And ineffectual his foul engines made :
This was, to weet, that politic command,
Which from vain travel the young Spartan ftay'd,
Ne fuffer'd him forfake his native land,

To learn deceitful arts, and science contráband.

III.

Yet had the ancient world her courts and schools;
Great Kings and Courtiers civil and refin'd;
Great Rabbins, deeply read in Wisdom's rules,
And all the arts that cultivate the mind,
Embellish life, and polish human kind.
Such, Afia, birth-place of proud monarchy,
Such, elder Egypt, in thy kingdoms shin'd,
Myfterious Egypt, the rank nursery
Of fuperftitions fond, and learned vanity.

IV.

But what accomplishments, what arts polite,
Did the young Spartan want his deeds to grace,
Whose manly virtues, and heroic spright,
Check'd by no thought.impure, no falfehood base,
With nat❜ral dignity might well outface

The glare of manners falfe, and mimic pride?
And wherefore should they range from place to place,
Who to their country's love fo firm were ty'd,
All homely as he was, that for her oft they dy'd?

V. And

V.

And footh it is (with rev'rence may ye hear,
And honour due to paffion fo refin'd)

The strong affection which true patriots bear
To their dear country, zealous is and blind,
And fond as is the love of womankind,

So that they may not her defects espy,

d

Ne other paragone may ever find,

But gazing on her with an aweful eye And superftitious zeal, her learn to deify.

VI.

And, like as is the faith unfound, untrue,
Of him, who wand'ring aye from fair to fair,
Conceiveth from each object paffion new,

Or from his heart quite drives the troublous care;
So with the patriot-lover doth it fare,

Who through the world delighting aye to rove,
His country changeth with each change of air,
Or weening the delights of all to prove,
On none, or all alike, bestows his vagrant love.
VII.

Als doth Corruption in a diftant foil,
With double force f affay the youthful heart,
Expos'd fufpectlefs to the traytor's wile,
Expos'd unwarn'd to Pleasure's poison'd dart,

c truth. e moreover,

befides.

d rival, or one to compare with her.

faffault.

Expos'd

Expos'd unpractis'd in the world's wide mart,
Where each one lies, impofes, and betrays,
Without a friend due counsel to impart,

Without a parent's awe to rule his ways,

Without the check of fhame, or fpur of public praise. VIII.

Forthy, falfe Archimago, traytor vile,

Who burnt 'gainst Fairy-land with ceaseless ire,
'Gan caft with foreign pleasures to beguile
Her faithful knight, and quench the heav'nly fire
That did his virtuous bofom aye infpire
With zeal unfeigned for her fervice true,
And fend him forth in chivalrous attire,
Arm'd at all points adventures to purfue,
And wreak upon her foes his vowed vengeance due.
IX.

So as he journeyed upon the way,

Him foon the fly enchaunter h over-hent,

Clad like a Fairy knight in armour gay,

With painted fhield, and fpear right forward bent,

i

In knightly guife and fhew of hardiment,

That aye prepared was for bloody fight.

Whereat the Elfin knight with speeches gent
Him first faluted, who, well as he might,

Him fair falutes again, as m feemeth courteous knight.

n

X.

Then 'gan he purpose frame of valiant deeds
Atchiev'd by foreign knights of prowess great,
And mighty fame which emulation breeds
In virtuous breast, and kindleth martial heat;
Of arts and sciences for warriour P meet,
And knight that would in feats of arms excel,
Or him, who 1 liefer choosing calm retreat,
With Peace and gentle Virtue aye would dwell,
Who have their triumphs, like as hath Bellona fell.
XI.

These, as he said, beseemed knight to know,
And all be they in Fairy-lond y-taught,

Where every art and all fair virtues grow;
Yet various climes with various fruits are fraught,
And fuch in one hath full perfection' raught
The which no skill may in another rear,

So gloz'd th' enchaunter 'till he hath him brought
To a huge rock, that clomb fo high in air,

That from it he uneath the murmuring furge mote hear.
XII.

Thence the falt wave beyond in prospect wide
A fpacious plain the false enchaunter show'd,
With goodly caftles deck'd on every fide,

And filver ftreams, that down the champain flow'd,

And wash'd the vineyards that befide them ftood,
And groves of myrtle; als the lamp of day
His orient beams display'd withouten cloud,
Which lightly on the glift'ning waters play,

And tinge the caftles, woods, and hills with purple ray.
XIII.

So fair a landscape charm'd the wond'ring knight;
And eke the breath of morning fresh and fweet,
Infpir'd his jocund fpirit with delight,

And ease of heart for foft perfuafion meet.
Then him the traytor bafe 'gan fair entreat,
And from the rock as downward they defcend,
Of that bleft lond his praifes 'gan repeat,

'Till he him moved hath with him to t wend;
So to the billowy fhore their hafty march they bend.
XIV.

There in a painted bark all trim and gay,

w

Whose fails full glad embrac'd the wanton wind,
There fat a ftranger " wight in quaint array,
That feem'd of various garbs attone combin'd,
Of Europe, Afric, east and western Inde.
Als round about him many creatures stood,
Of several nations, and of divers kind,

Apes, ferpents, birds with human fpeech endow'd, And monsters of the land, and wonders of the flood.

u man or weman.

I to go.

w together.