IN TWO CAN TO S.

Written in Imitation of the Style and Manner of SPENSE R's FAIRY QUEEN.

Infcribed, to Lady LANGHAM, Widow of Sir JOHN LANGHAM, Bart.

By GILBERT WEST, Efq;

Unum ftudium vere liberale eft, quod liberum facit. Hoc
fapientia ftudium eft, fublime, forte, magnanimum:
cætera pufilla & puerilia funt.-Plus fcire velle quàm
fit fatis intemperantia genus eft. Quid, quòd ifta libera-
lium artium confellatio moleftos, verbofos, intempeftivos,
fibi placentes facit, & ideo non dicentes neceffaria, quia
fupervacua didicerunt.
SEN. Ep. 88.

Goodly DISCIPLINE! from heav'n y-fprong!
Parent of Science, queen of Arts refin'd!
To whom the Graces, and the Nine belong:
O! bid those Graces, in fair chorus join'd

With each bright Virtue that adorns the mind!
O bid the Mufes, thine harmonious train,
Who by thy aid erft humaniz'd mankind,
Infpire, direct, and moralize the strain,
That doth effay to teach thy treasures how to gain!

And THOU, whofe pious and maternal care,
The substitute of heavenly Providence,
With tenderest love my orphan life did rear,
And train me up to manly ftrength and sense;
With mildest awe, and virtuous influence,
Directing my unpractis'd wayward feet

To the smooth walks of Truth and Innocence;

Where Happiness heart-felt, Contentment sweet, Philosophy divine aye hold their blest retreat.

THOU, most belov'd, most honour'd, most rever'd!
Accept this verfe, to thy large merit due!
And blame me not, if by each tye endear'd,
Of nature, gratitude, and friendship true,
The whiles this moral thefis I pursue,.

And trace the plan of goodly Nurture o'er,

I bring thy modeft virtues into view;

And proudly boast that from thy precious store,

Which erft enrich'd my heart, I drew this facred lore.

And thus, I ween, thus fhall I best repay
The valued gifts, thy careful love bestow'd;
If imitating THEE, well as I may,

I labour to diffufe th' important good,

'Till this

great truth by all be understood;

"That all the pious duties which we owe,

"Our parents, friends, our country and our God; "The feeds of every virtue here below, "From Difcipline alone, and early Culture grow."

CANTO I.

ARGUMENT.

b

The Knight, as to PÆDIA's houfe

He his young Son conveys,

Is ftaid by CUSTOM; with him fights,
And his vain pride difmays.

A

Gentle KNIGHT there was, whose noble deeds

O'er Fairy Land by Fame were blazon'd round :

For warlike enterprize, and sage areeds
Emong the chief alike was he renown'd;

⚫ Pædîa is a Greek word, fignifying Education.
Areeds, counfels.

VOL. IV.

B

Whence

Whence with the marks of higheft honours crown'd By GLORIANA, in domestic peace,

That port, to which the wife are ever bound,
He anchor'd was, and chang'd the toffing feas
Of bustling bufy life, for calm fequefter'd ease.
II.

There in domestic virtue rich and great
As erst in public, 'mid his wide domain,
Long in primæval patriarchal state,

The lord, the judge, the father of the plain,
He dwelt; and with him, in the golden chain
Of wedded faith y-link'd, a matron sage

Aye dwelt; sweet partner of his joy and pain,
Sweet charmer of his youth, friend of his age,
Skill'd to improve his blifs, his forrows to affuage.
III.

From this fair union, not of fordid gain,

But merit fimilar and mutual love,

True fource of lineal virtue, fprung a train

Of youths and virgins; like the beauteous grove, Which round the temple of Olympic Jove,

d

Begirt with youthful bloom the parent tree,

The facred olive; whence old Elis wove

Her

Parent tree, the facred olive.] This tree grew in the Altis, or facred grove of Olympic Jupiter at Olympia, having, as the Eleans

pretended,

Her verdant crowns of peaceful victory,

The guerdons of bold strength, and swift activity. IV.

So round their noble parents goodly rose

These generous fcyons: they with watchful care
Still, as the fwelling paffions 'gan disclose
The buds of future virtues, did prepare

With prudent culture the young shoots to rear:
And aye in this endearing pious toil

f

They by a Palmer fage inftructed were,

Who from deep thought and studious fearch erewhile Had learnt to mend the heart, and till the human foil. V.

For by cœleftial Wifdom whilom led

Through all th' apartments of th' immortal mind,
He view'd the fecret ftores, and mark'd the & fted
To judgment, wit, and memory affign'd;
And how fenfation and reflection join'd
To fill with images her darkfome grotte,

Where variously disjointed or combin'd,

pretended, been originally planted there by Hercules. It was efteemed facred, and from that were taken the Olympic crowns. See Paufanias. Eliac. and the Differtation on the Olympic games. e Guerdons, rewards.

f Palmer, pilgrim. The perfon here fignified is Mr. Locke, characteriz'd by his works.

Sted, place, ftation.