both smart And elegant Therefore with more delight We 've heard this Verse than if 't had flown to height But now thou 'rt at the Wells let fancy go To higher strain smooth like the Fountain flow We all of us shall think it worth our while To hear Wit with variety of Stile Curio Too much O Friends ye now expect from me That give me such a Task of Poetry Curio reply'd at this time of the day But if you 'll have it and I must obey O be thou then my Helicon inspire Prodigious Fountain thy steel'd streams have fire I' have drunk the' inspiring draught compels to fly And th' force of this new Helicon to try The WELLS BEyond the pleasant Street that shady Row Of Greenest Trees confronting Shops below That gloomy Walk there is some sandy ground With Heath and Rocks and Hills encompass'd round Yet not too high too horrid nor too near But at a distance as if with some fear And Reverence Rocks stood admiring there In mid'st of Rocks within that sandy space Fam'd Well the ancient Mother of that place Nature has plac'd from her at first the name Of the small Village and from her the Fame From her th' Inhabitants and Houses came Had she of old done what she now has wrought She wou'd by th' Ancients have been Goddess thought But with more truth the wise contemplate now His Finger there to whom all Mortals bow Angels of old when God from Heaven sent To Cure us yet 't was by this Element Though Cures were then by Angels to be wrought The Paralyticks to the Pool were brought With greater grandeur powerful God does here In Nature his great Substitute appear Now in these Fountains than by Angels there Nature the Soul of the great World we see Demonstrating here the Divinity Whilst she supported by th' Almighty hand Works daily wonders by great God's Command And whether we admire her by the Name Of Goddess God or Nature 't is the same We see Effects that can be none but his Adore great God in what great Nature is Who e'er thou art that on us Men below Such Gifts as these art able to bestow In thee sure some Immortal Powe'r must live None but the' Omnipotent such Gifts can give Nature is but God's Representative Conceal'd yet known Invisible she sits Appearing to us but in Benefits By great Effects as God is wont to do For God in Nature appears greatly too Here Goddess-like though under Fountain's Name She does those Wonders which give Fountains Fame Plac'd with her Back to the wide Heath and Hills As ' if conscious that her Busi'nefs were our Ills She looks into the Walks where splendid Throng Of Patients do attend all Summer long These all the Morning from that pleasant Place She daily does receive with open Face Wall'd in whether for Beauty or for State Or both she always keeps an open Gate Thro' which she sees that Crowd of Patients walk And seems to hearken how the' afflicted talk When they declining groan when they complain Hence she sends Water that revives again Twice twenty Nymphs still round about her stand Fair Country Maids each with a Glass in hand Reaching her Bounty forth give with good Grace Full Cups bestow'd by th' Goddess of the Place Here sits her Power and hence her Bounty flows And hence a Torrent of her Kindness goes Encreasing still extending the small Flood As if ambitious to diffuse the Good Through the dry Valley of that scorched Heath Prolongs Life there and saves from cruel Death Cures something still though not Men as at first Saves pining Cattle from the Plague of Thirst Something in Virtue at a distance less But Fountain every where ordain'd to bless Whether her Learned Doctours thought the fair Fountain shou'd so have Benefit of Air Or Favourite of Heaven it was fit It shou'd have Way to ' Heave'n and Heav'en to it This Divine Fountain though 't is walled in Yet has no Covering still by Heaven seen Still Heaven sees beholds each glorious Star Of which it feels the Influence so far But O ye Muses all inspire me now That I the Bowels of the Earth may plow Too hard a Task for any Muse alone Requires more Powe'r than all the Nine dare own Too dark those Paths are for a Muse to fly The Secret's scarce reach'd by Philosophy Whether they only Luminaries are That can produce a Miracle so rare Or by a Powe'r Divine some brighter Star Does pierce so deep and influence so far From the dark Caverns of Eternal Night And Earth this Spring comes first but Face so bright Such Excellencies has it can't but be From something more than earthly Pedigree Our Common Mother though she had a share In the great Geniture yet Birth so rare Claims God or Star for Parent here are two Such Works as these or God or Heave'n must do Whether that God that rules both Sea and Land From Seas first sent these Waves by his Command Or else by frequent Showres from above Well purify'd they come the Star of Love Great Governness of amiable things Some Powe'r must needs have on these lovely Springs By her sweet Conduct they so softly flow And by her Softness they delight us so Her Kindness leads 'em gently through the Ground Brings 'em to Mars his Steel that makes 'em sound The powe'rful Luminaries both here join And in the Caverns of the Earth combine To influence the Salutife'rous Flood So great a Medi'cine and so great a Good Mars with Coelestial Heat warms from above The lowly Wave receives Coelestial Love She gently steals it through the Parent 's Veins Seeking the Light and as it goes it gains Imbibes the Tincture of the powe'rful Steel Sweet Waves and healthful Mars and Venus feel By her they cool and moisten the hot Vein He with his Warmth enlivens them again The stubborn Steel affects the Water so The Waters temper that too as they go Till here at last both Luminaries bring Out of the Earth this wonder-working Spring Ill-natur'd Earth how cou'dst thou so long hide Such Powe'rs as these Was 't thine or Nature's Pride Cou'd she our Mistress thou a Parent bee Not for so many Ages let us see This Antidote of our Mortality Or was Nature afraid that we shou'd live Beyond her Limits therefore wou'd not give What-ever 't was ye both kept secret long Though you bless now ye did past Ages wrong Nature of Secret surely was too shy For so great Mistress of Morality And of thee Earth thy Children sure deserv'd That that Life which thou gav'st shou'd be preserv'd But thou great God that saw'st much more than we Know'st more than Earth or Nature cou'd foresee Reserv'd'st this Medi'cine like good Wine till last Saw'st no such need of it in Ages past Now is the Time Chalybeates shou'd be seen The World devolv'd is to an Age of Spleen Beyond that so long talkt of Iron Age A Time that brings forth such
Begins to speak but then breaks off again All things she does but Love she does with Pain The self-same Day a Banquet she will have There but to hear his great Exploits does crave She hears and is transported with his Praise Hangs on his Lips admiring all he says Soon as she sees he and his Friends are gone And the dark Night apace is coming on Musing she sits in the forsaken Room Pleas'd with the Thought That he again may come Sits on the Bed where they so lately were And wishes still the brave Aeneas there She hears him absent and she sees him too O what Perswasion won't Love bring us to His little Son she to her Lap does take And hugs Ascanius for his Father's sake With the' Heroe quite tak'n up no Work goes on All thought of finishing the City's gone No Towers rise nor Bulwarks now of War Nor work they at the Haven there nor are The Youth c'er train'd now under strict Command The great Designs are all quite at a stand Which soon as Heaven's Queen had understood Saw Fame in Fury cou'd do little good All Sense of Honour Reputation gone Venus at last then thus she fell upon Great Spoils indeed a mighty lasting Name You and your Son will get and a great Fame If one poor miserable Woman is Vanquish'd by the' Craft of two such Deities I well enough perceive what 't is you fear How jealous you of me at Carthage are Of my Powe'r there But what needs such Dispute Your Interest with mine I hope may sute Let 's make a lasting Peace and a Match too You ' have done all you can ever hope to doe Dio 's on fire your Fury ' has pierc'd the Bone Come let us make then these two Nations one And jointly rule Let Dido if she 's won With all her Dowry have your Trojan Son But Venus well perceiving what she thought That so the' Italian Empire might be brought To Carthage too with great Aeneas Fate Reply'd thus Who ' is so mad as to debate All this with you Who think you wou'd contend In War with Juno Rather make an end Provided Fortune follow what you say And what you wou'd do Jove will grant you may But who can tell whe'ther that dear Son of mine Jove does intend shou'd with his Tyrians join Whether