Saluting the return of morning bright
With matin-revels, by the mid-day hours
Scarce ended; and again with dewy night,
In cover'd theatres, or leafy bow'rs
Offering her evening-vows to Pleafure's joyous pow'rs.
LXIV.
And ever on the way mote he espy
Men, women, children, a promiscuous throng
Of rich, poor, wife and fimple, low and high,
By land, by water, paffing aye along
With mummers, anticks, musick, dance and fong,
To Pleasure's numerous temples, that befide
The glistening streams, or tufted groves among,
To every idle foot stood open wide,
And every gay defire with various joys fupplied.
For there each heart with diverse charms to move,
The fly inchantrefs fummoned all her train :
Alluring Venus, queen of vagrant love,
The boon companion Bacchus loud and vain,
And tricking Hermes, god of fraudful gain,
Who, when blind Fortune throws, directs the die,
And Phoebus tuning his foft Lydian strain
To wanton motions, and the lover's figh,
And thought-beguiling fhew, and masking revelry.
Unmeet affociates there for noble youth,
Who to true honour meaneth to aspire ;
And for the works of virtue, faith, and truth
Would keep his manly faculties entire.
The which avizing well, the cautious fire
From that foft firen-land of Pleafaunce vain
With timely hafte was minded to retire,
* Or ere the sweet contagion mote attain His fon's unpractic'd heart, yet free from vicious ftain. LXVII.
So turning from that beaten road afide,
Through many a devious path at length he paced,
As that experienc'd Palmer did him guide,
"Till to a mountain hoare they come at laft; Whose high-rais'd brows with filvan honours graced, Majestically frown'd upon the plain,
And over all an aweful horrour caft.
Seem'd as those villas gay it did difdain,
Which spangled all the vale like Flora's painted train.
The hill ascending ftrait, ere-while they came
To a tall grove, whofe thick embow'ring fhade,
Impervious to the fun's meridian flame
Ev'n at mid-noon a dubious twilight made;
Like to that fober light, which difarray'd
Of all its gorgeous robe, with blunted beams,
Through windows dim with holy acts pourtray'd,
Along fome cloister'd abby faintly gleams,
Abstracting the rapt thought from vain earth-mufing themes.
LXIX.
Beneath this high o'er-arching canopy
Of cluft'ring oaks, a filvan colonnade,
Aye lift'ning to the native melody
Of birds sweet-ecchoing through the lonely shade,
On to the centre of the grove they stray'd;
Which, in a spacious circle opening round,
Within it's fhelt'ring arms fecurely laid,
Disclos'd to fudden view a vale profound,
With Nature's artless smiles and tranquil beauties crown'd.
LXX.
There, on the basis of an ancient pile,
Whose cross furmounted fpire o'erlook'd the wood,
A venerable MATRON they ere-while
Discover'd have, beside a murm'ring flood
Reclining in right fad and penfive mood.
Retir'd within her own abstracted breast,
She feem'd o'er various woes by turns to brood;
The which her changing chear by turns expreft,
Now glowing with disdain, with grief now * over-kest.
LXXI. Her
Her thus immers'd in anxious thought profound
When-as the Knight perceiv'd, he nearer drew
To weet what bitter bale did her astound,
And whence th' occafion of her anguish grew.
For that right noble MATRON well he knew;
And many perils huge, and labours fore
Had for her fake endured; her vaffal true,
Train'd in her love, and practiced evermore
Her honour to respect, and reverence her lore.
LXXII.
O dearest drad! he cried, fair island queen!
Mother of heroes! empress of the main !
What means that stormy brow of troublous teen?
* Sith heav'n-born Peace, with all her smiling train
Of sciences and arts, adorns thy reign
With wealth and knowledge, fplendour and renown? Each port how throng'd! how fruitful every plain! How blithe the country! and how gay the town! While Liberty secures and heightens every boon! LXXIII.
Awaken'd from her trance of penfive woe
By these fair flattering words, fhe rais'd her head;
And bending on the KNIGHT her frowning brow,
Mock'ft thou my forrows, Fairy's Son? the faid.
Or is thy judgment by thy heart misled
To deem that certain, which thy hopes fuggeft?
To deem them full of life and + luftihead,
Whose cheeks in Hebe's vivid tints are dreft,
And with Joy's careless mien, and dimpled fmiles imprest? LXXIV.
Thy unfufpecting heart how nobly good
I know, how fanguine in thy country's cause!
And mark'd thy virtue, fingle how it stood
Th' affaults of mighty CUSTOм, which o'er-awes
The faint and timorous mind, and oft withdraws
From Reafon's lore th' ambitious and the vain,
By the fweet lure of popular applause,
Against their better knowledge, to maintain
The lawless throne of Vice, or Folly's childish reign.
LXXV.
How vaft his influence! how wide his sway!
Thy felf ere-while by proof didft understand:
And faw'ft, as through his realms thou took'ft thy way,
How Vice and Folly had o'er-spread the land.
And canft thou then, O Fairy's Son, demand
The reafon of my woe? or hope to ease
The throbbings of my heart with speeches bland,
And words more apt my forrows to increase,
The once-dear names of Wealth, and Liberty, and Peace?
+ Luftibead, ftrong health, vigour.
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