VII.

Thence foe profefs'd of Falfhood and Deceit,
Thofe fly artificers of tyranny,

* Aye holding up before uncertain feet
His faithful light to Knowledge, Liberty,
Mankind he led, to civil policy,
And mild Religion's charitable law;
That, fram'd by Mercy and Benignity
The perfecuting fword forbids to draw,
And free-created fouls with penal terrours awe.

VIII.

+ Ne with the glorious gifts elate and vain
Lock'd he his wisdom up in churlish pride;
But, ftooping from his height, would even deign
The feeble steps of Infancy to guide.

Eternal glory him therefore betide,

Let every generous youth his praise proclaim; Who, wandering through the world's rude foreft wide,

By him hath been y-taught his courfe to frame To Virtue's fweet abodes, and heaven-afpiring Fame!

IX.

For this the Fairy Knight with anxious thought,
And fond paternal care, his counsel pray'd;
And him of gentleft courtesy befought

His guidance to vouchfafe and friendly aid ;

The

* Aye, ever.

† Ne, nor.

The while his tender offspring he convey'd, Through devious paths to that fecure retreat; Where fage Pædîa, with each tuneful maid, On a wide mount had fix'd her rural feat, "Mid flowery gardens plac'd, untrod by vulgar feet.

X.

And now forth-pacing with his blooming heir,
And that fame virtuous palmer them to guide;
Arin'd all to point, and on a courfer fair
Y-mounted high, in military pride,

His little train before he flow did ride.
Him eke behind a gentle squire * enfues,
With his young lord aye marching fide by fide,
His counsellour and guard, in goodly † thews,
Who well had been brought up, and nurs'd by every

Mufe.

XI.

Thus as their pleafing journey they purfued, With chearful argument beguiling pain : Ere long defcending from an hill they view'd Beneath their eyes out-ftretch'd a fpacious plain. That fruitful fhew'd, and apt for every grain, For paftures, vines, and flowers; while Nature fair Sweet-fmiling all around with countenance fain Seem'd to demand the tiller's art and care, Her wildness to correct, her lavish waste repair.

XII. Right

* Enfues, follows. † Thews, manners. Fain, earnest, eager.

XII.

Right good, I ween, and bounteous was the foil,
Aye wont in happy season to repay

With tenfold ufury the peasant's toil.
But now 'twas ruin all, and wild decay;
Untill'd the garden and the fallow lay,

The sheep fhorne down with barren * brakes o'er

grown

The whiles the merry peasants fport and play,
All as the public evil were unknown,

Or every public care from every breast was flown.

XIII.

Aftonish'd at a fcene at once fo fair And fo deform'd; with wonder and delight At man's neglect, and Nature's bounty rare, In ftudious thought a while the Fairy Knight Bent on that goodly lond his eager fight: Then forward rush'd, impatient to defcry What towns and castles there-in were § empight; For towns him feem'd, and caftles he did spy, As to th' horizon round he stretch'd his roaming eye.

XIV.

Nor long way had they travell`d, ere they came To a wide ftream, that with tumultuous roar Amongst rude rocks its winding course did frame. Black was the wave and fordid, cover'd o'er

With

*Brakes, briars.
Empight, placed.

+ Lond, land,

With angry foam, and ftain'd with infants' gore.
Thereto along th unlovely margin stood

A birchen grove that, waving from the shore,
Aye caft upon the tide its falling bud,

And with its bitter juice empoifon'd all the flood.

XV.

Right in the centre of the vale empight,
Not diftant far a forked mountain rofe;
In outward form prefenting to the fight
That fam'd Parnaffian hill, on whose fair brows
The Nine Aonian Sifters wont repofe ;

Liftening to fweet Caftalia's founding ftream,
Which through the plains of Cirrha murmuring flows,
But this to that compar'd mote justly seem
Ne fitting haunt for gods, ne worthy man's esteem.

XVI.

For this nor founded deep, nor fpredden wide,
Nor high up-rais'd above the level plain,
By toiling art through tedious years applied,
From various parts compil'd with studious pain,
Was erft up-thrown; if so it mote attain,
Like that poetic mountain, to be thight
The noble feat of Learning's goodly train.
Thereto, the more to captivate the fight,
It like a garden fair moft curiously was dight.

XVII.

In figur'd plots with leafy walls inclos'd,
By measure and by rule it was out-lay'd;"
With fymmetry fo regular difpos'd,

That plot to plot ftill anfwer'd, fhade to fhade;
Each correspondent twain alike array'd

With like embellishments of plants and flowers,
Of statues, vafes, fpouting founts, that play'd
Through fhells of Tritons their afcending fhowers,
And labyrinths involv'd, and trelice-woven bowers.

XVIII.

There likewife mote be feen on every fide The yew obedient to the planter's will, And shapely box of all their branching pride Ungently fhorne, and with prepofterous skill To various beafts and birds of fundry quill Transform'd, and human shapes of monftrous fize; Huge as that giant-race, who, hill on hill High-heaping, fought with impious vain emprize, Despite of thundering Jove, to fcale the steepy skies.

XIX.

*

Alfe other wonders of the sportive shears
Fair Nature mif-adorning there were found:
Globes, fpiral columns, pyramids and piers
With sprouting urns and budding statues crown'd;

And

* Emprize, enterprize, attempt..

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