But swell’d to larger size, the more I gaz'd, 260
Till to the roof her towering front she rais'd.
With her, the Temple every moment grew,
And ampler Vistas open'd to

my

view :
Upward the columns shoot, the roofs ascend,
And arches widen, and long aisles extend. 265
Such was her form, as ancient bards have told,
Wings raise her arms, and wings her feet infold;
A thousand busy tongues the Goddess bears,
And thousand open eyes, and thousand listening ears.
Beneath, in order rang'd, the tuneful Nine

270
(Her virgin handmaids) still attend the shrine:
With eyes on Fame for ever fix'd, they sing;
For Fame they raise the voice, and tune the string;
With time's first birth began the heavenly lays,
And last, eternal, through the length of days. 275

Around these wonders as I cast a look,
The trumpet founded, and the temple shook,

And

IMITATIONS.

Her felfe tho wonderly straight,
That with her feet she the earth right,

And with her head she touchyd heaven-
Ver. 270. Beneath in order rang'd, &c.]

I heard about her throne y-sung
That all the palays walls rung,
So sung the mighty Muse, she
That cleped is Calliope,

And her seven sisters eke-
Ver. 276. Around these wonders, &c.]

Í heard a noise approachen blive,
That far'd as bees done in a hive,

a

And all the nations, summon'd at the call,
From different quarters fill the crouded hall :
Of various tongues the mingled sounds were heard ;
In various garbs promiscuous throngs appear’d;
Thick as the bees, that with the Spring renew
Their flowery toils, and sip the fragrant dew,
When the wing'd colonies first tempt the sky,
O'er dusky fields and shaded waters fly,

285
Or, settling, seize the sweets the blossoms yield,
And a low murmur runs along the field.
Millions of suppliant crouds the fhrine attend,
And all degrees before the Goddess bend ;
The poor, the rich, the valiant, and the fage, 290
And boasting youth, and narrative old age.
Their pleas were different, their request the same :
For good and bad alike are fond of Fame.
Some she disgrac'd, and some with honours crown'd;
Unlike successes equal merits found.

295

Thus
IMITATIONS.
Against her time of out-flying,
Right such a 'manere murmuring,
For all the world it seemed me,
Tho
gan

I look about and see
That there came entering into th' hall,
A right great company withal ;
And that of sundry regions,

Of all kind of conditions, &c.-
Ver. 294. Some she disgrac'd, &c.]

And some of them she granted fone,
And some she warned well and fair,
And some the granted the contrair-
Right as her filter dame Fortune
Is wont to serve in commune.

.

1

Thus her blind sister, fickle Fortune, reigns,
And undiscerning scatters crowns and chains.

First at the hrine the Learned world appear,
And to the Goddess thus prefer their prayer.
Long have we sought t' instruct and please mankind,
With studies pale, with midnight vigils blind;
But thank'd by few, rewarded yet by none,
We here appeal to thy superior throne :
On wit and learning the just prize bestow,
For Fame is all we must expect below.

305 The Goddess heard, and bade the Muses raise The golden Trumpet of eternal Praise : From pole to pole the winds diffuse the found, That fills the circuit of the world around; Not all at once, as thunder breaks the cloud; 310 The notes at first were rather sweet than loud: By just degrees they every moment rise, Fill the wide earth, and gain upon the skies. At every breath were balmy odours shed, Which still grew sweeter, as they wider spread; 315 Less fragrant scents th’ unfolding rose exhales, Or spices breathing in Arabian gales.

Next these the good and just, an awful train, Thus on their knees address the sacred fane.

Since
IMITATION.
Ver. 318. The good and just, &c.]

Tho came the third companye,
And gan up to the dees to hye,
And down on knees they fell anone,
And faiden: We been everichone
Folke that han full truely
Deserved Fame right-fully,

Since living virtue is with envy cursid,

323 And the best men are treated like the worst, Do thou, just Goddess, call our merits forth, And give each deed th' exact intrinsic worth. Not with bare justice shall your act be crown'd, (Said Fame) but high above desert renown'd: 325 Let fuller notes th' applauding world amaze, And the loud clarion labour in your praise.

This band dismiss’d, behold another croud Prefer'd the same request, and lowly bow'd ; The constant tenour of whose well-spent days 330 No less deserv'd a just return of praise. But straight the direful Trump of Slander sounds; Through the big dome the doubling thunder bounds;

Loud

IMITATIONS.
And prayen you it might be knowe
Right as it is, and forth blowe.

I grant, quoth she, for now we lift
That

your good works shall be wilt.
And yet ye shall have better loos,
Right in despite of all your foos,
Than worthy is, and that anone.
Let now (quoth she) thy trump gone
And certes all the breath that went
Out of his trump's mouth smeld
As men a pot of baume held

Among a basket full of roses.-
Ver. 328. 338. behold another croud, &c.-

From the black trumpet's rusty, &c.]
Therewithal there came anone
Another huge companye
Of good folke-
What did this Eolus, but he

345

5

Loud as the burst of cannon rends the skies,
The dire report through every region flies,

335
In every ear incessant rumours rung,
And gathering scandals grew on every tongue.
From the black trumpet's rusty concave broke
Sulphureous flames, and clouds of rolling smoke:
The poisonous vapour blots the purple skies, 340
And withers all before it as it flies.

A troop came next, who crowns and armour wore,
And proud defiance in their looks they bore :
For thee (they cry'd) amidst alarms and strife,
We fail'd in tempests down the stream of life;
For thee whole nations fill'd with flames and blood,
And swam to empire through the purple flood.
Those ills we dar'd, thy inspiration own ;
What virtue feem'd, was done for thee alone.
Ambitious fools! (the Queen reply'd, and frown'd)
Be all your acts in dark oblivion drown’d;
There sleep forgot, with mighty tyrants gone,
Your statues moulder'd, and your names unknown!
A sudden cloud straight snatch'd them from my fight,
And each majestic phantom sunk in night. 355

Then
IMITATION.
Took out his trump of brass,
That fouler than the devil was :
And gan his trump for to blowe,
As all the world should overthrowe.
Throughout every regione
Went this foul trumpet's soune,
Swift as a pellet out of a gunne,
When fire is in the powder runne.
And such a smoke gan out wende,
Out of the foul trumpet's ende-&c.