A
Nocturnal
Reverie
.
IN
such
a
Night
,
when
every
louder
Wind
Is
to
its
distant
Cavern
safe
confin'd
;
And
only
gentle
Zephyr
fans
his
Wings
,
And
lonely
Philomel
,
still
waking
,
sings
;
Or
from
some
Tree
,
fam'd
for
the
Owl's
delight
,
She
,
hollowing
clear
,
directs
the
Wand'rer
right
:
In
such
a
Night
,
when
passing
Clouds
give
place
,
Or
thinly
vail
the
Heav'ns
mysterious
Face
;
When
in
some
River
,
overhung
with
Green
,
The
waving
Moon
and
trembling
Leaves
are
seen
;
When
freshen'd
Grass
now
bears
it
self
upright
,
And
makes
cool
Banks
to
pleasing
Rest
invite
,
Whence
springs
the
Woodbind
,
and
the
Bramble-Rose
,
And
where
the
sleepy
Cowslip
shelter'd
grows
;
Whilst
now
a
paler
Hue
the
Foxglove
takes
,
Yet
checquers
still
with
Red
the
dusky
brakes
:
When
scatter'd
Glow-worms
,
but
in
Twilight
fine
,
Shew
trivial
Beauties
watch
their
Hour
to
shine
;
Whilst
Salisb'ry
stands
the
Test
of
every
Light
,
In
perfect
Charms
,
and
perfect
Virtue
bright
:
When
Odours
,
which
declin'd
repelling
Day
,
Thro'
temp'rate
Air
uninterrupted
stray
;
When
darken'd
Groves
their
softest
Shadows
wear
,
And
falling
Waters
we
distinctly
hear
;
When
thro'
the
Gloom
more
venerable
shows
Some
ancient
Fabrick
,
awful
in
Repose
,
While
Sunburnt
Hills
their
swarthy
Looks
conceal
,
And
swelling
Haycocks
thicken
up
the
Vale
:
When
the
loos'd
Horse
now
,
as
his
Pasture
leads
,
Comes
slowly
grazing
thro'
th'
adjoining
Meads
,
Whose
stealing
Pace
,
and
lengthen'd
Shade
we
fear
Till
torn
up
Forage
in
his
Teeth
we
hear
:
When
nibbling
Sheep
at
large
pursue
their
Food
,
And
unmolested
Kine
rechew
the
Cud
;
When
Curlews
cry
beneath
the
Village-walls
,
And
to
her
straggling
Brood
the
Partridge
calls
Their
shortliv'd
Jubilee
the
Creatures
keep
,
Which
but
endures
,
whilst
Tyrant-Man
do's
sleep
When
a
sedate
Content
the
Spirit
feels
,
And
no
fierce
Light
disturbs
,
whilst
it
reveals
;
But
silent
Musings
urge
the
Mind
to
seek
Something
,
too
high
for
Syllables
to
speak
;
Till
the
free
Soul
to
a
compos'dness
charm'd
,
Finding
the
Elements
of
Rage
disarm'd
,
O'er
all
below
a
solemn
Quiet
grown
,
Joys
in
th'inferiour
World
,
and
thinks
it
like
her
Own
In
such
a
Night
let
Me
abroad
remain
,
Till
Morning
breaks
,
and
All's
confus'd
again
;
Our
Cares
,
our
Toils
,
our
Clamours
are
renew'd
.
Or
Pleasures
,
seldom
reach'd
,
again
pursu'd
.