And, watchful all advantages to spy,
Was ftill at hand, and in his master's eye;
And as his bones were big, and finews ftrong,
Refus'd no toil that could to flaves belong;
But from deep wells with engines water drew,
And us'd his noble hands the wood to hew.
He pafs'd a year at least attending thus
On Emily, and call'd Philoftratus.
But never was there man of his degree
So much efteem'd, fo well belov'd as he.
So gentle of condition was he known,

That through the court his courtesy was blown:
All think him worthy of a greater place,
And recommend him to the royal grace:
That, exercis'd within a higher sphere,
His virtues more conspicuous might appear.
Thus by the general voice was Arcite prais'd,
And by great Thefeus to high favour rais'd:
Among his menial fervants firft enroll'd,
And largely entertain'd with fums of gold:
Befides what fecretly from Thebes was fent,
Of his own income, and his annual rent:
This well employ'd, he purchas'd friends and fame,
But cautioufly conceal'd from whence it came.
Thus for three years he liv'd with large increase,
In arms of honour, and esteem in peace;
To Thefeus' perfon he was ever near;
And Thefeus for his virtues held him dear.

PALAMON

WHILE Arcite lives in blifs, the story turns

Where hopeless Palamon in prifon mourns.

For fix long years immur'd, the captive knight
Had dragg'd his chains, and scarcely feen the light:
Loft liberty, and love, at once he bore:

His prison pain'd him much, his paffion more:
Nor dares he hope his fetters to remove,

Nor ever wishes to be free from love.

But when the fixth revolving year was run,
And May within the Twins receiv'd' the fun,
Were it by chance, or forceful destiny,
Which forms in caufes firft whate'er fhall be,
Affifted by a friend, one moonless night,
This Palamon from prifon took his flight:
A pleasant beverage he prepar'd before
Of wine and honey mix'd with added store
Of opium; to his keeper this he brought,
Who fwallow'd unaware the fleepy, draught,
And fnor'd fecure till morn, his fenfes bound
In flumber, and in long oblivion drown'd.
Short was the night, and careful Palamon
Sought the next covert ere the rifing fun.
A thick fpread foreft near the city lay,
To this with lengthen'd ftrides he took his way
(For far he could not fly, and fear'd the day).

Safe

Safe from purfuit, he meant to fhun the light,
Till the brown shadows of the friendly night
To Thebes might favour his intended flight.
When to his country come, his next defign
Was all the Theban race in arms to join,
And war on Thefeus, till he loft his life,
Or won the beauteous Emily to wife.

Thus while his thoughts the lingering day beguile,
To gentle Arcite let us turn our stile;

Who little dreamt how nigh he was to care,

Till treacherous fortune caught him in the fnare.
The morning-lark, the meffenger of day,
Saluted in her fong the morning gray;

And foon the fun arose with beams fo bright,
That all th' horizon laugh'd to see the joyous fight;
He with his tepid rays the rose renews,

And licks the drooping leaves, and dries the dews;
When Arcite left his bed, refolv'd to pay
Obfervance to the month of merry May:
Forth on his fiery steed betimes he rode,
That scarcely prints the turf on which he trod:
At ease he seem'd, and, prancing o'er the plains,
Turn'd only to the grove his horse's reins,
The grove I nam❜d before; and, lighted there,
A woodbine garland fought to crown his hair;
Then turn'd his face against the rifing day,
And rais'd his voice to welcome in the May.
For thee, fweet month, the groves green liveries wear,
If not the first, the fairest of the year:

For

For thee the Graces lead the dancing hours,
And Nature's ready pencil paints the flowers:
When thy fhort reign is past, the feverish fun
The fultry tropic fears, and moves more flowly on.
So may thy tender blossoms fear no blight,
Nor goats with venom'd teeth thy tendrils bite,
As thou fhalt guide my wandering feet to find
The fragrant greens I feek, my brows to bind.
His vows addrefs'd, within the grove he stray'd,
Till fate, or fortune, near the place convey'd
His fteps where fecret Palamon was laid.
Full little thought of him the gentle knight,

Who flying death had there conceal'd his flight,
In brakes and brambles hid, and fhunning mortal

fight:

And lefs he knew him for his hated foe,

But fear'd him as a man he did not know.

But as it has been faid of ancient years,

'That fields are full of eyes, and woods have ears;
For this the wife are ever on their guard,
For, unforeseen, they fay, is unprepar'd.
Uncautious Arcite thought himfelf alone,
And lefs than all fufpected Palamon,

Who listening heard him, while he fearch'd the grove,
And loudly fung his roundelay of love:

But on the fudden stopp'd, and filent stood,
As lovers often mufe, and change their mood;
Now high as heaven, and then as low as hell;
Now up, now down, as buckets in a well:

For

For Venus, like her day, will change her cheer,
And feldom shall we fee a Friday clear.

Thus Arcite, having fung, with alter'd hue
Sunk on the ground, and from his bofom drew
A defperate figh, accufing heaven and fate,
And angry Juno's unrelenting hate.

Curs'd be the day when first I did appear;
Let it be blotted from the calendar,

Left it pollute the month, and poifon all the year.
Still will the jealous Queen purfue our race?
Cadmus is dead, the Theban city was:

Yet ceafes not her hate: for all who come
From Cadmus are involv'd in Cadmus' doom.
I fuffer for my blood: unjuft decree!
That punishes another's crime on me.
In mean eftate I serve my mortal foe,

The man who caus'd my country's overthrow.
This is not all; for Juno, to my fhame,
Has forc'd me to forfake my former name;
Arcite I was, Philoftratus I am.

That fide of heaven is all my enemy:

Mars ruin'd Thebes: his mother ruin'd me.

Of all the royal race remains but one

Befides myfelf, th' unhappy Palamon,

Whom Thefeus holds in bonds, and will not free;

Without a crime, except his kin to me.

Yet thefe, and all the reft, I could endure;
But Love's a malady without a cure;

Fierce Love has pierc'd me with his fiery dart,
He fires within, and hiffes at my heart.

Your