How they were rank'd, fhall reft untold by me,
With nameless nymphs that liv'd in ev'ry tree;
Nor how the dryads, or the woodland train,
Disherited, ran howling o'er the plain:

Nor how the birds to foreign feats repair'd,

Or beafts, that bolted out, and faw the forest bar'd: Nor how the ground now clear'd, with ghaftly fright Beheld the fudden fun, a ftranger to the light.

The ftraw, as first I said, was laid below: Of chips and fere-wood was the second row; The third of greens, and timber newly fell'd; The fourth high stage the fragrant odours held, And pearls, and precious ftones, and rich array; In midst of which, embalm'd the body lay. The service fung, the maid with mourning eyes The ftubble fir'd; the fmouldring flames arife: This office done, fhe funk upon the ground; But what fhe spoke, recover'd from her swoon, I want the wit in moving words to drefs; But by themselves the tender fex may guess. While the devouring fire was burning fast, Rich jewels in the flame the wealthy caft; And fome their fhields, and fome their lances threw, And gave their warrior's ghost a warrior's due. Full bowls of wine, of honey, milk, and blood Were pour'd upon the pile of burning wood, e And hiffing flames receive, and hungry lick the food. Then thrice the mounted squadrons ride around The fire, and Arcite's name they thrice refound: Hail, and farewel, they fhouted thrice amain,

Thrice facing to the left, and thrice they turn'd again:
Still as they turn'd, they beat their clatt'ring shields;
The women mix their cries; and clamour fills the fields.
The warlike wakes continu'd all the night,

And fun'ral games were play'd at new returning light;
Who naked wrestled best, besmear'd with oil,
Or who with gauntlets gave or took the foil,

I will not tell you, nor wou'd you attend;
But briefly hafte to my long ftory's end.

I pass the reft; the year was fully mourn'd, And Palamon long fince to Thebes return'd: When by the Grecians' general consent, At Athens Thefeus held his parliament: Among the laws that pafs'd, it was decreed, That conquer'd Thebes from bondage fhould be freed; Referving homage to th' Athenian throne, To which the fov'reign fummon'd Palamon. Unknowing of the caufe, he took his way, Mournful in mind, and still in black array.

The monarch mounts the throne, and, plac'd on high,
Commands into the court the beauteous Emily:
So call'd, fhe came; the fenate rofe, and paid
Becoming rev'rence to the royal maid.

And first foft whispers thro' th' affembly went:
With filent wonder then they watch'd th' event:
All hush'd, the king arofe with awful grace,

Deep thought was in his breaft, and counfel in his face."
At length he figh'd; and having first prepar'd
Th' attentive audience, thus his will declar'd.
The Caufe and fpring of motion, from above,
Hung down on earth the golden chain of love:
Great was th' effect, and high was his intent,
When peace among the jarring feeds he fent.
Fire, flood, and earth, and air by this were bound,
And Love, the common link, the new creation crown'd.
The chain ftill holds; for tho' the forms decay,

Eternal matter never wears away:

The fame first mover certain bounds has plac'd,
How long thofe perishable forms shall laft:
Nor can they laft beyond the time affign'd
By that all-feeing, and all-making mind:
Shorten their hours they may; for will is free;
But never pass th' appointed deftiny.

So

So men opprefs'd, when weary of their breath,
Throw off the burden, and fuborn their death.
Then fince those forms begin, and have their end,
On fome unalter'd cause they fure depend:
Parts of the whole are we; but God the whole;
Who gives us life, and animating foul.

