proach. He rode among the enemy's ranks, and bore down all before him. Say, goddefs, whom he flew firft, and whom he flew laft. First, Gondibert + advanced against him, clad in heavy armour, and mounted on a ftaid fober gelding, not fo famed for his fpeed, as his docility in kneeling, whenever his rider. would mount or alight. He had made a vow to Pallas, that he would never leave the field, till he had spoiled Homer of his armour‡; madman! who had never once Seen the wearer, nor understood his ftrength. Him Homer overthrew, horfe and man, to the ground; there to be trampled and choked in the dirt. Then, with a long fpear, he flew Denham, a ftout modern; who, from his father's fide, derived his lineage from Apollo, but his mother was of mortal race ||. He fell, and bit the earth. The celestial part Apollo took,. and made it a star; but the terrestrial lay wallowing upon the ground. Then Homer flew Wesley & with a kick of his horfe's heel. He took Perrault by mighty force out of his faddle, then hurled him at Fontenelle, with the fame blow dashing

out both their brains.

On the left wing of the horfe, Virgil appeared in fhining armour, compleatly fitted to his body. He was mounted on a dapple grey fteed; the flownefs of whofe pace was an effect of the highest mettle and vigour. He caft his eye on the adverse wing, with a defire to find an object worthy of his valour; when, behold, upon a forrel gelding of a monftrous fize, appeared a foe iffuing from among the thickeft of the enemy's fquadrons: but his fpeed was lefs than his noife; for his horfe, old and lean, fpent the dregs of his ftrength in a high trot; which, tho' it made flow advances, yet caufed a loud clashing of his armour, terrible to hear. The two cavaliers had now approached within a throw of a lance; when the ftranger

P 3

+ An heroie poem by Sir William Davenant, in ftanza's of four lines.

Vid. Homer.

Sir John Denham's poems are very unequal, extremely good, and very indifferent; fo that his detractors faid, he was not the real author of Cooper's Hill.

§ Mr. Welley, who wrote the Life of Chrift in verfe, &o.

fhe vanifhed in a mift; and the hero
goddess his mother.
THE deftined hour of fate being
began; whereof, before I dar
particular defcription, I muft
authors, petition for a b
and hands, and pens
perform fo immenfe
fideft over history.
field of battle.
obferving G
with a mi
upon hi
the f

Med up the

zard of his

4; which, afarted, as one pofLe renowned Dry

for

ntment together : arge for the head; which moufe under a canopy of state, inder part, even like the La

e beau from within the pent-house of a

and the voice was fuited to the vifage,

weak and remote. Dryden, in a long harangue, be good antient, called him father; and, by nearly related. Then he humbly propoage deduction of genealogies, made it plainly appear, Exchange of armour, as a lafting mark of hofpi

that they were

Dipidence came

tality between them, Virgil confented (for the goddess other's but of rufty iron. However, this glittering arthe' his was of gold, and cost a hundred beeves +, the

unfeen, and caft a mift before his eyes)

mour

Then

became the modern yet worfe than his own. they agreed to exchange horfes; but, when it came to the trial, Dryden was afraid, and utterly unable to

mount.

*

Alter hiatus

in MS.

Lucan appeared

upon a fiery horfe, of admirable fhape, but head-ftrong, bearing the rider where he lift, over the field. He made a mighty flaughter among the enemy's horfe; which destruction to ftop, Blckm-re, a famous modern, (but one of the mercenaries) ftrenuously oppofed himself; and darted a javelin, with a ftrong hand, which, falling fhort of its mark, ftruck deep in the earth. Then Lucan threw a lance; but Æfculapius came unfeen, and turned off the point. "Brave modern (faid Lucan) I perceive "fome god protects you; for never did my arm fo de"ceive me before. But what mortal can contend with "a god? Therefore let us fight no longer, but prefent

Vid. Homer.

*"gifts

† His skill as a physician attoned for his dulness as a poet.

. to each other."

Lucan then bestowed the modern

of purs, and Bl—ckm-re gave Lucan a bridle.

THE BOOKS

At the goddefs Dulness took a cloud, formed fhape of Horace, armed and mounted, and

d it in a flying posture before him. Glad was the cavalier to begin a combat with a flying foe, and purfued the image, threatening loud; till at last it led him to the peaceful bower of his father Ogilby; by whom he was difarmed, and affigned to his repofe.

