Blush, modern youths, whofe pulfes quickly move, Fondly you glote upon the witching fair

Yet, when a sweet enjoyment once you prove,

You leave the nymph intangled in the snare,

Her tears flow trickling down, her fingults pierce the air.

III.

Oh think of transports which ye whilom tafted,

And let the glad remembrance charm
your mind,
Be not the fruits of joyment quickly wafted,
And to your heart her happy image bind :
Think what fhe merits who whilear was kind,
Nor by inconftancy her peace destroy;
Inconftancy, that monster fell and blind:
That vainly fond of every paffing toy,

Treads down its late delight, and poifons rapt'rous joy.

IV.

Return we now unto our gentle youth,

Whofe little bark daunc'd lightly on the main,

His breaft divided atween joy and ruth;

Now gay ideas wanton in his brain,
Now woe-begon his heart is rent in twain,
On his fuccefs depends his Columbel;
And now he hopes, and now defponds again;

The varicus turns of mind, when thoughts rebel,
Sure pen mote ne'er defcribe, and none but lovers tell
V. Methinks

V.

Methinks I see him on the beechy ftrond,

Where Neptune's waves affrap the sturdy pier;
His hardy steed neighs at the fight of lond,
In all adventures a most faithful feer;
And through that city he doth quickly steer,
Which Ethelbert to holy Austin gave:
The kings of Kent did erst inhabit here,

Here haughty Becket funk into the

grave,

Here thro' the smiling meads, Stoure rolls his dimpling

VI.

Long travell'd he, ne ventur'd to affay

[wave.

The nymphs he met, for much he was affray'd
To bribes or pray'rs few women would cry nay;
At flatt'ry's tongue full oft will virtue fade;
What shall he do? to win his lovely maid
He must three hundred virtuous females find,
Perdie, quoth he, my fortune be effay'd,
I'll boldly try the strength of womankind:

For craven heart, they fay, ne'er won fair lady's mind.
VII.

So on he prick'd, and from a rifing ground
Difcern'd before him, in a diftant vale,

A caftle fair and auncient oaks around

Did to the breeze their lofty heads avail;

A filver ftream refresh'd the fragrant dale;
Their ledden loud fat oxen did repeat,

And nibbling sheep display'd their fleeces pale,
The woodbine fhed an odor matchless sweet,

And to their patient dams the frisking lambkins bleat.
VIII.

To that fame castle our advent'rer yode,

The merry birds him welcom❜d on the way,
An hundred flow'rs aumail'd the winding road,
And all was bright, and all was paffing gay,
You would have fworn it was the month of May.
Withouten drad he thunders at the gate,

Who wons within, or giant, knight or fay,

Shall ne'er, in footh, our imp of fame amate: Unto the fummons loud the portal opens ftreit. IX.

And forth there iffued the fenefchal,

Of middle age he was, if right I ween, He was in perfonage both plump and tall, Ne feemed he to tafte of dol❜rous teen, Ne wrinkle deep was on his forehead seen, But jovifaunce fat basking on his brow, At every word he spoke, he fmil'd at-ween, His temples were ycrown'd with myrtle bough, And virelays he fong with matchlefs grace, I vow. X. "Who

X.

"Whoe'er thou art, thrice welcome to these plains, "Where bitter dole ne'er shows her hateful head,

Good-fellowship wons here, and free from pains "Both youth and eld the paths of pleasure tread; "Catch flying bliss, ne be by ought forefaid; "Think that this life is but a little span; "Then laugh, and fport, and fhun all dreryhed,

Thy rolling days in present pleasures plan,

"Come, fpend thy hours in joy, thou fon of mortal

"Know'st thou my name! I am l'Allegro hight,.

"Let me conduct thee to our jovial hall,
"Where Bon-vivant in revels spends the night,
"Who bids a hearty welcome unto all,

"Or wear he red cross-ftoles, or paynim pall."
With that he lad him with a courtly air
Into a chamber deck'd for feaft and ball;

And though no tedes or tapers glimmer'd there,
Yet all within was bright, as all without was fair.
XII.

As at the close of an hot fummer's day,
When Phoebus in the weft deserts the sky,
Bright streams of light along the æther play,
And though his fi'ry orb forfake our eye,

The

The beamy gushes gild each object nigh;

The painted meads are ting'd with golden light,
And rivers roll their glitt'ring waters by;

So in this house of joy with ease you might

Perceive celestial rays, that cherish'd human fight.
XIII.

The Squire of Dames his jolly hoft falew'd, And Bon-vivant his hond in friendship press'd; "Come, fit thee down, and taste our choiceft food; "We entertake, quoth he, no vulgar guest. "Enur'd to toil, come tafte the sweets of reft, "Doff thy hard arms, this famite garment wear, "This better far than mail fhall bind thy breast, "This coronal fhall deck thy auburn hair; "Push the brifk goblet round, and drown intruding care. XIV.

"For us the lark attunes his morning fong, "For us the fpring depeints her every flower, "To footh our sleep yon fountain purls along, "And oaks to fhade us, twine into a bow'r, "The penfive bard fits many a watchful hour, "In ditty fweet, to carol forth our praise : "While valour fpends his days in dole and ftour, "We, wifer we, undying trophies raise

"To ever-blooming blifs, ne reek what wifdom fays. XV. "With

I