But in tow'r, and never to be loos'd,
The woeful captive kinfmen are inclos'd.

Thus year by year they pafs,and day by day,
Till once, 'twas on the morn of cheerful May,
The young Emilia, fairer to be feen
Than the fair lily on the flow'ry green,
More fresh than May herself in blossoms new,
For with the rofy colour ftrove her hue,
Wak'd, as her custom was, before the day
To do th' obfervance due to sprightly May:
For iprightly May commands our youth to keep
The vigils of hernight, and breaks their fluggard
ileep;

He faid no more, but, fhunning all delay,
Rode on. nor enter'd Athens on his way:
But left his fifter and his queen behind,
And way'd his royal banner in the wind:
Where in an agent field the god of war
Was drawn triumphant on his iron car:
Red was his fword, and shield, and whole attire;
And all the godhead feem'd to glow with fire;
E'en the ground glitter'dwhere the standardflew,
And the green grafs was dy'd to fanguine hue.
High on his pointed lance his pennon bore
His Cretan fight, the conquer'd Minotaur ;
The foldiers thout around with gen'rous rage,
And in that victory their own prefage. Each gentle breaft with kindly warmththemoves;
He prais'd their ardour, inly pleas'd to fee Infpires new flames, revives extinguish'd loves.
His holt the flow'r of Grecian chivalry.
In this remembrance Emily ere day
All day he march'd, and all th' enfuing night; Arofe, and drefs'd berfelf in rich array;
And law the city with returning light.
Freih as the month, and as the morning fair,
The procefs of the war I need not tell, Adown her shoulders fell her length of hair:
How Thefeus conquer'd, and how Creon fell; A ribband did the braided treffes bind,
Or after, how by form the walls were won, The reft was loole, and wanton'd in the wind:
Or how the victor fack'd and burn'd the town; Aurora had but newly chas'd the night,
How to the ladies he restored again
And purpled o'er the sky with bluthing light,
The bodies of their Lords in battle flain; When to the garden walk the took her way,
And with what ancient rites they were interr'd: To fport and trip along in cool of day,
All these to fitter times fhall be deferr'd. And offer maiden vows in honour of the May..
I fpare the widows' tears, their woeful cries, At ev'ry turn fhe made a little stand,
And howling at their buibands' obfequies; And thruit among the thorns her lily hand
How Thefeus at thefe fun'rals did affift, To draw the rofe; and ev'ry rofe the drew,
Andwithwhatgiftsthemourningdamesdifimifs'd. She fhook the stalk, and brufh'd away the dew.

Thus, when the victor chief had Creon flain,
And conquer'dThebes, he pitch'd upon the plain
His mighty camp, and, when the day return'd,
The country waited, and the hamlet's burn'd;
And left the pillagers to rapine bred,
Without controul to strip and spoil the dead.
There, in a heap of flain, among the reft,
Two youthful knights they found, beneatha load
oppreft

Offlaughter'd foes, whom firft to death they fent,
The trophies of the ftrength, a bloodymonument,
Both fair, and both of royal blood they feem'd,
Whomkin (men to thecrown the heralds deem'd;
That day in equal arms they fought for fame;
Their fwords, their fhields, their furcouts, were
the fame.

Clofe by each other laid, they prefs'd the ground,
Their manly bofoms pierc'd with many a grizzly
wound;

Nor well alive, nor wholly dead, they were,
But fome faint figns of feeble life appear:
The wand'ring breath was on the wing to part,
Weak was the pulfe,and hardly heav'd the heart,
These two were fifter's fons; and Arcite one,
Much fam'd in fields, with valiant Palamon.
From these their coftly arms the fpoilers rent;
And foftly both convey'd to Thefeus' tent:
Whom known of Creon'sline,andcur'dwithcare,
He to his city fent as pris'ners of the war,
Hopelefs of ranfom, and condemn'd to lie
In durance, doom'd a ling'ring death to die.
This done, he march`daway with warlike found,
And to his Athens turn'd with laurels crown'd,
Where happy long he liv'd, much lov'd and
more renown'd.

