His ample forehead bore a coronet

With fparkling diamonds and with rubies fet:
Ten brace, and more, of greyhounds, fnowy fair,
And tall as stags, ran loofe, and cours'd around his
chair,

A match for pards in flight, in grappling for the bear:
With golden muzzles all their mouths were bound,
And collars of the fame their necks furround.
Thus through the fields Lycurgus took his way;
His hundred knights attend in pomp and proud array.
To match this monarch, with ftrong Arcite came
Emetrius king of Inde, a mighty name,
On a bay courfer, goodly to behold

The trappings of his horse adorn'd with barbarous gold.
Not Mars beftrode a fteed with greater grace;
His furcoat o'er his arms was cloth of Thrace,
Adorn'd with pearls, all orient, round, and great ;
His faddle vas of gold, with emeralds fet.
His fhoulders large a mantle did attire,

With rubies thick, and sparkling as the fire:
His amber-colour'd locks in ringlets run,

With graceful negligence, and fhone against the fun.
His nofe was aquiline, his eyes were blue,
Ruddy his lips, and fresh and fair his hue:
Some fprinkled freckles on his face were seen,
Whofe dufk fet off the whitenefs of the skin a
His awful prefence did the croud furprize,
Nor durft the rash spectator meet his eyes,
Eyes that confefs'd him born for kingly sway,
So fierce, they flash'd intolerable day.

His age in nature's youthful prime appear'd,.
And just began to bloom his yellow beard.
Whene'er he spoke, his voice was heard around,
Loud as a trumpet, with a filver found,

A laurel wreath'd his temples, fresh and green;
And myrtle sprigs, the marks of love, were mix'd
between.

Upon his fift he bore, for his delight,

An eagle well reclaim'd, and lily white.

His hundred knights attend him to the war, All arm'd for battle; fave their heads were bare. Words and devices blaz❜d on every shield,

And pleafing was the terror of the field.

For kings, and dukes, and barons, you might fee,
Like fparkling stars, though different in degree,
All for th' increase of arms, and love of chivalry.
Before the king tame leopards led the way,
And troops of lions innocently play.

So Bacchus through the conquer'd Indies rode,
And beafts in gambols frisk'd before the honeft god..
In this array the war of either fide

Through Athens pafs'd with military pride.

At prime, they enter'd on the Sunday morn ; Rich tapestry spread the streets, and flowers the postsTM adorn.

The town was all a jubilee of feasts ;

So Thefens will'd, in honour of his guests;
Himfelf with open arms the king embrac'd,
Then all the reft in their degrees were grac'd..

No

No harbinger was needful for a night,

For every houfe was proud to lodge a knight.
I pass the royal treat, nor must relate

The gifts beftow'd, nor how the champions fate :
Who first, or last, or how the knights addrefs'd
or who was faireft at the feast;

Their vows,

Whofe voice, whose graceful dance did most surprize;
Soft amorous fighs, and filent love of eyes.
The rivals call my Muse another way,

To fing their vigils for th' enfuing day.

'Twas ebbing darkness, paft the noon of night;
And Phospher, on the confines of the light,
Promis'd the fun, ere day began to fpring;
The tuneful lark already stretch'd her wing,
And, flickering on her neft, made short effays to fing.
When wakeful Palamon, preventing day,

Took, to the royal lifts, his early way,

To Venus at her fane, in her own house, to pray.
There, falling on his knees before her fhrine,
He thus implor'd with prayers her power divine.
Creator Venus, genial power of love,

}

The bliss of men below, and Gods above!
Beneath the fliding fun thou runn'ft thy race,
Doft fairest shine, and beft become thy place.
For thee the winds their eastern blasts forbear,
Thy month reveals the fpring, and opens all the year.
Thee, Goddess, thee the ftorms of winter fly,
Earth fmiles with flowers renewing, laughs the fky,
And birds to lays of love their tuneful notes apply.

H 4

}

For

For thee the lion loaths the taste of blood,
And roaring hunts his female through the wood :
For thee the bulls rebellow through the groves,
And tempt the stream, and snuff their absent loves.
'Tis thine, whate'er is pleasant, good, or fair :
All nature is thy province, life thy care:
Thou mad'ft the world, and doft the world repair.
Thou gladder of the mount of Cytheron,
Increase of Jove, companion of the fun;
If e'er Adonis touch'd thy tender heart,
Have pity, Goddess, for thou know'st the smart.
Alas! I have not words to tell my grief;
To vent my forrow, would be fome relief;
Light fufferings give us leifure to complain;
We groan, but cannot speak, in greater pain.
O Goddess, tell thyfelf what I would say,
Thou know'ft it, and I feel too much to pray.
So grant my fuit, as I enforce
my might;
In love to be thy champion, and thy knight;
A fervant to thy fex, a flave to thee,
A foe profeft to barren chastity.

Nor afk I fame or honour of the field,
Nor choose I more to vanquish than to yield :
In my divine Emilia make me bleft,

Let fate, or partial chance, difpofe the reft:
Find thou the manner, and the means prepare ;
Poffeffion, more than conqueft, is my care.
Mars is the warrior's god; in him it lies,
On whom he favours to confer the prize;

}

With smiling aspect you ferenely move

In your fifth orb, and rule the realm of love.
The fates but only fpin the coarfer clue,
The finest of the wool is left for you.

Spare me but one fmall portion of the twine,
And let the fifters cut below

your

line:

The reft among the rubbish may they sweep,
Or add it to the yarn of fome old miser's heap、
But, if you this ambitious prayer deny,
(A wish, I grant, beyond mortality,)

Then let me fink beneath proud Arcite's arms,
And, I once dead, let him poffefs her charms.
Thus ended he; then, with observance due,
The facred incenfe on her altar threw :

The curling smoke mounts heavy from the fires;
At length it catches flame, and in a blaze expires;
At once the gracious Goddess gave the fign,
Her statue shook, and trembled all the shrine :
Pleas'd Palamon the tardy omen took :

For, fince the flames pursued the trailing smoke,
He knew his boon was granted; but the day
To distance driven, and joy adjourn'd with long delay.
Now morn with rosy light had streak'd the sky,
Up rofe the fun, and up rofe Emily;
Addrefs'd her early fteps to Cynthia's fane,
In state attended by her maiden train,
Who bore the vests that holy rites require,
Incense, and odorous gums, and cover'd fire.
The plenteous horns with pleasant mead they crown,
Nor wanted aught befides in honour of the moon.

Now