Page:The Poems of John Dyer (1903).djvu/95

 Frequent observ'd, of high antiquity No doubtful mark : th' advent'rous voyager, Toss'd over ocean to remotest shores, Hears on remotest shores the murm'ring loom, Sees the deep-furrowing plough and harrow'd field, The wheel-mov'd wagon, and the discipline Of strong-yok'd steers. What needful art is new ? Next the industrious youth employs his care To store soft yarn ; and now he strains the warp Along the garden-walk, or highway side, Smoothing each thread ; now fits it to the loom, And sits before the work : from hand to hand The thready shuttle glides along the lines, Which open to the woof and shut altern ; And ever and anon, to firm the work, Against the web is driv'n the noisy frame, That o'er the level rushes, like a surge Which, often dashing on the sandy beach, Compacts the traveller's road : from hand to hand Again, across the lines oft op'ning, glides The thready shuttle, while the web apace Increases, as the light of eastern skies, Spread by the rosy fingers of the morn, And all the fair expanse with beauty glows. Or if the broader mantle be the task, He chuses some companion to his toil. From side to side, with amicable aim, Each to the other darts the nimble bolt, While friendly converse, prompted by the work, Kindles improvement in the op'ning mind. What need we name the sev'ral kinds of looms? Those delicate, to whose fair-colour'd threads Hang figur'd weights, whose various numbers guide The artist's hand : he, unseen, flow'rs, and trees,