Frequent the forefts, thy chafte will obey,
And only make the beafts of chase my prey!
The flames afcend on either altar clear,

While thus the blameless maid addrefs'd her pray'r.
When lo! the burning fire that fhone fo bright,
Flew off all fudden, with extinguifh'd light,
And left one altar dark, a little space;

Which turn'd self-kindled, and renew'd the blaze;
The other victor-flame a moment food,

Then fell, and lifelefs left th' extinguish'd wood;
For ever loft, th' irrevocable light

Forfook the blackning coals, and funk to night:
At either end it whistled as it flew,

And as the brands were green, fo dropp'd the dew;
Infected as it fell with fweat of fanguine hue.
The maid from that ill omen turn'd her eyes,
And with loud fhrieks and clamours rent the skies,
Nor knew 'what fignify'd the boding fign,

}

But found the pow'rs difpleas'd, and fear'd the wrath divine.

Then shook the facred shrine, and fudden light Sprung thro' the vaulted roof, and made the temple bright. The pow'r, behold! the pow'r in glory fhone, By her bent bow, and her keen arrows known; The reft, a huntrefs iffuing from the wood, Reclining on her cornel fpear fhe flood. Then gracious thus began: Difmifs thy fear, And Heav'n's unchang'd decrees attentive hear: More pow'rful Gods have torn thee from my fide, Unwilling to refign, and doom'd a bride: The two contending knights are weigh'd above; One Mars protects, and one the Queen of love: But which the man, is in the Thund'rer's breaft; This he pronounc'd, 'tis he who loves thee beft. The fire that once extinct reviv'd again, Forefhews the love allotted to remain :

E 3

Farewel!

Farewel! fhe faid, and vanifh'd from the place;
The fheaf of arrows fhook, and rattled in the case.
Aghaft at this, the royal virgin ftood,

Disclaim'd, and now no more a nifter of the wood:
But to the parting Goddefs thus fhe pray'd;
Propitious ftill be prefent to my aid,

Nor quite abandon your once favour'd maid.
Then fighing fhe return'd; but fmil'd betwixt,
With hopes and fears and joys with forrows mixt.
The next returning planetary hour

Of Mars, who fhar'd the heptarchy of pow'r,
His fteps bold Arcite to the temple bent,
T'adore with pagan rites the pow'r armipotent :.
Then proftrate, low before his altar lay,

And rais'd his manly voice, and thus began to pray,
Strong God of Arms, whofe iron scepter sways
The freezing North, and Hyperborean feas,
And Scythian colds, and Thracia's winter coaft,
Where ftand thy fteeds, and thou art honour'd most :
There moft; but ev'ry where thy pow'r is known,
The fortune of the fight is all thy own:
Terror is thine, and wild amazement, flung
From out thy chariot, withers ev'n the ftrong:
And difarray and shameful rout enfue,
And force is added to the fainting crew.
Acknowledg'd as thou art, accept my pray'r,
If ought I have atchiev'd deserve thy care:
If to my utmoft pow'r with sword and shield
I dar'd the death, unknowing how to yield,
And falling in my rank, ftill kept the field :
Then let my arms prevail, by thee fustain'd,
That Emily by conqueft may be gain'd.
Have pity on my pains; nor those unknown
To Mars, which, when a lover, were his own,
Venus, the public care of all above,
Thy stubborn heart has foften'd into love; .

}

}

Now

Now by her blandishments and powerful charms,
When yielded the lay curling in thy arms,
Ev'n by thy fhame, if fhame it may be call'd,
When Vulcan had thee in his net inthrall'd;
O envy'd ignominy, sweet difgrace,

When ev'ry God that faw thee with'd thy place!
By thofe dear pleasures, aid my arms in fight,
And make me conquer in my patron's right;
For I am young, a novice in the trade,
The fool of love, unpractis'd to perfuade :
And want the foothing arts that catch the fair,
But, caught myself, lie ftruggling in the fnare:
And the I love, or laughs at all my pain,

Or knows her worth too well; and pays me with disdain.
For fure I am, unless I win in arms,