Then party-colour'd flow'rs of white and red
She wove, to make a garland for her head:
This done, the fung and carol'd out fo clear,
That men and angels might rejoice to hear:
Ev'n wond'ring Philomel forgot to fing;
And learn'd from her to welcome-in the fpring.
The tow'r, of which before was mention made,
Within whofe keep the captive knights were
laid,

Built of a large extent and strong withal,
Was one partition of the palace wall:
The garden was inclos'd within the fquare,
Where young Emilia took the morning air.

It happen'd Palamon, the pris'ner knight,
Reftlefs for woe, arofe before the light,
And. with his jailor's leave, defir'd to breathe
Anair more wholefome than the damps beneath.
This granted, to the tow'r he took his way,
Cheer'd with the promife of a glorious day:
Then caft a languishing regard around,
And faw with hateful eyes the temples crown'd
With golden fpires, and all the hoftile ground.
He figh'd, and turn'd his eyes, because he knew
'Twas but a larger gaol he had in view:
Then look'd below, and from the caftle's height
Beheld a nearer and more pleading fight:
The garden, which before he had not feen,
In fpring's new liv'ry clad of white and green,
Fresh flow'rs in wide parterres, and thady

walks between.

This view'd, but not enjoy'd, with arms across
He stood, reflecting on his country's lois;
Himfelf an object of the public fcorn,
And often with'd he never had been born.

At

Now friends no more, nor walking hand in hand,
But when they met they made a furly stand;
And glar'd like angry lions as they pafs'd,
And with'd that ev'ry look might be their laft.
It chanc'd at length, Pirithous came t' attend
This worthy Thefeus, his familiar friend;
Their love in early infancy began,
And rofe as childhood ripen'd into man.
Companions of the war; and lov'd so well,
That when one died, as ancient stories tell,
His fellow to redeem him went to hell.

But to purfue my tale; to welcome home
His warlike brother is Pirithous come:
Arcite of Thebes was known in arms long fince,
And honour'd by this young Theffalian prince.
Thefeus, to gratify his friend and guest,
Who made our Arcite's freedom his request,
Reftor'd to liberty the captive knight,
But on thefe hard conditions I recite:
That if hereafter Arcite should be found
Within the compafs of Athenian ground,
By day or night, or on whate'er pretence,
His head fhould pay the forfeit of th' offence.
To this Pirithous for his friend agreed,
And on his promife was the pris'ner freed.
Unpleas'd and penfive hence he takes his way,
At his own peril; for his life muit
pay.
Who now but Arcite mourns his bitter fate,
Finds his dear purchafe, and repents too late?
What have I gain'd, he faid, in prifon pent,
If I but change my bonds for banishment?
And, banifh'd from her fight, I fuffer more
In freedom, than I felt in bonds before;
Forc'd from her prefence, and condemn'd to love;
Unwelcome freedom, and unthank'd reprieve !
Heaven is not but where Emily abides;
And where the 's abfent, all is hell befides.
Next to my day of birth was that accurs'd,
Which bound my friendship to Pirithous firft;
Had I not known that Prince, I still had been
In bondage, and bad ftil! Emilia feen :
For though I never can her grace deferve,
'Tis recompence enough to fee and ferve.
O Palamon, my kinfman and my friend,
How much more happy fates thy love attend!
Thine is th' adventure, thine the victory;
Well has thy fortune turn'd the dice for thee:
Thou on that angel's face mayft feed thine eyes,
In prifon-no-but blifsful paradife!
Thou daily feeft that fun of beauty fhine,
And lov it at least in love's extremeft line.
I mourn in abfence, love's eternal night
And who can tell but, fince thou haft her
And art a comely, young, and valiant knight,
Fortune (a various pow'r) may ceafe to frown,
And by fome ways unknown thy withes crown?
But I, the most forlorn of human kind,
Nor help can hope, nor remedy can find;
But doom'd to drag my loathfome life in care,
For my reward, must end it in defpair.
Fire, water, air, and earth, and force of fates
That governs all, and Heaven that all creates,
Nor art, nor nature's hand, can eafe my grief;
Nothing but death, the wretch's last relief:

Then farewell youth, and all the joys that dwell
With youth and life, and life itself farewell.

