their Diff'rence to decide The Pow'r that ministers to God's Decrees And executes on Earth what Heav'n foresees Call'd Providence or Chance or fatal Sway Comes with resistless Force and finds or makes her Way Nor Kings nor Nations nor united Pow'r One Moment can retard th' appointed Hour And some one Day some wondrous Chance appears Which happen'd not in Centuries of Years For sure whate'er we Mortals hate or love Or hope or fear depends on Pow'rs above They move our Appetites to Good or Ill And by Foresight necessitate the Will In Theseus this appears whose youthful Joy Was Beasts of Chase in Forests to destroy This gentle Knight inspir'd by jolly May Forsook his easie Couch at early Day And to the Wood and Wilds pursu'd his Way Beside him rode Hippolita the Queen And Emily attir'd in lively Green With Horns and Hounds and all the tuneful Cry To hunt a Royal Hart within the Covert nigh And as he follow'd Mars before so now He serves the Goddess of the Silver Bow The Way that Theseus took was to the Wood Where the two Knights in cruel Battel stood The Laund on which they fought th' appointed Place In which th' uncoupl'd Hounds began the Chace Thither forth-right he rode to rowse the Prey That shaded by the Fern in Harbour lay And thence dislodg'd was wont to leave the Wood For open Fields and cross the Crystal Flood Approach'd and looking underneath the Sun He saw proud Arcite and fierce Palamon In mortal Battel doubling Blow on Blow Like Lightning flam'd their Fauchions to and fro And shot a dreadful Gleam so strong they strook There seem'd less Force requir'd to fell an Oak He gaz'd with Wonder on their equal Might Look'd eager on but knew not either Knight Resolv'd to learn he spurr'd his fiery Steed With goring Rowels to provoke his Speed The Minute ended that began the Race So soon he was betwixt 'em on the Place And with his Sword unsheath'd on pain of Life Commands both Combatants to cease their Strife Then with imperious Tone pursues his Threat What are you Why in Arms together met How dares your Pride presume against my Laws As in a listed Field to fight your Cause Unask'd the Royal Grant no Marshal by As Knightly Rites require nor Judge to try Then Palamon with scarce recover'd Breath Thus hasty spoke We both deserve the Death And both wou'd die for look the World around A Pair so wretched is not to be found Our Life 's a Load encumber'd with the Charge We long to set th' imprison'd Soul at large Now as thou art a Sovereign Judge decree The rightful Doom of Death to him and me Let neither find thy Grace for Grace is Cruelty Me first O kill me first and cure my Woe Then sheath the Sword of Justice on my Foe Or kill him first for when his Name is heard He foremost will receive his due Reward Arcite of Thebes is he thy mortal Foe On whom thy Grace did Liberty bestow But first contracted that if ever found By Day or Night upon th' Athenian Ground His Head should pay the Forfeit See return'd The perjur'd Knight his Oath and Honour scorn'd For this is he who with a borrow'd Name And profer'd Service to thy Palace came Now call'd Philostratus retain'd by thee A Traytor trusted and in high Degree Aspiring to the Bed of beauteous Emily My Part remains From Thebes my Birth I own And call my self th' unhappy Palamon Think me not like that Man since no Disgrace Can force me to renounce the Honour of my Race Know me for what I am I broke thy Chain Nor promis'd I thy Pris'ner to remain The Love of Liberty with Life is giv'n And Life it self th' inferiour Gift of Heaven Thus without Crime I fled but farther know I with this Arcite am thy mortal Foe Then give me Death since I thy Life pursue For Safeguard of thy self Death is my Due More would'st thou know I love bright Emily And for her Sake and in her Sight will die But kill my Rival too for he no less Deserves and I thy righteous Doom will bless Assur'd that what I lose he never shall possess To this reply'd the stern Athenian Prince And sow'rly smild In owning your Offence You judge your self and I but keep Record In place of Law while you pronounce the Word Take your Desert the Death you have decreed I seal your Doom and ratifie the Deed. By Mars the Patron of my Arms you die He said dumb Sorrow seiz'd the Standers by The Queen above the rest by Nature Good The Pattern form'd of perfect Womanhood For tender Pity wept When she began Through the bright Quire th' infectious Vertue ran All dropp'd their Tears ev'n the contended Maid And thus among themselves they softly said What Eyes can suffer this unworthy Sight Two Youths of Royal Blood renown'd in Fight The Mastership of Heav'n in Face and Mind And Lovers far beyond their faithless Kind See their wide streaming Wounds they neither came From Pride of Empire nor desire of Fame Kings fight for Kingdoms Madmen for Applause But love for Love alone that crowns the Lover's Cause This Thought which ever bribes the beauteous Kind Such Pity wrought in ev'ry Ladies Mind They left their Steeds and prostrate on the Place From the fierce King implor'd th' Offenders Grace He paus'd a while stood silent in his Mood For yet his Rage was boiling in his Blood But soon his tender Mind th' Impression felt As softest Metals are not slow to melt And Pity soonest runs in gentle Minds Then reasons with himself and first he finds His Passion cast a Mist before his Sense And either made or magnifi'd th' Offence Offence of what to whom Who judg'd the Cause The Pris'ner freed himself by Natures Laws Born free he sought his Right The Man he freed Was perjur'd but his Love excus'd the Deed Thus pond'ring he look'd under with his Eyes And saw the Womens Tears and heard their Cries Which mov'd Compassion more He shook his Head And softly sighing to himself he said Curse on th' unpard'ning Prince whom Tears can draw To no Remorse who rules by Lions Law And deaf to Pray'rs by no Submission bow'd Rends all alike the Penitent and Proud At this with Look serene he rais'd his Head Reason resum'd her Place and Passion fled Then thus aloud he spoke The Pow'r of Love In Earth and Seas and Air and Heav'n above Rules unresisted with an awful Nod By daily Miracles declar'd a God He blinds the Wise gives Eye-sight to the Blind And moulds and stamps anew the Lover's Mind Behold that Arcite and this Palamon Freed from my Fetters and in Safety gone What hinder'd either in their Native Soil At ease to reap the Harvest of their Toil But Love their Lord did otherwise ordain And brought 'em in then own despite again To suffer Death deserv'd for well they know 'T is in my Pow'r and I their deadly Foe The Proverb
stert As one that was afraide in his hert For naturally beastes desireth to flie Fro her contrarie if he may it see Tho he neuer erst had seen it with his eye This Chaunteclere when he gan him espie He would haue fled but the foxe anone Said gentle sir alas what wol ye done Be ye afrayd of me that am your frende Now certes I were worse than a fende If I to you would harme or villanie I am not come your counsaile to espie But truely the cause of my comming Was only to here howe ye sing For sothly ye haue as mery a steuen As any angel hath that is in heuen Therewith ye haue of musicke more feling Than had Boece or any that can sing My lorde your father God his soule blesse And eke your mother of her gentlenesse Haue in my house ben to my great case And certes sir full faine would I you please But for men speken of singing I woll sey So mote I broken wel mine eyen twey Saue you ne herde I neuer man so sing As did your father in the morning Certes it was of herte all that he song And for to make his voice more strong He would so paine him that with both his eyen He must winke so loude he must crien And stonden on his tiptoes therwithall And stretch forth his neck long and small And eke he was of such discrecion That there was no man in no region That him in songe or wisdome might passe I haue wel redde dan Burnel the aue Among his verses how that there was a Cocke For that a priestes sonne yaue him a knocke Vpon his legges while he was yong and nice He made him for to lese his benefice But certaine there is no comparison Betwixt the wisedome and discrecion Of your father and of his subtiltie Now singeth sir for saint charitie Let se can ye your father counterfete This Chaunteclere his winges gan to bete As a man that could not his treson aspie So was he rauished with his flaterie Alas ye lordes many a false flatterour Is in your courte and many a false lesingour That please you wel more by my faith Than he that sothfastnesse vnto you saith Redeth Ecclesiast of slatterie Beware ye lordes of her trecherie This Chaunteclere stode hie vpon his toos Stretchin his necke and held his eyen cloos And gan to crowe loud for the nones And dan Russel the Foxe start vp at ones And by the gorget hent Chaunteclere And on his backe toward the wood him bere For yet was there no man that him sued O destinie that maist not be eschued Alas that Chaunteclere flewe fro the bemes Alas his wife rought not of dremes And on a Friday fell all this mischaunce O Venus that art goddesse of pleasaunce Sithens that thy seruant was this Chaunteclere And in thy seruice did all his powere More for delite than the worlde to multiplie Why woldst thou suffer him on thy dai to die O Gaulfride dere maister soueraine That whan that worthy king Richard was slain With shot complaindst his deth so sore Why ne had I now thy science and thy lore The Friday for to chide as did ye For on a Friday shortly slaine was he Than wold I shew you how that I coud plaine For Chaunteclere's drede and for his paine Certes such cry ne lamentacion Nas neuer of Ladies made whan that Ilion Was won and Pirrus with his bright swerde Whan he hent King Priam by the berde And slough him as saieth Eneidos As made all the hennes in the cloos Whan they had loste of Chaunteclere the sight But souerainly dame Pertelot shright Well louder than did Hasdruballes wife Whan that her husbond hath lost his life And that the Romaines had brent Cartage She was so full of torment and of rage That wilfully into the fire she sterte And brent her self with a stedfast herte O wofull hennes right so cryed he As whan that Nero brent the citie Of Rome cried the Senatours wiues For that her husbondes should lese her liues Withouten gilte Nero hath hem slaine Now wol I turne to my tale againe The sely widowe and her doughters two Herde the hennes crie and make wo And at the dore sterte they anon And saw the foxe towarde the wood gon And bare vpon his backe the Cocke away And cried out harow and well away Aha the Foxe and after hem they ran And eke with staues many another man Ran Coll our dogge Talbot and eke garlonde And Malkin with her distasse in her honde Ran Cowe and Calfe and eke the verie hogges For they so sore aferde were of the dogges And shouting of men and of women eke They ran so her hert thought to breke They yellen as fendes do in hell The Duckes cried as men would them quell The Geese for feare flewe ouer the trees Out of the Hiues came the swarme of Bees So hidous was the noise a benedicite Certes Jacke Strawe ne his meine Ne made neuer shoutes halfe so shrill Whan that they would any Flemming kill As that daie was made vpon the Foxe Of brasse they blewe the trompes and of boxe Of horne and bone in which they blew and pouped And therwith they shriked and shouted It seemed as though heauen should fall Now good men I pray you herken all Lo how fortune tourneth sodainly The hope and the pride of her enemy This Cocke that laie vpon the Foxe backe In all his drede vnto the Foxe he spake And saied sir if I were as ye Yet should I saie as wise God help me Tourneth ayen ye proud churles all A very pestilence ypon you fall Now am I come vnto this woods side Maugre your hed the Cocke shall here abide I woll him eate-in faith and that anon The Foxe answred in faith it shal be don And as he spake the word all 〈◊〉 This Cock brake from his mouth deliuerly And high upon a tree he flewe anon And whan the Foxe saw that he was gon Alas qd he O Chaunteclcre alas I haue qd he doe to you trespas In as much as I made you aferde Whan I you hent and brought out of your yerde But sir I did it not in no wicked entent Come doun and I shal tel you what I ment I shall you say sothe God helpe me so Nay than qd he I shrewe vs both two And first I shrewe my self both blood and bones If thou begyle me ofter than ones Thou shalt no more with thy flaterie Doe me sing with a winking eye For he that winketh when he should see All wilfully God let him neuer thee Naie qd the foxe but God yeue him mischance That is so indiscrete of gouernaunce That iangleth whan that he should haue pees Lo such it is for to be recheles And negligent and trust on flatterie But ye that holde this tale a lie As of a foxe of a Cocke and of a Hen Taketh the moralitie good men For Saint Poule saieth all that written is
his Pillow rais'd he thus begun No Language can express the smallest part Of what I feel and suffer in my Heart For you whom best I love and value most But to your Service I bequeath my Ghost Which from this mortal Body when unty'd Unseen unheard shall hover at your Side Nor fright you waking nor your Sleep offend But wait officious and your Steps attend How I have lov'd excuse my faltring Tongue My Spirits feeble and my Pains are strong This I may say I only grieve to die Because I lose my charming Emily To die when Heav'n had put you in my Pow'r Fate could not chuse a more malicious Hour What greater Curse cou'd envious Fortune give Than just to die when I began to live Vain Men how vanishing a Bliss we crave Now warm in Love now with'ring in the Grave Never O never more to see the Sun Still dark in a damp Vault and still alone This Fate is common but I lose my Breath Near Bliss and yet not bless'd before my Death Farewell but take me dying in your Arms 'T is all I can enjoy of all your Charms This Hand I cannot but in Death resign Ah could I live But while I live 't is mine I feel my End approach and thus embrac'd Am pleas'd to die but hear me speak my last Ah! my sweet Foe for you and you alone I broke my Faith with injur'd Palamon But Love the Sense of Right and Wrong confounds Strong Love and proud Ambition have no Bounds And much I doubt shou'd Heav'n my Life prolong I shou'd return to justifie my Wrong For while my former Flames remain within Repentance is but want of Pow'r to sin With mortal Hatred I pursu'd his Life Nor he nor you were guilty of the Strife Nor I but as I lov'd Yet all combin'd Your Beauty and my Impotence of Mind And his concurrent Flame that blew my Fire For still our Kindred Souls had one Desire He had a Moments Right in point of Time Had I seen first then his had been the Crime Fate made it mine and justified his Right Nor holds this Earth a more deserving Knight For Vertue Valour and for Noble Blood Truth Honour all that is compriz'd in Good So help me Heav'n in all the World is none So worthy to be lov'd as Palamon He loves you too with such a holy Fire As will not cannot but with Life expire Our vow'd Affections both have often try'd Nor any Love but yours cou'd ours divide Then by my Loves inviolable Band By my long Suff'ring and my short Command If e'er you plight your Vows when I am gone Have pity on the faithful Palamon This was his last for Death came on amain And exercis'd below his Iron Reign Then upward to the Seat of Life he goes Sense fled before him what he touch'd he froze Yet cou'd he not his closing Eyes withdraw Though less and less of Emily he saw So speechless for a little space he lay Then grasp'd the Hand he held and sigh'd his Soul away But whither went his Soul let such relate Who search the Secrets of the future State Divines can say but what themselves believe Strong Proofs they have but not demonstrative For were all plain then all Sides must agree And Faith it self be lost in Certainty To live uprightly then is sure the best To save our selves and not to damn the rest The Soul of Arcite went where Heathens go Who better live than we though less they know In Palamon a manly Grief appears Silent he wept asham'd to shew his Tears Emilia shriek'd but once and then oppress'd With Sorrow sunk upon her Lovers Breast Till Theseus in his Arms convey'd with Care Far from so sad a Sight the swooning Fair. 