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But, ftooping from his height, would even deign The feeble steps of Infancy to guide.

Eternal glory Him therefore betide!

Let every generous youth his praise proclaim!
Who, wand'ring through the world's rude foreft wide,
By him hath been y-taught his courfe to frame
To Virtue's sweet abodes, and heav'n-afpiring Fame!
IX.

For this the FAIRY KNIGHT with anxious thought,
And fond paternal care his counsel pray'd;
And him of gentleft courtesy befought

His guidance to vouchsafe and friendly aid;
The while his tender offspring he convey'd,
Through devious paths to that fecure retreat;
Where fage PÆDIA, with each tuneful maid,
On a wide mount had fix'd her rural feat,
'Mid flow'ry gardens plac'd, untrod by vulgar feet.
X.

And now forth-pacing with his blooming heir,
And that fame virtuous Palmer them to guide;
Arm'd all to point, and on a courfer fair
Y-mounted high, in military pride,

His little train before he flow did ride.

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Him eke behind a gentle Squire " ensues,

Enfues, follows.

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With

With his young lord aye marching side by side,
His counsellour and guard, in goodly" thews,

Who well had been brought up, and nurs❜d by every Muse.
XI.!

Thus as their pleasing journey they pursued, With chearful argument beguiling pain; Ere long defcending from an hill they view'd Beneath their eyes out-ftretch'd a fpacious plain,' That fruitful shew'd, and apt for every grain,;" For pastures, vines and flow'rs; while Nature fair". Sweet-fmiling all around with count'nance ⚫ fain Seem'd to demand the tiller's art and carejo!!! Her wildness to correct, her lavish waste repair. T XII,obonobon llanon'd

Right good, I ween, and bounteous was the foil,

Aye wont in happy feafon to repay

With tenfold ufury the peafant's toil.

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But now 'twas ruin all, and wild decay; A
Untill'd the garden and the fallow lay,

The sheep-fhorne down with barren brakes o'ergrown;
The whiles the merry peasants fport and play,
All as the public evil were unknown,

Or every public care from every breast was flown.

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XIII.

Aftonish'd at a scene at once fo fair And fo deform'd; with wonder and delight At man's neglect, and Nature's bounty rare, In ftudious thought awhile the Fairy Knight, Bent on that goodly lond his eager fight: Then forward rufsh'd, impatient to defery What towns and caftles therein were ' empight; For towns him feem'd, and castles he did fpy, As to sh' horizon round he stretch'd his roaming eye. XIV.

Nor long way had they travell'd, ere they came
To a wide ftream, that with tumultuous roar.
Emongst rude rocks its winding courfe did frame.
Black was the wave and fordid, cover'd o'er
With angry foam, and stain'd with infants' gore.
Thereto along th' unlovely margin stood.

A birchen grove that waving from the shore,
Aye caft upon the tide its falling bud,

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And with its bitter juice empoison'd all the flood.

XV...

Right in the centre of the vale empight,

Not diftant far a forked mountain rofe;

Lond, land.

f Empight, placed.

In outward form prefenting to the fight

That fam'd Parnoffian hill, on whofe fair brows
The Nine Aonian Sifters wont repofe;

Lift'ning to fweet Caftalia's founding stream,
Which through the plains of Cirrha murm'ring flows.
But This to That compar'd mote justly seem
Ne fitting haunt for gods, ne worthy man's esteem.
XVI.

For this nor founded deep, nor fpredden wide,
Nor high up-rais'd above the level plain,

By toiling art through tedious years applied,
From various parts compil'd with ftudious pain,
Was erft up-thrown; if fo it mote attain,
Like that poetic mountain, to be 'hight
The noble feat of Learning's goodly train.
Thereto, the more to captivate the fight,
It like a garden fair most curiously was "dight.
XVII.

In figur'd plots with leafy walls inclos'd,
By measure and by rule it was out-lay'd;
With symmetry fo regular difpos'd,

That plot to plot ftill anfwer'd, fhade to fhade;

Each correfpondent twain alike array'd

Erft, formerly. Hight, called, named.

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" Dight, dreft.

With like embellishments of plants and flow'rs, Of ftatues, vafes, fpouting founts, that play'd Through fhells of Tritons their afcending show'rs, And labyrinths involv'd and trelice-woven bow'rs. XVIII.

There likewife mote be feen on every fide
The yew obedient to the planter's will,
And shapely box of all their branching pride
Ungently fhorne, and with prepofterous skill
To various beafts and birds of fundry quill
Transform'd, and human fhapes of monstrous fize;
Huge as that giant-race, who, hill on hill

High heaping, fought with impious vain emprize, Despite of thund'ring Jove, to fcale the steepy skies. XIX.

Alfe other wonders of the fportive fhears
Fair Nature mif-adorning there were found;
Globes, fpiral columns, pyramids and piers
With spouting urns and budding statues crown'd;
And horizontal dials on the ground.

In living box by cunning artifts trac'd;

And gallies trim, on no long voyage bound,

But by their roots there ever anchor'd faft,

* All were their bellying fails out-spread to every blast.

w Emprize, enterprize, attempt.

* All, ufed frequently by the old English poets for although.

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