But why, alas! do mortal men in vain
Of fortune, fate, or providence complain?
God gives us what he knows our wants require,
And better things than those which we defire:
Some pray for riches, riches they obtain;
But, watch'd by robbers, for their wealth are flain:
Some pray from prifon to be freed; and come,
When guilty of their vows, to fall at home;
Murder'd by thofe they trusted with their life,
A favour'd fervant, or a bofom wife.
Such dear-bought bleflings happen ev'ry day,
Because we know not for what things to pray.
Like drunken fots about the street we roam:
Well knows the fot he has a certain home;
Yet knows not how to find th' uncertain place,
And blunders on, and ftaggers ev'ry pace.
Thus all feek happinefs, but few can find:
For far the greater part of men are blind.
This is my cafe, who thought our utmost good
Was in one word of freedom understood:
The fatal bleffing came: from prison free,
I ftarve abroad. and lofe the fight of Emily.
Thus Arcite: but if Arcite thus deplore
His fuff'rings, Palamon yet fuffers more.
For when he knew his rival freed and gone,
He fwells with wrath, he makes outrageous moan:
Hefrets, he fumes, he stares, he stamps the ground;
The hollow tow'r with clamours rings around:
With briny tears he bath'd his fetter'd feet,
And dropp'd all o'er with agony of sweat.
Alas! he cried, I wretch in prifon pine,
Too happy rival, while the fruit is thine:
Thou liv'it at large, thou draw'ft thy native air,
Pleas'd with thy freedom, proud of my despair:
Thou mayft, fince thou haft youth and courage
A fweet behaviour, and a solid mind, [join'd,
Affemble ours and all the Theban race,
To vindicate on Athens thy difgrace;
And after, by fome treaty made, poffefs
Fair Emily, the pledge of latting peace.
So thine fhall be the beauteous prize, while I
Muft languish in defpair, in prifon die.
Thus all th' advantage of the ftrife is thine;
Thyportion double joys,and doubleforrowsmine.

The rage of jealoufy then fir'd his foul,
And his face kindled like a burning coal:
Now cold Defpair, fucceeding in her stead,
To livid palenefs turns the glowing red.

His blood, fcarce liquid, creeps within his veins, Like water which the freezing wind constrains. fight,Then thus he faid: Eternal Deities,

Who rule the world with abfolute decrees,
And write whatever time shall bring to pafs,
With pens of adamant, on plates of brass;
What, is the race of human kind your care
Beyond what all his fellow-creatures are?
He with the reft is liable to pain;
And like the fheep, his brother-beast, is slain.
Cold, hunger, prifons, ills without a cure,
All thefe he muft, and guiltless oft, endure;
Or does your juftice, pow'r, or prefcience fail
When the good fuffer, and the bad prevail?

What

To Thefeus' perfon he was ever near;
And Thefeus, for his virtues, held him dear.

BOOK II.

WHILE Arcite lives in blifs, the ftory turns
Where hopeless Palamon in prifen mourns.
For fix long years immur'd, the captive knight
Haddragg his chains,and fcarcely feen thelight:
Loft liberty and love at once he bore:
His priton pain'd him much, his paffion more:
Nor dares he hope his fetters to remove,
Nor ever withes to be free from love.

