Whofe Acts and Fame to foreign Lands were blown; The King of Elfs and little Fairy Queen Gamboll❜d on Heaths, and danc'd on ev'ry Green. G & And where the jolly Troop had led the Round, The Grafs unbidden rofe, and mark'd the Ground: Nor darkling did they dance, the Silver Light7 Of Phæbe serv'd to guide their Steps aright,[Night. And, with their Tripping pleas'd, prolong'd the Her Beams they follow'd, where at full she plaid, Nor longer than the shed her Horns they staid, From thence with airy Flight to Foreign Lands convey'd. Above the rest our Britain held they dear, More folemnly they kept their Sabbaths here, And made more fpacious Rings, and revell'd half the Year. I speak of ancient Times, for now the Swain, Returning late may pass the Woods in vain, And never hope to fee the nightly Train: In vain the Dairy now with Mints is dress'd, The Dairy-Maid expects no Fairy Guest, To skim the Bowls, and after pay the Feast. She fighs and shakes her empty Shoes in vain, No Silver Penny to reward her Pain: For Priests with Pray'rs, and other godly Geer, It so befel in this King Arthur's Reign, A lufty Knight was pricking o'er the Plain; A Batchelor he was, and of the courtly Train.. In Ruffet-Robes to Market took her Way; And they not bad, but in a vicious Age, Had not to please the Prince debauch'd the Stage. Now what fhou'd Arthur do? Helov'd theKnight, But Sovereign Monarchs are the Source of Right: Mov'd by the Damfel's Tears and common Cry, He doom'd the brutal Ravisher to die. But fair Geneura rofe in his Defence, And pray'd fo hard for Mercy from the Prince; That to his Queen the King th' Offender gave, And left it in her Pow'r to Kill or Save: This gracious A&t the Ladies all approve, Who thought it much a Man fhou'd die for Love. And with their Mistress join'd in close Debate, (Covering theirKindness with diffembled Hate;) If not to free him, to prolong his Fate. At last agreed they call'd him by confent Before the Queen and Female Parliament. And the fair Speaker rifing from her Chair, Did thus the Judgment of the House declare: Sir Knight, tho' I have ask'd thy Life, yet still Thy Destiny depends upon my Will: Nor haft thou other Surety than the Grace Not due to thee from our offended Race. But as our Kind is of a fofter Mold, And cannot Blood without a Sigh behold, |