<!DOCTYPE ETS PUBLIC "-//UMDLPS//DTD EEBOPROOF 2.0//EN">
<ETS>
<TEMPHEAD>
<REVDESCR>
<CHANGE>
<DATE>2014-03-26</DATE>
<RESPSTMT>
<NAME>John Pas</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
</RESPSTMT>
<ITEM>Proofed and reviewed as part of batch B140211.apex.</ITEM>
</CHANGE>
</REVDESCR>
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<EEBO>
<IDG S="marc" R="UM" ID="B22799">
<STC T="W">F95A</STC>
<STC T="G">C.121.g.9[55]</STC>
<BIBNO T="umi">99888245</BIBNO>
<VID>201026</VID>
</IDG>
<TEXT LANG="eng">
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="poem">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<HEAD><FIGURE>
</FIGURE>Fair Flora's Departure; OR Summer's Pride abated.</HEAD>
<LG>
<L>FAIR FLORA, beautiful and gay, to winter now gives room,</L>
<L>Who &s;trip'd her of her rich array, made of the fine&s;t oom:</L>
<L>He with his icy beard came in, and looking her upon,</L>
<L>To treat her thus he did begin, Proud FLORA now begone:</L>
<L>Here ha&s;t thou reign'd &s;ix months or more, in all thy gaudy pride,</L>
<L>'Im come to &s;ummon thee therefore, to lay thy pomp a&s;ide;</L>
<L>Your flowers that did bloom and blow, &s;hall weather and decline,</L>
<L>For in a word I tell thee plain, the fields and groves are mine&punc;</L>
<L>But FLORA, loth to leave the &s;tream, in which &s;he took delight,</L>
<L>And bani&s;h'd be from &s;ummer's beams, but &s;lowly took her flight.</L>
<L>What mu&s;t I leave the&s;e groves, &s;aid &s;he, that I have deck'd &s;o fine,</L>
<L>With &s;preading bows on every tree, how can'&s;t thou call them thine?</L>
<L>Why mu&s;t I leave the charming notes of birds, that woody choir,</L>
<L>Who warble from their tuneful throats what notes I do require</L>
<L>O &s;tay a while cold Winter, till tho&s;e plea&s;ures all decline,</L>
<L>And when the floods and rivers fill, my power I'll re&s;ign.</L>
<L>Go, proud FLORA, po&s;t away, make ha&s;te, and hence begone,</L>
<L>Believe me now what I do &s;ay, the floods are coming on;</L>
<L>Ill freeze tho&s;e pretty purling &s;treams, which by thee us'd to glide,</L>
<L>And wither all the lovely things, that puff thee up with pride&punc;</L>
<L>O'd Winter, with thy icy beard, be not &s;o har&s;h to me;</L>
<L>For thou &s;halt never here take place, while leaves are on a tree,</L>
<L>For I'm a charming beauty bright, adorn'd with flowers fine;</L>
<L>My company is more e&s;teem'd ten thou&s;and times then thine</L>
<L>Is this a time to baffle me, now coming into power?</L>
<L>I'll bla&s;t what does belong to thee, and all thy joys devour:</L>
<L>Thy groves and gardens far and near &s;hall look as tho' they die,</L>
<L>Thou, in thy turn, did&s;t domineer &s;o FLORA now will I.</L>
<L>I'll take po&s;&s;ion of thy bowers, in which thou did&s;t remain;</L>
<L>Ill make them &s;wim with floating &s;howers, and mighty &s;torms of rain:</L>
<L>On thy fair hills and valleys green, &s;o lovely to behold,</L>
<L>There &s;hall be nothing felt or &s;een, but fogs and freezing cold</L>
<L>I'll freeze the north-&s;ide of the pole, with all my force and might,</L>
<L>Thy groves and gardens I'll di&s;robe, and leave them naked quie;</L>
<L>In&s;tead of fruit that us'd to grow on loaded vines and trees,</L>
<L>I'l bring va&s;t rocks of ice and &s;now, and all thy banks will freeze</L>
<L>Old Winter never threaten &s;o, I tell thee once again</L>
<L>Tho' for a while I hence mu&s;t go, when 'tis my turn to reign;</L>
<L>I'll thaw the g&s;prings that thou do&s;t freeze, adorn and beautify</L>
<L>My gardens oay, and groves and trees, and make thee glad to fly</L>
<L>I know if thou could have thy will, always to rule and reign:</L>
<L>The fruitful earth would barren grow, and give no &s;ort of grain,</L>
<L>No &s;weet fruits would ever grow, that might men's palates plea&s;e;</L>
<L>This is the cau&s;e all envy I thee, for &s;uch like tricks as the&s;e.</L>
<L>I know fair FLORA, thou art better far belov'd than I:</L>
<L>To &s;peak the truth, 'tis thy de&s;ert, therefore I mu&s;t comply,</L>
<L>Yet you mu&s;t give me leave &s;ome time in power to remain,</L>
<L>Next &s;pring you &s;hall return and &s;mile upon the flowery plain</L>
</LG>
</DIV1>
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</TEXT>
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