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• Ere thy tops, trusted to the mountain-land, [455]
• Commence their jointing: but four moons suffice

• To bring to puberty the low-land Cane.

• IN plants, in beasts, in man’s imperial race,
• An alien mixture meliorates the breed;
• Hence Canes, that sickened dwarfish on the plain, [460]
• Will shoot with giant-vigour on the hill.
• Thus all depends on all; so God ordains.
• Then let not man for little selfish ends,
• (Britain, remember this important truth;)
• Presume the principle to counteract [465]
• Of universal love; for God is love,

• And wide creation shares alike his care.

• ‘TIS said by some, and not unletter’d they,
• That chief the Planter, if he wealth desire,
• Should note the phases of the fickle moon. [470]
• On thee, sweet empress of the night, depend
• The tides; stern Neptune¹ pays his court to thee;
• The winds, obedient at thy bidding shift,
• And tempests rise or fall; even lordly man,
• Thine energy controls.——Not so the Cane; [475]
• The Cane its independency may boast,
• Tho’ some less noble plants thine influence own.

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