This view'd, but not enjoy'd, with arms acrofs
He ftood, reflecting on his country's lofs;
Himself an object of the public fcorn,
And often wish'd he never had been born.
At laft, for fo his deftiny 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 scanty light:
But ev❜n that glimmering serv'd him to descry
Th' inevitable charms of Emily.

Scarce had he feen, but feiz'd with fudden smart,
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 ask'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 afpe&t, rul'd our birth,

When all the friendly stars were under earth:
Whate'er betides, by destiny 'tis done;

And better bear like men, than vainly seek 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 past in bonds to lie
For life, and in a loathfome dungeon die,
Then be thy wrath appeas'd with our disgrace,
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 fhe ftrikes; and kills by chance;
Poison is in her eyes, and death in ev'ry glance.
O, I must ask; nor ask alone, but move
Her mind to mercy, or muft die for love.

Thus Arcite and thus Palamon replies,
(Eager his tone, and ardent were his eyes.)
Speak'st thou in earnest, or in jesting 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?

}

To

To this before the Gods we gave our hands,
And nothing but our death can break the bands.
This binds thee, then, to further my design:
As I am bound by vow to further thine :
Nor can❜ft, nor dar'ft thou, traitor, on the plain
Appeach my honor, or thine own maintain,
Since thou art of my council, and the friend
Whofe faith I trust, and on whofe care depend:
And wou'd'ft thou court my lady's love, which I
Much rather than release would choose to die?
But thou falfe Arcite never shall obtain

Thy bad pretence; I told thee first my pain :
For firft
my love began ere thine was born;
Thou as my council, and my brother sworn,
Art bound t' affift my eldership of right:.
Or justly to be deem'd a perjur'd knight.

Thus Palamon: but Arcite with difdain
In haughty language thus reply'd again ;
Forfworn thyfelf: the traitor's odious name
I first return, and then disprove thy claim.
If love be paffion, and that paffion nurft
With strong defires, I lov'd the lady first.
Can't thou pretend defire, whom zeal inflam'd
To worship, and a pow'r celestial nam'd ?
Thine was devotion to the blest above,
I saw the woman and defir'd her love;
First own'd my paffion, and to thee commend
Th' important fecret, as my chofen friend,
Suppofe (which yet I grant not) thy defire
A moment elder than my rival fire;
Can chance of feeing first thy title prove?
And know'st thou not, no law is made for love;
Law is to things which to free choice relate;
Love is not in our choice, but in our fate
Laws are but pofitive; love's pow'r, we see,
Is Nature's fanction, and her first decree.

Each

Each day we break the bond of human laws
For love, and vindicate the common caufe.
Laws for defence of civil rights are plac'd,

Love throws the fences down, and makes a general waste: Maids, widows, wives, without distinction fall;

The sweeping deluge, love, comes on, and covers all. If then the laws of friendship I tranfgrefs,

I keep the greater, while I break the lefs;

And both are mad alike, fince neither can poffefs.
Both hopeless to be ranfom'd, never more
To see the fun, but as he paffes o'er.

Like Æfop's hounds contending for the bone,
Each pleaded right, and wou'd be lord alone :
The fruitless fight continued all the day;

A cur came by, and fnatch'd the prize away.
As courtiers therefore juftle for a grant,

}

And when they break their friendship plead their want,
So thou, if fortune will thy fuit advance,
Love on, nor envy me my equal chance :
For I must love, and am refolv'd to try
My fate, or failing in th' adventure die.

Great was their ftrife, which hourly was renew'd,
Till each with mortal hate his rival view'd:
Now friends no more, nor walking hand in hand;
But when they met, they made a furly stand;
And glar'd like angry lions as they pass'd,
And wifh'd that ev'ry look might be their laft.
It chanc'd at length, Pirithous came t'attend
This worthy Thefeus, his familiar friend;
Their love in early infancy began,
And rofe as childhood ripen'd into man,
Companions of the war; and lov'd fo well,
That when one dy'd, as ancient stories tell,
His fellow to redeem him went to hell.

But to purfue my tale; to welcome home
His warlike brother is Pirithous come:

C 2

}

Arcite

Arcite of Thebes was known in arms long fince,
And honor'd by this young Theffalian prince.
Thefeus to gratify his friend and guest,
Who made our Arcite's freedom his request,
Reftor'd to liberty the captive knight,
But on these hard conditions I recite:
That if hereafter Arcite should be found
Within the compass of Athenian ground,
By day or night, or on whate'er pretence,
His head fhou'd pay the forfeit of th' offence.
To this Pirithous for his friend agreed,
And on his promife was the priföner freed.

Unpleas'd and pensive hence he takes his way,
At his own peril; for his life must pay.
Who now but Arcite mourns his bitter fate,
Finds his dear purchase, and repents too late?
What have I gain'd, he faid, in prifon pent,
If I but change my bonds for banishment?
And banish'd from her fight, I fuffer more
In freedom, than I felt in bonds before;
Forc'd from her presence, and condemn'd to live:
Unwelcome freedom, and unthank'd reprieve :
Heaven is not, but where Emily abides,
And where's she's absent, all is hell befides.
Next to my day of birth, was that accurst,
Which bound my friendship to Pirithous first:
Had I not known that prince, I ftill had been
In bondage, and had ftill Emilia feen:
For tho' I never can her grace deserve,
'Tis recompence enough to fee and serve.
O Palamon, my kinfman and my friend,
How much more happy fates thy love attend!
Thine is th' adventure; thine the victory:
Well has thy fortune turn'd the dice for thee:
Thou on that angel's face may'ft feed thine eyes,
In prifon, no; but blifsful paradife!

Thou