Page:The Romance of Nature; or, The Flower-Seasons Illustrated.djvu/96

38 With newe grene; and makith smale floures

To springen here and there in felde and mede,—

So very gode and wholesom be the shoures,

That they renewin that was olde and dede

In winter time; and out of every sede

Springith the herbe; so that every wight

Of this season wexith richt glad and light.

Spenser, in his "Cantos of Mutability," describes a procession of the seasons and months, from which I select the following. The attributes of each are very fancifully and appropriately marshalled forth.

So forth issued the seasons of the yeare,

First, lusty Spring, all dight in leaves of floures,

That freshly budded, and new bloosmes did beare,

In which a thousand birds had built their bowres,

That swetely sung to call forth paramoures;

And in his hand a iavelin he did beare,

And on his head, (as fit for warlike stoures,)

A guilt engraven morion he did weare,

That as some did him love, so others did him feare.

These marching softly, all in order went,

And after them the months all riding came;

First, sturdy March, with brows full sternly bent,

And armed strongly, rode upon a ram,

The same which over Hellespontus swam.

Yet in his hand a spade he also hent;

And in a bag all sorts of seeds y-same

Which on the earth he strewed as he went.