1 Bafe fugitives, to that afylum fly. Finds nothing harsh or out of order there. This ancient Rome, and elder Athens found, B By By fecret influence of indulgent fkies, True poets are the guardians of the flate, Of many faults rhyme is perhaps the cause ; Subdued, undone, they did at laft obey, As bards began, fo monks rung on the chimes. But now that Phoebus and the facred Nine With all their beams on our blest island shine, Why fhould not we their ancient rites reftore, And be what Rome or Athens were before ? * Have forgot how Raphael's numerous profe • Led our exalted fouls thro' heavenly camps, And mark'd the ground where proud apoftate thrones Defied Jehovah! here, 'twixt hoft and hoft, (A narrow, but a dreadful interval) • Por An Effay on Blank Verfe, out of Paradife Loft, B. VI. • Portentous fight! before the cloudy van Satan with vaft and haughty ftrides advanc'd, ⚫ Came tow'ring arm'd in adamant and gold. • There bellowing engines, with their fiery tubes,. 6 Difpers'd æthereal forms, and down they fell By thousands, angels on archangels roli'd ; • Recover'd to the hills they ran, they flew, Which (with their ponderous load, rocks, waters, • woods), ! • From their firm feats torn by the fhaggy tops, They bore like shields before them through the air, Til more incens'd they hurl'd them at their foes, All was confufion, heaven's foundation fhook, • Threat'ning no lefs than univerfal wreck ; For Michael's arm main promontories flung, • And over-prefs'd whole legions weak with fin: Yet they blafphem'd and ftruggled as they lay, • Till the great enfign of Meffiah blaz'd, And (arm'd with vengeance) God's victorious Sen (Effulgence of paternal deity !) Grafping ten thousand thunders in his hand, And fing loud pæans through the crowded w ay, Which none know better, and none come fo near. THENCE paffing forth, they fhortly do arrive Whereas the Bower of Blifs was fituate; A place pick'd out by choice of beft alive, That nature's work by art can imitate ; In which whatever in this wordly flate Is fweet and pleafing unto living fenfe, Or that may daintieft fanta fie aggrate, Was poured forth with plentiful difpenfe, And made there to abound with lavifh affluence, Goodly it was enclofed round about, As well their enter'd guefts to keep within, As thofe unruly beafts to hold without; Yet was the fence thereof but weak and thin: Nought fear'd their force that fortilage to win, But wifdom's powre and temperance's might, By which the mightieft things efforced bin : And eke the gate was wrought of fubftance light, Rather for pleasure than for battery or fight. It framed was of pretious yvory, That feem'd a work of admirable wit; And therein all the famous hiftorie Of Jafon and Medea was ywrit; Her Her mighty charmes, her furious loving fit, His goodly conqueft of the golden fleece, His falfed faith, and love to lightly flit, The wondred Argo, which invent'rous peece Firit thro' the Euxian feas bore all the flow'r of Greece. Ye might have feen the frothy billowes fry Under the fhip, as thorough them she went, That feemed waves were into yvory, Or yvory into the waves were fent, And other where the fhowy fubftance fprent, And otherwhiles with gold besprinkeled, It feem'd th' enchanted flame which did Creufa wed. All this and more might in this goodly gate Be read; that ever open flood to all Which thither came; but in the porch there fate A comely perfonage of stature tall, And femblance pleasing more than natural, The foe of life, that good envies to all, |