Thy nobler streams shall visit Jove's abodes, To fhine among the stars, and bathe the gods Here nature, whether more intent to please Us or herself, with ftrange varieties,
(For things of wonder give no lefs delight To the wife maker's, than beholder's fight: Tho' thefe delights from feveral caufes move; For fo our children, thus our friends we love) Wifely she knew the harmony of things, As well as that of founds, from difcord fprings. Such was the difcord, which did first disperse Form, order, beauty, through the universe ; While drynefs, moisture, coldness heat refifts, All that we have, and that we are, fubfifts. While the fleep horrid roughness of the wood, Strives with the gentle calmnefs of the flood, Such huge extremes when nature doth unite, Wonder from thence refults, from thence delight. The ftream is fo tranfparent, pure, and clear, That, had the felf-enamour'd youth gaz'd here, So fatally deceiv'd he had not been,
While he the bottom, not his face, had feen. But his proud head the airy mountain hides Among the clouds; his fhoulders, and his fides, A fhady mantle cloathes; his curled brows Frown on the gentle stream, which calmly flows, While winds and ftorms his lofty forehead beat: The common fate of all that's high or great. Low at his foot a fpacious plain is plac'd, Between the mountain and the ftream embrac❜d:
Which fhade and shelter from the hill derives, While the kind river wealth and beauty gives; And in the mixture of all these appears Variety, which all the reft indears.
This fcene had fome bold Greek, or British bard, Beheld of old, what ftories had we heard,
Of fairies, fatyrs, and the nymphs their dames, Their feasts, their revels, and their am'rous flames ? "Tis ftill the fame, altho' their airy shape All but a quick poetic fight escape.
There Faunus and Sylvanus keep their courts, And thither all the horned hoft reforts, To graze the ranker mead; that noble herd, On whofe fublime and fhady fronts is rear'd Nature's great mafter-piece, to fhew how foon Great things are made, but fooner are undone. Here have I seen the king, when great affairs Gave leave to flacken and unbend his cares,
Attended to the chafe by all the flow'r Of youth, whofe hopes a noble prey devour : Pleasure with praife, and danger they would buy, And with a foe that would not only fly. The ftag, now conscious of his fatal growth, At once indulgent to his fear and floth, To fome dark covert his retreat had made, Where nor man's eye, nor Heaven's fhould invade His foft repofe; when th' unexpected found Of dogs, and men, his wakeful ear does wound: Rouz'd with the noife, he scarce believes his ear, Willing to think th'illufions of his fear
Had giv'n this false alarm, but straight his view Confirms, that more than all he fears is true. Betray'd in all his ftrengths, the wood befet, All inftruments, all arts of ruin met;
He calls to mind his ftrength, and then his speed, His winged heels, and then his armed head; With thefe t'avoid, with that his fate to meet : But fear prevails, and bids him trust his feet. So faft he flies, that his reviewing eye Has loft the chafers, and his ear the cry; Exulting, 'till he finds, their nobler fenfe Their difproportion'd fpeed does recompenfe; Then curfes his confpiring feet, whofe fcent Betrays that fafety which their fwiftness lent. Then tries his friends among the bafer herd, Where he fo lately was obey'd and fear'd, His fafety feeks: the herd, unkindly wife, Or chafes him from thence, or from him flies; Like a declining statesman, left forlorn, To his friends pity, and purfuers fcorn, With fhame remembers, while himself was one Of the fame herd, himself the fame had done. Thence to the coverts, and the conscious groves, The scenes of his paft triumphs, and his loves; Sadly furveying where he rang'd alone Prince of the foil, and all the herd his own; And, like a bold knight-errant, did proclaim Combat to all, and bore away the dame; And taught the woods to echo to the stream His dreadful challenge, and his clashing beam.
Yet faintly now declines the fatal ftrife; So much his love was dearer than his life. Now ev'ry leaf, and every moving breath, Presents a foe, and ev'ry foe a death. Weary'd, forsaken, and purfu'd, at last, All safety in despair of safety plac'd; Courage he thence refumes, refolv'd to bear All their affaults, fince 'tis in vain to fear. And now, too late, he wishes, for the fight, That ftrength he wafted in ignoble flight: But, when he fees the eager chace renew'd, Himfelf by dogs, the dogs by men purfu'd, He ftrait revokes his bold refolve, and more Repents his courage, than his fear before; Finds that uncertain ways unfafest are,
And doubt a greater mifchief than despair. Then to the stream, when neither friends, nor force Nor speed, nor art avail, he shapes his course; Thinks not their rage so desp'rate, to assay An element more merciless than they.
But, fearless, they pursue, nor can the flood Quench their dire thirst; alas, they thirst for blood. So tow'rds a fhip the oar-finn'd gallies ply, Which wanting fea to ride, or wind to fly, Stands but to fall reveng'd on those that dare Tempt the laft fury of extreme despair. So fares the ftag among th' enraged hounds, Repels their force, and wounds returns for wounds. And as a hero, whom his bafer foes
In troops furround, now thefe affail, now those,
Though prodigal of life, difdains to die By common hands; but, if he can descry Some nobler-foe approach, to him he calls, And begs his fate, and then contented falls. So when the king a mortal fhaft lets fly From his unerring hand, then, glad to die, Proud of the wound, to it refigns his blood, And ftains the crystal with a purple flood. This a more innocent, and happy chase Than when of old, but in the felf-fame place, Fair Liberty, purfu'd, and meant a prey
To lawless power, * here turn'd, and ftood at bay. When in that remedy all hope was plac'd,
Which was, or should have been at least, the laft. Here was that charter feal'd, wherein the crown All marks of arbitrary pow'r lays down: Tyrant and flave, thofe names of hate and fear, The happier ftile of king and fubject bear : Happy, when both to the fame center move, When kings give liberty, and fubjects love. Therefore not long in force this charter stood; Wanting that feal, it must be feal'd in blood. The subjects arm'd, the more their princes gave, Th' advantage only took, the more to crave : "Till kings, by giving, give themselves away, And ev❜n that pow'r, that should deny, betray. "Who gives constrain'd, but his own fear reviles, Not thank't, but fcorn'd; nor are they gifts, but fpoils."
Runnimede; where that great charter was first fealed.
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