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High on his pointed lance his pennon bore
His Cretan fight, the conquer'd Minotaure :
The foldiers fhout around with gen'rous rage,
And in that victory their own prefage.
He prais'd their ardor: inly pleas'd to fee
His hoft the flow'r of Grecian chivalry.
All day he march'd; and all th' enfuing night;
And faw the city with returning light.
The process of the war I need not tell,

How Thefeus conquer'd, and how Creon fell:
Or after, how by ftorm the walls were won,
Or how the victor fack'd and burn'd the town:
How to the ladies he reftor'd again

The bodies of their lords in battle flain :
And with what ancient rites they were interr'd;
All these to fitter times fhall be deferr'd:
I fpare the widows tears, their woful cries,
And howling at their husband's obfequies;
How Thefeus at these fun'rals did affift,

And with what gifts the mourning dames dismiss'd.
Thus when the victor chief had Creon flain,
And conquer'd Thebes, he pitched upon the plain
His mighty camp, and, when the day return'd,
The country wafted, and the hamlets burn'd,
And left the pillagers, to rapine bred,
Without controul to ftrip and spoil the dead.
There, in a heap of flain among the reft

Two youthful knights they found beneath a load opprefs'd
Of flaughter'd foes, whom firft to death they fent
The trophies of their ftrength, a bloody monument.
Both fair, and both of royal blood they feem'd,
Whom kinsmen to the crown the heralds deem'd;
That day in equal arms they fought for fame;
Their fwords, their shields, their furcoats were the fame.
Close by each other laid they prefs'd the ground,
Their manly bofoms pierc'd with many a griefly wound;

Nor

Nor well alive, nor wholly dead they were,
But fome faint figns of feeble life appear:
The wandring breath was on the wing to part,
Weak was the pulse, and hardly heav'd the heart.
These two were fifter's fons; and Arcite one,
Much fam'd in fields, with valiant Palamon.
From these their coftly arms the fpoilers rent,
And foftly both convey'd to Thefeus' tent :
Whom known of Creon's line, and cur'd with care,
He to his city fent as pris'ners of the war,
Hopeless of ranfom, and condemn'd to lie
In durance, doom'd a lingring death to die.
This done, he march'd away with warlike found,
And to his Athens turn'd with laurels crown'd,
Where happy long he liv'd, much lov'd, and more
renown'd.

But in a tow'r, and never to be loos'd,

The woeful captive kinsmen are inclos'd :

Thus year by year they pafs, and day by day,
Till once, 'twas on the morn of chearful May,
The young Emilia fairer to be seen
Than the fair lily on the flowry green,
More fresh than May herself in bloffoms new,
For with the rofy color ftrove her hue,
Wak'd, as her cuftom was, before the day,
To do th' obfervance due to sprightly May:
For fprightly May commands our youth to keep
The vigils of her night, and breaks their fluggard sleep;
Each gentle breaft with kindly warmth fhe moves;
Infpires new flames, revives extinguifh'd loves.
In this remembrance Emily ere day

Arofe, and dress'd herself in rich array;
Fresh as the month, and as the morning fair:
Adown her fhoulders fell her length of hair :
A ribband did the braided treffes bind,
The reft was loofe, and wanton'd in the wind:

Aurora

Aurora had but newly chas'd the night,
And purpled o'er the sky with blushing light,
When to the garden walk fhe took her way,
To sport and trip along in cool of day,
And offer maiden vows in honor of the May.
At ev'ry turn, she made a little ftand,
And thrust among the thorns her lily hand
To draw the rose, and ev'ry rose fhe drew
She shook the stalk, and brush'd away the dew:
Then party-color'd flow'rs of white and red
She wove, to make a garland for her head:
This done, she sung and caroll'd out so clear,
That men and angels might rejoice to hear:
Ev'n wond'ring Philomel forgot to fing;
And learn'd from her to welcome in the fpring.
The tow'r, of which before was mention made,
Within whofe keep the captive knights were laid,
Built of a large extent, and ftrong withal,
Was one partition of the palace wall:
The garden was inclos'd within the square,
Where young Emilia took the morning-air.

