THEODORE

AND

HONORI A.

F all the cities in Romanian lands,

OF

The chief, and most renown'd, Ravenna stands,
Adorn'd in ancient times with arms and arts,
And rich inhabitants, with generous hearts.
But Theodore the brave, above the rest,
With gifts of fortune and of nature bless'd,
The foremost place for wealth and honour held,
And all in feats of chivalry excell'd.

This noble youth to madness lov'd a dame
Of high degree, Honoria was her name;
Fair as the fairest, but of haughty mind,
And fiercer than became so soft a kind,
Proud of her birth (for equal she had none);
The reft she scorn'd; but hated him alone,
His gifts, his conftant courtship, nothing gain'd;
For fhe, the more he lov'd, the more difdain'd.
He liv'd with all the pomp he could devife,
At tilts and tournaments obtain❜d the prize;
But found no favour in his lady's eyes :
Relentless as a rock, the lofty maid,
Turn'd all to poison, that he did or said:

Nor prayers, nor tears, nor offer'd vows, could move ;
The work went backward; and the more he ftrove
T'advance his fuit, the farther from her love.

VOL. III.

R

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Weary'd

Weary'd at length, and wanting remedy,
He doubted oft, and oft refolv'd to die.
But pride food ready to prevent the blow,
For who would die to gratify a foe?
His generous mind difdain'd fo mean a fate;
That pafs'd, his next endeavour was to hate.
But vainer that relief than all the rest,

The lefs he hop'd, with more defire possess'd;
Love ftood the fiege, and would not yield his breast.
Change was the next, but change deceiv'd his care;
He fought a fairer, but found none so fair.
He would have worn her out by flow degrees,
As men by fafting ftarve th' untam'd disease:
But prefent love requir'd a prefent ease.
Looking he feeds alone his famish'd eyes,
Feeds lingering death, but looking not he dies.
Yet ftill he chose the longest way to fate,
Wafting at once his life and his estate.

His friends beheld, and pity'd him in vain,
For what advice can ease a lover's pain!
Abfence, the best expedient they could find,
Might fave the fortune, if not cure the mind:
This means they long propos'd, but little gain'd,
Yet, after much pursuit, at length obtain’d.

Hard you may think it was to give confent,
But struggling with his own desires he went,
With large expence, and with a pompous train,
Provided as to vifit France and Spain,

Or for some distant voyage o'er the main.

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But

But love had clipp'd his wings, and cut him short,
Confin'd within the purlieus of the court.
Three miles he went, nor farther could retreat;

His travels ended at his country-seat :

To Chaffis' pleafing plains he took his way,
There pitch'd his tents, and there resolv'd to stay.

The spring was in the prime; the neighbouring grove Supply'd with birds, the choirifters of love:

Mufic unbought, that minister'd delight

To morning walks, and lull'd his cares by night:
There he discharg'd his friends; but not th' expence
Of frequent treats, and proud magnificence.
He liv'd as kings retire, though more at large
From public business, yet with equal charge;
With house and heart ftill open to receive ;
As well content as love would give him leave :
He would have liv'd more free; but many a guest,
Who could forfake the friend, pursued the feast.
It hapt one morning, as his fancy led,

Before his ufual hour he left his bed;
To walk within a lonely lawn, that stood
On every fide furrounded by a wood :
Alone he walk'd, to please his penfive mind,
And fought the deepest folitude to find;
'Twas in a grove of fpreading pines he stray'd;
The winds within the quivering branches play'd,
And dancing trees a mournful music made.
The place itself was fuiting to his care,
Uncouth and favage, as the cruel fair.

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He wander'd on, unknowing where he went,
Loft in the wood, and all on love intent :
The day already half his race had run,
And fummon'd him to due repast at noon,
But love could feel no hunger but his own.

Whilst listening to the murmuring leaves he stood,
More than a mile immers'd within the wood,
At once the wind was laid; the whispering found
Was dumb; a rifing earthquake rock'd the ground;
With deeper brown the grove was overspread;
A fudden horror feiz'd his giddy head,
And his ears tinkled, and his colour fled,
Nature was in alarm; fome danger nigh
Seem'd threaten'd, though unfeen to mortal eye.
Unus'd to fear, he funimon'd all his foul,
And food collected in himself, and whole;
Not long for foon a whirlwind rofe around,
And from afar he heard a fcreaming found,
As of a dame diftrefs'd, who cry'd for aid,
And fill'd with loud laments the fecret shade.

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A thicket clofe befide the grove there ftood, With briers and brambles choak'd, and dwarfish wood; From thence the noife, which now, approaching near, With more diftinguifh'd notes invades his ear; He rais'd his head, and faw a beauteous maid, With hair dishevel'd, iffuing through the shade; Stripp'd of her cloaths, and ev'n those parts reveal'd, Which modeft nature keeps from fight conceal'd. Her face, her hands, her naked limbs were torn, With paffing through the brakes, and prickly thorn;

Two mastiffs gaunt and grim her flight pursued,
And oft their faften'd fangs in blood embrued:
Oft they came up, and pinch'd her tender fide,
Mercy, O mercy, heaven! she ran, and cry'd;

When heaven was nam'd, they loos'd their hold again,
Then fprang fhe forth, they follow'd her amain.

Not far behind, a knight of swarthy face,
High on a coal-black steed pursued the chace;
With flashing flames his ardent eyes were fill'd,
And in his hand a naked fword he held:
He chear'd the dogs to follow her who fled,
And vow'd revenge on her devoted head.
As Theodore was born of noble kind,
The brutal action rous'd his manly mind;
Mov'd with unworthy ufage of the maid,
He, though unarm'd, refolv'd to give her aid.
A faplin pine he wrench'd from out the ground,
The readieft weapon that his fury found.
Thus furnish'd for offence, he crofs'd the way
Betwixt the graceless villain and his prey.

The knight came thundering on, but, from afar,
Thus in imperious tone forbad the war :
Ceafe, Theodore, to proffer vain relief,
Nor ftop the vengeance of so just a grief;
But give me leave to feize my deftin'd prey,
And let eternal juftice take the way :
I but revenge my fate, difdain'd, betray'd,
And fuffering death for this ungrateful maid.
He faid, at once difmounting from the steed;
For now the hell-hounds with fuperior speed