Time shall accomplish that; and I shall see A Palamon in him, in You an Emily. Already have the Fates your Path prepar'd, 40 And sure Presage your future Sway declar'd: When Westward, like the Sun, you took your Way, And from benighted Britain bore the Day, Blue Triton gave the Signal from the Shore, The ready Nereids heard, and swam before To smooth the Seas; a soft Etesian Gale But just inspir'd, and gently swell'd the Sail; Portunus took his Turn, whose ample Hand) Heav'd up the lighten'd Keel, and sunk the Sand, 49 And steer'd the sacred Vessel safe to Land.) The Land, if not restrain'd, had met Your Way, Projected out a Neck, and jutted to the Sea. His Father and his Grandsire known to Aw'd by that House, accustom'd to com- The sturdy Kerns in due subjection stand, At Your Approach, they crowded to the 60 And scarcely Landed, You create a Court: As Ormond's Harbinger, to You they run, For Venus is the Promise of the Sun. The Waste of Civil Wars, their Towns destroy'd, Pales unhonour'd, Ceres unemploy'd, Were all forgot; and one Triumphant Day Wipd all the Tears of three Campaigns away. Blood, Rapines, Massacres, were cheaply bought, 68 Somighty Recompense Your Beauty brought. As when the Dove returning bore the Mark Of Earth restor'd to the long-lab'ring Ark, The Relicks of Mankind, secure of Rest, Op'd every Window to receive the Guest, And the fair Bearer of the Message bless'd ;) So, when You came,with loud repeated Cries,) The Nation took an Omen from your Eyes, And God advanc'd his Rainbow in the Skies, To sign inviolable Peace restor❜d; The Saints with solemn Shouts proclaim'd the new accord. Nor dare we trust so soft a Messenger, New from her Sickness, to that Northern Air; Rest here a while, Your Lustre to restore, That they may see You, as You shone before; For yet, th' Eclipse not wholly past, You wade Thro' some Remains and Dimness of a Shade. A Subject in his Prince may claim a Right, Nor suffer him with Strength impair'd to fight; Till Force returns, his Ardour we restrain, And curb his Warlike Wish to cross the Main. Now past the Danger, let the Learn'd begin III Th' Enquiry, where Disease could enter in ; How those malignant Atoms forc'd their Way, What in the Faultless Frame they found to make their Prey? Where ev'ry Element was weigh'd so well, That Heav'n alone, who mix'd the Mass, could tell Which of the Four Ingredients could rebel;) And where, imprison'd in so sweet a Cage, A Soul might well be pleas'd to pass an Age. And yet the fine Materials made it weak ; Porcelain by being Pure, is apt to break. 121 Ev'n to Your Breast the Sickness durst aspire, And forc'd from that fair Temple to retire, When the fierce Flames the Sanctuary burn'd, Your Angel sure our Morley's Mind in- To find the Remedy Your Ill requir'd; As scarce it could afford to Flesh and So lik'd the Frame, he would not work anew, To save the Charges of another You. Or by his middle Science did he steer, And saw some great contingent Good appear, 140 Well worth a Miracle to keep You here, And for that End preserv'd the precious Mould, Which all the Future Ormonds was to hold; unite 151 The diff'ring Titles of the Red and White; Who Heav'ns alternate Beauty well display, The Blush of Morning, and the Milky Way; Whose Face is Paradise, but fenc'd from Sin: For God in either Eye has placed a Cherubin. All is Your Lord's alone; ev'n absent, He Employs the Care of Chast Penelope. For him You waste in Tears Your Widow'd Hours, For him Your curious Needle paints the Flow'rs; 160 Such Works of Old Imperial Dames were taught, Such for Ascanius, fair Elisa wrought. The soft Recesses of Your Hours improve The Three fair Pledges of Your Happy Love: All other Parts of Pious Duty done, You owe Your Ormond nothing but a son, To fill in future Times his Father's Place, And wear the Garter of his Mother's Race, 145 who] Derrick and editors till Christie wrongly give which IN Days of old, there liv'd, of mighty Fame He brought in Triumph back the beauteous With whom her Sister, fair Emilia, came. 10 With Honour to his Home let Theseus ride,) With Love to Friend, and Fortune for his Guide, And his victorious Army at his Side. I pass their warlike Pomp, their proud Array, Their Shouts, their Songs, their Welcome on the Way: But, were it not too long, I would recite The Field is spacious I design to sow, And trivial Accidents shall be forborn, As was at first enjoin'd us by mine Host: