The foe once gone, they took their full delight:
'Twas reftless rage, and tempeft all the night;
For greedy love each moment would employ,
And grudg'd the shortest pauses of their joy.

Thus were their loves aufpiciously begun,
And thus with fecret care were carried on.
The stealth itself did appetite restore,
And look'd fo like a fin, it pleas'd the more.
The cave was now become a common way,
The wicket, often open'd, knew the key:
Love rioted fecure, and, long enjoy'd,
Was ever eager, and was never cloy'd.

But as extremes are short, of ill and good,
And tides at highest mark regorge their flood;
So fate, that could no more improve their joy,
Took a malicious pleasure to destroy.

Tancred, who fondly lov'd, and whofe delight Was plac'd in his fair daughter's daily fight, Of cuftom, when his state affairs were done, Would pafs his pleafing hours with her alone And, as a father's privilege allow'd,

Without attendance of th' officious crowd.

It happen'd once, that when in heat of day
He try'd to fleep, as was his ufual way,
The balmy flumber fled his wakeful eyes,
And forc'd him, in his own defpite, to rife:
Of fleep forfaken, to relieve his care,
He fought the conversation of the fair;
But with her train of damfels fhe was gone,
In fhady walks the fcorching heat to shun :

He would not violate that sweet recess,
And found befides a welcome heaviness,
That feiz'd his eyes; and slumber, which forgot
When call'd before to come, now came unfought.
From light retir'd, behind his daughter's bed,
He for approaching sleep compos'd his head ;
A chair was ready, for that use defign'd,
So quilted, that he lay at eafe reclin❜d;
The curtains closely drawn, the light to skreen,
As if he had contriv'd to lie unfeen :
Thus cover'd with an artificial night,

Sleep did his office foon, and feal'd his fight.
With heaven averfe in this ill-omen'd hour
Was Guifcard fummon'd to the fecret bower,
And the fair nymph, with expectation fir'd,
From her attending damfels was retir'd:
For, true to love, she measur'd time so right,
As not to mifs one moment of delight.
The garden, feated on the level floor,
She left behind, and, locking every door,
Thought all fecure; but little did she know,
Blind to her fate, fhe had enclos'd her foe.
Attending Guifcard, in his leathern frock,
Stood ready, with his thrice-repeated knock:
Thrice with a doleful found the jarring grate
Rung deaf and hollow, and prefag'd their fate.
The door unlock'd, to known delight they haste,
And, panting in each other's arms embrac'd,
Rush to the conscious bed, a mutual freight,
And heedlefs prefs it with their wonted weight.

The

The fudden bound awak'd the fleeping fire,
And fhew'd a fight no parent can defire;
His opening eyes at once with odious view
The love discover'd, and the lover knew:
He would have cry'd; but hoping that he dreamt,
Amazement ty'd his tongue, and stopp'd th' attempt.
Th' enfuing moment all the truth declar'd,

But now he stood collected, and prepar'd,
For malice and revenge had put him on his guard.
So like a lion, that unheeded lay,

Diffembling fleep, and watchful to betray,
With inward rage he meditates his prey.
The thoughtless pair, indulging their defires;
Alternate, kindled, and then quench'd their fires;
Nor thinking in the shades of death they play'd,
Full of themselves, themselves alone furvey'd,
And, too fecure, were by themselves betray'd.
Long time diffolv'd in pleasure thus they lay,
Till nature could no more fuffice their play;
Then rofe the youth, and through the cave again
Return'd; the princess mingled with her train.
Refolv'd his unripe vengeance to defer,

The royal spy, when now the coaft was clear,
Sought not the garden, but retir'd unseen,,
To brood in fecret on his gather'd spleen,
And methodize revenge: to death he griev'd;
And, but he faw the crime, had scarce believ'd.
Th' appointment for th' enfuing night he heard;
And therefore in the cavern had prepar'd
Two brawny yeomen of his trusty guard.

}

Scarce

Scarce had unwary Guifcard fet his foot
Within the foremost entrance of the grot,
When thefe in fecret ambush ready lay;
And rushing on the sudden seiz’d the prey:
Encumber'd with his frock, without defence,
An eafy prize, they led the prifoner thence,
And, as commanded, brought before the prince.
The gloomy fire, too fenfible of wrong,

To vent his rage in words, restrain'd his tongue,
And only faid, Thus fervants are preferr`d,
And, trusted, thus their fovereigns they reward.
Had I not feen, had not these eyes receiv'd
Too clear a proof, I could not have believ'd.

}

He paus'd, and choak'd the rest. The youth, who faw His forfeit life abandon'd to the law,

The judge th' accufer, and th' offence to him

Who had both power and will t' avenge the crime,
No vain defence prepar'd; but thus reply'd:
The faults of love by love are justify'd :
With unrefifted might the monarch reigns,
He levels mountains, and he raises plains;
And, not regarding difference of degree,
Abas'd your daughter, and exalted me.

This bold return with seeming patience heard,
The prifoner was remitted to the guard.

The fullen tyrant slept not all the night,

But, lonely walking by a winking light,

Sobb'd, wept, and groan'd, and beat his wither'd breast, But would not violate his daughter's reft;

Who

Who long expecting lay, for blifs prepar'd,

Listening for noise, and griev'd that none she heard ;
Oft rofe, and oft in vain employ'd the key,
And oft accus'd her lover of delay;

And pafs'd the tedious hours in anxious thoughts away.
The morrow came; and at his usual hour

Old Tancred vifited his daughter's bower;

Her cheek (for fuch his custom was) he kiss'd,
Then blefs'd her kneeling, and her maids difmifs'd.
The royal dignity thus far maintain’d,

Now left in private, he no longer feign'd;
But all at once his grief and rage appear'd,
And floods of tears ran trickling down his beard.
O Sigifmonda, he began to fay:

Thrice he began, and thrice was forc'd to stay,
Till words with often trying found their way :
I thought, O Sigifmonda, (but how blind
Are parents' eyes, their children's faults to find!)
Thy virtue, birth, and breeding, were above

A mean defire, and vulgar sense of love :

Nor less than fight and hearing could convince
So fond a father, and so just a prince,

Of fuch an unforeseen and unbeliev'd offence.
Then what indignant forrow must I have,
To fee thee lye fubjected to my flave!
A man fo fmelling of the people's lee,
The court receiv'd him firft for charity;
And fince with no degree of honour grac'd,
But only fuffer'd, where he first was plac'd.

}

A