Excerpt from Description of a Journey to Marlborough, Bath, Portsmouth etc.
FROM Bath, I travel thro' the sultry Vale,
Till Sal'sb'ry Plains afford a cooling Gale:
Arcadian Plains, where PAN delights to dwell,
In verdant Beauties cannot these excel:
These too, like them, might gain immortal Fame,
Resound with CORYDON and THYRSIS' Flame;
If, to his Mouth, the Shepherd would apply
His mellow Pipe, or vocal Music try:
But, to his Mouth, the Shepherd ne'er applies
His mellow Pipe, nor vocal Music tries:
Propt on his Staff, he indolently stands;
His Hands support his Head, his Staff his Hands;
Or, idly basking in the sunny Ray,
Supinely lazy, loiters Life away.
Here, as I pass'd the Plains, (a lovely Scene,
Array'd in Nature's Liv'ry, gaily green!)
On ev'ry Side the wanton Lambkins play'd,
Whose artless Bleatings rural Music made;
Too harsh perhaps to please politer Ears,
Yet much the sweetest Tune the Farmer hears.
Much of Salisbury Plain is used by the British Army.
You can find other selections from Stephen Duck's poem about his travels on his author page.
Poetry Atlas has many other poems about Wiltshire.