And the prow chieftain bolder than discreet,
In blood imbru'd purfues the martial fray,
And lovers eke thro' life's loud tempefts beat,
Led on by hope, that never-dying ray;

Hope wantons in their breast, and strews with flow'rs the way.
II.

And fure of all mankind the Squire of dames
Shall ftand the first ensample of true love,
Who aye, untouch'd by any foreign flames,
Preferv'd his paffion for his gentle dove;
Blush, modern youths, whofe pulfes quickly move,
Fondly you glote upon the witching fair;

Yet, when a sweet enjoyment once you prove,

You leave the nymph intangled in the fnare,

Her tears flow trickling down, her fingults pierce the air.
III.

Oh think of transports which ye whilom tafted,
And let the glad remembrance charm your mind,
Be not the fruits of joyment quickly wafted,
And to your heart her happy image bind :
Think what the merits who whilear was kind,
Nor by inconftancy her peace deftroy;
Inconftancy, that monfter fell and blind,
That vainly fond of ev'ry paffing toy,

Treads down its late delight, and poisons rapt'rous joy.

IV.

Return we now unto our gentle youth,
Whose little bark daunc'd lightly on the main,

His breast divided atween joy and ruth;
Now gay ideas wanton in his brain,
Now woe-begon his heart is rent in twain,
On his fuccefs depends his Columbel,

And now he hopes, and now defponds again;

The various turns of mind, when thoughts rebel,

Sure pen mote ne'er describe, and none but lovers tell. V.

Methinks I fee him on the beachy ftrond,

Where Neptune's waves affrap the sturdy pier; His hardy fteed neighs at the fight of lond, In all adventures a moft faithful feer; And thro' that city he doth quickly steer, Which Ethelbert to holy Austin gave: The kings of Kent did erft inhabit here, Here haughty Becket funk into the grave, Here thro' the smiling meads, Stoure rolls his dimpling wave. VI.

Long travell'd he, ne ventur'd to affay

The nymphs he met, for much he was affraid
To bribes or pray'rs few women would cry nay;
At flatt'ry's tongue full oft will virtue fade;

What

What shall he do? to win his lovely maid
He muft three hundred virtuous females find,
Perdie, quoth he, my fortune be essay'd,

I'll boldly try the strength of womankind:

For craven heart, they fay, ne'er won fair lady's mind. VII.

So on he prick'd, and from a rifing ground
Difcern'd before him, in a diftant vale,
A caftle fair; and auncient oaks around
Did to the breeze their lofty heads avail;
A filver ftream refresh'd the fragrant dale;
Their ledden loud fat oxen did repeat,

And nibbling sheep display'd their fleeces pale,
The woodbine shed an odor matchless sweet,
And to their patient dams the frisking lambkins bleat.
VIII.

To that fame caftle our advent'rer yode,
The merry birds him welcom'd on the way,
An hundred flow'rs aumail'd the winding road,
And all was bright, and all was paffing gay,
You would have fworn it was the month of May.
Withouten drad he thunders at the gate,
Who wons within, or giant, knight or fay,
Shall ne'er, in footh, our imp of fame amate:
Unto the fummons loud the portal opens ftreit.

IX. And

IX.

And forth there iffued the fenefchal,
Of middle age he was, if right I ween,
He was in perfonage both plump and tall,
Ne feemed he to tafte of dol'rous teen,

Ne wrinkle deep was on his forehead seen,
But jovifaunce fat basking on his brow,
At every word he spoke, he fmil'd at-ween,
His temples were ycrown'd with myrtle bough,
And virelays he fong with matchlefs grace, I vow.

X.

"Whoe'er thou art, thrice welcome to these plains, "Where bitter dole ne'er fhows her hateful head, "Good fellowship wons here, and free from pains "Both youth and eld the paths of pleasure tread; "Catch flying blifs, ne be by ought forefaid; "Think that this life is but a little span;

“Then laugh, and sport, and shun all dreryhed, "Thy rolling days in prefent pleasures plan,

"Come, spend thy hours in joy, thou fon of mortal man.

XI.

"Know'st thou my name! I am l'Allegro hight,

"Let me conduct thee to our jovial hall,
"Where Bon-vivant in revels spends the night,
"Who bids a hearty welcome unto all,

"Or

* Or wear he red cross-ftole, or paynim pall."
With that he lad him with a courtly air
Into a chamber deck'd for feast and ball;
And tho' no tedes or tapers glimmer'd there,
Yet all within was bright, as all without was fair.
XII.

As at the close of an hot summer's day,
When Phoebus in the west deserts the sky,
Bright streams of light along the æther play,
And tho' his fi'ry orb forfake our eye,
The beamy gushes gild each object nigh;
The painted meads are ting'd with golden light,
And rivers roll their glitt'ring waters by;
So in this houfe of joy with ease you might
Perceive celestial rays, that cherish'd human fight.
XIII.

The Squire of dames his jolly hoft falew'd,
And Bon-vivant his hond in friendship prefs'd;
"Come, fit thee down, and taste our choiceft food;
"We entertake, quoth he, no vulgar guest.
"Endur'd to toil, come tafte the fweets of reft,
"Doff thy hard arms, this famite garment wear,

"This better far than mail fhall bind thy breast,

"This coronal shall deck thy auburn hair;

"Push the brifk goblet round, and drown intruding care.

XIV. "For