'T were loss of Time her Sorrow to relate Ill bears the Sex a youthful Lover's Fate When just approaching to the Nuptial State But like a low-hung Cloud it rains so fast That all at once it falls and cannot last The Face of Things is chang'd and Athens now That laugh'd so late becomes the Scene of Woe Matrons and Maids both Sexes ev'ry State With Tears lament the Knight's untimely Fate Not greater Grief in falling Troy was seen For Hector's Death but Hector was not then Old Men with Dust deform'd their hoary Hair The Women beat their Breasts their Cheeks they tear Why would'st thou go with one Consent they cry When thou hadst Gold enough and Emily Theseus himself who shou'd have cheer'd the Grief Of others wanted now the same Relief Old Egeus only could revive his Son Who various Changes of the World had known And strange Vicissitudes of Humane Fate Still alt'ring never in a steady State Good after Ill and after Pain Delight Alternate like the Scenes of Day and Night Since ev'ry Man who lives is born to die And none can boast sincere Felicity With equal Mind what happens let us bear Nor joy nor grieve too much for Things beyond our Care Like Pilgrims to th' appointed Place we tend The World 's an Inn and Death the Journeys End Ev'n Kings but play and when their Part is done Some other worse or better mount the Throne With Words like these the Crowd was satisfi'd And so they would have been had Theseus dy'd But he their King was lab'ring in his Mind A fitting Place for Fun'ral Pomps to find Which were in Honour of the Dead design'd And after long Debate at last he found As Love it self had mark'd the Spot of Ground That Grove for ever green that conscious Lawnd Where he with Palamon fought Hand to Hand That where he fed his amorous Desires With soft Complaints and felt his hottest Fires There other Flames might waste his Earthly Part And burn his Limbs where Love had burn'd his Heart This once resolv'd the Peasants were enjoin'd Sere Wood and Firs and dodder'd Oaks to find With sounding Axes to the Grove they go Fell split and lay the Fewel on a Row Vulcanian Food A Bier is next prepar'd On which the lifeless Body should be rear'd Cover'd with Cloth of Gold on which was laid The Corps of Arcite in like Robes array'd White Gloves were on his Hands and on his Head A Wreath of Laurel mix'd with Myrtle spread A Sword keen-edg'd within his Right he held The warlike Emblem of the conquer'd Field Bare was his manly Visage on the Bier Menac'd his Count'nance ev'n in Death severe Then to the Palace-Hall they bore the Knight To lie in solemn State a Publick Sight Groans Cries and Howlings fill the crowded Place And unaffected Sorrow sat on ev'ry Face Sad Palamon above the rest appears In Sable Garments dew'd with gushing Tears His Aubourn Locks on either Shoulder flow'd Which to the Fun'ral of his Friend he vow'd But Emily as Chief was next his Side A Virgin-Widow and a Mourning Bride And that the Princely Obsequies might be Perform'd according to his high Degree The Steed that bore him living to the Fight Was trapp'd with polish'd
of Necessity Take what he gives since to rebel is vain The Bad grows better which we well sustain And cou'd we chuse the Time and chuse aright T is best to die our Honour at the height ' When we have done our Ancestors no Shame But serv'd our Friends and well secur'd our Fame Then should we wish our happy Life to close And leave no more for Fortune to dispose So should we make our Death a glad Relief From future Shame from Sickness and from Grief Enjoying while we live the present Hour And dying in our Excellence and Flow'r Then round our Death-bed ev'ry Friend shou'd run And joy us of our Conquest early won While the malicious World with envious Tears Shou'd grudge our happy End and wish it Theirs Since then our Arcite is with Honour dead Why shou'd we mourn that he so soon is freed Or call untimely what the Gods decreed With Grief as just a Friend may be deplor'd From a foul Prison to free Air restor'd Ought he to thank his Kinsman or his Wife Cou'd Tears recall him into wretched Life Their Sorrow hurts themselves on him is lost And worse than both offends his happy Ghost What then remains but after past Annoy To take the good Vicissitude of Joy To thank the gracious Gods for what they give Possess our Souls and while we live to live Ordain we then two Sorrows to combine And in one Point th' Extremes of Grief to join That thence resulting Joy may be renew'd As jarring Notes in Harmony conclude Then I propose that Palamon shall be In Marriage join'd with beauteous Emily For which already I have gain'd th' Assent Of my free People in full Parliament Long Love to her has born the faithful Knight And well deserv'd had Fortune done him Right 'T is time to mend her Fault since Emily By Arcite's Death from former Vows is free If you Fair Sister ratifie th' Accord And take him for your Husband and your Lord. 'T is no Dishonour to confer your Grace On one descended from a Royal Race And were he less yet Years of Service past From grateful Souls exact Reward at last Pity is Heav'ns and yours Nor can she find A Throne so soft as in a Womans Mind He said she blush'd and as o'eraw'd by Might Seem'd to give Theseus what she gave the Knight Then turning to the Theban thus he said Small Arguments are needful to persuade Your Temper to comply with my Command And speaking thus he gave Emilia's Hand Smil'd Venus to behold her own true Knight Obtain the Conquest though he lost the Fight And bless'd with Nuptial Bliss the sweet laborious Night Eros and Anteros on either Side One fir'd the Bridegroom and one warm'd the Bride And long-attending Hymen from above Showr'd on the Bed the whole Idalian Grove All of a Tenour was their After-Life No Day discolour'd with Domestick Strife No Jealousie but mutual Truth believ'd Secure Repose and Kindness undeceiv'd Thus Heavn beyond the Compass of his Thought Sent him the Blessing he so dearly bought So may the Queen of Love long Duty bless And all true Lovers find the same Success The End of the Third Book TO MY Honour'd Kinsman JOHN DRIDEN OF CHESTERTON IN THE COUNTY OF HUNTINGDON ESQUIRE TO My Honour'd Kinsman JOHN DRIDEN OF CHESTERTON IN THE COUNTY of HUNTINGDON ESQUIRE HOW Bless'd is He who leads a Country Life Unvex'd with anxious Cares and void of Strife Who studying Peace and shunning Civil Rage Enjoy'd his Youth and now enjoys his Age All who deserve his Love he makes his own And to be lov'd himself needs only to be known Just Good and Wise contending Neighbours come From your Award to wait their final Doom And Foes before return in Friendship home Without their Cost you terminate the Cause And save th' Expence of long Litigious Laws Where Suits are travers'd and so little won That he who conquers is but last undone Such are not your Decrees but so design'd The Sanction leaves a lasting Peace behind Like your own Soul Serene a Pattern of your Mind Promoting Concord and composing Strife Lord of your self uncumber'd with a Wife Where for a Year a Month perhaps a Night Long Penitence succeeds a short Delight Minds are so hardly match'd that ev'n the first Though pair'd by Heav'n in Paradise were curs'd For Man and Woman though in one they grow Yet first or last return again to Two He to God's Image She to His was made So farther from the Fount the Stream at random stray'd How cou'd He stand when put to double Pain He must a Weaker than himself sustain Each might have stood perhaps but each alone Two Wrestlers help to pull each other down Not that my Verse wou'd blemish all the Fair But yet if some be Bad 't is Wisdom to beware And better shun the Bait than struggle in the Snare Thus have you shunn'd and shun the married State Trusting as little as you can to Fate No Porter guards the Passage of your Door T' admit the Wealthy and exclude the Poor For God who gave the Riches gave the Heart To sanctifie the Whole by giving Part Heav'n who foresaw the Will the Means has wrought And to the Second Son a Blessing brought The First-begotten had his Father's Share But you like Jacob are Rebecca's Heir So may your Stores and fruitful Fields increase And ever be you bless'd who live to bless As Ceres sow'd where e'er her Chariot flew As Heav'n in Desarts rain'd the Bread of Dew So free to Many to Relations most You feed with Manna your own Israel-Host With Crowds attended of your ancient Race You seek the Champian-Sports or Sylvan-Chace With well-breath'd Beagles you surround the Wood Ev'n then industrious of the Common Good And often have you brought the wily Fox To suffer for the Firstlings of the Flocks Chas'd ev'n amid the Folds and made to bleed Like Felons where they did the murd'rous Deed. This fiery Game your active Youth maintain'd Not yet by Years extinguish'd though restrain'd You season still with Sports your serious Hours For Age but tastes of Pleasures Youth devours The Hare in Pastures or in Plains is found Emblem of Humane Life who runs the Round And after all his wand'ring Ways are done His Circle fills and ends where he begun Just as the Setting meets the Rising Sun Thus Princes ease their Cares But happier he Who seeks not Pleasure thro' Necessity Than such as once on slipp'ry Thrones were plac'd And chasing sigh to think themselves are chas'd So liv'd our Sires e'er Doctors learn'd to kill And multiply'd with theirs the Weekly Bill The first Physicians by Debauch were made Excess began and Sloth sustains the Trade Pity the gen'rous Kind their Cares bestow To search forbidden Truths a Sin to know To which if Humane Science cou'd attain The Doom of Death pronounc'd by God were vain In vain the Leech wou'd interpose Delay Fate fastens first and vindicates the Prey What Help from
pious Love And where the Pains with which ten Months I strove Ah! hadst thou dy'd my Son in Infant-years Thy little Herse had been bedew'd with Tears Thou liv'st by me to me thy Breath resign Mine is the Merit the Demerit thine Thy Life by double Title I require Once giv'n at Birth and once preserv'd from Fire One Murder pay or add one Murder more And me to them who fell by thee restore I wou'd but cannot My Son's Image stands Before my Sight and now their angry Hands My Brothers hold and Vengeance these exact This pleads Compassion and repents the Fact He pleads in vain and I pronounce his Doom My Brothers though unjustly shall o'ercome But having paid their injur'd Ghosts their Due My Son requires my Death and mine shall his pursue At this for the last time she lifts her Hand Averts her Eyes and half unwilling drops the Brand. The Brand amid the flaming Fewel thrown Or drew or seem'd to draw a dying Groan The Fires themselves but faintly lick'd their Prey Then loath'd their impious Food and wou'd have shrunk away Just then the Heroe cast a doleful Cry And in those absent Flames began to fry The blind Contagion rag'd within his Veins But he with manly Patience bore his Pains He fear'd not Fate but only griev'd to die Without an honest Wound and by a Death so dry Happy Ancaeus thrice aloud he cry'd With what becoming Fate in Arms he dy'd Then call'd his Brothers Sisters Sire around And her to whom his Nuptial Vows were bound Perhaps his Mother a long Sigh he drew And his Voice failing took his last Adieu For as the Flames augment and as they stay At their full Height then languish to decay They rise and sink by Fits at last they soar In one bright Blaze and then descend no more Just so his inward Heats at height impair Till the last burning Breath shoots out the Soul in Air. Now lofty Calidon in Ruines lies All Ages all Degrees unsluice their Eyes And Heav'n Earth resound with Murmurs Groans Cries Matrons and Maidens beat their Breasts and tear Their Habits and root up their scatter'd Hair The wretched Father Father now no more With Sorrow sunk lies prostrate on the Floor Deforms his hoary Locks with Dust obscene And curses Age and Ioaths a Life prolong'd with Pain By Steel her stubborn Soul his Mother freed And punish'd on her self her impious Deed. Had I a hundred Tongues a Wit so large As cou'd their hundred Offices discharge Had Phoebus all his Helicon bestow'd In all the Streams inspiring all the God Those Tongues that Wit those Streams that God in vain Wou'd offer to describe his Sisters pain They beat their Breasts with many a bruizing Blow Till they turn'd livid and corrupt the Snow The Corps they cherish while the Corps remains And exercise and rub with fruitless Pains And when to Fun'ral Flames 't is born away They kiss the Bed on which the Body lay And when those Fun'ral Flames no longer burn The Dust compos'd within a pious Urn Ev'n in that Urn their Brother they confess And hug it in their Arms and to their Bosoms press His Tomb is rais'd then stretch'd along the Ground Those living Monuments his Tomb surround Ev'n to his Name inscrib'd their Tears they pay Till Tears and Kisses wear his Name away But Cynthia now had all her Fury spent Not with less Ruine than a Race content Excepting Gorge perish'd all the Seed And * Dejanira Her whom Heav'n for Hercules decreed Satiate at last no longer she pursu'd The weeping Sisters but with Wings endu'd And Horny Beaks and sent to flit in Air Who yearly round the Tomb in Feather'd Flocks repair SIGISMONDA AND GUISCARDO FROM BOCCACE SIGISMONDA AND GUISCARDO FROM BOCCACE WHile Norman Tancred in Salerno reign'd The Title of a Gracious Prince he gain'd Till turn'd a Tyrant in his latter Days He lost the Lustre of his former Praise And from the bright Meridian where he stood Descending dipp'd his Hands in Lovers Blood This Prince of Fortunes Favour long possess'd Yet was with one fair Daughter only bless'd And bless'd he might have been with her alone But oh how much more happy had he none She was his Care his Hope and his Delight Most in his Thought and ever in his Sight Next nay beyond his Life he held her dear She liv'd by him and now he liv'd in her For this when ripe for Marriage he delay'd Her Nuptial Bands and kept her long a Maid As envying any else should share a Part Of what was his and claiming all her Heart At length as Publick Decency requir'd And all his Vassals eagerly desir'd With Mind averse he rather underwent His Peoples Will than gave his own Consent So was she torn as from a Lover's Side And made almost in his despite a Bride Short were her Marriage-Joys for in the Prime Of Youth her Lord expir'd before his time And to her Father's Court in little space Restor'd anew she held a higher Place More lov'd and more exalted into Grace This Princess fresh and young and fair and wise The worshipp'd Idol of her Father's Eyes Did all her Sex in ev'ry Grace exceed And had more Wit beside than Women need Youth Health and Ease and most an amorous Mind To second Nuptials had her Thoughts inclin'd And former Joys had left a secret Sting behind But prodigal in ev'ry other Grant Her Sire left unsupply'd her only Want And she betwixt her Modesty and Pride Her Wishes which she could not help would hide Resolv'd at last to lose no longer Time And yet to please her self without a Crime She cast her Eyes around the Court to find A worthy Subject suiting to her Mind To him in holy Nuptials to be ty'd A seeming Widow and a secret Bride Among the Train of Courtiers one she found With all the Gifts of bounteous Nature crown'd Of gentle Blood but one whose niggard Fate Had set him far below her high Estate Guiscard his Name was call'd of blooming Age Now Squire to Tancred and before his Page To him the Choice of all the shining Crowd Her Heart the noble Sigismonda vow'd Yet hitherto she kept her Love conceal'd And with close Glances ev'ry Day beheld The graceful Youth and ev'ry Day increas'd The raging Fire that burn'd within her Breast Some secret Charm did all his Acts attend And what his Fortune wanted hers could mend Till as the Fire will force its outward way Or in the Prison pent consume the Prey So long her earnest Eyes on his were set At length their twisted Rays together met And he surpriz'd with humble Joy survey'd One sweet Regard shot by the Royal Maid Not well assur'd while doubtful Hopes he nurs'd A second Glance came gliding like the first And he who saw the Sharpness of the Dart Without Defence receiv'd it in his Heart In Publick though their Passion wanted Speech Yet mutual Looks interpreted for each Time Ways and Means
