LXVI.

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 soft firen land of Pleasaunce vain,
With timely hafte was minded to retire,
'Or ere the sweet contagion mote attain

His fon's unpractis'd heart, yet free from vicious stain.
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 last;

Whose high-rais'd brows with filvan honours graced, Majestically frown'd upon the plain,

And over all an aweful horror cast.

Seem'd as those villas gay it did disdain,

Which spangled all the vale like Flora's painted train. LXVIII.

The hill afcended strait, ere-while they came

To a tall grove, whose thick-embow'ring fhade,
Impervious to the fun's meridian flame

Ev'n at mid-noon a dubious twilight made;

Or ere, before.

Like

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 some cloister'd abby faintly gleams,

Abstracting the rapt thought from vain earth-mufing

LXIX.

Beneath this high o'er-arching canopy
Of cluft'ring oaks, a filvan colonnade,
Aye lift'ning to the native melody

[themes.

Of birds sweet-echoing through the lonely fhade,
On to the centre of the grove they stray'd;

Which, in a spacious circle opening round,
Within its shelt❜ring arms fecurely laid,

Disclos'd to fudden view a vale profound,

With Nature's artlefs fmiles 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, befide 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 exprest,

d

Now glowing with difdain, with grief now over-keft. LXXI. Her

•Over-keft, for over-caft.

LXXI.

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 vassal true,
Train'd in her love, and practiced evermore
Her honour to refpect, and reverence her lore.
LXXII.

O deareft 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 pensive woe By these fair flattering words, fhe rais'd her head; And bending on the KNIGHT her frowning brow, Mock'st thou my forrows, Fairy's Son? the faid. Sith, fince.

Or

Or is thy judgment by thy heart misled

To deem that certain, which thy hopes fuggeft?
To deem them full of life and lustihead,

Whose cheeks in Hebe's vivid tints are dreft,

And with Joy's careless mien, and dimpled smiles impreft? LXXIV.

Thy unfufpecting heart how nobly good

I know, how fanguine in thy country's cause !
And mark'd thy virtue, fingly 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 sweet 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-fpread the land.
And can't thou then, O Fairy's Son, demand
The reason 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?
LXXVI. Peace,

Luftihead, ftrong health, vigour.

LXXVI.

Peace, Wealth, and Liberty, that noblest boon,
Are bleffings only to the wife and good.

To weak and vicious minds their worth unknown,
And thence abused but serve to furnish food

For riot and debauch, and fire the blood

With high-spiced luxury; whence ftrife, debate,
Ambition, envy, Faction's vip'rous brood,
Contempt of order, manners profligate;

The symptoms of a foul, difeafed and bloated state.
LXXVII.

Ev'n Wit and Genius, with their learned train
Of Arts and Muses, though from heav'n above
Descended, when their talents they prophane

To varnish folly, kindle wanton love,
And aid excentric fceptic Pride to rove
Beyond cæleftial Truth's attractive sphere,
This moral fyftem's central fun, aye prove
To their fond votaries a curse severe,
And only make mankind more obftinately err.
LXXVIII.

And stand my fons herein from cenfure clear?
Have They confider'd well, and understood
The use and import of those blessings dear,
Which the great Lord of Nature hath bestow'd
VOL. IV.

D

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