those Nations Mixture he wou'd like Or give 'em leave a lasting League to strike You are his Queen you best may know his Mind Begin I 'll second you That I will find Juno reply'd But that which for your Son And Dido is at present to be done How to contrive but hearken and I 'll show Poor Dido with Aeneas means to go To hunt to morrow as soon as his Rays Titan on the enlighten'd Earth displays Whilst they beset the Wood and whilst the Court Are all engag'd and eager on their Sport I 'll rain and hail and cover all with Night With Thunder then the Company so fright I 'll make 'em fly Then Dido and Aeneas both shall come To the same Cave I 'll there give 'em their Doom And marry 'em if I have your Consent But Venus quickly finding what she meant Smil'd at her Craft but wou'd not yet dissent Soon as 't was Day the brisk Youth of the Court All at the Gate were ready for the Sport With Toyles Nets Spears and a great strength of Hound Massilian Horse too prancing on the Ground The Tyrian Nobles all attend the Queen Till she come forth The' Horse at the Door is seen In Gold and Purple on which she 's to sit Trampling the Ground and champing on the Bit. The Queen comes forth with a great Train at last In Tyrian Habit which Embroidery grac'd Her Quiver Gold Gold her fair Hair did hold The Button of her Vestment too was Gold The Trojans with their brisk Iulus go Aeneas above all Men you might know When he came up his Countrymen to join He in his Meen had so much of Divine Just as the God Apollo when he goes From Lycia to Delos where all those Cretes Dryopes and Agathyrsians sound Aloud his Praise appears his Forehead bound On Cynthus Hill with Gold and nobler Bays Resplendent glorious and in all his Rays As he is seen whilst all those Nations sing Whilst briskly walking all his Arrows ring Just in such Splendour went the Trojan King But when the Hunters were got up the Hill Had beat the Woods whilst they were beating still They saw first some wild Goats ignoble Game Which skipping o'er the craggy Mountains came On the' other side came down a Herd of Deer Crossing the Plain the dusty Staggs appear But young Ascanius in the Vale below Sports and the Mettle of his Horse to show Now these out-rides and now those wou'd out-go Aspires to higher Sport desires more Than Hart to ' encounter Lyon or wild Boar. When the Clouds murmu'ring a fierce Storm arose Heaven drowns with Rain and Hails a Showre of Blows New Rivers rise from Top of eve'ry Hill Run down like Seas The Vales begin to fill The Tyrians Trojans all to the' Tempest yield And fly half-drown'd or ston'd out of the Field Some to one Cottage some to ' another fly Stand under Trees some in dark Caves do lye Whilst all disperse all strive themselves to save Dido and Aeneas light on the same Cave The trembling Earth gave an unlucky Sign To the' wicked Act and though great Juno join The Air yet thunde'ring then might well be thought It light'ning too ill Omen to the Fault The Mountain-Nymphs howl out loud as they can That Day all Dido's Misery began Honour and Fame prevail with her no more To hide her Fault as she had done before She calls it Marriage now easily taught By Love alas to colour so her Fault But Fame that suffers no such Fault to lye Long hid through Libya with the News does fly Fame far the swiftest Evil that we know Going gets Strength in stirring quickens so Small first and fearful then begins to try Her Strength in the' Air and greater grows on high She walks first upon Earth then hides her Head Among the Clouds as wide as Heaven spread Offended with the Gods the angry Earth Gave to this monstrous Goddess first her Birth Sister to Enceladus Caeus no less Than her huge Brothers is the Gyantess Fleetest of Foot above all mortal things Her Mother made her gave her nimblest Wings A horrid Monster ' and huge you may descry Under each Feather which she has an Eye As many Mouths she has as many Ears As many Tongues to tell the things she hears By night she flies shrill through the Air below As swiftly does and always tatling go Sleeps not at all she watching sits by day On noble Roofs hears what the great ones say Or on high Towers and telling what is Right Oftner what 's Wrong great Cities does affright Gigling abroad she all this did unfold As well what was not as what was she