others Arms embrac'd Rush to the conscious Bed a mutual Freight And heedless press it with their wonted Weight The sudden Bound awak'd the sleeping Sire And shew'd a Sight no Parent can desire His opening Eyes at once with odious View The Love discover'd and the Lover knew He would have cry'd but hoping that he dreamt Amazement ty'd his Tongue and stopp'd th' Attempt Th' ensuing Moment all the Truth declar'd But now he stood collected and prepar'd For Malice and Revenge had put him on his Guard So like a Lion that unheeded lay Dissembling Sleep and watchful to betray With inward Rage he meditates his Prey The thoughtless Pair indulging their Desires Alternate kindl'd and then quench'd their Fires Nor thinking in the Shades of Death they play'd Full of themselves themselves alone survey'd And too secure were by themselves betray'd Long time dissolv'd in Pleasure thus they lay Till Nature could no more suffice their Play Then rose the Youth and through the Cave again Return'd the Princess mingl'd with her Train Resolv'd his unripe Vengeance to defer The Royal Spy when now the Coast was clear Sought not the Garden but retir'd unseen To brood in secret on his gather'd Spleen And methodize Revenge To Death he griev'd And but he saw the Crime had scarce believ'd Th' Appointment for th' ensuing Night he heard And therefore in the Cavern had prepar'd Two brawny Yeomen of his trusty Guard Scarce had unwary Guiscard set his Foot Within the farmost Entrance of the Grot When these in secret Ambush ready lay And rushing on the sudden seiz'd the Prey Encumber'd with his Frock without Defence An easie Prize they led the Pris'ner thence And as commanded brought before the Prince The gloomy Sire too sensible of Wrong To vent his Rage in Words restrain'd his Tongue And only said Thus Servants are preferr'd And trusted thus their Sov'reigns they reward Had I not seen had not these Eyes receiv'd Too clear a Proof I could not have believ'd He paus'd and choak'd the rest The Youth who saw His forfeit Life abandon'd to the Law The Judge th' Accuser and th' Offence to him Who had both Pow'r and Will t' avenge the Crime No vain Defence prepar'd but thus reply'd The Faults of Love by Love are justifi'd With unresisted Might the Monarch reigns He levels Mountains and he raises Plains And not regarding Diff'rence of Degree Abas'd your Daughter and exalted me This bold Return with seeming Patience heard The Pris'ner was remitted to the Guard The sullen Tyrant slept not all the Night But lonely walking by a winking Light Sobb'd wept and groan'd and beat his wither'd Breast But would not violate his Daughters Rest Who long expecting lay for Bliss prepar'd Listning for Noise and griev'd that none she heard Oft rose and oft in vain employ'd the Key And oft accus'd her Lover of Delay And pass'd the tedious Hours in anxious Thoughts away The Morrow came and at his usual Hour Old Tancred visited his Daughters Bow'r Her Cheek for such his Custom was he kiss'd Then bless'd her kneeling and her Maids dismiss'd The Royal Dignity thus far maintain'd Now left in private he no longer feign'd But all at once his Grief and Rage appear'd And Floods of Tears ran trickling down his Beard O Sigismonda he began to say Thrice he began and thrice was forc'd to stay Till Words with often trying found their Way I thought O Sigismonda But how blind Are Parents Eyes their Childrens Faults to find Thy Vertue Birth and Breeding were above A mean Desire and vulgar Sense of Love Nor less than Sight and Hearing could convince So fond a Father and so just a Prince Of such an unforeseen and unbeliev'd Offence Then what indignant Sorrow must I have To see thee lie subjected to my Slave A Man so smelling of the Peoples Lee The Court receiv'd him first for Charity And since with no Degree of Honour grac'd But only suffer'd where he first was plac'd A grov'ling Infect still and so design'd By Natures Hand nor born of Noble Kind A Thing by neither Man nor Woman priz'd And scarcely known enough to be despis'd To what has Heav'n reserv'd my Age Ah! why Should Man when Nature calls not chuse to die Rather than stretch the Span of Life to find Such Ills as Fate has wisely cast behind For those to feel whom fond Desire to live Makes covetous of more than Life can give Each has his Share of Good and when 't is gone The Guest though hungry cannot rise too soon But I expecting more in my own wrong Protracting Life have liv'd a Day too long If Yesterday cou'd be recall'd again Ev'n now would I conclude my happy Reign But 't is too late my glorious Race is run And a dark Cloud o'ertakes my setting Sun Hadst thou not lov'd or loving sav'd the Shame If not the Sin by some Illustrious Name This little Comfort had reliev'd my Mind 'T was frailty not unusual to thy Kind But thy low Fall beneath thy Royal Blood Shews downward Appetite to mix with Mud Thus not the least Excuse is left for thee Nor the least Refuge for unhappy me For him I have resolv'd whom by Surprize I took and scarce can call it in Disguise For such was his Attire as with Intent Of Nature suited to his mean Descent The harder Question yet remains behind What Pains a Parent and a Prince can find To punish an Offence of this degenerate Kind As I have lov'd and yet I love thee more Than ever Father lov'd a Child before So that Indulgence draws me to forgive Nature that gave thee Life would have thee live But as a Publick Parent of the State My Justice and thy Crime requires thy Fate Fain would I chuse a middle Course to steer Nature 's too kind and Justice too severe Speak for us both and to the Balance bring On either side the Father and the King Heav'n knows my Heart is bent to favour thee Make it but scanty weight and leave the rest to me Here stopping with a Sigh he pour'd a Flood Of Tears to make his last Expression good She who had heard him speak nor saw alone The secret Conduct of her Love was known But he was taken who her Soul possess'd Felt all the Pangs of Sorrow in her Breast And little wanted but a Womans Heart With Cries and Tears had testifi'd her Smart But in-born Worth that Fortune can controul New strung and stiffer bent her softer Soul The Heroine assum'd the Womans Place Confirm'd her Mind and fortifi'd her Face Why should she beg or what cou'd she pretend When her stern Father had condemn'd her Friend Her Life she might have had but her Despair Of saving his had put it past her Care Resolv'd on Fate she would not lose her Breath But rather than not die sollicit Death Fix'd on this Thought she not as Women use Her Fault by common Frailty would excuse But boldly justifi'd her Innocence And while the Fact was
shou'd I grant thou didst not rightly see Then thou wert first deceiv'd and I deceiv'd by thee But if thou shalt alledge through Pride of Mind Thy Blood with one of base Condition join'd 'T is false for 't is not Baseness to be Poor His Poverty augments thy Crime the more Upbraids thy Justice with the scant Regard Of Worth Whom Princes praise they shou'd reward Are these the Kings intrusted by the Crowd With Wealth to be dispens'd for Common Good The People sweat not for their King's Delight T' enrich a Pimp or raise a Parasite Theirs is the Toil and he who well has serv'd His Country has his Countrys Wealth deserv'd Ev'n mighty Monarchs oft are meanly born And Kings by Birth to lowest Rank return All subject to the Pow'r of giddy Chance For Fortune can depress or can advance But true Nobility is of the Mind Not giv'n by Chance and not to Chance resign'd For the remaining Doubt of thy Decree What to resolve and how dispose of me Be warn'd to cast that useless Care aside My self alone will for my self provide If in thy doting and decrepit Age Thy Soul a Stranger in thy Youth to Rage Begins in cruel Deeds to take Delight Gorge with my Blood thy barb'rous Appetite For I so little am dispos'd to pray For Life I would not cast a Wish away Such as it is th' Offence is all my own And what to Guiscard is already done Or to be done is doom'd by thy Decree That if not executed first by thee Shall on my Person be perform'd by me Away with Women weep and leave me here Fix'd like a Man to die without a Tear Or save or slay us both this present Hour 'T is all that Fate has left within thy Pow'r She said Nor did her Father fail to find In all she spoke the Greatness of her Mind Yet thought she was not obstinate to die Nor deem'd the Death she promis'd was so nigh Secure in this Belief he left the Dame Resolv'd to spare her Life and save her Shame But that detested Object to remove To wreak his Vengeance and to cure her Love Intent on this a secret Order sign'd The Death of Guiscard to his Guards enjoin'd Strangling was chosen and the Night the Time A mute Revenge and blind as was the Crime His faithful Heart a bloody Sacrifice Torn from his Breast to glut the Tyrant's Eyes Clos'd the severe Command For Slaves to Pay What Kings decree the Soldier must obey Wag'd against Foes and when the Wars are o'er Fit only to maintain Despotick Pow'r Dang'rous to Freedom and desir'd alone By Kings who seek an Arbitrary Throne Such were these Guards as ready to have slain The Prince himself allur'd with greater gain So was the Charge perform'd with better Will By Men inur'd to Blood and exercis'd in Ill. Now though the sullen Sire had eas'd his Mind The Pomp of his Revenge was yet behind A Pomp prepar'd to grace the Present he design'd A Goblet rich with Gems and rough with Gold Of Depth and Breadth the precious Pledge to hold With cruel Care he chose The hollow Part Inclos'd the Lid conceal'd the Lover's Heart Then of his trusted Mischiefs one he sent And bad him with these Words the Gift present Thy Father sends thee this to cheer thy Breast And glad thy Sight with what thou lov'st the best As thou hast pleas'd his Eyes and joy'd his Mind With what he lov'd the most of Humane Kind E'er this the Royal Dame who well had weigh'd The Consequence of what her Sire had said Fix'd on her Fate against th' expected Hour Procur'd the Means to have it in her Pow'r For this she had distill'd with early Care The Juice of Simples friendly to Despair A Magazine of Death and thus prepar'd Secure to die the fatal Message heard Then smil'd severe nor with a troubl'd Look Or trembling Hand the Fun'ral Present took Ev'n kept her Count'nance when the Lid remov'd Disclos'd the Heart unfortunately lov'd She needed not be told within whose Breast It lodg'd the Message had explain'd the rest Or not amaz'd or hiding her Surprize She sternly on the Bearer fix'd her Eyes Then thus Tell Tancred on his Daughters part The Gold though precious equals not the Heart But he did well to give his best and I Who wish'd a worthier Urn forgive his Poverty At this she curb'd a Groan that else had come And pausing view'd the Present in the Tomb Then to the Heart ador'd devoutly glew'd Her Lips and raising it her Speech renew'd Ev'n from my Day of Birth to this the Bound Of my unhappy Being I have found My Father's Care and Tenderness express'd But this last Act of Love excels the rest For this so dear a Present bear him back The best Return that I can live to make The Messenger dispatch'd again she view'd The lov'd Remains and sighing thus pursu'd Source of my Life and Lord of my Desires In whom I liv'd with whom my Soul expires Poor Heart no more the Spring of Vital Heat Curs'd be the Hands that tore thee from thy Seat The Course is finish'd which thy Fates decreed And thou from thy Corporeal Prison freed Soon hast thou reach'd the Goal with mended Pace A World of Woes dispatch'd in little space Forc'd by thy Worth thy Foe in Death become Thy Friend has lodg'd thee in a costly Tomb There yet remain'd thy Fun'ral Exequies The weeping Tribute of thy Widows Eyes And those indulgent Heav'n has found the way That I before my Death have leave to pay My Father ev'n in Cruelty is kind Or Heav'n has turn'd the Malice of his Mind To better Uses than his Hate design'd And made th' Insult which in his Gift appears The Means to mourn thee with my pious Tears Which I will pay thee down before I go And save my self the Pains to weep below If Souls can weep though once I meant to meet My Fate with Face unmov'd and Eyes unwet Yet since I have thee here in narrow Room My Tears shall set thee first afloat within thy Tomb Then as I know thy Spirit hovers nigh Under thy friendly Conduct will I fly To Regions unexplor'd secure to share Thy State nor Hell shall Punishment appear And Heav'n is double Heav'n if thou art there She said Her brim-full Eyes that ready stood And only wanted Will to weep a Flood Releas'd their watry Store and pour'd amain Like Clouds low hung a sober Show'r of Rain Mute solemn Sorrow free from Female Noise Such as the Majesty of Grief destroys For bending o'er the Cup the Tears she shed Seem'd by the Posture to discharge her Head O'er-fill'd before and oft her Mouth apply'd To the cold Heart she kiss'd at once and cry'd Her Maids who stood amaz'd nor knew the Cause Of her Complaining nor whose Heart it was Yet all due Measures of her Mourning kept Did Office at the Dirge and by Infection wept And oft enquir'd th' Occasion of her Grief Unanswer'd
