Inchantress, smile or sigh,
And fade or flourish, as she turns her eye.

305 Fair CISTA, rival of the rosy dawn,
Call'd her light choir, and trod the dewy lawn;
Hail'd with rude melody the new-born May,
As cradled yet in April's lap she lay.

[_So with her waving pencil._ l. 295. Alluding to the many beautiful
paintings by Miss EMMA CREWE; to whom the author is indebted for the very
elegant Frontispiece, where Flora, at play with Cupid, is loading him
with garden-tools.]

[_Cistus labdaniferus._ l. 304. Many males, one female. The petals of this
beautiful and fragrant shrub, as well as of the Oenothera, tree primrose,
and others, continue expanded but a few hours, falling off about noon, or
soon after, in hot weather. The most beautiful flowers of the Cactus
grandiflorus (see Cerea) are of equally short duration, but have their
existence in the night. And the flowers of the Hibiscus trionum are said
to continue but a single hour. The courtship between the males and females
in these flowers might be easily watched; the males are said to approach
and recede from the females alternately. The flowers of the Hibiscus
sinensis, mutable rose, live in the West Indies, their native climate,
but one day; but have this remarkable property, they are white at the
first expansion, then change to deep red, and become purple as they
decay.

The gum or resin of this fragrant vegetable is collected from extensive
underwoods of it in the East by a singular contrivance. Long leathern
thongs are tied to poles and cords, and drawn over the tops of these
shrubs about noon; which thus collect the dust of the anthers, which
adheres to the leather, and is occasionally scraped off. Thus in some
degree is the manner imitated, in which the bee collects on his thighs
and legs the same material for the construction of his combs.]

I.

"Born in yon blaze of orient sky,
310 "Sweet MAY! thy radiant form unfold;
"Unclose thy blue voluptuous eye,
"And wave thy shadowy locks of gold.

II.

"For Thee the fragrant zephyrs blow,
"For Thee descends the sunny shower;
315 "The rills in softer murmurs slow,
"And brighter blossoms gem the bower.

III.

"Light Graces dress'd in flowery wreaths
"And tiptoe Joys their hands combine;
"And Love his sweet contagion breathes,
320 "And laughing dances round thy shrine.