Beneath the circles, all the quire was grac'd
With chaplets green on their fair foreheads plac'd.
Of laurel fome, of woodbine many more;
And wreaths of Agnus caftus others bore;
These last, who with those virgin crowns were dress'd,
Appear'd in higher honour than the rest.
They danc'd around: but in the midst was seen
A lady of a more majestic mien;
By ftature, and by beauty mark'd their fov'reign queen.
She in the midst began with fober grace;
Her fervant's eyes were fix'd upon her face,
And as the mov'd or turn'd, her motions view'd,
Her measures kept and step by step pursu’d.
Methought she trod the ground with greater grace,
With more of godhead shining in her face;
And as in beauty fhe furpafs'd the quire,
So, nobler than the reft, was her attire.
A crown of ruddy gold inclos'd her brow,
Plain without pomp, and rich without a fhow:
A branch of Agnus caftus in her hand
She bore aloft (her fcepter of command ;)
Admir'd, ador'd by all the circling croud,
For wherefoe'er fhe turn'd her face, they bow'd:
And as the danc'd, a roundelaly fhe fung,
In honour of the laurel, ever young:
She rais'd her voice on high, and fung fo clear,
The fawns came fcudding from the groves to hear:
And all the bending foreft lent an ear.
At ev'ry clofe fhe made, th' attending throng
Reply'd, and bore the burden of the fong:
So juft, fo fmall, yet in so sweet a note,
It feem'd the mufic melted in the throat.
Thus dancing on, and finging as they danc'd,
They to the middle of the mead advanc'd,
Till round my arbour a new ring they made,
And footed it about the fecret fhade.
O'erjoy'd to fee the jolly troop fo near,
But somewhat aw'd, I shook with holy fear;
Yet not fo much, but that I noted well
Who did the moft in fong, or dance excel.
Not long I had obferv'd, when from afar
I heard a fudden symphony of war;
The neighing courfers, and the foldiers cry,
And founding trumps that seem'd to tear the sky:
I faw foon after this, behind the grove
From whence the ladies did in order move,
Come iffuing out in arms a warrior train,
That like a deluge pour'd upon the plain :
On barbed steeds they rode in proud array,
Thick as the college of the bees in May,
When fwarming o'er the dufky fields they fly,
New to the flow'rs, and intercept the sky.
So fierce they drove, their courfers were so fleet,
That the turf trembled underneath their feet.
To tell their coftly furniture were long,
The fummer's day wou'd end before the fong:
To purchase but the tenth of all their store,
Would make the mighty Persian monarch poor.
Yet what I can, I will; before the reft
The trumpets iffu'd in white mantles drefs'd:
A numerous troop, and all their heads around
With chaplets green of cerrial-oak were crown'd,
And at each trumpet was a banner bound;
Which waving in the wind display'd at large
Their master's coat of arms, and knightly charge.
Broad were the banners, and of fnowy hue,
Α purer web the filk-worm never drew.
'The chief about their necks the fcutcheons wore,
With orient pearls and jewels pow'der'd o'er:
Broad were their collars too, and every one
Was fet about with many a costly stone.
Next these of kings at arms a goodly train
In proud array came prancing o'er the plain:
Their cloaks were cloth of filver mix'd with gold,
And garlands green around their temples roll'd:
Rich crowns were on their royal fcutcheons plac'd,
With fapphires, diamonds, and with rubies grac'd:
And as the trumpets their appearance made,
So these in habits were alike array'd;
But with a pace more fober, and more flow;
And twenty, rank in rank, they rode a row.
The purfuivants came next, in number more;
And like the heralds each his scutcheon bore:
Clad in white velvet all their troop they led,
With each an oaken chaplet on his head.
Nine royal knights in equal rank fucceed,
Each warrior mounted on a fiery steed:
In golden armour glorious to behold;
The rivets of their arms were nail'd with gold.
Their furcoats of white ermin fur were made;
With cloth of gold between, that caft a glitt'ring fhade,
The trappings of their steeds were of the fame;
The golden fringe ev'n fet the ground on flame,
And drew a precious trail: a crown divine
Of laurel did about their temples twine.
Three henchmen were for ev'ry knight affign'd,
All in rich livery clad, and of a kind;
White velvet, but unfhorn, for cloaks they wore,
And each within his hand a truncheon bore:
The foremost held a helm of rare device;
A prince's ransom would not pay the price..
-The fecond bore the buckler of his knight,
The third of cornel-wood a fpear upright,
Headed with piercing fteel, and polish'd bright.
Like to their lords their equipage was feen,
And all their foreheads crown'd with garlands green.
And after these came arm'd with fpear and fhield
An hoft fo great, as cover'd all the field:
And all their foreheads, like the knights before,
With laurels ever-green were shaded o'er,
Or oak, or other leaves of lafting kind,
Tenacious of the ftem, and firm against the wind.
Some in their hands, befide the lance and fhield,
The boughs of woodbine or of hawthorn held,
Or branches for their myftic emblems took,
Of palm, of laurel, or of Cerrial oak.
Thus marching to the trumpet's lofty found,
Drawn in two lines adverse they wheel'd around,
And in the middle meadow took their ground.
Among themselves the turney they divide,
In equal fquadrons rang'd on either fide.
Then turn'd their horfes heads, and man to man,
And steed to fteed oppos'd, the justs began.
They lightly fet their lances in the reft,
And, at the fign, against each other prefs'd:
They met. I fitting at my ease beheld
The mix'd events, and fortunes of the field.
Some broke their fpears, fome tumbled horfe and man,
And round the field the lighten'd courfers ran.
An hour and more, like tides, in equal fway
They rush'd, and won by turns, and loft the day:
At length the nine (who ftill together held)
Their fainting foes to shameful fight compell'd,
And with refiftlefs force o'er-ran the field.
Thus, to their fame, when finish'd was the fight,
The victors from their lofty fteeds alight:
Like them difmounted all the warlike train,
And two by two proceeded o'er the plain:
Till to the fair affembly they advanc'd,
Who near the fecret arbour sung and danc'd.
The ladies left their measures at the fight,
To meet the chiefs returning from the fight,
And each with open arms embrac'd her chofen knight.
Amid the plain a fpreading laurel ftood,
The grace and ornament of all the wood:
That pleafing fhade they fought, a foft retreat
From fudden April fhowers, a fhelter from the heat:
Her leafy arms with fuch extent were spread,
So near the clouds was her aspiring head,
That hofts of birds, that wing the liquid air,
Perch'd in the boughs, had nightly lodging there :
And flocks of fheep beneath the shade from far
Might hear the rattling hail, and wintry war;
From Heav'n's inclemency here found retreat,
Enjoy'd the cool, and fhunn'd the scorching heat:
A hundred knights might there at ease abide;
And ev'ry knight a lady by his fide:
The trunk itself fuch odours did bequeath,
That a Moluccan breeze to these was common breath. The lords and ladies here, approaching, paid Their homage, with a low obeisance made; And feem'd to venerate the facred fhade. Thefe rites perform'd, their pleasures they pursue, With fong of love, and mix with pleasures new; Around the holy tree their dance they frame, And ev'ry champion leads his chofen dame. I caft my fight upon the farther field, And a fresh object of delight beheld: For from the region of the Weft I heard New mufic found, and a new troop appear'd ; Of knights, and ladies mix'd a jolly band, But all on foot they march'd, and hand in hand The ladies drefs'd in rich fymars were seen Of Florence fattin, flower'd with white and green, And for a fhade betwixt the bloomy gridelin. The borders of their petticoats below Were guarded thick with rubies on a row; And ev'ry damfel wore upon her head Of flow'rs a garland blended white and red. Attir'd in mantles all the knights were seen, That gratify'd the view with chearful green: Their chaplets of their ladies colours were, Compos'd of white and red, to shade their shining hair.
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