Cinyras my Father been What hinder'd Myrrha's Hopes to be his Queen But the Perverseness of my Fate is such That he 's not mine because he 's mine too much Our Kindred-Blood debars a better Tie He might be nearer were he not so nigh Eyes and their Ojects never must unite Some Distance is requir'd to help the Sight Fain wou'd I travel to some Foreign Shore Never to see my Native Country more So might I to my self my self restore So might my Mind these impious Thoughts remove And ceasing to behold might cease to love But stay I must to seed my famish'd Sight To talk to kiss and more if more I might More impious Maid What more canst thou design To make a monstrous Mixture in thy Line And break all Statutes Humane and Divine Canst thou be call'd to save thy wretched Life Thy Mother's Rival and thy Father's Wife Confound so many sacred Names in one Thy Brother's Mother Sister to thy Son And fear'st thou not to see th' Infernal Bands Their Heads with Snakes with Torches arm'd their Hands Full at thy Face th' avenging Brands to bear And shake the Serpents from their hissing Hair But thou in time th' increasing Ill controul Nor first debauch the Body by the Soul Secure the sacred Quiet of thy Mind And keep the Sanctions Nature has design'd Suppose I shou'd attempt th' Attempt were vain No Thoughts like mine his sinless Soul profane Observant of the Right and O that he Cou'd cure my Madness or be mad like me Thus she But Cinyras who daily sees A Crowd of Noble Suitors at his Knees Among so many knew not whom to chuse Irresolute to grant or to refuse But having told their Names enquir'd of her Who pleas'd her best and whom she would prefer The blushing Maid stood silent with Surprize And on her Father fix'd her ardent Eyes And looking sigh'd and as she sigh'd began Round Tears to shed that scalded as they ran The tender Sire who saw her blush and cry Ascrib'd it all to Maiden-modesty And dry'd the falling Drops and yet more kind He stroak'd her Cheeks and holy Kisses join'd She felt a secret Venom fire her Blood And found more Pleasure than a Daughter shou'd And ask'd again what Lover of the Crew She lik'd the best she answer'd One like you Mistaking what she meant her pious Will He prais'd and bad her so continue still The Word of Pious heard she blush'd with shame Of secret Guilt and cou'd not bear the Name 'T was now the mid of Night when Slumbers close Our Eyes and sooth our Cares with soft Repose But no Repose cou'd wretched Myrrha find Her Body rouling as she rould her Mind Mad with Desire she ruminates her Sin And wishes all her Wishes o'er again Now she despairs and now resolves to try Wou'd not and wou'd again she knows not why Stops and returns makes and retracts the Vow Fain wou'd begin but understands not how As when a Pine is hew'd upon the Plains And the last mortal Stroke alone remains Lab'ring in Pangs of Death and threatning all This way and that she nods considring where to fall So Myrrha's Mind impell'd on either Side Takes ev'ry Bent but cannot long abide Irresolute on which she shou'd relie At last unfix'd in all is only fix'd to die On that sad Thought she rests resolv'd on Death She rises and prepares to choak her Breath Then while about the Beam her Zone she ties Dear Cinyras farewell she softly cries For thee I die and only wish to be Not hated when thou know'st I die for thee Pardon the Crime in pity to the Cause This said about her Neck the Noose she draws The Nurse who lay without her faithful Guard Though not the Words the Murmurs overheard And Sighs and hollow Sounds Surpriz'd with Fright She starts and leaves her Bed and springs a Light Unlocks the Door and entring out of Breath The Dying saw and Instruments of Death She shrieks she cuts the Zone with trembling haste And in her Arms her fainting Charge embrac'd Next for she now had leisure for her Tears She weeping ask'd in these her blooming Years What unforeseen Misfortune caus'd her Care To loath her Life and languish in Despair The Maid with down-cast Eyes and mute with Grief For Death unfinish'd and ill-tim'd Relief Stood sullen to her Suit The Beldame press'd The more to know and bar'd her wither'd Breast Adjur'd her by the kindly Food shew drew From those dry Founts her secret Ill to shew Sad Myrrha sigh'd and turn'd her Eyes aside The Nurse still urg'd and wou'd not be deny'd Nor only promis'd Secresie but pray'd She might have leave to give her offer'd Aid Good-will she said my want of Strength supplies And Diligence shall give what Age denies If strong Desires thy Mind to Fury move With Charms and Med'cines I can cure thy Love If envious Eyes their hurtful Rays have cast More pow'rful Verse shall free thee from the Blast If Heav'n offended sends thee this Disease Offended Heav'n with Pray'rs we can appease What then remains that can these Cares procure Thy House is flourishing thy Fortune sure Thy careful Mother yet in Health survives And to thy Comfort thy kind Father lives The Virgin started at her Father's Name And sigh'd profoundly conscious of the Shame Nor yet the Nurse her impious Love divin'd But yet surmis'd that Love disturb'd her Mind Thus thinking she pursu'd her Point and laid And lull'd within her Lap the mourning Maid Then softly sooth'd her thus I guess your Grief You love my Child your Love shall find Relief My long experienc'd Age shall be your Guide Relie on that and lay Distrust aside No Breath of Air shall on the Secret blow Nor shall what most you fear your Father know Struck once again as with a Thunder-clap The guilty Virgin bounded from her Lap And threw her Body prostrate on the Bed And to conctal her Blushes hid her Head There silent lay and warn'd her with her Hand To go But she receiv'd not the Command Remaining still importunate to know Then Myrrha thus Or ask no more or go I prethee go or staying spare my Shame What thou wou'dst hear is impious ev'n to name At this on high the Beldame holds her Hands And trembling both with Age and Terrour stands Adjures and falling at her Feet intreats Sooths her with Blandishments and frights with Threats To tell the Crime intended or disclose What Part of it she knew if she no farther knows And last if conscious to her Counsel made Confirms anew the Promise of her Aid Now Myrrha rais'd her Head but soon oppress'd With Shame reclin'd it on her Nurses Breast Bath'd it with Tears and strove to have confess'd Twice she began and stopp'd again she try'd The falt'ring Tongue its Office still deny'd At last her Veil before her Face she spread And drew a long preluding Sigh and said O happy Mother in thy Marriage-bed Then groan'd and ceas'd the good Old
the dawning Day arise Take to the Western Gate thy ready way For by that Passage they my Corps convey My Corpse is in a Tumbril laid among The Filth and Ordure and enclos'd with Dung That Cart arrest and raise a common Cry For sacred hunger of my Gold I die Then shew'd his grisly Wounds and last he drew A piteous Sigh and took a long Adieu The frighted Friend arose by break of Day And found the Stall where late his Fellow lay Then of his impious Host enquiring more Was answer'd that his Guest was gone before Muttring he went said he by Morning-light And much complain'd of his ill Rest by Night This rais'd Suspicion in the Pilgrim's Mind Because all Hosts are of an evil Kind And oft to share the Spoil with Robbers join'd His Dream confirm'd his Thought with troubled Look Straight to the Western-Gate his way he took There as his Dream foretold a Cart he found That carry'd Composs forth to dung the Ground This when the Pilgrim saw he stretch'd his Throat And cry'd out Murther with a yelling Note My murther'd Fellow in this Cart lies dead Vengeance and Justice on the Villain 's Head You Magistrates who sacred Laws dispense On you I call to punish this Offence The Word thus giv'n within a little space The Mob came roaring out 〈◊〉 throng'd the Place All in a trice they cast the Cart to Ground And in the Dung the murther'd Body bound Though breathless warm and reeking from the Wound Good Heav'n whose darling Attribute we find Is boundless Grace and Mercy to Mankind Abhors the Cruel and the Deeds of Night By wond'rous Ways reveals in open Light Murther may pass unpunished for a time But tardy Justice will o'ertake the Crime And oft a speedier Pain the Guilty feels The Hue and Cry of Heav'n pursues him at the Heels Fresh from the Fact as in the present Case The Criminals are seiz'd upon the Place Carter and Host confronted Face to Face Stiff in denial as the Law appoints On Engins they distend their tortur'd Joints So was Confession forc'd th' Offence was known And publick Justice on th' Offenders done Here may you see that Visions are to dread And in the Page that follows this I read Of two young Merchants whom the hope of Gain Induc'd in Partnership to cross the Main Waiting till willing Winds their Sails supply'd Within a Trading-Town they long abide Full fairly situate on a Haven's side One Evening it befel that looking out The Wind they long had 〈◊〉 was borne about Well pleas'd they went to Rest and if the Gale 'Till Morn continu'd both resolv'd to fail But as together in a Bed they lay The younger had a Dream at break of Day A Man he thought stood frowning at his side Who warn'd him for his Safety to provide Not put to Sea but safe on Shore abide I come thy Genius to command thy stay Trust not the Winds for fatal is the Day And Death unhop'd attends the watry way The Vision said And vanish'd from his sight The Dreamer waken'd in a mortal Fright Then pull'd his drowzy Neighbour and declar'd What in his Slumber he had seen and heard His Friend smil'd scornful and with proud contempt Rejects as idle what his Fellow dreamt Stay who will stay For me no Fears restrain Who follow Mercury the God of Gain Let each Man do as to his Fancy seems I wait not I till you have better Dreams Dreams are but Interludes which Fancy makes When Monarch-Reason sleeps this Mimick wakes Compounds a Medley of disjointed Things A Mob of Coblers and a Court of Kings Light Fumes are merry grosser Fumes are sad Both are the reasonable Soul run mad And many monstrous Forms in sleep we see That neither were nor are nor e'er can be Sometimes forgotten Things long cast behind Rush forward in the Brain and come to mind The Nurses Legends are for Truths receiv'd And the Man dreams but what the Boy believ'd Sometimes we but rehearse a former Play The Night restores our Actions done by Day As Hounds in sleep will open for their Prey In short the Farce of Dreams is of a piece Chimera's all and more absurd or less You who believe in Tales abide alone What e'er I get this Voyage is my own Thus while he spoke he heard the shouting Crew That call'd aboard and took his last adieu The Vessel went before a merry Gale And for quick Passage put on ev'ry Sail But when least fear'd and ev'n in open Day The Mischief overtook her in the way Whether she sprung a Leak I cannot find Or whether she was overset with Wind Or that some Rock below her bottom rent But down at once with all her Crew she went Her Fellow Ships from far her Loss descry'd But only she was sunk and all were safe beside By this Example you are taught again That Dreams and Visions are not always vain But if dear Partlet you are yet in doubt Another Tale shall make the former out Kenelm the Son of Kenulph Mercia's King Whose holy Life the Legends loudly sing Warn'd in a Dream his Murther did foretel From Point to Point as after it befel All Circumstances to his Nurse he told A Wonder from a Child of sev'n Years old The Dream with Horror heard the good old Wife From Treason counsell'd him to guard his Life But close to keep the Secret in his Mind For a Boy 's Vision small Belief would find The pious Child by Promise bound obey'd Nor was the fatal Murther long delay'd By Quenda slain he fell before his time Made a young Martyr by his Sister's Crime The Tale is told by venerable Bede Which at your better leisure you may read Macrobius too relates the Vision sent To the great Scipio with the fam'd event Objections makes but after makes Replies And adds that Dreams are often Prophecies Of Daniel you may read in Holy Writ Who when the King his Vision did forget Cou'd Word for Word the wond'rous Dream repeat Nor less of Patriarch Joseph understand Who by a Dream inslav'd th' Egyptian Land The Years of Plenty and of Dearth foretold When for their Bread their Liberty they sold. Nor must th' exalted Buttler be forgot Nor he whose Dream presag'd his hanging Lot And did not Craesus the same Death foresee Rais'd in his Vision on a lofty Tree The Wife of Hector in his utmost Pride Dreamt of his Death the Night before he dy'd Well was he warn'd from Battle to refrain But Men to Death decreed are warn'd in vain He dar'd the Dream and by his fatal Foe was slain Much more I know which I forbear to speak For see the ruddy Day begins to break Let this suffice that plainly I foresee My Dream was bad and bodes Adversity But neither Pills nor Laxatives I like They only serve to make a well-man sick Of these his Gain the sharp Phisician makes And often gives a Purge but seldom takes They not correct but poyson all
think it was to give consent But struggling with his own Desires he went With large Expence and with a pompous Train Provided as to visit France or Spain Or for some distant Voyage o'er the Main But Love had clipp'd his Wings and cut him short Confin'd within the purlieus of his Court Three Miles he went nor farther could retreat His Travels ended at his Country-Seat To Chassis pleasing Plains he took his way There pitch'd his Tents and there resolv'd to stay The Spring was in the Prime the neighb'ring Grove Supply'd with Birds the Choristers of Love Musick unbought that minister'd Delight To Morning-walks and lull'd his Cares by Night There he discharg'd his Friends but not th' Expence Of frequent Treats and proud Magnificence He liv'd as Kings retire though more at large From publick Business yet with equal Charge With House and Heart still open to receive As well content as Love would give him leave He would have liv'd more free but many a Guest Who could forsake the Friend pursu'd the Feast It happ'd one Morning as his Fancy led Before his usual Hour he left his Bed To walk within a lonely Lawn that stood On ev'ry side surrounded by the Wood Alone he walk'd to please his pensive Mind And sought the deepest Solitude to find 'T was in a Grove of spreading Pines he stray'd The Winds within the quiv'ring Branches plaid And Dancing-Trees a mournful Musick made The Place it self was suiting to his Care Uncouth and Salvage as the cruel Fair. He wander'd on unknowing where he went Lost in the Wood and all on Love intent The Day already half his Race had run And summon'd him to due Repast at Noon But Love could feel no Hunger but his own While list'ning to the murm'ring Leaves he stood More than a Mile immers'd within the Wood At once the Wind was laid the whisp'ring sound Was dumb a rising Earthquake rock'd the Ground With deeper Brown the Grove was overspred A suddain Horror seiz'd his giddy Head And his Ears tinckled and his Colour fled Nature was in alarm some Danger nigh Seem'd threaten'd though unseen to mortal Eye Unus'd to fear he summon'd all his Soul And stood collected in himself and whole Not long For soon a Whirlwind rose around And from afar he heard a screaming sound As of a Dame distress'd who cry'd for Aid And fill'd with loud Laments the secret Shade A Thicket close beside the Grove there stood With Breers and Brambles choak'd and dwarfish Wood From thence the Noise Which now approaching near With more distinguish'd Notes invades his Ear He rais'd his Head and saw a beauteous Maid With Hair dishevell'd issuing through the Shade Stripp'd of her Cloaths and e'en those Parts reveal'd Which modest Nature keeps from Sight conceal'd Her Face her Hands her naked Limbs were torn With passing through the Brakes and prickly Thorn Two Mastiffs gaunt and grim her Flight pursu'd And oft their fasten'd Fangs in Blood embru'd Oft they came up and pinch'd her tender Side Mercy O Mercy Heav'n she ran and cry'd When Heav'n was nam'd they loos'd their Hold again Then sprung she forth they follow'd her amain Not far behind a Knight of swarthy Face High on a Coal-black Steed pursu'd the Chace With flashing Flames his ardent Eyes were fill'd And in his Hands a naked Sword he held He chear'd the Dogs to follow her who fled And vow'd Revenge on her devoted Head As Theodore was born of noble Kind The brutal Action rowz'd his manly Mind Mov'd with unworthy Usage of the Maid He though unarm'd resolv'd to give her Aid