a rusty Rage As none of the known Medi'cines can asswage This saving Fountain surely comes at length With Venus Beauty and with Mars's Strength To cleanse and mollifie from Heaven sent Plenipotentiary of the' Omnipotent She with her Sweetness makes th' hard Potion please And gently softens the morose Disease He does his Strength ' gainst tough Diseases try Till with his tougher Steel he makes 'em fly Fountain impower'd by both's ordain'd to cure As far as Mortal Bodies can endure O might such Stars work on our Morals too And on our Minds yet greater Wonders do But metamorphos'd Mars why is' t that thou From God of War turn'st here Physician now Whilst we turn Ploughs to Swords here how comes all The Steel thou mak'st to be so medi'cinal Wast thou to Mortals so severe of old That their Devotion was almost grown cold Now with more grateful and more God-like Skill To please thou sav'st more than thou 'rt wont to kill Or is' t That Men grown worse than heretofore Need thy old Skill in Villany no more But Artists grown can kill can rob can lye Without the help of Devi'l or Deity Or rather is 't That we of late endure Those Plagues of Mars no Drugg but Steel can cure Which Divine Providence now to asswage Prepares by thee some Antidote for the' Age And with that Sword of thine that hurt before At last designs to cure a great deal more What-ever 't is in Mixture so Divine Some greater Work great God must sure design As much as the' Ancients Aeson said of thee This Fountain does renews us bodily Like Ghosts at first we here the living meet Muffled in Cap cloak'd in long Winding-sheet If yet alive not like the living go As if they liv'd whe'er Nature wou'd or no. Like Spi'rits they look hollow like Ghosts they talk Amongst the living just like dead Men walk When on a suddain a strange Change is made They flourish all who did so lately fade As if the Fountain had a Power to call Back from the dead they who seem'd buried all Walk and arise from living Funeral In all parts of the Body Omens are That Strength and Health now openly declare All Symptoms change the late weak Pulse grows strong All Parts reviv'd give hopes of living long No sooner we imbibe the God-like Flood But Vitals all revive corrupted Blood Obstructed which for want of passage stood Stagnant almost new Spirits now make good The Spleen is cleans'd the Liver open'd so To reinforce all Parts the Blood does go Each Limb partakes and now that Vigour comes To every Part that every Part becomes Whole Man renew'd seems to be born again In the New Man no Place has the old Pain The hard incurable and cruel Stone Which wou'd make Heart as hard as it bemoan Man's Misery here with the subt'lest Stroke Like that of Thunder shatter'd is and broke The rooted Griefs all Parts begin to leave All Parts their pristine Nimbleness receive You see the Countenance begin to clear The Hands are fresh the Goddess Looks appear In every Face Ladies her Waters drink That they had drank her Beauty too you 'd think A fresh Complexion and that greater Grace Brisk Chearfulness enlivens every Face Where Features are it gives of Beauty more Than Nature eve'n at Birth bestow'd before Not only cures but it does too improve Repairs Love's Object and encreases Love The Heart that is so great a Fountain too Of Life this saving Fountain does out do From that bare Life and sickly from this we Of Health and Life receive Security Not only cleansing rather we shou'd call This Water the Chalybeat Cordial Whilst Venus thus and Mars together bless All noisome Vapours both of 'em suppress All Apoplectick Fumes What can we dread When two such Luminaries clear the Head Other great Medi'cines cure but each apart This the whole Man the Liver Head the Heart And every Limb renews with God-like Art Relieves the almost stupified Brain Works off its Clouds and gives it Life again Quickens with Spirits the quite-blunted Wit With new-enabled Fancy helpeth it Wit that before absconded now 's not shye Shines in the Look and sparkles through the Eye With quick Look shews restored Memory The Scholar struggling feels recover'd Brain Imbellish'd Fancy speaks strong Lines again Thinks freely of all Objects fills with Sense And uses his old native Eloquence Choak'd Lungs respire now first we feel 't is true That weâ— are alive we feel our selves all new Our Souls in sickly Bodies tir'd so long Transinigrate here into the sound