At this strange sight Jocundo chang'd his cheer, 280 No more his cheeks receive the falling tear;

Joy lights his eyes, the clouds of grief are o'er,
And what his name imports, he looks once more;
Ilis manly front resumes its wonted grace,
And angel beauty brightens in his face.

The king, his brother, all the court confess
The wondrous turn; but none the cause can guess.
If from the youth the monarch long'd to know
What sudden comfort had assuag'd his woe,
Not less the youth the secret wish'd to tell,
And to the king his injuries reveal;
Yet will'd he should for such atrocious fact,
Like him no vengeance from his wife exact:
Then by a sacred vow the prince he ty'd,
Whate'er his ear receiv'd, or eye descry'd,
Though the dire truth depriv'd his soul of rest,
Though in th' offence fell treason stood confess'd,
That, soon or late, he never would engage

285

290

295

The guilt to punish, but restrain his rage,

300

Nor let a single word or deed evince

The crime detected by an injur'd prince.

The king, who little dreamt his wrongs sustain'd, By solemn plighted vow himself restrain'd. Jocundo then began the cause to show,

Whence sickness, sprung from soul-consuming woe, 305

Prey'd on his health; and how his wife, debas'd

To sordid lust, had with his slave disgrac'd

Ver. 283. And what his name imports,--] The word Giocundo in the Italian, signifies cheerful, jocund.

Her husband's bed; how, near his death, he found

An unexpected salve to close the wound.

And know, O monarch! to my secret grief

310

Thy palace has supply'd the strange relief;

For while I mourn'd my fortune, chance disclos'd

A mightier far to equal fate expos'd.

IIe said, and to the place the monarch drew,

That gave his hideous rival to his view,

315

Whose charms had taught his faithful wife to yield,

And now was ploughing in another's field.

There needs not here an oath t' enforce belief,

320

If stiffen'd at the sight with rage and grief
The monarch stood, while scarcely he repress'd
The mingled passions struggling in his breast:
As one distraught of every sense he far'd,
With open lips for issuing words prepar❜d:
But soon, remembrance of his vow repell'd
The rising tempest that within rebell'd.

Then to Jocundo--Say, what course remains?
Direct me, brother, since thy will restrains
My just resentment, and forbids this hand

To take the just revenge my wrongs demand.
Faith, (said Jocundo) let us these forsake,
And prove if others more resistance make;
With every art assail the wedded fair,

And plant on other's brows the fruits we bear.
What woman shall our form and rank disdain
When such base paramours can grace
obtain ?
Grant that sometimes our youth and beauty fail,
The power of riches ever shall prevail :

Nor let us here return, till female similes,

Won from a thousand, crown our amorous toils.

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330

335

Long absence, while in foreign lands we roam,
To prove that virtue, to our cost at home
So fully prov'd, may sovereign balm impart
To sooth the anguish of an Injur❜d heart.

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345

350

355

The king assents, and for th' intended way With speed prepares, impatient of delay. Through fruitful Italy their course they bend, Two pages only on their steps attend. And now they left the soft Italian land, To visit Flanders, France, and Albion's strand. Free to their love they found each melting fair, And found the loveliest oft the kindest were: And while on some they costly gifts bestow'd, To other's bounty equal gifts they ow'd. With siege of warm entreaty some they won, And others pray'd themselves to be undone. Here one short month, there two the lovers made Their amorous stay, and every proof essay'd, While, like the virtuous wives, each female ty'd In nuptial fetters, with their suit comply'd. At length both tir'd, where both alike pursue Increasing dangers with adventures new, Conscious what mischiefs oft on those await Who knock too frequent at their neighbour's gate; Now deem'd it best to seek some generous fair, Whose charms, by turns, might either's passion share, For each had try'd, and try'd in vain, to prove,

360

366

A female constant to his single love.

Since still some other must partake my bed,

The place be yours, my friend (the monarch said).

Of all the sex this certain truth is known,

370

No woman yet was ere content with one.

VOL. IV.

F

Then let us with some gentle friend enjoy
A bliss, unmix'd with jealousy's alloy;
So shall our moments roll in sportive ease,
Nor shall our love disturb another's peace.
What better fortune can a woman claim
Than two such husbands to return her flame?
And while to one no wife will constant prove,
Yet surely two must gratify her love.

Thus spoke Astolpho; and the Roman youth
Approv'd what then he deem'd the voice of truth.
At length the Spaniard's ample realm they gain'd,
Where what they sought, Valenza's seats contain'd;
A daughter of their host, of low degree,
Of manners mild, of features fair to see;

On her they fix'd---for on her blooming face
The spring of youth diffus'd its earliest grace.
With her the sire a numerous offspring rear'd;
And thoughts of pining poverty he fear'd:
He saw his means small portion could provide,
And few, he knew, would take a dowerless bride:
Hence, to their wish, he yields without delay
His daughter's charms, the solace of their way,
And on their love and plighted faith relies,
To treat with tender care their gentle prize,
They take the damsel, and in friendship prove
The amorous warfare of alternate love.
The Spanish region thence they travers'd o'er,
And pass'd the realms of Syphax to explore.

375

380

385

390

395

Ver. 399. The realms of Syphar] By the realms of Syphax the poet means part of the kingdom of Africa.

At noon they from Valenza took their way;
Zattiva clos'd the labours of the day.

The strangers here, as strangers ever do,
Proceed the wonders of the place to view :
Where many a costly dome demands their praise,
And reverend fanes their admiration raise.
Meantime the damsel sees, from room to room,
All ready for her lords' returning home:

Some spread the couch, some tend and feed with care
The weary'd steeds, and some the meal prepare.

It chanc'd, that busy'd thus the fair one spy'd
A youth, who oft had slumber'd by her side
In happier days, when with her father plac'd,'
He liv'd a menial by her bounty grac'd.

Each other well they knew, but fear'd to speak,

400

405

410

Lest squint suspicion on their words should break. 415
But, all the rest retir'd, the lovers meet,

And, from discovery safe, each other greet.

The youth demands her whither she was bound,

And which, of either lord, her favour found?
Flammetta own'd the truth, for such the name
The damsel bore; from Greece her lover came.
Ah, me! (he cry'd) when Fortune seem'd to give
The long'd-for day with thee in joy to live,
My dear Flammetta seeks a foreign shore,
And wretched I must ne'er behold her more.

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425

Thou go'st--and others have thy charms possess'd,
Sweet love is turn'd to poison in my breast:
In vain I hop'd, while still I strove to save
My pittance, earn'd by what each stranger gave,
With thee my slender fortune to divide,

430

And from thy father's hand receive my beauteous bride.