A Saplin Pine he wrench'd from out the Ground The readiest Weapon that his Fury found Thus furnish'd for Offence he cross'd the way Betwixt the graceless Villain and his Prey The Knight came thund'ring on but from afar Thus in imperious Tone forbad the War Cease Theodore to proffer vain Relief Nor stop the vengeance of so just a Grief But give me leave to seize my destin'd Prey And let eternal Justice take the way I but revenge my Fate disdain'd betray'd And suff'ring Death for this ungrateful Maid He say'd at once dismounting from the Steed For now the Hell-hounds with superiour Speed Had reach'd the Dame and fast'ning on her Side The Ground with issuing Streams of Purple dy'd Stood Theodore surpriz'd in deadly Fright With chatt'ring Teeth and bristling Hair upright Yet arm'd with inborn Worth What e'er said he Thou art who know'st me better than I thee Or prove thy rightful Cause or be defy'd The Spectre fiercely staring thus reply'd Know Theodore thy Ancestry I claim And Guido Cavalcanti was my Name One common Sire our Fathers did beget My Name and Story some remember yet Thee then a Boy within my Arms I laid When for my Sins I lov'd this haughty Maid Not less ador'd in Life nor serv'd by Me Than proud Honoria now is lov'd by Thee What did I not her stubborn Heart to gain But all my Vows were answer'd with Disdain She scorn'd my Sorrows and despis'd my Pain Long time I dragg'd my Days in fruitless Care Then loathing Life and plung'd in deep Despair To finish my unhappy Life I fell On this sharp Sword and now am damn'd in Hell Short was her Joy for soon th' insulting Maid By Heav'n's Decree in the cold Grave was laid And as in unrepenting Sin she dy'd Doom'd to the same bad Place is punish'd for her Pride Because she deem'd I well deserv'd to die And made a Merit of her Cruelty There then we met both try'd and both were cast And this irrevocable Sentence pass'd That she whom I so long pursu'd in vain Should suffer from my Hands a lingring Pain Renew'd to Life that she might daily die I daily doom'd to follow she to fly No more a Lover but a mortal Foe I seek her Life for Love is none below As often as my Dogs with better speed Arrest her Flight is she to Death decreed Then with this fatal Sword on which I dy'd I pierce her open'd Back or tender Side And tear that harden'd Heart from out her Breast Which with her Entrails makes my hungry Hounds a Feast Nor lies she long but as her Fates ordain Springs up to Life and fresh to second Pain Is sav'd to Day to Morrow to be slain This vers'd in Death th' infernal Knight relates And then for Proof fulfill'd their common Fates Her Heart and Bowels through her Back he drew And fed the Hounds that help'd him to pursue Stern'd look'd the Fiend as frustrate of his Will Not half suffic'd and greedy yet to kill And now the Soul expiring through the Wound Had left the Body breathless on the Ground When thus the grisly Spectre spoke again Behold the Fruit of ill-rewarded Pain As many Months as I sustain'd her Hate So many Years is she condemn'd by Fate To daily Death and ev'ry several Place Conscious of her Disdain and my Disgrace Must witness her just Punishment and be A Scene of
Knight was present to her Mind And anxious oft she started on the way And thought the Horseman-Ghost came thundring for his Prey Return'd she took her Bed with little Rest But in short Slumbers dreamt the Funeral Feast Awak'd she turn'd her Side and slept again The same black Vapors mounted in her Brain And the same Dreams return'd with double Pain Now forc'd to wake because afraid to sleep Her Blood all Fever'd with a furious Leap She sprung from Bed distracted in her Mind And fear'd at ev'ry Step a twitching Spright behind Darkling and desp'rate with a stagg'ring pace Of Death afraid and conscious of Disgrace Fear Pride Remorse at once her Heart assail'd Pride put Remorse to flight but Fear prevail'd Friday the fatal Day when next it came Her Soul forethought the Fiend would change his Game And her pursue or Theodore be slain And two Ghosts join their Packs to hunt her o'er the Plain This dreadful Image so possess'd her Mind That desp'rate any Succour else to find She ceas'd all farther hope and now began To make reflection on th' unhappy Man Rich Brave and Young who past expression lov'd Proof to Disdain and not to be remov'd Of all the Men respected and admir'd Of all the Dames except her self desir'd Why not of her Preferr'd above the rest By him with Knightly Deeds and open Love profess'd So had another been where he his Vows address'd This quell'd her Pride yet other Doubts remain'd That once disdaining she might be disdain'd The Fear was just but greater Fear prevail'd Fear of her Life by hellish Hounds assail'd He took a low'ring leave but who can tell What outward Hate might inward Love conceal Her Sexes Arts she knew and why not then Might deep dissembling have a place in Men Here Hope began to dawn resolv'd to try She fix'd on this her utmost Remedy Death was behind but hard it was to die T was time enough at last on Death to call The Precipice in sight A Shrub was all That kindly stood betwixt to break the fatal fall One Maid she had belov'd above the rest Secure of her the Secret she confess'd And now the chearful Light her Fears dispell'd She with no winding turns the Truth conceal'd But put the Woman off and stood reveal'd With Faults confess'd commission'd her to go If Pity yet had place and reconcile her Foe The welcom Message made was soon receiv'd 'T was what he wish'd and hop'd but scarce believ'd Fate seem'd a fair occasion to present He knew the Sex and fear'd she might repent Should he delay the moment of Consent There yet remain'd to gain her Friends a Care The modesty of Maidens well might spare But she with such a Zeal the Cause embrac'd As Women where they will are all in hast That Father Mother and the Kin beside Were overborn by fury of the Tide With full consent of all she chang'd her State Resistless in her Love as in her Hate By her Example warn'd the rest beware More Easy less Imperious were the Fair And that one Hunting which the Devil design'd For one fair Female lost him half the Kind CEYX AND ALCYONE Connection of this Fable with the former Ceyx the Son of Lucifer the Morning Star and King of Trachin in Thessaly was married to Alcyone Daughter to AEolus God of the Winds Both the Husband and the Wife lov'd each other with an entire Affection Daedalion the Elder Brother of Ceyx whom he succeeded having been turn'd into a Falcon by Apollo and Chione Daedalion's Daughter slain by Diana Ceyx prepares a Ship to sail to Claros there to consult the Oracle of Apollo and as Ovid seems to intimate to enquire how the Anger of the Gods might be atton'd THESE Prodigies afflict the pious Prince But more perplex'd with those that happen'd since He purposes to seek the Clarian God Avoiding Delphos his more fam'd Abode Since Phlegyan Robbers made unsafe the Road. Yet cou'd he not from her he lov'd so well The fatal Voyage he resolv'd conceal But when she saw her Lord prepar'd to part A deadly Cold ran shiv'ring to her Heart Her faded Cheeks are chang'd to Boxen Hue And in her Eyes the Tears are ever new She thrice assay'd to Speak her Accents hung And faltring dy'd unfinish'd on her Tongue Or vanish'd into Sighs With long delay Her Voice return'd and found the wonted way Tell me my Lord she said what Fault unknown Thy once belov'd Alcyone has done Whether ah whether is thy Kindness gone Can Ceyx then sustain to leave his Wife And unconcern'd forsake the Sweets of Life What can thy Mind to this long Journey move Or need'st thou absence to renew thy Love Yet if thou go'st by Land tho' Grief possess My Soul ev'n then my Fears will be the less But ah be warn'd to shun the Watry Way The Face is frightful of the stormy Sea For late I saw a-drift disjointed Planks And empty Tombs erected on the Banks Nor let false Hopes to trust betray thy Mind Because my Sire in Caves constrains the Wind Can with a Breath their clam'rous Rage appease They fear his Whistle and forsake the Seas Not so for once indulg'd they sweep the Main Deaf to the Call or hearing hear in vain But bent on Mischief bear the Waves before And not content with Seas insult the Shoar When Ocean Air and Earth at once ingage And rooted Forrests fly before their Rage At once the clashing Clouds to Battle move And Lightnings run across the Fields above I know them well and mark'd their rude Comport While yet a Child within my Father's Court In times of Tempest they command alone And he but sits precarious on the Throne The more I know the more my Fears augment And Fears are oft prophetick of th' event But if not Fears or Reasons will prevail If Fate has fix'd thee obstinate to sail Go not without thy Wife but let me bear My part of Danger with an equal share And present what I suffer only fear Then o'er the bounding Billows shall we fly Secure to live together or to die These Reasons mov'd her starlike Husband's Heart But still he held his Purpose to depart For as he lov'd her equal to his Life He wou'd not to the Seas expose his Wife Nor cou'd be wrought his Voyage to refrain But sought by Arguments to sooth her Pain Nor these avail'd at length he lights on one With which so difficult a Cause he won My Love so short an absence cease to fear For by my Father's holy Flame I swear Before two Moons their Orb with Light adorn If Heav'n allow me Life I will return This Promise of so short a stay prevails He soon equips the Ship supplies the Sails And gives the Word to launch she trembling views This pomp of Death and parting Tears renews Last with a Kiss she took a long farewel Sigh'd with a sad Presage and swooning fell While Ceyx seeks Delays the lusty Crew Rais'd on their Banks their Oars
underneath Bright Lucifer unlike himself appears That Night his heav'nly Form obscur'd with Tears And since he was forbid to leave the Skies He muffled with a Cloud his mournful Eyes Mean time Alcyone his Fate unknown Computes how many Nights he had been gone Observes the waning Moon with hourly view Numbers her Age and wishes for a new Against the promis'd Time provides with care And hastens in the Woof the Robes he was to wear And for her Self employs another Loom New-dress'd to meet her Lord returning home Flatt'ring her Heart with Joys that never were to come She sum'd the Temples with an odrous Flame And oft before the sacred Altars came To pray for him who was an empty Name All Pow'rs implor'd but far above the rest To Juno she her pious Vows address'd Her much-lov'd Lord from Perils to protect And safe o'er Seas his Voyage to direct Then pray'd that she might still possess his Heart And no pretending Rival share a part This last Petition heard of all her Pray'r The rest dispers'd by Winds were lost in Air. But she the Goddess of the Nuptial-Bed Tir'd with her vain Devotions for the Dead Resolv'd the tainted Hand should be repell'd Which Incense offer'd and her Altar held Then Iris thus bespoke Thou faithful Maid By whom thy Queen's Commands are well convey'd Hast to the House of Sleep and bid the God Who rules the Night by Visions with a Nod Prepare a Dream in Figure and in Form Resembling him who perish'd in the Storm This Form before Alcyone present To make her certain of the sad Event Indu'd with Robes of various Hew she flies And flying draws an Arch a segment of the Skies Then leaves her bending Bow and from the steep Descends to search the silent House of Sleep Near the Cymmerians in his dark Abode Deep in a Cavern dwells the drowzy God Whose gloomy Mansion nor the rising Sun Nor setting visits nor the lightsome Noon But lazy Vapors round the Region fly Perpetual Twilight and a doubtful Sky No crowing Cock does there his Wings display Nor with his horny Bill provoke the Day Nor watchful Dogs nor the more wakeful Geese Disturb with nightly Noise the sacred Peace Nor Beast of Nature nor the Tame are nigh Nor Trees with Tempests rock'd nor human Cry But safe Repose without an air of Breath Dwells here and a dumb Quiet next to Death An Arm of Lethe with a gentle flow Arising upwards from the Rock below The Palace moats and o'er the Pebbles creeps And with soft Murmers calls the coming Sleeps Around its Entry nodding Poppies grow And all cool Simples that sweet Rest bestow Night from the Plants their sleepy Virtue drains And passing sheds it on the silent Plains No Door there was th' unguarded House to keep On creaking Hinges turn'd to break his Sleep But in the gloomy Court was rais'd a Bed Stuff'd with black Plumes and on an Ebon-sted Black was the Cov'ring too where lay the God And slept supine his Limbs display'd abroad About his Head fantastick Visions fly Which various Images of Things supply And mock their Forms the Leaves on Trees not more Nor bearded Ears in Fields nor Sands upon the Shore The Virgin entring bright indulg'd the Day To the brown Cave and brush'd the Dreams away The God disturb'd with this new glare of Light Cast sudden on his Face unseal'd his Sight And rais'd his tardy Head which sunk agen And sinking on his Bosom knock'd his Chin At length shook off himself and ask'd the Dame And asking yawn'd for what intent she came To whom the Goddess thus O sacred Rest Sweet pleasing Sleep of all the Pow'rs the best O Peace of Mind repairer of Decay Whose Balms renews the Limbs to Labours of the Day Care shuns thy soft approach and sullen flies away Adorn a Dream expressing human Form The Shape of him who suffer'd in the Storm And send it flitting to the Trachin Court The Wreck of wretched Ceyx to report Before his Queen bid the pale Spectre stand Who begs a vain Relief at Juno's Hand She said and scarce awake her Eyes cou'd keep Unable to support the fumes of Sleep But fled returning by the way she went And swerv'd along her Bow with swift ascent The God uneasy till he slept again Resolv'd at once to rid himself of Pain And tho' against his Custom call'd aloud Exciting Morpheus from the sleepy Crowd Morpheus of all his numerous Train express'd The Shape of Man and imitated best The Walk the Words the Gesture cou'd supply The Habit mimick and the Mien bely Plays well but all his Action is confin'd Extending not beyond our human kind Another Birds and Beasts and Dragons apes And dreadful Images and Monster shapes This Demon Icelos in Heav'ns high Hall The Gods have nam'd but Men Phobetor call A third is Phantasus whose Actions roul On meaner Thoughts and Things devoid of Soul Earth Fruits and Flow'rs he represents in Dreams And solid Rocks unmov'd and running Streams These three to Kings and Chiefs their Scenes display The rest before th' ignoble Commons play Of these the chosen Morpheus is dispatch'd Which done the lazy Monarch overwatch'd Down from his propping Elbow drops his Head Dissolv'd in Sleep and shrinks within his Bed Darkling the Demon glides for Flight prepar'd So soft that scarce his fanning Wings are heard To Trachin swift as Thought the flitting Shade Through Air his momentary Journey made Then lays aside the steerage of his Wings Forsakes his proper Form assumes the Kings And pale as Death despoil'd of his Array Into the Queen's Apartment takes his way And stands before the Bed at dawn of Day Unmov'd his Eyes and wet his Beard appears And shedding vain but seeming real Tears The briny Water dropping from his Hairs Then staring on her with a ghastly Look And hollow Voice he thus the Queen bespoke Know'st thou not me Not yet unhappy Wife Or are my Features perish'd with my Life Look once again and for thy Husband lost Lo all that 's left of him thy Husband's Ghost Thy Vows for my return were all in vain The stormy South o'ertook us in the Main And never shalt thou see thy living Lord again Bear witness Heav'n I call'd on Thee in Death And while I call'd a Billow stop'd my Breath Think not that flying Fame reports my Fate I present I appear and my own Wreck relate Rise wretched Widow rise nor undeplor'd Permit my Ghost to pass the Stygian Ford But rise prepar'd in Black to mourn thy perish'd Lord. Thus said the Player-God and adding Art Of Voice and Gesture so perform'd his part She thought so like her Love the Shade appears That Ceyx spake the Words and Ceyx shed the Tears She groan'd her inward Soul with Grief opprest She sigh'd she wept and sleeping beat her Breast Then stretch'd her Arms t' embrace his Body bare Her clasping Arms inclose but empty Air At this not yet awake she cry'd O stay One is our Fate and
