O'er all appear'd the mountain's forked brows
With terraffes on terraffes up-thrown;
And all along arrang'd in order'd rows,
And visto's broad, the velvet flopes adown
The ever-verdant trees of Daphne fhone.
But aliens to the clime, and brought of old
From Latian plains, and Grecian Helicon,
They fhrunk and languifh'd in a foreign mold,
By changeful fummers starv'd, and pinch'd by winter's
Amid this verdant grove with folemn state,
On golden thrones of antique form reclin'd
In mimic majefty Nine Virgins fate,
In features various, as unlike in mind:
Alfe boasted they themselves of heav'nly kind,
And to the sweet Parnashian Nymphs allied;
Thence round their brows the Delphic bay they twin'd,
And matching with high names their apifh pride,
O'er every learned fchool aye claim'd they to prefide.
XXII.
In antique garbs, for modern they difdain'd,
By Greek and Roman artists' whilom made,
Of various woofs, and variously diftain'd
With tints of every hue, were they array'd;
And here and there ambitiously display'd
A purple fhred of fome rich robe, prepared
Erft by the Muses or th' Aonian Maid,
To deck great Tullius or the Mantuan Bard;
Which o'er each motley veft with uncouth fplendor [glared.
And well their outward vefture did express
The bent and habit of their inward mind,
Affecting Wisdom's antiquated dress,
And ufages by Time caft far behind.
Thence, to the charms of younger Science blind,
The cuftoms, taws, the learning, arts and phrase
Of their own countries they with fcorn declin'd;
Ne facred Truth herself would they embrace,
Unwarranted, unknown in their fore-fathers' days.
3-XXIV. city shokol
Thus ever backward cafting their furvey;
To Rome's old ruins and the groves forlorn
Of elder Athens, which in profpect layih
Stretch'd out beneath the mountain, would they turn
Their bufy fearch, and o'er the rubbish mourn.
Then gathering up with fuperftitious care,
Each little fcrap, however foul or torn,
In grave harangues they boldly would declare, This Ennius, Varro; This the Stegyrite did wear. XXV. Yet,
Yet, under names of venerable found,
While o'er the world they stretch'd their aweful rod;
Through all the provinces of Learning own'd
For teachers of whate'er is wife and good.
Alfe from each region to their drad abode
Came youth unnumber'd, crowding all to tafte
The ftreams of Science; which united flow'd
Adown the mount, from nine rich fources caft;
And to the vale below in one rude torrent pafs'd.
XXVI.
O'er every fource, protectress of the stream,
One of thofe Virgin Sifters did prefide;
Who, dignifying with her noble name
Her proper flood, aye pour'd into the tide
The heady vapours of fcholaftic pride
Defpotical and abject, bold and blind,
Fierce in debate, and forward to decide;
Vain love of praife, with adulation join'd,
And difingenuous fcorn, and impotence of mind.
XXVII.
Extending from the hill on every fide,
In circuit vaft a verdant valley spread;
Across whofe uniform flat bofom glide
Ten thousand streams, in winding mazes led,
By various fluices from one common head;
A turbid mass of waters, vaft, profound,
Hight of Philology the lake; and fed
By that rude torrent, which with roaring found Came tumbling from the hill, and flow'd the level round. XXVIII.
And every where this fpacious valley o'er,
Faft by each stream was feen a numerous throng
Of beardless striplings to the birch'd-crown'd fhore,
By nurses, guardians, fathers dragg'd along:
Who helpless, meek, and innocent of wrong,
Were-torn reluctant from the tender fide
Of their fond mothers, and by faitours ftrong,
By pow'r made infolent, and hard by pride,
Were driv❜n with furious rage, and lafh'd into the tide.
XXIX.
On the rude bank with trembling feet they stood,
And cafting round their oft-reverted eyes,
If haply they mote 'fcape the hated flood,
Fill'd all the plain with lamentable cries;
But far away th' unheeding father flies,
Constrain'd his strong compunctions to reprefs;
While close behind, affuming the difguife
Faitcur, doer, from faire to do, and fait deed, commonly
used by Spenser in a bad sense.
Of nurturing care, and smiling tenderness,
With fecret fcourges arm'd thofe griefly faitours prefs.
XXX.
As on the fteepy margin of a brook,
When the young fun with flowery Maia rides,
With innocent difmay a bleating flock
Crowd back, affrighted at the rolling tides:
The shepherd-fwain at first exhorting chides
Their feely fear; at length impatient grown,
With his rude crook he wounds their tender fides;
And all regardless of their piteous moan, hmA Into the dafhing wave compels them furious down. XXXI.
Thus urg'd by maft'ring Fear and dol'rous Teen
Into the current plung'd that infant crowd.
Right piteous was the fpectacle, I ween,
Of tender striplings ftain'd with tears and blood,
Perforce conflicting with the bitter flood;
And labouring to attain the diftant shore,
Where holding forth the gown of manhood stood
The firen Liberty, and ever-more
Sollicited their hearts with her inchanting lore.
Irkfome and long the paffage was, perplex'd
With rugged rocks on which the raving tide
Teen, pain, grief.
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