THEN Pindar flew, and

and Oldham, and and Afra‡the Amazon, light of foot; never advancing in a direct line, but wheeling with incredible agility and force, he made a terrible flaughter among the enemy's light-horse. Him when Cowley obferved, his generous heart burnt within him, and he advanced against the fierce antient, imitating his addrefs, and pace, and career, as well as the vigour of his horfe, and his own skill, would allow. When the two cavaliers had approached within the length of three javelins, first Cowley threw a lance; which miffed Pindar, and paffing into the enemy's ranks, fell ineffectual to the ground. Then Pindar darted a javelin, fo large and weighty, that scarce a dozen cavaliers, as cavaliers are in our degenerate days, could raise it from the ground; yet he threw it with ease, and it went by an unerring hand finging thro' the air; nor could the modern have avoided prefent death, if he had not luckily oppofed the fhield that had been given him by Venus ||. And now both heroes drew their fwords. But the modern was fo aghaft and difordered, that he knew not where he was; his fhield dropt from his hands; thrice he fled, and thrice he could not efcape. At laft he turned, and, lifting up his hands in the pofture of a fuppliant, Godlike Pindar (faid he) fpare my "life, and poffefs my horfe with thefe arms, befides the "ranfom

Mrs. Afra Behn, author of many plays, novels, and poems.
His poem called the Mistress.

ftranger defired a parley, and lifting up the vizard of his helmet, a face hardly appeared from within; which, after a paufe, was known for that of the renowned Dryden. The brave antient fuddenly ftarted, as one poffeffed with furprife and disappointment together: for the helmet was nine times too large for the head; which appeared fituate far in the hinder part, even like the Lady in a lobster, or like a mouse under a canopy of state, or like a fhrivelled beau from within the pent-house of a modern periwig: and the voice was fuited to the visage, founding weak and remote. Dryden, in a long harangue, foothed up the good antient, called him father; and, by a large deduction of genealogies, made it plainly appear, that they were nearly related. Then he humbly propofed an exchange of armour, as a lafting mark of hofpitality between them, Virgil confented (for the goddefs Diffidence came unfeen, and caft a mift before his eyes) the' his was of gold, and cost a hundred beeves †, the other's but of rufty iron. However, this glittering armour became the modern yet worfe than his own. they agreed to exchange horfes; but, when it came to the trial, Dryden was afraid, and utterly unable to

Then

Lucan appeared

upon a fiery horfe, of admirable fhape, but head-ftrong, bearing the rider where he lift, over the field. He made a mighty flaughter among the enemy's horfe; which deftruction to ftop, Bl-ckm-re, a famous modern, (but one of the mercenaries) ftrenuously oppofed himself; and darted a javelin, with a ftrong hand, which, falling fhort of its mark, ftruck deep in the earth. Then Lucan threw a lance; but Æfculapius came unfeen, and turned off the point." Brave modern (faid Lucan) I perceive "fome god protects you; for never did my arm fo de"ceive me before. But what mortal can contend with a god? Therefore let us fight no longer, but prefent

66

Vid. Homer.

""gifts

† His skill as a physician attoned for bis dulness as a poet.

gifts to each other." Lucan then bestowed the modern a pair of purs, and Bl-ckm-re gave Luçan a bridle.

68

*

Pauca defunt.

:

Creech but the goddefs Dulness took a cloud, formed into the shape of Horace, armed and mounted, and placed it in a flying posture before him. Glad was the cavalier to begin a combat with a flying foe, and pursued the image, threatening loud; till at last it led him to the peaceful bower of his father Ogilby; by whom he was difarmed, and affigned to his repofe.

THEN Pindar flew

and

and Oldham, and and Afra‡the Amazon, light of foot; never advancing in a direct line, but wheeling with incredible agility and force, he made a terrible flaughter among the enemy's light-horfe. Him when Cowley obferved, his generous heart burnt within him, and he advanced against the fierce antient, iritating his addrefs, and pace, and career, as well as the vigour of his horfe, and his own skill, would allow. When the two cavaliers had approached within the length of three javelins, first Cowley threw a lance; which miffed Pindar, and paffing into the enemy's ranks, fell ineffectual to the ground. Then Pindar darted a javelin, fo large and weighty, that scarce a dozen cavaliers, as cavaliers are in our degenerate days, could raise it from the ground; yet he threw it with ease, and it went by an unerring hand finging thro' the air; nor could the modern have avoided prefent death, if he had not luckily oppofed the shield that had been given him by Venus ||. And now both heroes drew their fwords. But the modern was fo aghaft and difordered, that he knew not where he was; his fhield dropt from his hands; thrice he fled, and thrice he could not efcape. At laft he turned, and, lifting up his hands in the posture of a fuppliant, Godlike Pindar (faid he) fpare my “life, and possess my horfe with thefe arms, befides the "ranfom

Mrs. Afra Behn, author of many plays, novels, and poems.
His poem called the Mistress.