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LVI.

But the brave FAIRY KNIGHT no whit dismay'd
Held on his peaceful journey o'er the plain;
With curious eye observing, as he stray'd
Through the wide provinces of CUSTOM's reign;
What mote afresh admonish him remain
Faft by his virtuous purpofe; all around
So many objects mov'd his just disdain;

Him feem'd that nothing ferious, nothing found
In city, village, bow'r, or caftle mote be found.
LVII.

In village, city, caftle, bow'r and hall,
Each fex, each age, each order and degree,
To vice and idle sport abandon'd all,
Kept one perpetual general jubilee.
Ne fuffer'd aught disturb their merry glee;
Ne fense of private lofs, ne public woes,
Reftraint of law, Religion's drad decree,
Inteftine defolation, foreign foes,

Nor heav'n's tempeftuous threats, nor earth's convulfive

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But chiefly they whom Heav'n's difpofing hand
Had feated high on Fortune's upper stage;
And plac'd within their call the facred band

That waits on Nurture and Inftruction fage,

If

If happy their wife hefts mote them engage

To climb through knowledge to more noble praise;
And as they mount, enlighten every age

With the bright influence of fair Virtue's rays;

Which from the aweful heights of Grandeur brighter

LIX.

They, O perverse and base ingratitude!

Defpifing the great ends of Providence,

[blaze.

For which above their mates they were endued
With wealth, authority, and eminence,

To the low fervices of brutal fenfe

Abused the means of pleasures more refin'd,
Of knowledge, virtue, and beneficence;

And fettering on her throne th' immortal mind, The guidance of her realm to paffions wild refign'd. LX.

Hence thoughtless, fhameless, reckless, fpiritless,

Nought worthy of their kind did they affay;

But or benumb'd with palfied Idleness

In meerly living loiter'd life away.

Or by false taste of pleasure led aftray,
For-ever wand'ring in the fenfual bow'rs
Of feverish Debauch, and luftful Play,
Spent on ignoble toils their active pow'rs,

And with untimely blafts difeas'd their vernal hours.

Hefts, behefts, precepts, commands.

LXI. Ev'n

LXI.

Ev'n they, to whom kind Nature did accord A frame more delicate, and purer mind, Though the foul brothel and the wine-ftain'd board Of beaftly Comus loathing they declin❜d, Yet their foft hearts to idle joys refign'd; Like painted infects, through the fummer-air. With random flight aye ranging unconfin'd; And tafting every flower and bloffom fair, Withouten any choice, withouten any care.

LXII.

For choice them needed none, who only fought
With vain amusements to beguile the day;
And wherefore should they take or care or thought,
Whom Nature prompts, and Fortune calls to play?
"Lords of the earth, be happy as ye may !"
So learn'd, fo taught the leaders of mankind;
Th' unreasoning vulgar willingly obey,

And leaving toil and poverty behind,

Ran forth by different ways the blissful boon to find. LXIII.

Nor tedious was the fearch; for every where,

As nigh great CUSTOM's royal tow'rs the KNIGHT Pass'd through th' adjoining hamlets, mote he hear The merry voice of feftival Delight

Saluting

Saluting the return of morning bright
With matin-revels, by the mid-day hours
Scarce ended; and again with dewy night,

In cover'd theatres, or leafy bow'rs

Offering her evening-vows to Pleafure's joyous pow'rs. LXIV.

And ever on the way mote he efpy

Men, women, children, a promifcuous throng
Of rich, poor, wife and fimple, low and high,
By land, by water, paffing aye along
With mummers, antics, music, dance and fong,
To Pleafure's numerous temples, that befide
The glistening streams, or tufted groves among,
To every idle foot flood open wide,

And every gay defire with various joys fupplied.

LXV.

For there each heart with diverse charms to move,
The fly inchantrefs fummoned all her train:
Alluring Venus, queen of vagrant love,
The boon companion Bacchus loud and vain,
And tricking Hermes, god of fraudful gain,
Who, when blind Fortune throws, directs the die,
And Phabus tuning his foft Lydian ftrain

To wanton motions, and the lover's figh,

And thought-beguiling fhew, and masking revelry.

LXVI. Un

LXVI.

Unmeet affociates there for noble youth,
Who to true honour meaneth to aspire;
And for the works of virtue, faith, and truth
Would keep his manly faculties entire.

The which avizing well, the cautious fire
From that foft firen land of Pleafaunce vain,
With timely hafte was minded to retire,

'Or ere the sweet contagion mote attain

His fon's unpractis'd heart, yet free from vicious stain. LXVII.

So turning from that beaten road aside,

Through many a devious path at length he paced, As that experienc'd Palmer did him guide,

'Till to a mountain hoare they come at last;

Whose high-rais'd brows with filvan honours graced, Majestically frown'd upon the plain,

And over all an aweful horror caft.

Seem'd as thofe villas gay it did disdain,

Which spangled all the vale like Flora's painted train. LXVIII.

The hill afcended ftrait, ere-while they came

To a tall grove, whofe thick-embow'ring fhade,
Impervious to the fun's meridian flame

Ev'n at mid-noon a dubious twilight made;

Or ere, before.

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