Ah! hapless youths, with fatal warmth you burn;
Laws, ever fix'd, forbid you to return,
Then from the wing a fhort-liv'd fpearman flies,
Unfafely bold, and fee! he dies, he dies:
The dark-brow'd hero with one vengeful blow
Of life and place deprives his iv'ry foe.
Now rush both armies o'er the burnifh'd field,
Hurl the fwift dart, and rend the bursting shield.
Here furious knights on fiery courfers prance,
Here archers spring, and lofty tow'rs advance.
But fee! the white-rob'd Amazon beholds
Where the dark host its op'ning van unfolds:
Soon as her eye difcerns the hostile maid,
By ebon shield, and ebon helm betray'd,
Sev'n fquares fhe paffes with majestick mien
And ftands triumphant o'er the falling queen.
Perplex'd, and forr'wing at his confort's fate,
The monarch burn'd with rage, despair, and hate:
Swift from his zone th' avenging blade he drew,
And, mad with ire, the proud virago flew,
Meanwhile sweet-fmiling Delia's wary king
Retir'd from fight behind his circling wing.
Long time the war in equal balance hung; Till, unforeseen, an iv'ry courfer fprung, And, wildly prancing in an evil hour, Attack'd at once the monarch, and the tow'r : Sirena blush'd; for, as the rules requir'd,
Her injur'd fov'reign to his tent retir'd;
Whilft her loft caftle leaves his threat'ning height,
And adds new glory to th' exulting knight.
At this, pale fear opprefs'd the drooping maid,
And on her cheek the rose began to fade :
A crystal tear, that stood prepar'd to fall,
She wip'd in filence, and conceal'd from all;
From all but Daphnis: He remark'd her pain,
And faw the weakness of her ebon train;
Then gently spoke: "Let me your lofs fupply,
"And either nobly win, or nobly die;
"Me oft has fortune crown'd with fair fuccefs,
"And led to triumph in the fields of Chefs."
He faid the willing nymph her place refign'd,
And fat at diftance on the bank reclin❜d.
Thus when Minerva call'd her chief to arms,
And Troy's high turret fhook with dire alarms,
The Cyprian goddess wounded left the plain,
And Mars engag'd a mightier force in vain.
Straight Daphnis leads his squadron to the field;
(To Delia's arms 'tis ev'n a joy to yield.)
Each guileful fnare, and subtle art he tries,
But finds his art lefs pow'rful than her eyes:
Wisdom and strength fuperiour charms obey;
And beauty, beauty wins the long-fought day.
By this a hoary chief, on flaughter bent,
Approach'd the gloomy king's unguarded tent,
Where, late, his confort fpread dismay around,
Now her dark corfe lies bleeding on the ground.
Hail, happy youth! thy glories not unfung
Shall live eternal on the poet's tongue;
For thou fhalt foon receive a splendid change,
And o'er the plain with nobler fury range.
The swarthy leaders 'faw the storm impend,
And ftrove in vain their fov'reign to defend :
Th' invader wav'd his filver lance in air,
And flew like lightning to the fatal fquare,
His limbs dilated in a moment grew
To ftately height, and widen'd to the view;
More fierce his look, more lion-like his mien,
Sublime he mov'd, and feem'd a warriour queen.
As when the fage on fome unfolding plant
Has caught a wand'ring fly, or frugal ant,
His hand the microscopick frame applies,
And lo! a bright-hair'd monfter meets his eyes;
He fees new plumes in flender cafes roll'd,
Here ftain'd with azure, there bedrop'd with gold;
Thus on the alter'd chief both armies
And both the kings are fix'd with deep amaze.
The fword, which arm'd the fnow-white maid before,
He now affumes, and hurls the fpear no more;
Then springs indignant on the dark-rob'd band,
And knights, and archers feel his deadly hand.
Now flies the monarch of the sable fhield,
His legions vanquifh'd, o'er the lonely field:
*So when the morn, by rofy courfers drawn,
With pearls and rubies fows the verdant lawn,
Whilft each pale ftar from heav'n's blue vault retires,
Still Venus gleams, and laft of all expires.
He hears, where'er he moves, the dreadful found;
Check the deep vales, and Check the woods rebound.
No place remains: he fees the certain fate,
And yields his throne to ruin, and Checkmate.
IMITATIONS.
Medio rex æquore inermis
Conftitit amiffis fociis; velut æthere in alto
Expulit ardentes flammas ubi lutea bigis
Luciferis Aurora, tuus pulcherrimus ignis
Lucet adhuc, Venus, et cœlo mox ultimus exit.
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