To ftand excluded from Emilia's charms:
Nor can my ftrength avail, unless by thee
Endu'd with force, I gain the victory;
Then for the fire which warm'd thy gen'rous heart,
Pity thy fubject's pains, and equal fmart.
So be the morrow's fweat and labour mine,
The palm and honour of the conqueft thine:
Then shall the war, and ftern debate, and strife
Immortal, be the bus'nefs of my life;

And in thy fane, the duty spoils among,

High on the burnish'd roof, my banner fhall be hung:
Rank'd with my champion's bucklers, and below,
With arms revers'd, th' atchievements of my foe:
And while thefe limbs the vital fpirit feeds,
While day to night, and night to day fucceeds,
Thy fmoking altar fhall be fat with food

Of incenfe, and the grateful fteam of blood;
Burrt-off'rings morn and ev'ning shall be thine;
And fires eternal in thy temple fhine.

The bush of yellow beard, this length of hair,
Which from my birth inviolate I bear,

Guiltless of fteel, and from the razor free,
Shall fall a plenteous crop, referv'd for thee,
So may my arms with victory be blest,

I ask no more; let fate dispose the rest.

The champion ceas'd; there follow'd in the clofe A hollow groan: a murm'ring wind arose;

The rings of iron, that on the doors were hung,
Sent out a jarring found, and harshly rung:
The bolted gates flew open at the blast,
The ftorm rush'd in, and Arcite stood aghast;
The flames were blown aside, yet fhone they bright,
Fann'd by the wind, and gave a ruffled light.

Then from the ground a fcent began to rife,
Sweet fmelling as accepted facrifice:

This omen pleas'd, and as the flames aspire
With od❜rous incente Arcite heaps the fire:
Nor wanted hymns to Mars, or heathen charms:
At length the nodding statue clash'd his arms,
And with a fullen found and feeble cry,

Half funk, and half pronounc'd the word of victory,
For this, with foul devout, he thank'd the God,
And, of fuccefs secure, return'd to his abode.

Thefe vows thus granted, rais'd a ftrive above,
Betwixt the God of war, and Queen of love.
She granting firft, had right of time to plead;
But he had granted too, nor would recede.
Jove was for Venus; but he fear'd his wife,
And feem'd unwilling to decide the ftrife;
Till Saturn from his leaden throne arofe,
And found a way the difference to compose:
Though fparing of his grace, to mischief bent,
He seldom does a good with good intent.
Wayward, but wife; by long experience taught,
To please both parties, for ill ends, he fought:
For this advantage age from youth has won,
As not to be outridden, tho' outrun.

By

By fortune he was now to Venus trin'd,
And with ftern Mars in Capricorn was join'd:
Of him difpofing in his own abode,

He footh'd the Goddess, while he gull'd the God:
Ceafe, daughter, to complain and ftint the ftrife;
Thy Palamon shall have his promis'd wife :
And Mars, the lord of conqueft, in the fight
With palm and laurel shall adorn his knight.
Wide is my course, nor turn I to my place,
Till length of time, and move with tardy pace.
Man feels me, when I prefs th' etherial plains,
My hand is heavy, and the wound remains.
Mine is the fhipwreck, in a watry fign;
And in an earthy, the dark dungeon mine.
Cold fhivering agues, melancholy care,
And bitter blafting winds, and poison'd air,
Are mine, and wilful death, refulting from defpair.
The throtling quinfey 'tis my ftar appoints,
And rheumatifms afcend to rack the joints:
When churls rebel against their native prince,
I arm their hands, and furnish the pretence;
And housing in the lion's hateful fign,
Bought fenates, and deferting troops are mine.
Mine is the privy pois'ning; I command
Unkindly feafons, and ungrateful land.
By me king's palaces are push'd to ground,
And miners crush'd beneath their mines are found.
'Twas I flew Sampfon, when the pillar'd hall
Fell down, and crufh'd the many with the fall.
My looking is the fire of peftilence,

That fweeps at once the people and the prince.
Now weep no more, but truft thy grandfire's art,
Mars fhall be pleas'd, and thou perform thy part.
'Tis ill, tho' diff'rent your complexions are,
The family of Heav'n for men fhou'd war.
Th' expedient pleas'd, where neither loft his right;
Mars had the day, and Venus had the night.

}