common is our way So dreadful was the Dream so loud she spoke That starting sudden up the Slumber broke Then cast her Eyes around in hope to view Her vanish'd Lord and find the Vision true For now the Maids who waited her Commands Ran in with lighted Tapers in their Hands Tir'd with the Search not finding what she seeks With cruel Blows she pounds her blubber'd Cheeks Then from her beaten Breast the Linnen tare And cut the golden Caull that bound her Hair Her Nurse demands the Cause with louder Cries She prosecutes her Griefs and thus replies No more Alcyone she suffer'd Death With her lov'd Lord when Ceyx lost his Breath No Flatt'ry no false Comfort give me none My Shipwreck'd Ceyx is for ever gone I saw I saw him manifest in view His Voice his Figure and his Gestures knew His Lustre lost and ev'ry living Grace Yet I retain'd the Features of his Face Tho' with pale Cheeks wet Beard and dropping Hair None but my Ceyx cou'd appear so fair I would have strain'd him with a strict Embrace But through my Arms he slip'd and vanish'd from the Place There ev'n just there he stood and as she spoke Where last the Spectre was she cast her Look Fain wou'd she hope and gaz'd upon the Ground If any printed Footsteps might be found Then sigh'd and said This I too well foreknew And my prophetick Fear presag'd too true 'T was what I beg'd when with a bleeding Heart I took my leave and suffer'd Thee to part Or I to go along or Thou to stay Never ah never to divide our way Happier for me that all our Hours assign'd Together we had liv'd e'en not in Death disjoin'd So had my Ceyx still been living here Or with my Ceyx I had perish'd there Now I die absent in the vast profound And Me without my Self the Seas have drown'd The Storms were not so cruel should I strive To lengthen Life and such a Grief survive But neither will I strive nor wretched Thee In Death forsake but keep thee Company If not one common Sepulcher contains Our Bodies or one Urn our last Remains Yet Ceyx and Alcyone shall join Their Names remember'd in one common Line No farther Voice her mighty Grief affords For Sighs come rushing in betwixt her Words And stop'd her Tongue but what her Tongue deny'd Soft Tears and Groans and dumb Complaints supply'd 'T was Morning to the Port she takes her way And stands upon the Margin of the Sea That Place that very Spot of Ground she sought Or thither by her Destiny was brought Where last he stood And while she sadly said 'T was here he left me lingring here delay'd His parting Kiss and there his Anchors weigh'd Thus speaking while her Thoughts past Actions trace And call to mind admonish'd by the Place Sharp at her utmost Ken she cast her Eyes And somewhat floating from afar descries It seem'd a Corps adrift to distant Sight But at a distance who could judge aright It wafted nearer yet and then she knew That what before she but surmis'd was true A Corps it was but whose it was unknown Yet mov'd howe'er she made the Case her own Took the bad Omen of a shipwreck'd Man As for a Stranger wept and thus began Poor Wreth on stormy Seas to lose thy Life Unhappy thou but more thy widdow'd Wife At this she paus'd for now the flowing Tide Had brought the Body nearer to the side The more she looks the more her Fears increase At nearer Sight and she 's her self the less Now driv'n ashore and at her Feet it lies She knows too much in knowing whom she sees Her Husband 's Corps at this she loudly shrieks T is he 't is he she cries and tears her Cheeks Her Hair her Vest and stooping to the Sands About his Neck she cast her trembling Hands And is it thus O dearer than my Life Thus thus return'st Thou to thy longing Wife She said and to the neighb'ring Mole she strode Rais'd there to break th' Incursions of the Flood Headlong from hence to plunge her self she springs But shoots along supported on her Wings A Bird new-made about the Banks she plies Not far from Shore and short Excursions tries Nor seeks in Air her humble Flight to raise Content to skim the Surface of the Seas Her Bill tho' slender sends a creaking Noise And imitates a lamentable Voice Now lighting where the bloodless Body lies She with a Funeral Note renews her Cries At all her stretch her little Wings she spread And with her feather'd Arms embrac'd the Dead Then flick'ring to his palid Lips she strove To print a Kiss the last essay of Love Whether the vital Touch reviv'd the Dead Or that the moving Waters rais'd his Head To meet the Kiss the Vulgar doubt alone For sure a present Miracle was shown The Gods their Shapes to Winter-Birds translate But both obnoxious to their former Fate Their conjugal Affection still is ty'd And still the mournful Race is multiply'd They bill they tread Alcyone compress'd Sev'n Days sits brooding on her floating Nest A wintry Queen Her Sire at length is kind Calms ev'ry Storm and hushes ev'ry Wind Prepares his Empire for his Daughter's Ease And for his hatching Nephews smooths the Seas THE Flower and the Leaf OR THE LADY IN THE ARBOUR A VISION THE Flower and the Leaf OR THE LADY IN THE ARBOUR NOW turning from the wintry Signs the Sun His Course exalted through the Ram had run And whirling up the Skies his Chariot drove Through Taurus and the lightsome Realms of Love Where Venus from her Orb descends in Show'rs To glad the Ground and paint the Fields with Flow'rs When first the tender Blades of Grass appear And Buds that yet the blast of Eurus fear Stand at the door of Life and doubt to cloath the Year Till gentle Heat and soft repeated Rains Make the green Blood to dance within their Veins Then at their Call embolden'd out they come And swell the Gems and burst the narrow Room Broader and broader yet their Blooms display Salute the welcome Sun and entertain the Day Then from their breathing Souls the Sweets repair To scent the Skies and purge th' unwholsome Air Joy spreads the Heart and with a general Song Spring issues out and leads the jolly Months along In that sweet Season as in Bed I lay And sought in Sleep to pass the Night away I turn'd my weary Side but still in vain Tho' full of youthful Health and void of Pain Cares I had none to keep me from my Rest For Love had never enter'd in my Breast I wanted nothing Fortune could supply Nor did she Slumber till that hour deny I wonder'd then but after found it true Much Joy had dry'd away the balmy Dew Sea's wou'd be Pools without the brushing Air To curl the Waves and sure some little Care Shou'd weary Nature so to make her want repair When Chaunticleer the second Watch had sung Scorning the Scorner Sleep
threatning o'er his Head With added Curses if he disobey'd Twice warn'd he study'd Flight but wou'd convey At once his Person and his Wealth away Thus while he linger'd his Design was heard A speedy Process form'd and Death declar'd Witness there needed none of his Offence Against himself the Wretch was Evidence Condemn'd and destitute of human Aid To him for whom he suffer'd thus he pray'd O Pow'r who hast deserv'd in Heav'n a Throne Not giv'n but by thy Labours made thy own Pity thy Suppliant and protect his Cause Whom thou hast made obnoxious to the Laws A Custom was of old and still remains Which Life or Death by Suffrages ordains White Stones and Black within an Urn are cast The first absolve but Fate is in the last The Judges to the common Urn bequeath Their Votes and drop the Sable Signs of Death The Box receives all Black but pour'd from thence The Stones came candid forth The Hue of Innoncence Thus Alemonides his Safety won Preserv'd from Death by Alcumena's Son Then to his Kinsman-God his Vows he pays And cuts with prosp'rous Gales th' Ionian Seas He leaves Tarentum favour'd by the Wind And Thurine Bays and Temises behind Soft Sybaris and all the Capes that stand Along the Shore he makes in sight of Land Still doubling and still coasting till he found The Mouth of AEsaris and promis'd Ground Then saw where on the Margin of the Flood The Tomb that held the Bones of Croton stood Here by the God's Command he built and wall'd The Place predicted and Crotona call'd Thus Fame from time to time delivers down The sure Tradition of th' Italian Town Here dwelt the Man divine whom Samos bore But now Self-banish'd from his Native Shore Because he hated Tyrants nor cou'd bear The Chains which none but servile Souls will wear He tho'from Heav'n remote to Heav'n cou'd move With Strength of Mind and tread th' Abyss above And penetrate with his interiour Light Those upper Depths which Nature hid from Sight And what he had observ'd and learnt from thence Lov'd in familiar Language to dispence The Crowd with silent Admiration stand And heard him as they heard their God's Command While he discours'd of Heav'ns mysterious Laws The World 's Original and Nature's Cause And what was God and why the fleecy Snows In silence fell and rattling Winds arose What shook the stedfast Earth and whence begun The dance of Planets round the radiant Sun If Thunder was the Voice of angry Jove Or Clouds with Nitre pregnant burst above Of these and Things beyond the common reach He spoke and charm'd his Audience with his Speech He first the tast of Flesh from Tables drove And argu'd well if Arguments cou'd move O Mortals from your Fellow's Blood abstain Nor taint your Bodies with a Food profane While Corn and Pulse by Nature are bestow'd And planted Orchards bend their willing Load While labour'd Gardens wholsom Herbs produce And teeming Vines afford their generous Juice Nor tardier Fruits of cruder Kind are lost But tam'd with Fire or mellow'd by the Frost While Kine to Pails distended Udders bring And Bees their Hony redolent of Spring While Earth not only can your Needs supply But lavish of her Store provides for Luxury A guiltless Feast administers with Ease And without Blood is prodigal to please Wild Beasts their Maws with their slain Brethren fill And yet not all for some refuse to kill Sheep Goats and Oxen and the nobler Steed On Browz and Corn and flow'ry Meadows feed Bears Tygers Wolves the Lion's angry Brood Whom Heav'n endu'd with Principles of Blood He wisely sundred from the rest to yell In Forests and in lonely Caves to dwell Where stronger Beasts oppress the weak by Might And all in Prey and Purple Feasts delight O impious use to Nature's Laws oppos'd Where Bowels are in other Bowels clos'd Where fatten'd by their Fellow 's Fat they thrive Maintain'd by Murder and by Death they live 'T is then for nought that Mother Earth provides The Stores of all she shows and all she hides If Men with fleshy Morsels must be fed And chaw with bloody Teeth the breathing Bread What else is this but to devour our Guests And barb'rously renew Cyclopean Feasts We by destroying Life our Life sustain And gorge th'ungodly Maw with Meats obscene Not so the Golden Age who fed on Fruit Nor durst with bloody Meals their Mouths pollute Then Birds in airy space might safely move And timerous Hares on Heaths securely rove Nor needed Fish the guileful Hooks to fear For all was peaceful and that Peace sincere Whoever was the Wretch and curs'd be He That envy'd first our Food 's simplicity Th'essay of bloody Feasts on Bruits began And after forg'd the Sword to murther Man Had he the sharpen'd Steel alone employ'd On Beasts of Prey that other Beasts destroy'd Or Man invaded with their Fangs and Paws This had been justify'd by Nature's Laws And Self-defence But who did Feasts begin Of Flesh he stretch'd Necessity to Sin To kill Man-killers Man has lawful Pow'r But not th'extended Licence to devour Ill Habits gather by unseen degrees As Brooks make Rivers Rivers run to Seas The Sow with her broad Snout for rooting up Th'intrusted Seed was judg'd to spoil the Crop And intercept the sweating Farmer 's hope The covet'ous Churl of unforgiving kind Th' Offender to the bloody Priest resign'd Her Hunger was no Plea For that she dy'd The Goat came next in order to be try'd The Goat had cropt the tendrills of the Vine In vengeance Laity and Clergy join Where one had lost his Profit one his Wine Here was at least some shadow of Offence The Sheep was sacrific'd on no pretence But meek and unresisting Innocence A patient useful Creature born to bear The warm and woolly Fleece that cloath'd her Murderer And daily to give down the Milk she bred A Tribute for the Grass on which she fed Living both Food and Rayment she supplies And is of least advantage when she dies How did the toiling Oxe his Death deserve A downright simple Drudge and born to serve O Tyrant with what Justice can'st thou hope The promise of the Year a plenteous Crop When thou destroy'ft thy lab'ring Steer who till'd And plough'd with Pains thy else ungrateful Field From his yet reeking Neck to draw the Yoke That Neck with which the surly Clods he broke And to the Hatchet yield thy Husband-Man Who finish'd Autumn and the Spring began Nor this alone but Heav'n it self to bribe We to the Gods our impious Acts ascribe First recompence with Death their Creatures Toil Then call the Bless'd above to share the Spoil The fairest Victim must the Pow'rs appease So fatal 't is sometimes too much to please A purple Fillet his broad Brows adorns With flow'ry Garlands crown'd and gilded Horns He hears the murd'rous Pray'r the Priest prefers But understands not 't is his Doom he hears Beholds the Meal betwixt his Temples cast The
Glass Reflected to her Eyes the ruins of her Face Wondring what Charms her Ravishers cou'd spy To force her twice or ev'n but once enjoy Thy Teeth devouring Time thine envious Age On Things below still exercise your Rage With venom'd Grinders you corrupt your Meat And then at lingring Meals the Morsels eat Nor those which Elements we call abide Nor to this Figure nor to that are ty'd For this eternal World is said of Old But four prolifick Principles to hold Four different Bodies two to Heaven ascend And other two down to the Center tend Fire first with Wings expanded mounts on high Pure void of weight and dwells in upper Sky Then Air because unclogg'd in empty space Flies after Fire and claims the second Place But weighty Water as her Nature guides Lies on the lap of Earth and Mother Earth subsides All Things are mix'd of these which all contain And into these are all resolv'd again Earth rarifies to Dew expanded more The subtil Dew in Air begins to soar Spreads as she flies and weary of her Name Extenuates still and changes into Flame Thus having by degrees Perfection won Restless they soon untwist the Web they spun And Fire begins to lose her radiant Hue Mix'd with gross Air and Air descends to Dew And Dew condensing does her Form forego And sinks a heavy lump of Earth below Thus are their Figures never at a stand But chang'd by Nature's innovating Hand All Things are alter'd nothing is destroy'd The shifted Scene for some new Show employ'd Then to be born is to begin to be Some other Thing we were not formerly And what we call to Die is not t' appear Or be the Thing that formerly we were Those very Elements which we partake Alive when Dead some other Bodies make Translated grow have Sense or can Discourse But Death on deathless Substance has no force That Forms are chang'd I grant that nothing can Continue in the Figure it began The Golden Age to Silver was debas'd To Copper that our Mettal came at last The Face of Places and their Forms decay And that is solid Earth that once was Sea Seas in their turn retreating from the Shore Make solid Land what Ocean was before And far from Strands are Shells of Fishes found And rusty Anchors fix'd on Mountain-Ground And what were Fields before now wash'd and worn By falling Floods from high to Valleys turn And crumbling still descend to level Lands And Lakes and trembling Bogs are barren Sands And the parch'd Desart floats in Streams unknown Wondring to drink of Waters not her own Here Nature living Fountains ope's and there Seals up the Wombs where living Fountains were Or Earthquakes stop their ancient Course and bring Diverted Streams to feed a distant Spring So Lycus swallow'd up is seen no more But far from thence knocks out anorher Door Thus Erasinus dives and blind in Earth Runs on and gropes his way to second Birth Starts up in Argos Meads and shakes his Locks Around the Fields and fattens all the Flocks So Mysus by another way is led And grown a River now disdains his Head Forgets his humble Birth his Name forsakes And the proud Title of Caicus takes Large Amenane impure with yellow Sands Runs rapid often and as often stands And here he threats the drunken Fields to drown And there his Dugs deny to give their Liquor down Anigros once did wholsome Draughts afford But now his deadly Waters are abhorr'd Since hurt by Hercules as Fame resounds The Centaurs in his current wash'd their Wounds The Streams of Hypanis are sweet no more But brackish lose the tast they had before Antissa Pharos Tyre in Seas were pent Once Isles but now increase the Continent While the Leucadian Coast main Land before By rushing Seas is sever'd from the Shore So Zancle to th' Italian Earth was ty'd And Men once walk'd where Ships at Anchor ride Till Neptune overlook'd the narrow way And in disdain pour'd in the conqu'ring Sea Two Cities that adorn'd th' Achaian Ground Buris and Helice no more are found But whelm'd beneath a Lake are sunk and drown'd And Boatsmen through the Chrystal Water show To wond'ring Passengers the Walls below Near Traezen stands a Hill expos'd in Air To Winter-Winds of leafy Shadows bare This once was level Ground But strange to tell Th' included Vapors that in Caverns dwell Lab'ring with Cholick Pangs and close confin'd In vain sought issue for the rumbling Wind Yet still they heav'd for vent and heaving still Inlarg'd the Concave and shot up the Hill As Breath extends a Bladder or the Skins Of Goats are blown t' inclose the hoarded Wines The Mountain yet retains a Mountain's Face And gather'd Rubbish heals the hollow space Of many Wonders which I heard or knew Retrenching most I will relate but few What are not Springs with Qualities oppos'd Endu'd at Seasons and at Seasons lost Thrice in a Day thine Ammon change their Form Cold at high Noon at Morn and Evening warm Thine Athaman will kindle Wood if thrown On the pil'd Earth and in the waning Moon The Thracians have a Stream if any try The tast his harden'd Bowels petrify Whate'er it touches it converts to Stones And makes a Marble Pavement where it runs Crathis and Sybaris her Sister Flood That slide through our Calabrian Neighbour Wood With Gold and Amber die the shining Hair And thither Youth resort for who wou'd not be Fair But stranger Virtues yet in Streams we find Some change not only Bodies but the Mind Who has not heard of Salmacis obscene Whose Waters into Women soften Men Or AEthyopian Lakes which turn the Brain To Madness or in heavy Sleep constrain Clytorian Streams the love of Wine expel Such is the Virtue of th'abstemious Well Whether the colder Nymph that rules the Flood Extinguishes and balks the drunken God Or that Melampus so have some assur'd When the mad Proetides with Charms he cur'd And pow'rful Herbs both Charms and Simples cast Into th'sober Spring where still their Virtues last Unlike Effects Lyncestis will produce Who drinks his Waters tho'with moderate use Reels as with Wine and sees with double Sight His Heels too heavy and his Head too light Ladon once Pheneos an Arcadian Stream Ambiguous in th' Effects as in the Name By Day is wholsom Bev'rage but is thought By Night infected and a deadly Draught Thus running Rivers and the standing Lake Now of these Virtues now of those partake Time was and all Things Time and Fate obey When fast Ortygia floated on the Sea Such were Cyanean Isles when Typhis steer'd Betwixt their Streights and their Collision fear'd They swam where now they sit and firmly join'd Secure of rooting up resist the Wind. Nor AEtna vomiting sulphuerous Fire Will ever belch for Sulphur will expire The Veins exhausted of the liquid Store Time was she cast no Flames in time will cast no more For whether Earth's an Animal and Air Imbibes her Lungs with coolness to repair And
run Riot and transgress the Goal And therefore I conclude whatever lies In Earth or flits in Air or fills the Skies All suffer change and we that are of Soul And Body mix'd are Members of the whole Then when our Sires or Grandsires shall forsake The Forms of Men and brutal Figures take Thus hous'd securely let their Spirits rest Nor violate thy Father in the Beast Thy Friend thy Brother any of thy Kin If none of these yet there 's a Man within O spare to make a Thyestaean Meal T' inclose his Body and his Soul expel Ill Customs by degrees to Habits rise Ill Habits soon become exalted Vice What more advance can Mortals make in Sin So near Perfection who with Blood begin Deaf to the Calf that lies beneath the Knife Looks up and from her Butcher begs her Life Deaf to the harmless Kid that e'er he dies All Methods to procure thy Mercy tries And imitates in vain thy Children's Cries Where will he stop who feeds with Houshold Bread Then eats the Poultry which before he fed Let plough thy Steers that when they lose their Breath To Nature not to thee they may impute their Death Let Goats for Food their loaded Udders lend And Sheep from Winter-cold thy Sides defend But neither Sprindges Nets nor Snares employ And be no more Ingenious to destroy Free as in Air let Birds on Earth remain Nor let insidious Glue their Wings constrain Nor opening Hounds the trembling Stag affright Nor purple Feathers intercept his Flight Nor Hooks conceal'd in Baits for Fish prepare Nor Lines to heave 'em twinkling up in Air. Take not away the Life you cannot give For all Things have an equal right to live Kill noxious Creatures where 't is Sin to save This only just Prerogative we have But nourish Life with vegetable Food And shun the sacrilegious tast of Blood These Precepts by the Samian Sage were taught Which Godlike Numa to the Sabines brought And thence transferr'd to Rome by Gift his own A willing People and an offer'd Throne O happy Monarch sent by Heav'n to bless A Salvage Nation with soft Arts of Peace To teach Religion Rapine to restrain Give Laws to Lust and Sacrifice ordain Himself a Saint a Goddess was his Bride And all the Muses o'er his Acts preside THE CHARACTER OF A Good Parson Imitated from CHAUCER And Inlarg'd A Parish-Priest was of the Pilgrim-Train An Awful Reverend and Religious Man His Eyes diffus'd a venerable Grace And Charity it self was in his Face Rich was his Soul though his Attire was poor As God had cloath'd his own Embassador For such on Earth his bless'd Redeemer bore Of Sixty Years he seem'd and well might last To Sixty more but that he liv'd too fast Refin'd himself to Soul to curb the Sense And made almost a Sin of Abstinence Yet had his Aspect nothing of severe But such a Face as promis'd him sincere Nothing reserv'd or sullen was to see But sweet Regards and pleasing Sanctity Mild was his Accent and his Action free With Eloquence innate his Tongue was arm'd Tho' harsh the Precept yet the Preacher charm'd For letting down the golden Chain from high He drew his Audience upward to the Sky And oft with holy Hymns he charm'd their Ears A Musick more melodious than the Spheres For David left him when he went to rest His Lyre and after him he sung the best He bore his great Commission in his Look But sweetly temper'd Awe and soften'd all he spoke He preach'd the Joys of Heav'n and Pains of Hell And warn'd the Sinner with becoming Zeal But on Eternal Mercy lov'd to dwell He taught the Gospel rather than the Law And forc'd himself to drive but lov'd to draw For Fear but freezes Minds but Love like Heat Exhales the Soul sublime to seek her Native Seat To Threats the stubborn Sinner oft is hard Wrap'd in his Crimes against the Storm prepar'd But when the milder Beams of Mercy play He melts and throws his cumb'rous Cloak away Lightnings and Thunder Heav'ns Artillery As Harbingers before th' Almighty fly Those but proclaim his Stile and disappear The stiller Sound succeeds and God is there The Tythes his Parish freely paid he took But never Su'd or Curs'd with Bell and Book With Patience bearing wrong but off ring none Since every Man is free to lose his own The Country-Churles according to their Kind Who grudge their Dues and love to be behind The less he sought his Off'rings pinch'd the more And prais'd a Priest contented to be Poor Yet of his little he had some to spare To feed the Famish'd and to cloath the Bare For Mortify'd he was to that degree A poorer than himself he wou'd not see True Priests he said and Preachers of the Word Were only Stewards of their Soveraign Lord Nothing was theirs but all the publick Store Intrusted Riches to relieve the Poor Who shou'd they steal for want of his Relief He judg'd himself Accomplice with the Thief Wide was his Parish not contracted close In Streets but here and there a straggling House Yet still he was at Hand without Request To serve the Sick to succour the Distress'd Tempting on Foot alone without affright The Dangers of a dark tempestuous Night All this the good old Man perform'd alone Nor spar'd his Pains for Curate he had none Nor durst he trust another with his Care Nor rode himself to Pauls the publick Fair To chaffer for Preferment with his Gold Where Bishopricks and sine Cures are fold But duly watch'd his Flock by Night and Day And from the prowling Wolf redeem'd the Prey And hungry sent the wily Fox away The Proud he tam'd the Penitent he chear'd Nor to rebuke the rich Offender fear'd His Preaching much but more his Practice wrought A living Sermon of the Truths he taught For this by Rules severe his Life he squar'd That all might see the Doctrin which they heard For Priests he said are Patterns for the rest The Gold of Heav'n who bear the God Impress'd But when the precious Coin is kept unclean The Soveraign's Image is no longer seen If they be foul on whom the People trust Well may the baser Brass contract a Rust. The Prelate for his Holy Life he priz'd The worldly Pomp of Prelacy despis'd His Saviour came not with a gawdy Show Nor was his Kingdom of the World below Patience in Want and Poverty of Mind These Marks of Church and Churchmen he design'd And living taught and dying left behind The Crown he wore was of the pointed Thorn In Purple he was Crucify'd not born They who contend for Place and high Degree Are not his Sons but those of Zebadee Not but he knew the Signs of Earthly Pow'r Might well become St. Peter's Successor The Holy Father holds a double Reign The Prince may keep his Pomp the Fisher must be plain Such was the Saint who shone with every Grace Reflecting Moses-like his Maker's Face God saw his Image lively was express'd
oft tolde thee here beforn And hast be iaped here duke Theseus And falsely hast chaunged thy name thus I will be dedde or els thou shalt die Thou shalt not loue my ladie Emelie But I woll loue her only and no mo For I am Palamon thy mortall fo Though that I haue no weapen in this place But out of prison am astert by grace I dred nat that either thou shalt die Or thou ne shalt nat louen Emelye These which thou wilt or thou shalt not astert This Arcite with full dispitous hert When he hym knewe and had his tale herd As fers as a Lion pulled out his sweard And saied By God that sitteth aboue Ne wer that thou art sicke and wod for loue And eke that thou no weapen hast in this place Thou shouldest neuer out this groue pace That thou ne shouldest dien of mine honde For I defie the suertie and the bonde Which that thou saist that I haue made to thee What very foole thinke wel that loue is free And I will loue her maugre all thy might But for asmoch as thou art a knight And wilnest to daren here by battaile Haue here mi truth to morrow I will not fail Without wittyng of any other wight That here I will be founden as a knight And bringen harneis right inough for thee And chese the best and leaue the worst for me And meate and drinke this night will I bring Inough for thee and clothes for thy bedding And if so be that thou my ladie win And slea me in this wodde there I am in Thou maiest well haue thy ladie as for me This Palamon answered I grant it thee And thus thei been departed till a morrow When ech of hem had laied his faith to borow O Cupide out of all charitee O reigne that wouldest haue no felow with thee Full soth is saied that loue ne lordship Woll nat his thankes haue any feliship We finde that of Arcite and Palamon Arcite is ridden anon into the toun And on the morow or it were daie light Full priuely twoo harneis had he dight Bothe sufficient and mete to darreigne The battail in the field betwixt hem tweine And on his horse alone as he was borne He carrieth all his harneis him beforne And in the groue at time and place iset That Arcite and this Palamon been met To changen gan the colour in her face Right as the hunter in the royume of Trace That standeth at a gappe with a speare When hunted is the lion or the beare And hereth him rushing in the leues And breaketh the bowes in the greues And thinketh here cometh my mortal enemy Without faile he must be dede or I For either I mote slea him at the gap Or he motessea me if me mishap So ferden thei in chaunging of her hewe As far as eueriche of other knewe There was no good daie ne no saluing But streight without word or rehersing Eueriche of hem helped for to arme other As friendly as he were his own brother And after that with sharpe speares strong Thei foinen eche at other wonder long Thou mightest wenen that this Palamon In his fighting were a wodde Lion And as a cruel Tigre was Arcite As wild Bores gan they fight and smite That frothen white as some for ire woode Vp to the ancle foughten they in her bloode And in this wise I let hem fighting dwell As foorth I woll of Thesens you tell The destinie and the minister generall That executeth in the worlde ouer all The purueyance that God hath said beforne So strong it is that though the world had sworne The contrary of thing be ye and naie Yet sometime it sholl fall on a daie That fell neuer yet in a thousand yere For certainly our appetites here Be it of warre peace hate or loue All is ruled by the sight aboue This meane I now by mightie Theseus That for to hunt is so desirous And namely at the great Hart in Maie That in his bed there daweth him day That he nys clad and ready for to ride With hunt and horne and houndes him beside For in his hunting hath he soche delit That it is all his ioie and appetite To been himselfe the greate hartes bane For after Mars he serueth now Diane Clere was the day as I haue tolde or this And Theseus with all ioy and blis With his Ipolita the faire quene And Emely iclothen all in grene An hunting been thei ridden rially And to the groue that stood there fast by In which ther was an Hart as men hun told Duke Theseus the streight way hath holde And to the land he rideth him full right For thither was the hart wont to haue his flight And ouer a broke and so foorth on his weie This duke wol haue a cours at him or twey With houndes soch as him list commaunde And when the duke was comen into the launde Under the soone he looked and that anon He was ware of Arcite and Palamon That foughten breme as it were bulles two The bright swordes wenten to and fro So hodiously that with the lest stroke It semed that it would haue fellen an oke But what thei weren nothing he ne wote This Duke with his sporrs his courser smote And at a start he was betwixt hem two And pulled out his sworde and cried ho No more on pain of lesing your hedde By mightie Mars he shall anone be dedde That smiteth any stroke that I may seen But telleth me what mister men ye been That been so hardie for to fighten here Without judge or other officere As though it were in listes rially This Palamon answered hastely And said Sir what nedeth words mo We haue the death deserued bothe two Two woful wretches been we and caitiues That been encombred of our own liues And as thou art a rightful lorde and judge Ne yeue us neither mercie ne refuge But slea me first for sainct charitee But slea my felowe as well as me Or slea him first for though thou knowe it lite This is thy mortall foe this is Arcite That fro thy land is banished on his hedde For which he hath deserued to be dedde For this is he that came unto thy yate And saied that he hight Philostrate Thus hath he iaped full many a yere And thou hast made him thy chiefe squiere And this is he that loueth Emelye For sith the daie is come that I shall die I make plainly my confession I am thilke wofull Palamon That hath thy prison broke wickedly I am thy mortall foe and he am I That loueth so hote Emelye the bright That I woll die here present in her sight Therefore I aske death and my iewise But slea my felowe in the same wise For both we haue deserued to be slain This worthy duke answered anon again And saied this is a short conclusion Your owne mouth by your confession Hath damned you and I woll it recorde It nedeth not to
and the sore Encreaseth at his hert more and more The clotered blode for any liche crafte Corrumped and is in his body laste That neither veineblode he ventousing Ne drinke of herbes may be helping By vertue expulsed or anymall For thilke vertue cleaped naturall Ne may the venim vold ne ekpell The pipes of his longes began to swell And euery lacerte in his brest adoun Is shent with venim and corrupcion Him gaineth neither for to get his life Vomite upwarde ne dounward laxatife All is to brust thilke region Nature hath no dominacion And certainly ther as nature wol not wirch Farwel phisike go beare the corse to 〈◊〉 This is all and some that Arcite must die For which he 〈◊〉 after Emelye And Palamon his cosyn dere Then said he thus as ye shall after here Nought may my wofull 〈◊〉 in my 〈◊〉 Declare a point of all my sorowes 〈◊〉 To you my lady that I loue most But I bequeth the seruice of my gost To you abouen any creature Sin that my life may no lenger dure Alas the wo alas my paines strong That I for you haue suffered and so long Alas the dethe alas myn Emely Alas departing of our company Alas myn hertes quene alas my liues wife Myn hertes lady ender of my life What is the world what asken men to haue Now with his loue now in his cold graue Alone withouten any company Farwel my swete foe myn Emely And soft take me in your armes twey For the loue of God herkeneth what I sey I haue here with my cosin Palamon Had strife and rancour many a daie agon For loue of you and for my ielousie And Jupiter so wisely my soule gie To speaken of a seruant properlie With circumstances all trulie That is to say trouth honour and knighthede Wisedome humblesse estate and hie kinrede Fredome and all that longeth to that art So Jupiter haue of my soule part As in this world right now knowe I non So worth to be loued as Palamon That serueth you and woll doen all his life And if that you shall euer been a wife Foryet not Palamon the gentle man And with that worde his speche fail began For from his feete vnto his brest was come The colde death that hath hym nome And yet more ouer for in his armes two The vital strength is lost and all ago Saue onely the intellect without more That dwelleth in his hert sicke and sore Gan failen when the hert felt death Dusked his iyen two and failed breath But on his Ladie yet cast he his iye His last worde was mercie Emelye His spirite chaunged and out went there Whetherwarde I cannot tell ne where Therefore I stint I am no diuinistre Of soules finde I not in this registre Ne me leste not thilke opinion to tell Of hem though they writen where thei dwell Arcite is cold that Mars his souse gie Now woll I speke foorth of Emelye Shright Emelye and houlen Palamon And Theseus his suster vp toke anon Swouning and bare her fro his corse awaie What helpeth it to tary forth the daie To tellen how she wept bothe euen and morow For in such case women haue much sorowe When that her husbands been fro hem go That for the more partie they sorowen so Or els fallen in such maladie That at the last certainly they die Infinite been the sorowe and the teres Of old folke and folke of tender yeres In all the toune for death of this Theban For hym there wepeth bothe child and man So great wepyng was there not certain When Hector was brought all fresh islain To Troie Alas the pite that was there Cratching of chekes rentyng eke here Why woldest thou be dedde thus women crie And haddest gold inough and Emelye No man maie glad Theseus Sauing his old father Egeus That knewe this worlds transmutacion As he had seen it bothe up and doun Joie after wo and wo after gladnesse And shewed him ensamples and likenesse Right as there died neuer man quod he That he ne liued in yearth in some degree Right so there liued neuer man he saied In this world that sometime he ne deied This world is but a throughfare full of wo And we been pilgrimes passing to and fro Death is an end of euery worldes sore And over all this yet saied he moche more To this effect full wisely to exhort The people that they should hem recomfort Duke Theseus with all his busie cure Casteth now where that the sepulture O good Arcite shall best imaked bee And eke moste honourable of degree And at the last he tooke conclusion That there as Arcite and Palamon Had for love the battaile hem between That in the same selue groue swete and grene There as he had his amerous desires His complaint and for loue his hote fires He would make a fire in which the offis Funerall he might hem all accomplis He hath anon commaunded to hack and hew The okes old and laie hem all on a rew In culpons well arraied for to brenne His officers with swift foote they renne And right anon at his commaundement And after Theseus hath he isent After a beare and it all oversprad With cloth of gold the richest that he had And of the same sute he clothed Arcite Upon his handes his gloues white Eke on his hedde a croune of Laurell grene And in his hand a sworde full bright and kene He laied hym bare the visage on the bere Therewith he wept that pite was to here And for the people should seen hym all When it was daie he brought him to the hall That rorreth of the crie and of the sorowes soun Then gan this woful Theban Palamon With glittering beard and ruddie shining heres In clothes blacke dropped all with teres And passing other of wepyng Emelye The rufullest of all the companie And in as much as the service should bee The more noble and riche in his degree Duke Theseus let foorth the stedes bring That trapped were in stele all glitering And couered with the armes of Dan Arcite Upon these stedes great and white Ther saten folk of which one bare his sheld Another his speare in his hand held The third bare with him a bowe Turkes Of brent gold was the case and eke the harnes And ridden foorth apace with sorie chere Toward the groue as ye shall after here The noblest of the Grekes that there were Upon her shoulders carried the bere With slake pace and iyen redde and white Throughout the cite by the maister strete That sprad was al with blake and that wonder hie Right of the same is the strete iwrie Upon the right hand went Egeus And on the other side Duke Theseus With vessels in her hand of gold full fine All full of honie milke blode and wine Eke Palamon with full great companie And after that came woful Emelye With fire in hand as was that time the gise To doen the office of funerall
in order drew To their broad Breasts the Ship with fury flew The Queen recover'd rears her humid Eyes And first her Husband on the Poop espies Shaking his Hand at distance on the Main She took the Sign and shook her Hand again Still as the Ground recedes contracts her View With sharpen'd Sight till she no longer knew The much-lov'd Face that Comfort lost supplies With less and with the Galley feeds her Eyes The Galley born from view by rising Gales She follow'd with her Sight the flying Sails When ev'n the flying Sails were seen no more Forsaken of all Sight she left the Shoar Then on her Bridal-Bed her Body throws And sought in sleep her weary'd Eyes to close Her Husband 's Pillow and the Widow'd part Which once he press'd renew'd the former Smart And now a Breeze from Shoar began to blow The Sailors ship their Oars and cease to row Then hoist their Yards a-trip and all their Sails Let fall to court the Wind and catch the Gales By this the Vessel half her Course had run And as much rested till the rising Sun Both Shores were lost to Sight when at the close Of Day a stiffer Gale at East arose The Sea grew White the rowling Waves from far Like Heralds first denounce the Wat'ry War This seen the Master soon began to cry Strike strike the Top-sail let the Main-sheet fly And furl your Sails The Winds repel the sound And in the Speaker's Mouth the Speech is drown'd Yet of their own accord as Danger taught Each in his way officiously they wrought Some stow their Oars or stop the leaky Sides Another bolder yet the Yard bestrides And folds the Sails a fourth with Labour laves Th' intruding Seas and Waves ejects on Waves In this Confusion while their Work they ply The Winds augment the Winter of the Sky And wage intestine Wars the suff'ring Seas Are toss'd and mingled as their Tyrants please The Master wou'd command but in despair Of Safety stands amaz'd with stupid Care Nor what to bid or what forbid he knows Th' ungovern'd Tempest to such Fury grows Vain is his Force and vainer is his Skill With such a Concourse comes the Flood of Ill The Cries of Men are mix'd with rattling Shrowds Seas dash on Seas and Clouds encounter Clouds At once from East to West from Pole to Pole The forky Lightnings flash the roaring Thunders roul Now Waves on Waves ascending scale the Skies And in the Fires above the Water fries When yellow Sands are sifted from below The glitt'ring Billows give a golden Show And when the fouler bottom spews the Black The Stygian Dye the tainted Waters take Then frothy White appear the flatted Seas And change their Colour changing their Disease Like various Fits the Trachin Vessel finds And now sublime she rides upon the Winds As from a lofty Summet looks from high And from the Clouds beholds the neather Sky Now from the depth of Hell they lift their Sight And at a distance see superiour Light The lashing Billows make a loud report And beat her Sides as batt'ring Rams a Fort Or as a Lyon bounding in his way With Force augmented bears against his Prey Sidelong to seize or unappal'd with fear Springs on the Toils and rushes on the Spear So Seas impell'd by Winds with added Pow'r Assault the Sides and o'er the Hatches tow'r The Planks their pitchy Cov'ring wash'd away Now yield and now a yawning Breach display The roaring Waters with a hostile Tide Rush through the Ruins of her gaping Side Mean time in Sheets of Rain the Sky descends And Ocean swell'd with Waters upwards tends One rising falling one the Heav'ns and Sea Meet at their Confines in the middle Way The Sails are drunk with Show'rs and drop with Rain Sweet Waters mingle with the briny Main No Star appears to lend his friendly Light Darkness and Tempest make a double Night But flashing Fires disclose the Deep by turns And while the Light'nings blaze the Water burns Now all the Waves their scatter'd Force unite And as a Soldier foremost in the Fight Makes way for others And an Host alone Still presses on and urging gains the Town So while th' invading Billows come a-brest The Hero tenth advanc'd before the rest Sweeps all before him with impetuous Sway And from the Walls descends upon the Prey Part following enter part remain without With Envy hear their Fellows conqu'ring Shout And mount on others Backs in hope to share The City thus become the Seat of War An universal Cry resounds aloud The Sailors run in heaps a helpless Crowd Art fails and Courage falls no Succour near As many Waves as many Deaths appear One weeps and yet despairs of late Relief One cannot weep his Fears congeal his Grief But stupid with dry Eyes expects his Fate One with loud Shrieks laments his lost Estate And calls those happy whom their Funerals wait This Wretch with Pray'rs and Vows the Gods implores And ev'n the Sky's he cannot see adores That other on his Friends his Thoughts bestows His careful Father and his faithful Spouse The covetous Worldling in his anxious Mind Thinks only on the Wealth he left behind All Ceyx his Alcyone employs For her he grieves yet in her absence joys His Wife he wishes and wou'd still be near Not her with him but wishes him with her Now with last Looks he seeks his Native Shoar Which Fate has destin'd him to see no more He sought but in the dark tempestuous Night He knew not whether to direct his Sight So whirl the Seas such Darkness blinds the Sky That the black Night receives a deeper Dye The giddy Ship ran round the Tempest tore Her Mast and over-board the Rudder bore One Billow mounts and with a scornful Brow Proud of her Conquest gain'd insults the Waves below Nor lighter falls than if some Gyant tore Pyndus and Athos with the Freight they bore And toss'd on Seas press'd with the pondrous Blow Down sinks the Ship within th' Abyss below Down with the Vessel sink into the Main The many never more to rise again Some few on scatter'd Planks with fruitless Care Lay hold and swim but while they swim despair Ev'n he who late a Scepter did command Now grasps a floating Fragment in his Hand And while he struggles on the stormy Main Invokes his Father and his Wife 's in vain But yet his Consort is his greatest Care Alcyone he names amidst his Pray'r Names as a Charm against the Waves and Wind Most in his Mouth and ever in his Mind Tir'd with his Toyl all hopes of Safety past From Pray'rs to Wishes he descends at last That his dead Body wafted to the Sands Might have its Burial from her Friendly Hands As oft as he can catch a gulp of Air And peep above the Seas he names the Fair And ev'n when plung'd beneath on her he raves Murm'ring Alcyone below the Waves At last a falling Billow stops his Breath Breaks o'er his Head and whelms him