The form of Mars high on a chariot stood,
All fheath'd in arms, and gruffly look'd the God:
Two geomantic figures were difplay'd

Above his head, a warrior and a maid;
One when direct, and one when retrograde.
Tir'd with deformities of death, I haste
To the third temple of Diana chafte.

A fylvan fcene with various greens was drawn,
Shades on the fides, and on the midft a lawn:
The filver Cynthia, with her nymphs around,
Purfued the flying deer, the woods with horns refound;

-Califto there ftood manifeft of shame,

And, turn'd a bear, the northern ftar became :

Her fon was next, and by peculiar grace

In the cold circle held the fecond place:

The stag Acteon in the ftream had spy'd
The naked huntress, and, for feeing, dy'd:
His hounds, unknowing of his change, purfue
The chace, and their mistaken mafter flew.
Peneian Daphne too was there to see,
Apollo's love before, and now his tree:

Th' adjoining fane th' affembled Greeks exprefs'd,
And hunting of the Caledonian beast.
Oenides' valour, and his envy'd prize;
The fatal power of Atalanta's eyes;
Diana's vengeance on the victor shown,
The murdrefs mother; and confuming fon;
The Volfcian queen extended on the plain;
The treafon punish'd, and the traitor flain.

VOL. III.

H

The

The reft were various huntings, well defign'd,
And favage beasts destroy'd, of every kind.
The graceful goddess was array'd in green ;
About her feet were little beagles feen,

That watch'd with upward eyes the motions of their

queen.

Her legs were buskin'd, and the left before

In act to fhoot, a filver bow fhe bore,
And at her back a painted quiver wore.

;

She trod a wexing moon, that foon would wane,
And drinking borrow'd light, be fill'd again :
With downcaft eyes, as seeming to furvey
The dark dominions, her alternate fway.
Before her ftood a woman in her throes,
And call'd Lucina's aid, her burden to disclose.
All these the painter drew with fuch command,
That Nature fnatch'd the pencil from his hand,
Afham'd and angry that his art could feign
And mend the tortures of a mother's pain.
Thefeus beheld the fanes of every God,
And thought his mighty cost was well bestow'd.
So princes now their poets should regard;

But few can write, and fewer can reward.

}

!

We leave the monarch pleas'd, and hafte to bring
The knights to combat; and their arms to fing.

PALA

PALAMON AND ARCITE:

T

OR, THE KNIGHT's TALE.

BOOK III.

HE day approach'd when Fortune fhould decide Th' important enterprize, and give the bride; For now, the rivals round the world had sought, And each his rival, well appointed, brought. The nations, far and near, contend in choice, And fend the flower of war by public voice; That after, or before, were never known Such chiefs, as each an army feem'd alone: Befide the champions: all of high degree, Who knighthood lov'd, and deeds of chivalry, Throng'd to the lifts, and envy'd to behold The names of others, not their own, enroll'd. Nor feems it ftrange; for every noble knight Who loves the fair, and is endued with might, In fuch a quarrel would be proud to fight. There breathes not scarce a man on British ground (An ifle for love and arms of old renown'd) But would have fold his life to purchase fame, To Palamon or Arcite fent his name:

And had the land felected of the beft,

Half had come hence, and let the world provide the rest. A hundred knights with Palamon there came,

Approv'd in fight, and men of mighty name;

H 2

Their

Their arms were feveral, as their nations were,
But furnish'd all alike with fword and fpear.
Some wore coat armour, imitating scale;

And next their fkins were ftubborn fhirts of mail.
Some wore a breast-plate and a light juppon,
Their horfes cloth'd with rich caparifor:

Some for defence would leathern bucklers use,
Of folded hides; and others fhields of pruce.
One hung a pole-axe at his faddle-bow,
And one a heavy mace to fhun the foe;
One for his legs and knees provided well,
With jambeux arm'd, and double plates of fteel:
This on his helmet wore a lady's glove,
And that a fleeve embroider'd by his love.
With Palamon above the reft in place,
Lycurgus came, the furly king of Thrace;
Black was his beard, and manly was his face ;
The balls of his broad eyes roll'd in his head,
And glar'd betwixt a yellow and a red :
He look'd a lion with a gloomy flare,

And o'er his eye-brows hung his matted hair:
Big-bon'd, and large of limbs, with finews ftrong,
Broad-shoulder'd, and his arms were round and long.
Four milk-white bulls (the Thracian use of old)
Were yok'd to draw his car of burnish'd gold.
Upright he food, and bore aloft his fhield,
Confpicuous from afar, and overlook'd the field.
His furcoat was a bear-fkin on his back;

His hair hung long behind, and gloffy raven black.

His ample forehead bore a coronet

With fparkling diamonds and with rubies fet:
Ten brace, and more, of greyhounds, fnowy fair,
And tall as ftags, ran loofe, and cours'd around his
chair,

A match for pards in flight, in grappling for the bear:
With golden muzzles all their mouths were bound,
And collars of the fame their necks furround.
Thus through the fields Lycurgus took his way;
His hundred knights attend in pomp and proud array.
To match this monarch, with ftrong Arcite came
Emetrius king of Inde, a mighty name,
On a bay courser, goodly to behold

The trappings of his horfe adorn'd with barbarous gold.
Not Mars beftrode a fteed with greater grace;
His furcoat o'er his arms was cloth of Thrace,
Adorn'd with pearls, all orient, round, and great ;
His faddle vras of gold, with emeralds fet.

His fhoulders large a mantle did attire,

With rubies thick, and sparkling as the fire:
His amber-colour'd locks in ringlets run,
With graceful negligence, and thone against the fun..
His nofe was aquiline, his eyes were blue,
Ruddy his lips, and fresh and fair his hue :
Some fprinkled freckles on his face were feen,
Whose dufk fet off the whitenefs of the skin :
His awful prefence did the croud furprize,
Nor durft the rash spectator meet his eyes,
Eyes that confefs'd him born for kingly sway,
So fierce, they flash'd intolerable day.