While as his flying fingers kissed the strings,
Love framed with mirth a gay fantastic round.
and, with its tinge of probably unconscious humour—
Brown exercise rejoiced to hear,
And Sport leapt up and seized his beechen spear.
From these and similar instances, we receive a definite impression of that motion, which is at the same time repose, so characteristic of classical sculptuary.
Most of the odes considered above are addressed to abstractions. In the few instances where Collins invokes the orders or powers of nature even greater felicity is shown in the art with which he calls up and clothes in perfect expression his abstract images. The first of the seasons is vaguely but subtly suggested to us in the beautiful ode beginning “How sleep the brave”:
When Spring with dewy fingers cold
Returns to deck their hallowed mould,
She there shall dress a sweeter sod