That he whose Tale is best, and pleases most, } Should win his Supper at our common Cost. 41 By Two and Two across the common Way: At his Approach they rais'd a rueful Cry, And beat their Breasts, and held their Hands on high, Creeping and crying, till they seiz'd at last His Coursers Bridle and his Feet embrac'd. Tell me, said Theseus, what and whence you are, And why this Funeral Pageant you prepare ? Is this the Welcome of my worthy Deeds, 49 To meet my Triumph in Ill-omen'd Weeds? Or envy you my Praise, and would destroy With Grief my Pleasures, and pollute my Joy? Or are you injur'd, and demand Relief? Name your Request, and I will ease your Grief. We wretched Women sue for that alone, For none of us, who now thy Grace implore, But held the Rank of Sovereign Queen before; Till, thanks to giddy Chance, which never bears That Mortal Bliss should last for length of She cast us headlong from our high Estate,¦ Relieve th' Oppressed, and wipe the Widows I, wretched I, have other Fortune seen, But Creon, old and impious, who commands Unburn'd, unbury'd, on a Heap they lie ; Such is their Fate, and such his Tyranny; No Friend has leave to bear away the Dead, But with their Lifeless Limbs his Hounds are fed. At this she shriek'd aloud, the mournful Train Echo'd her Grief, and grov❜ling on the Plain, 56 sounded] i, e. swoon'd The form is genuine and was used by Goldsmith. Many editors wrongly give swooned and Christie gives swounded 89 shriek'd] skriek'd 1700. And what e'er else to Chivalry belongs, That Greece should see perform'd what he declar'd, And cruel Creon find his just Reward. III And all the Godhead seem'd to glow with Fire; Ev'n the Ground glitter'd where the Standard flew, And the green Grass was dy'd to sanguine Hue. High on his pointed Lance his Pennon bore And in that Victory, their own presage. And saw the City with returning Light. How to the Ladies he restor❜d again 103 he] de 1700: a misprint. And with what ancient Rites they were interr'd; All these to fitter time shall be deferr'd: 130 I spare the Widows Tears, their woful Cries, And Howling at their Husbands Obsequies; How Theseus at these Fun'rals did assist, And with what Gifts the mourning Dames dismiss'd. Thus when the Victor Chief had Creon slain, And conquer'd Thebes, he pitch'd upon the Plain His mighty Camp, and when the return'd, Day The Country wasted and the Hamlets burn'd; And left the Pillagers, to Rapine bred, Without Controul to strip and spoil the Dead. 140 There, in a Heap of Slain, among the rest Two youthful Knights they found beneath a Load oppress'd Of slaughter'd Foes, whom first to Death they sent, The Trophies of their Strength, a bloody Monument. Both fair, and both of Royal Blood they seem'd, Whom Kinsmen to the Crown the Heralds deem'd ; That Day in equal Arms they fought for Fame; Their Swords, their Shields, their Surcoats were the same. Close by each other laid they press'd the Ground, Their manly Bosoms pierc'd with many a griesly Wound; 150 Nor well alive nor wholly dead they were, But some faint Signs of feeble Life appear: The wandring Breath was on the Wing to part, Weak was the Pulse, and hardly heav'd the Heart. These two were Sisters Sons; and Arcite one, Much fam'd in Fields, with valiant Palamon. From These their costly Arms the Spoilers rent, And softly both convey'd to Theseus Tent: Whom, known of Creon's Line and cur'd with Care, 159 He to his City sent as Pris'ners of the War, Hopeless of Ransom, and condemn'd to lie In Durance, doom'd a lingring Death to die. This done,he march'd away with warlike Sound, And to his Athens turn'd with Laurels crown'd, Where happy long he liv'd, much lov'd, and more renown'd. But in a Tow'r, and never to be loos'd. Till once ('twas on the Morn of chearful May) new, (For with the rosie Colour strove her Hue) Wak'd, as her Custom was, before the Day, To do th' Observance due to sprightly May: For sprightly May commands our Youth to keep The Vigils of her Night, and breaks their sluggard Sleep: Each gentle Breast with kindly Warmth she moves; Inspires new Flames, revives extinguish'd Loves. 180 In this Remembrance Emily e'er day Adown her Shoulders fell her Length of A Ribband did the braided Tresses bind, Aurora had but newly chas'd the Night, 190 At ev'ry Turn she made a little Stand, And thrust among the Thorns her Lilly hand To draw the Rose; and ev'ry Rose she drew, She shook the Stalk, and brush'd away the |