It happen'd Palamon the pris'ner knight,
Restless for woe, arofe before the light,
And with his jailor's leave defir'd to breathe
An air more wholfome than the damps beneath.
This granted, to the tower he took his way,
Chear'd with the promife of a glorious day:
Then caft a languishing regard around,

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And faw with hateful eyes the temples crown'd
With golden fpires, and all the hoftile ground.
He figh'd, and turn'd his eyes, because he knew
'Twas but a larger jail he had in view:
Then look'd below, and from the caftle's height
Beheld a nearer and more pleasing fight:
The garden, which before he had not seen,
In fpring's new livery clad of white and green,
Fresh flow'rs in wide parterres, and fhady walks between.

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This view'd, but not enjoy'd, with arms acrofa
He flood, reflecting on his country's lofs;
Himself an object of the public fcorn,
And often wifh'd he never had been born.
At laft, for fo his destiny requir'd,

With walking giddy, and with thinking tir'd,
He thro' a little window caft his fight,

Tho' thick of bars, that gave a fcanty light:
But ev'n that glimmering ferv'd him to descry
Th' inevitable charms of Emily.

Scarce had he feen, but feiz'd with fudden fmart,
Stung to the quick, he felt it at his heart;
Struck blind with over-pow'ring light he stood,
Then started back amaz'd, and cry'd aloud.

Young Arcite heard; and up he ran with hafte,
To help his friend, and in his arms embrac'd;
And afk'd him why he look'd fo deadly wan,
And whence and how his change of cheer began?
Or who had done th' offence? But if, faid he,
Your grief alone is hard captivity;

For love of heav'n with patience undergo
A cureless ill, fince fate will have it fo:
So ftood our horofcope in chains to lie,
And Saturn in the dungeon of the sky,
Or other baleful aspect, rul'd our birth,

When all the friendly ftars were under earth :

Whate'er betides, by deftiny 'tis done;

And better bear like men, than vainly feek to fhun Nor of my bonds, faid Palamon again,

Nor of unhappy planets I complain;

But when my mortal anguish caus'd my cry,

That moment I was hurt through either

eye;

Pierc'd with a random fhaft, I faint away,

And perish with infenfible decay:

A glance of fome new goddess gave the wound,
Whom, like Acteon, unaware I found.

Look

Look how the walks along yon fhady space,
Not Juno moves with more majestic grace;
And all the Cyprian queen is in her face.
If thou art Venus, for thy charms confess
That face was form'd in heav'n, nor art thou lefs;
Difguis'd in habit, undifguis'd in shape,

O help us captives from our chains to 'scape;
But if our doom be paft in bonds to lie
For life, and in a loathfome dungeon die,
Then be thy wrath appeas'd with our difgrace,
And fhew compaffion to the Theban race,
Opprefs'd by tyrant power! While yet he spoke,
Arcite on Emily had fix'd his look;

The fatal dart a ready paffage found,
And deep within his heart infix'd the wound:
So that if Palamon were wounded fore,
Arcite was hurt as much as he, or more:
Then from his inmoft foul he figh'd, and faid,
The beauty I behold has ftruck me dead :
Unknowingly the ftrikes; and kills by chance;
Poifon is in her eyes, and death in ev'ry glance.
✪, I must ask; nor ask alone, but move

Her mind to mercy, or muft die for love.

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Thus Arcite and thus Palamon replies,
(Eager his tone, and ardent were his eyes.)
Speak'st thou in earnest, or in jefting vein?
Jefting, faid Arcite, fuits but ill with pain.
It fuits far worse, (faid Palamon again,

And bent his brows) with men who honor weigh,
Their faith to break, their friendship to betray;
But worst with thee, of noble lineage born,
My kinfman, and in arms my brother fworn.
Have we not plighted each our holy oath,
That one should be the common good of both;
One foul should both infpire, and neither prove
His fellow's hindrance in purfuit of love?
VOL. III.

C

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