and strong As if with Lethe wash'd no more they fret At Sorrows past but all their Pains forget Leaving the gloomy Shades then from the fair Fountain they go into the opener Air There dwell all day in green and pleasant Fields Such Places too this new Elysium yields At perfect Ease In this sweet Place they walk In that they dance by the Wood-side they talk Some excellent Poet yonder makes his Verse Another here takes pleasure to reherse The Wits that hear admire all Wits delight These hear with Pleasure those with Pleasure write Here Friend meets his old Friend the amo'rous Lad Fond Lover finds his Mistress and is glad Under that Oak contemplating we see Some great Improver of Philosophy A little farther by that Maple sits Yet harder Student straining of his Wits Studying the Globe the Elements and Plants And casting up what our short Knowledge wants Near these great Heroes of a higher Fate Settle in Solitude Affairs of State Having laid down the Burden of ill Health Now with Delight support the Commonwealth Free from that Throng of Clients and alone Their Time and Health here first can call their own Atlas's of the Land much better bear The burden here than if at Court they were Not far from these but in more gloomy walk Grave Citizens gravely delighted talk Of their own little Commonwealth at home How they to helm of Merchandise may come In all conditions each one to his mind Does here the pleasure he affecteth find The Ladies round the pleasant Country fly As if they had kind of Ubiquity No pleasant place but the gay Troop are there Daily they meet and they meet every where The Musick follows 'em as Angels do They carry Heaven about with 'em too At the appointed place they meet a train Of Glorious Gallants ready on the plain And so well dress'd appear Jewels and they Out-smile the Meadows and vye with the day In graceful postures Men the Ladies meet In solemn dance advance their nimble feet To exact steps with all the grace that can On Earth belong to the Corporeal Man Some Banquet hard by these one on the Lute Plays a choice Tune whilst all admire all mute Some Lady with rare Voice a well-set Song Sings to the Rest and ravishes the Throng A Heave'n on Earth cou'd such small pastime sill Man's mighty mind and cou'd it be so still Nor now dear
told That great Aeneas of the Trojan Race Was come to Carthage Dido did embrace Him as a Husband That they both pretend The Winter all in Luxury to spend So take'n up both with Love the Queen here quite Neglects all Busi'ness he his foreign Right This Fame had spread where-ever Men resort At last she came quite to Iarba's Court Incens'd that King This high-born Prince was Son to mighty Jove And got on ravish'd Garamant his Love Within his Realm he ' a hundred Temples built And so much Blood of slaughter'd Beasts had spilt Daily to the' Earth enriching it it soak'd Daily to Jove his hundred Altars smoak'd He Temples deck'd preserv'd the Sacred Fire And had done all his Father cou'd require Vext at the Rumour which ill Fame had brought And much inrag'd thus he great Jove besought O powe'rful King whilst Mauritanian Lords Are feasting to thy Honour at their Boards Dost thou see this Whilst we adore thee thus Dost thou look down no better upon us Or do we only fansie that you reign Father and fear your Thunderbolts in vain A rambling Woman some ill Fortune toss'd Upon our Shore here at a little Cost She ' has built a City All their Lands to plow I gave I gave 'em too their Laws and now She scorns to marry such a Man as me Her only Lord Aeneas is to be That fond lewd Paris with ' his unmanly Train And butter'd Hair the Lady does obtain Whilst we like Fools make all these Altars flame And idly here adore an empty Name Jupiter saw him and had heard him pray Holding the Altar so much Prayers sway He turn'd towa'rd Carthage casting of his Eye On the fond Lovers call'd for Mercury And thus commands Make haste my Son and goe Call the' Western Wind and slip to those below The Trojan Chief that out of a Respect To Dido all his Fortune does neglect Speak to with speed from me Tell him I see He 's not the Man his Mother promis'd me He was not at Troy's Siege twice sav'd for this To aspire only to a Lover's Bliss She told me He would be a Man might sway The Italian Sceptre and prepare the way To the' Empire of the World He that does spring