But when the fixth revolving year was run,
And May within the Twins receiv'd the fun,
Were it by chance, or forceful destiny,
Which forms in caufes firft whate'er fhall be,
Aflifted by a friend, one moonless night,
This Palamon from prifon took his flight:
A pleafant bev'rage he prepar'd before
Of wine and honey, mix'd with added store
Of opium; to his keeper this he brought,
Who fwallow'd unaware the fleepy draught,
And fnor'd fecure till morn, his fenfes bound
In lumber, and in long oblivion drown'd.
Short was the night, and careful Palamon
Sought the next covert ere the rifing fun.
A thick-fpread foreft near the city lay,
To this with lengthen'd ftrides he took his way
(For far he could not fly, and fear'd the day).
Safe from purfuit, he meant to fhun the light,
Till the brown fhadows of the friendly night
To Thebes might favour his intended flight.
When to his country come, his next defign
Was all the Theban race in arms to join,
And war on Thefeus, till he loft his life,
Or won the beauteous Emily to wife.
Thus whilehis thoughts the ling ringdaybeguile,
To gentle Arcite let us turn our style;
Who little dream'd how nigh he was to care,
Till treach'rous fortune caught him in the fnare.
The morning-lark, the mellenger of day,
Saluted in her fong the morning grey;
And foon the fun arofe with beams fo bright,
That all the horizon laugh'd tosee thejoyousfight;
He with his tepid rays the rofe renews,
And licks the drooping leaves, and dries the dews;
When Arcite left his bed, refolv'd to pay
Obfervance to the month of merry May:
Forth on his fiery fteed betimes he rode,
That fcarcely prints the turf on which he trod:
At eafe he feem'd, and, prancing o'er the plains,
Turn'd only to the grove his horfe's reins,
The grove I nam'd before; and, lighted there,
A woodbine garland fought to crown his hair;
Then turn'd his face against the rifing day,
And rais'd his voice to welcome in the May.
Forthee,fweet month,the groves green liveries
If not the first, the fairest of the year: [wear;
For thee the Graces lead the dancing hours,
And Nature's ready pencil paints the flow'rs:
When thy fhort reign is pait, the feverith fun
The fultry tropic fears, and moves more flowly on:
So may thy tender bloffoms fear no blight,
Nor goats with venom'd teeth thy tendrils bite,

Till fate, or fortune, near the place convey'd
His fteps where fecret Palamon was laid.
Full little thought of him the gentle knight,
Who flyingdeathhad there conceal 'dhis flight,
In brakes and brambles hid,and thunning mor-
tal fight;

And lefs he knew him for his hated foe,
But fear'd him as a man he did not know.
But as it has been faid of ancient years,
That fields are full of eyes, and woods have ears;
For this the wife are ever on their guard;
For unforeseen, they fay, is unprepar'd.
Uncautious Arcite thought himself alone,
And lefs than all fufpected Palamon,
Who lift'ning heard him, while he fearch'd the
And loudly fung his roundelay of love; [grove,
But on the fudden stopp'd, and filent ftood,
A's lovers often mufe, and change their mood;
Now high as heaven, and then as low as hell;
Now up, now down, as buckets in a well;
For Venus, like her day, will change her cheer,
And feldom fhall we fee a Friday clear.
Thus, Arcite, having fung, with alter'd hue
Sunk on the ground, and from his bofom drew
A defp'rate figh, accufing Heaven and Fate,
And angry Juno's unrelenting hate.
Curs'd be the day when firft I did appear!
Let it be blotted from the calendar, [year,
Left it pollute the month, and poifon all the
Still will the jealous Queen pursue our race?
Cadmus is dead, the Theban city was:
Yet ceases not her hate; for all who come
From Cadmus are involv'd in Cadmus' doom.
I fuffer for ray blood : unjust decree !
That punishes another's crime on me.
In mean etate I ferve my mortal foe,
The man who caus'd my country's overthrow.
This is not all; for Juno, to my shame,
Has forc'd me to forfake my former name;
Arcite I was, Philoftratus Í am.
That fide of heaven is all my enemy;
Mars ruin'd Thebes, his mother ruin'd me.
Of all the royal race remains but one
Befides myfelf, th' unhappy Palamon,
Whom Thefeus holds in bonds,and will not free;
Without a crime, except his kin to me.
Yet thefe, and all the reft, I could endure;
But Love's a malady without a cure;
Fierce Love has pierc'd me with his fiery dart ;
He fires within, and hifles at my heart.
Your eyes, fair Emily, my fate pursue;
I fuffer for the reft, I die for you.
Of fuch a Goddess no time leaves record,
Who burn'd the temple where he was ador'd:
And let it burn, I never will complain;
Pleas'd with my fuff'rings, if you knew my pain.

At this a fickly qualm his heart affail'd,
His ears ring inward, and his fenfes fail'd.
No word mifs'd Palamon of all he spoke,
But icon to deadly pale he chang`d his look: