But he with manly Patience bore his Pains:

He fear'd not Fate, but only griev'd to die Without an honest Wound, and by a Death so dry. 351

Happy Ancæus, thrice aloud he cry'd,
With what becoming Fate in Arms he dy'd!
Then call'd his Brothers, Sisters, Sire,
around,

And her to whom his Nuptial Vows were bound;

Perhaps his Mother; a long Sigh he drew, And his Voice failing, took his last Adieu: For as the Flames augment, and as they stay

At their full Height, then languish to decay, They rise, and sink by Fits; at last they

soar

360

In one bright Blaze, and then descend no

more:

Just so his inward Heats at height, impair, Till the last burning Breath shoots out the Soul in Air.

Now lofty Calidon in Ruines lies; All Ages, all Degrees unsluice their Eyes; And Heaven & Earth resound with Murmurs, Groans, & Cries.

Matrons and Maidens beat their Breasts, and tear

Their Habits, and root up their scatter'd Hair.

The wretched Father, Father now no more, With Sorrow sunk, lies prostrate on the Floor, 370 Deforms his hoary Locks with Dust obscene, And curses Age, and loaths a Life prolong'd with Pain.

By Steel her stubborn Soul his Mother freed,

And punish'd on her self her impious
Deed.

Had I a hundred Tongues, a Wit so large
As cou'd their hundred Offices discharge;
Had Phabus all his Helicon bestow'd,
In all the Streams inspiring all the God;
Those Tongues, that Wit, those Streams,
that God, in vain

Wou'd offer to describe his Sisters pain: 380 They beat their Breasts with many a bruizing Blow,

Till they turn'd livid, and corrupt the Snow. The Corps they cherish, while the Corps remains,

And exercise and rub with fruitless Pains; And when to Fun'ral Flames 'tis born

DR.

Before their Guests; in this they bath'd their Feet,

And after with clean Towels dry'd their Sweat:

This done, the Host produc'd the genial Bed,) Sallow the Feet, the Borders, and the Sted, Which with no costly Coverlet they spread; But course old Garments, yet such Robes as these 80

They laid alone, at Feasts, on Holydays.
The good old Huswife tucking up her Gown,
The Table sets; th' invited Gods lie down.
The Trivet-Table of a Foot was lame,
A Blot which prudent Baucis overcame,
Who thrusts beneath the limping Leg, a
Sherd,

So was the mended Board exactly rear'd:
Then rubb'd it o'er with newly-gather'd Mint,
A wholesom Herb, that breath'd a grateful
Scent.

Pallas began the Feast, where first were

With Liquor of the best the Cottage cou'd afford.

This was the Tables Ornament and Pride, With Figures wrought: Like Pages at his Side

Stood Beechen Bowls; and these were shining clean,

Vernish'd with Wax without, and lin'd within.
By this the boiling Kettle had prepar'd,
And to the Table sent the smoaking Lard;
On which with eager Appetite they dine,
A sav'ry Bit, that serv'd to rellish Wine:
The Wine it self was suiting to the rest, 110
Still working in the Must, and lately press'd.
The Second Course succeeds like that before,
Plums, Apples, Nuts, and of their Wintry
Store,

Dry Figs, and Grapes, and wrinkl'd Dates

were set

In Canisters, t'enlarge the little Treat
All thesea Milk-white Honey-comb surround,
Which in the midst the Country Banquet
crown'd:

But the kind Hosts their Entertainment grace

With hearty Welcom, and an open Face:
In all they did, you might discern with ease,
A willing Mind, and a Desire to please. 121
Mean time the Becchen Bowls went round,

and still,

Though often empty'd, were observ'd to fill ; Fill'd without Hands, and of their own accord

Ran without Feet, and danc'd about the Board.

Devotion seiz'd the Pair, to see the Feast With Wine, and of no common Grape, increas'd;

98 rear] The editors change to rare

And up they held their Hands, and fell to Pray'r,

Excusing, as they cou'd, their Country Fare. One Goose they had, ('twas all they cou'dy allow) 130

A wakeful Cent'ry, and on Duty now, Whom to the Gods for Sacrifice they vow:) Her, with malicious Zeal, the Couple view'd; She ran for Life, and limping they pursu'd: Full well the Fowl perceiv'd their bad intent,

And wou'd not make her Masters Compliment;

But persecuted, to the Pow'rs she flies, And close between the Legs of Jove she lies. He with a gracious Ear the Suppliant heard, And sav'd her Life; then what he was declar'd, 140

And own'd the God. The Neighbourhood, said he,

Shall justly perish for Impiety:

You stand alone exempted; but obey With speed, and follow where we lead the way:

Leave these accurs'd; and to the Mountains Height

Ascend; nor once look backward in your Flight.

They haste, and what their tardy Feet deny'd,

The trusty Staff (their better Leg) supply'd. An Arrows Flight they wanted to the Top, And there secure, but spent with Travel, stop;

150

Then turn their now no more forbidden
Eyes;

Lost in a Lake the floated Level lies:
A Watry Desart covers all the Plains,
Their Cot alone, as in an Isle, remains :
Wondring with weeping eyes, while they
deplore

Their Neighbours Fate, and Country now no

The Pavement polish'd Marble they behold, The Gates with Sculpture grac'd, the Spires and Tiles of Gold.

Then thus the Sire of Gods, with Look

serene,

Speak thy Desire, thou only Just of Men;
And thou, O Woman, only worthy found
To be with such a Man in Marriage bound.
A while they whisper; then, to Jove
address'd,

Philemon thus prefers their joint Request :
We crave to serve before your sacred Shrine,
And offer at your Altars Rites Divine: 170
And since not any Action of our Life
Has been polluted with Domestick Strife,
We beg one Hour of Death; that neither she
With Widows Tears may live to bury me,
Nor weeping I, with wither'd Arms may bear
My breathless Baucis to the Sepulcher.

The Godheads sign their Suit. They run their Race

In the same Tenor all th' appointed Space; Then, when their Hour was come, while they relate

181

These past Adventures at the Temple-gate, Old Baucis is by old Philemon seen Sprouting with sudden Leaves of spritely Green :

Old Baucis look'd where old Philemon stood,
And saw his lengthen'd Arms a sprouting
Wood:

New Roots their fasten'd Feet begin to bind,
Their Bodies stiffen in a rising Rind:
Then e'er the Bark above their Shoulders
grew,

They give and take at once their last Adieu; At once, Farewell, O faithful Spouse, they said;

At once th' incroaching Rinds their closing Lips invade.

190

Ev'n yet, an ancient Tyanæan shows
A spreading Oak, that near a Linden grows :
The Neighbourhood confirm the Prodigie,
Grave Men, not vain of Tongue, or like to
lie.

I saw my self the Garlands on their Boughs,
And Tablets hung for Gifts of granted Vows;
And off'ring fresher up, with pious Pray'r,
The Good, said I, are God's peculiar Care,
And such as honour Heav'n, shall heav'nly
Honour share.

163 Look] The editors wrongly give Looks

had flown;

But Crete had newer Wonders of her own,
In Iphis chang'd; For near the Gnossian
Bounds,

(As loud Report the Miracle resounds)
At Phastus dwelt a man of honest blood,)
But meanly born, and not so rich as good;
Esteem'd and lov'd by all the Neighbour-
hood:

Who to his Wife, before the time assign'd For Child-Birth came, thus bluntly spoke his mind:

If Heav'n, said Lygdus, will vouchsafe to hear,

10

I have but two Petitions to prefer;
Short Pains for thee, for me a Son and
Heir.

Girls cost as many throws in bringing forth;
Beside, when born, the Titts are little worth:
Weak puling Things, unable to sustain
Their Share of Labour, and their Bread to
gain.

If, therefore, thou a Creature shalt produce, Of so great Charges, and so little Use, (Bear Witness, Heav'n, with what reluctancy)

20

Her hapless Innocence I doom to dye.
He said, and tears the common grief display,
Of him who bade, and her who must obey.
Yet Telethusa still persists, to find
Fit Arguments to move a Father's mind;
T' extend his Wishes to a larger scope,
And in one Vessel not confine his hope.
Lygdus continues hard: her time drew near,
And she her heavy load cou'd scarcely bear;
When slumb'ring, in the latter shades of
Night,

30

Before th' approaches of returning light
She saw, or thought she saw, before her Bed,
A glorious Train, and Isis at their head:
Her Moony Horns were on her Forehead
plac'd,

And yellow Sheaves her shining Temples grac'd:

The Dog and dappl'd Bull were waiting by ;
Osyris, sought along the Banks of Nile;
The silent God; the Sacred Crocodile ;
And, last, a long Procession moving on,
With Timbrels, that assist the lab'ring Moon.
Her slumbers seem'd dispell'd, and, broad
awake,

41

She heard a Voice that thus distinctly spake. My Votary, thy Babe from Death defend, Nor fear to save whate're the Gods will send. Delude withArt thy Husband's dire Decree ;) When danger calls, repose thy trust on me; And know thou hast not serv'd a thankless Deity.

This Promise made; with Night the Goddess fled :

With Joy the Woman wakes, and leaves her Bed:

Devoutly lifts her spotless hands on high; 50 And prays the Pow'rs their Gift to ratifie.

Now grinding pains proceed to bearing throws,

Till its own weight the burden did disclose. 'Twas of the beauteous Kind; and brought

to light

With secresie, to shun the Father's sight. Th' indulgent Mother did her Care employ ; And pass'd it on her Husband for a Boy. The Nurse was conscious of the Fact alone; The Father paid his Vows, as for a Son; And call'd him Iphis, by a common Name, Which either Sex with equal right may claim.

Iphis his Grandsire was: pleas'd,

61 the Wife was

Of half the fraud by Fortune's favour eas'd: The doubtful Name was us'd without deceit And Truth was cover'd with a pious Cheat. The Habit shew'd a Boy, the beauteous Face With manly fierceness mingled Female grace. Now thirteen years of Age were swiftly

Of settling in the World his only Son.

1693.

70/

ller Form alone with Iphis cou'd compare: