THE BOWLING-GREEN.

North Otago Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 7487, 8 October 1892, Page 1

THE BOWLING-GREEN.

Translated from Mr Aldisons's Sphseristerium. Tlio following is from the London Magazine of July, 17-">5, which has been kindly placed at our disposal by aiesident of Oainaru. The subject of the poem will be peculiarly interesting to a .section of the citizens at the piesont tune : Whcic, mantled o'er with garb of comely giccn, The level aiea's wide extent is seen, Or e'er the sun peeps o'ei the mountains I leads, While yet the dew hangs sparkling on the meads, The ruthles-, scythe the little crop destroys Winch night's .shoit interval allow'd to rise ; Then strait a massy stone rolled circling lound Laj s the proud grass, and smooths the uneven ground. Hcie, bught with shining oil, a num'rous ticim Of chosen 01 bs flies o'er the verdant plain, Which the nice aitist gave with rapid pace, To w iinJalong and louuded to the lace : And lest they should deceive the spoitsman's hand On c\'ry orb their difleient numbers stand ; Thj,t one feolocts u hn.li if obliquely sped. Wheels to the motion of th' inclosed lead ; Another chutes that which, umnclm'd With even pace obtains the point designed. S'oon as the ciowd are ranged on different sides, As choice dnects them, or as foi tune guides, Kith champion eagei for tlic strife appears, And in his hand the missne weapon rears. Shait o'er the gieen a ball of lesser si/e, Then futuie aim's appointed object, flies: Then he to lead the dubious contest chose, His lolling globe, with easy motion throws, The lolling globe runs slanting o'ei the grass And winding nuiks a eur\ihnear space, Till losing bj degiees the foiee nnpiess'd It fainting tnes, and sinks .it last to rest ; Anothei soon, and \et another speeds, And bowl to bowl with mal haste succeeds. When now a num'ious cioud the butb suriound, So thick that scarce an avenue is found, The ball w ith aim more cautious swims along And gently steei -, amidst the gather'd thiong, But should it seem with la/3' pace to roll, And slacken e'er it reach the intended goal, The spoitsman follows close with anxious haste, C'lndes the delaj , and bids it run more fast. And lest Ins hand, diminish d of its f.tme, Should di aw upon it the spectator's blame, The enwous suiface of the gi omul's arlamgd, Wliose jotting prominence the bow 1 detam'd. Noi fails the wight a jocund laugh to taibc Wliose bowl unfaithful to his jnuposestia\s, And leaves th' intended mark at distance wide, I )i aw n by the pond'rous weight of lead aside. Mocked in his hope, due fmy m Ins breast, And \aiynig passions m his looks expiess'd, Mad lmpiecitions on the bowl he tlnows, The guiltless wood upbraiding with Ins woes. In vain — the bowl with its own tenor hies, Disdains Ins tlneats, nor listens to his cries. , But w ell desei \ ed praise the bowl attends, Winch fiom its coiu.se no de\ioiis error bends ; No w c akness stops, till mcisui \l all the plain Cl(i~,e by the mark the inmost space it gam. A et see th' antagonist with lc\cU'd eyes To sdiko it fiom tlio h.ipjiy st ition lues, (.'.ills up Ins ev'iy ait to aid the flight, And to (he throw collects his utmost might ; The weighty spheie with lab ung smew Hung Seoul 1 o'ei the glass, and rapid whirls along, S<> when the couiser on the Khan plain Foith i 10111 the bamur burst with slacken d 1 em, Tin bounding car flics swifter than the wind, And (puck the moving domes are left behind. Should the mad bowl with ami mistaken slow, And the whole cioud in wild disorder throw, Then how he stamps, whilst rage his bosom tea is, And taxes and curses his unfriendly stars ! JJu( if it nicely keep the middle space, its foe repel, and seize the wish'd for place, With shouts lus fellows hail then- lucky fuend, And acclamations the wide area rend. Meanwhile the sun pours forth his sultry beams, And clammy sweat bedews their weary limbs. Tn kind lofir sillily shades the cioud lepair, \\ hr the »alt diops, and catch the cooling an.