For nature cannot from a part derive
That being, which the whole can only give:
He perfect, ftable; but imperfect we,

Subject to change, and diff'rent in degree;
Plants, beafts, and man; and as our organs are
We more or lefs of his perfection share.
But by a long defcent, th' etherial fire
Corrupts; and forms, the mortal part, expire:
As he withdraws his virtue, fo they pass,
And the fame matter makes another mafs:

This law th' Omnifcient pow'r was pleas'd to give,,
That ev'ry kind should by fucceffion live:
That individuals die, his will ordains;
The propagated fpecies ftill remains.
The monarch oak, the patriarch of the trees,
Shoots rifing up, and spreads by flow degrees;
Three centuries he grows, and three he ftays,
Supreme in state, and in three more decays;
So wears the paving pebble in the street,
And towns and tow'rs their fatal periods meet:
So rivers, rapid once, now naked lie,

Forfaken of their springs; and leave their channels dry.
So man, at first a drop, dilates with heat,

Then, form'd the little heart begins to beat;

Secret he feeds, unknowing in the cell;

At length, for hatching ripe, he breaks the shell,
And ftruggles into breath, and cries for aid;
Then, helpless, in his mother's lap is laid.
He creeps, he walks, and iffuing into man,
Grudges their life, from whence his own began:

Retchlefs

Retchlefs of laws, affects to rule alone,

Anxious to reign, and reftlefs on the throne:
First vegetive, then feels, and reasons last;
Rich of three fouls, and lives all three to waste.
Some thus; but thousands more in flow'r of age:
For few arrive to run the latter stage.

Sunk in the first, in battle fome are flain,
And others whelm'd beneath the stormy main.
What makes all this, but Jupiter the king,
At whofe command we perish, and we spring?
Then 'tis our beft, fince thus ordain'd to die,
To make a virtue of neceffity.

Take what he gives, fince to rebel is vain;
The bad grows better, which we well fuftain;
And could we chufe the time, and chufe aright,
'Tis beft to die, our honour at the height.
When we have done our ancestors no shame,
But ferv'd our friends, and well fecur'd our fame;
Then should we wish our happy life to clofe,
And leave no more for fortune to dispose:
So should we make our death a glad relief
From future fhame, from fickness, and from grief:
Enjoying while we live the present hour,

And dying in our excellence and flow'r.

Then round our death-bed ev'ry friend should run,
And joyous of our conqueft early won:

While the malicious world with envious tears
Shou'd grudge our happy end, and wifh it theirs.
Since then our Arcite is with honour dead,
Why fhou'd we mourn, that he fo foon is freed,
Or call untimely, what the Gods decreed?
With grief as juft, a friend may be deplor'd,
From a foul prifon to free air restor❜d.
Ought he to thank his kinsman or his wife,
Cou'd tears recall him into wretched life?
Their forrow hurts themselves; on him is loft;
And worse than both, offends his happy ghost.

What then remains, but, after paft annoy,

To take the good viciffitude of joy?

To thank the gracious Gods for what they give,
Poffefs our fouls, and while we live, to live?
Ordain we then two forrows to combine,
And in one point th' extremes of grief to join;
That thence refulting joy may be renew'd,
As jarring notes in harmony conclude.
Then I propofe that Palamon shall be
In marriage join'd with beauteous Emily;
For which already I have gain'd th' affent
Of my free people in full parliament.
Long love to her has born the faithful knight,
And well deferv'd, had fortune done him right:
'Tis time to mend her fault; fince Emily
By Arcite's death from former vows is free:
If you, fair fifter, ratify th' accord,

And take him for your husband, and your lord,
'Tis no difhonour to confer your grace
On one defcended from a royal race:
And were he lefs, yet years of service past
From grateful fouls exact reward at last:
Pity is heav'n's and your's; nor can she find
A throne fo foft as in a woman's mind.

He faid; fhe blufh'd; and as o'er-aw'd by might,
Seem'd to give Thefeus what she gave the knight.
Then turning to the Theban thus he faid;
Small arguments are needful to perfuade
Your temper to comply with my command';
And speaking thus, he gave Emilia's hand.
Smil'd Venus, to behold her own true knight
Obtain the conqueft, tho' he loft the fight;
And blefs'd with nuptial blifs the fweet laborious night.
Eros, and Anteros, on either fide,

One fir'd the bridegroom, and one warm'd the bride;

And