From Teucer shou'd be born to no less thing But if the Glory of such things as these Cannot prevail to draw him from his Ease Nor Sense of Honour nor Desire of Praise Can make him stir nor 's Thoughts 'bove Carthage raise Though Latium he forget had rather wooe He shou'd not grudge his Son Ausonia too What does he mean With what Hopes can he stay Thus among Foes and never look that way Bids him set Sail that 's all Mercury see You quickly give him this Command from me As soon as Jupiter had spoke he goes And takes his Wings tyes on his Golden Shooes With which he us'd to fly ov'er Sea and Land In all his Rays his Wand too in his Hand With which he does ev'en Hell it self controul Can call up or can send down any Soul Can cause Sleep or can hinder those that lye In too long Pangs with this can help to dye Condense or dissipate the Clouds at ease Call and make use of any Wind he please Away he flies and in his Flight the Top Of Atlas sees and there makes his first stop That Atlas which here holds its Head so high It 's thought to bear the Burden of the Sky This Mountain's clad in blackest Clouds the Rain And fiercest Winds beat its hard Sides in vain Tall Pine-Trees cover ' his Head his Shoulders Snow His Beard 's all Ice from his Chin Rivers flow When bright Cyllenius had made here some stay Down towa'rds the Sea through the' Air he slides away Just as that Bird of Prey which we oft see Low for a Fish near Rocks and Shallows flye Just so a way to Libya through the Winds 'Twixt Heave'n and Earth the swift Cyllenius finds Soon as he came to Carthage there he found Aeneas busie setting out of Ground For Forts and Towers which he meant to build And Town to be with both the Nations fill'd In Tyrian Mantle which the Queen had sent Richly with Gold embroider'd the' Hero went His Sword was set with Jaspers and inlaid With finest Gold to whom Cyllenius said You 're founding here uxorious Man a Town That wo'n't be yours nor will be your Renown Forget mean while your Business and that place That is design'd for you and for your Race The King of Gods that does with Smile or Frown Rule Heave'n and Earth from Heaven sends me down Bids bring you these Commands bids you obey What 's your Design Jove wou'd know why you stay At Libya thus and do n't the Fates obey If Glory cannot to great Actions move You for your own sake at least let the love You bear Iulus not be wholly vain Give your Son leave in Italy to reign From that great Glory which the Gods design You and your Race O hinder not your Line Which when Cyllenius had said he quite Vanished at those Words from mortal sight Aeneas at the Vision senseless struck His Hair stood up his Voice fail'd his Words stuck Now he 'd be gone now the sweet Place wou'd leave Him of vain Love the God's Commands bereave What can he do He dares not tell the Queen Which way cou'd he begin Or with what Meen His Mind divides he thinks now this now that But cannot yet resolve which way nor what At last whilst with these Doubts he had no Rest This Resolution seem'd to him the best He calls Sergestus Cloanth and some more And bids 'em get their Men unto the Shore Provide the Fleet and there be ready all But keep all secret till their Leader call Sometime before the thing cou'd take effect Before the Queen cou'd have cause to suspect To open ' it fairly he 'd try eve'ry way At softest times the softest things wou'd say Mean while the Trojans his Commands obey The Queen perceiving That they meant to go For who alas can cheat a Lover so Suspecting more than she had Causeto fear And fearing eve'ry thing that she cou'd hear Like Woman frantick runs about and falls Into worse Madness than at Bacchanals A Thyas does At last Aeneas hasting to be gone She thus in highest Passion falls upon And cou'd you think perfidious Man to hide So great a Wickedness and wou'd you slide So silently too thus at last from me Is all our Love so out of Memory And sha ' n't that Promise that Right Hand of thine So firmly as I thought once join'd to mine Shall no Remembrance of our dearest Love Nor sha ' n't your dying Dido neither move Can 't all this make you stay till Winter 's gone And but till favourabler Spring come on Cruellest Man though you sought your own Land Though ancient Troy in Splendour yet did stand To ' invite you home yet who through so rough Seas Wou'd venture at Winter