd
to
leave
the
parent
flock
.
A
general
bleating
now
assail'd
mine
ear
In
tones
expressive
of
the
deepest
woe
;
"
Alas
!
"
I
cried
,
"
are
there
no
shepherds
near
,
"
No
guides
the
strait
,
the
even
way
to
show
?
"
When
turning
to
the
East
my
enquiring
eye
,
(
With
double
strength
it's
visual
pow'r
renew'd
)
The
plain
,
the
beaten
path
I
did
espy
Tho'
verdant
vales
with
guides
and
folds
bestrew'd
.
"
Ah
,
wretched
sheep
,
"
lamenting
then
I
cried
,
"
Why
leave
ye
thus
your
folds
and
fost'ring
guides
?
Undone
ye
are
,
and
,
lost
by
your
own
pride
,
Ye
shun
those
helps
which
bounteous
Heav'n
provides
.
"
But
oh
!
how
can
my
feeble
verse
pourtray
The
glorious
vision
,
which
I
then
survey'd
,
When
all
resplendent
as
the
blaze
of
day
,
The
Shepherd
came
in
majesty
array'd
?
Such
heav'nly
light
refulgent
beam'd
around
,
Swift
o'er
the
wide
expanse
I
saw
it
spread
,
Such
words
benignant
in
mine
ears
did
sound
,
As
cheer'd
the
living
and
reviv'd
the
dead
.
Methought
all
nature
seem'd
to
bloom
anew
,
The
barren
desert
blossom'd
as
the
rose
,
The
parched
wilderness
appear'd
to
view
As
pastures
green
,
where
living
water
flows
.
There
at
his
soothing
call
,
and
safe
from
harm
,
With
tenderest
care
his
flocks
the
Shepherd
fed
,
The
feeble
lambs
he
gather'd
with
his
arm
,
And
gently
those
that
were
with
young
he
led
.
Obedient
to
the
heavenly
Shepherd's
call
,
Gasping
with
thirst
I
hasted
to
the
stream
,
There
in
his
presence
on
my
knees
I
fall
,
Then
wake
,
and
start
from
my
enraptur'd
dream
.