Well, as she might, and then the goddess rose:

enclose.

With that he shook

Whilst all her nymphs did like a girlond her His nectar-dewed locks, with which the skies, And all the world beneath, for terror quook, And eft his burning leven-brond in hand be took.

$115. Description of a Garden.
EFTSOONS they heard a most delicious sound
Of all that mote delight a dainty ear ;
Such as at once might not on living ground,
Save in this paradise, be heard elsewhere:
Right hard it was for wight which did it hear,

To read what manner music that mote be,
For all that pleasing is to living ear
Was there consorted in one harmony; [agree.
Birds, voices, instruments, winds, waters, all
The joyous birds, shrouded in cheerful shade,
Their notes unto the voice attemper'd sweet;
Th' angelical, soft trembling voices made
To th' instruments divine respondence meet;
The silver-sounding instruments did meet
With the base murmur of the waters fall;
The waters fall, with difference discreet,
Now soft, now loud, unto the wind did call;
The gentle warbling wind low answered to all.

on throug

$119. Guyon conducted by Mammon
a Cave under Ground, to see his Treasure.

A length they came into a larger space

That stretch'd itself into an ample plas Thro' which a beaten broad high-wa

trace,

That straight did lead to Pluto's griesly reg,
By that way's side there sat infernal Pain,
And fast beside him sat tumultuous Strife;
The one in hand an iron whip did strain,
The other brandished a bloody knife,
And both did gnash their teeth, and both
threaten life.

On the other side in one consort there sate
Cruel Revenge, and rancorous Despite,
Disloyal Treason, and heart-burning Hate;
But gnawing Jealousy, out of their sight
Sitting alone, bis bitter lips did bite;
And trembling Fear still to and fro did flr.
And found no place where safe he shroud.
might.

Lamenting Sorrow did in darkness lie,
And Shame his ugly face did hide from 4
And over them sad Horror, with grim hue,
Did always soar, beating his iron wings;
And after him owls and night-ravens flew,
The hateful messengers of heavy things,
Of death and dolour telling sad tidings;
Whilst sad Celeno, sitting on a cliff,
A song of hale and bitter sorrow sings,
That heart of flint asunder would have ri.
Which having ended, after him she fieth's

$120. Description of Despair, and her Sp
ERE long they come, where that same w
ed wight

His dwelling has, low in an hollow cave,
Far underneath a craggy clift ypight,
Dark, doleful, dreary, like a greedy grave,
That still for carion carcasses doth crave
On top whereof ay dwelt the ghastly ow!.
Shrieking his baneful note, which ever d.
Far from that haunt all other cheerful for
And all about it wand'ring ghosts did wai -
howl.

And, all about, old stocks and stubs of tree
Wheron nor fruit nor leaf was ever seen.
Did hang upon the ragged rocky knees;
On which had many wretches hanged bee
Whose carcasses were scatter'd on the gre
And thrown about the clifts. Arrived ther
That bare-head knight, for dread and doe
[nes
Would fain have fled, ne durst approac

teen,

Is wont to wield the world unto his vow,
And even the highest pow'rs of heaven to
check
Made sign to them in their degrees to speak. But th other forc'd him stay, and comfor

in fear.

Th

ere does now enjoy eternal rest, [crave, happy ease, which thou dost want and further from it daily wanderest: - if some little pain the passage have, makes frail flesh to fear the bitter wave? I short pain well borne, that brings long

ease,

ays the soul to sleep in quiet grave? after toil, port after stormy seas, [please. after war, death after life, does greatly night much wonder'd at his sudden wit, said: The term of life is limited, ay a man prolong or shorten it:

Is not his law, Let every sinner die?
Die shall all flesh? What then must needs be
Is it not better to do willingly,

The which doth quench the brond of hellish

smart,

[done, And that accurs'd hand-writing doth deface: Than linger till the glass be all out-run?[son. Arise, sir knight, arise, and leave this cursed Death is the end of woes. Die soon, O Fairy's

The knight was much enmoved with this
speech,
[pierce,
That as a sword's point through his heart did
And in his conscience made a secret breach,
Well knowing true all that he did rehearse,
And to his fresh remembrance did reverse
The ugly view of his deformed crimes,
That all his manly pow'rs it did disperse,
As he were charmed with inchaunted rhimes,
That oftentimes he quak'd, and fainted often-
times.

In which amazement when the miscreant
Perceived him to waver weak and frail,
With trembling horror did his conscience dant,
And hellish anguish did his soul assail :
To drive him to despair, and quite to quail,
He shew'd him painted in a table plain,
The damned ghosts, that do in torments wail,
And thousand fiends that do them endless pain,
With fire and brimstone, which for ever shall

remain.

The sight whereof so throughly him dismay'd,
That nought but death before his eyes he saw,
And ever-burning wrath before him laid,

By righteous sentence of th' Almighty's law :
Then 'gan the villain him to over-craw, [fire,
And brought unto him swords, ropes, poison,
And all that might him to perdition draw;
And bade him choose what death he would
desire :
[God's ire.
For death was due to him that had provok'd
But when as none of them he saw him take,
He to him raught a dagger sharp and keen,
And gave it in his hand; his hand did quake,
And tremble like a leaf of aspin green,
And troubled blood thro' his pale face was seen
To come and go; with tidings from the heart,
As it a running messenger had been:
At last resolv'd to work his final smart,
He lifted up his hand, that back again did start.
Which when as Una saw, through every vein
The crudled cold ran to her well of life,
As in a swoon: but soon reliev'd again,
Out of his hand she snatch'd the cursed knife,
And threw it to the ground, enraged rife,
And to hina said: Fie, fie, faint-hearted knight!
What meanest thou by this reproachful strife?
Is this the battle which thou vaunt'st to fight
With that fire-mouthed dragon, horrible and
bright?

place.

So up he rose, and thence amounted streigh
Which when the earl beheld, and saw his guest
Would safe depart, for all his subtle sleigh,
He chose an halter from among the rest,
And with it hung himself, unbid, unblest.
But death he could not work himself the
For thousand times he so himself had det,
Yet natheless it could not do him die,
Till he should die his last, that is eternally.

FAIRFAX's TASSO.

§ 121. Description of the Vision conjured by Alecto.

A

MURDER'D body huge beside him stood,
Of head and right-hand both but lateș

spoil'd;

The left-hand bore the head, whose visage po
Both pale and wan, with dust and gore det...
Yet spake, tho' dead; with those sad we

the blood

Forth at his lips in huge abundance boil'd
Flv, Argillan, from this false camp fly ft.
Whose guide a traitor, captains inund

A giantess before him high she stands, Arm❜d, like Briareus, with an hundred hans With fifty swords, and fifty targets bright, She threaten'd death, she roar'd, she cried, fought :

Each other nymph, in armour likewise di
A Cyclops great became; he fear'd the
nought,

But on the myrtle smote with all his might
Which groan'd, like living souls to death:
brought;
[he

The sky seem'd Pluto's court, the air seer
Therein such monsters roar, such spirits ye-

Come, come away, frail, silly, fleshy wight,
Ne let vain words bewitch thy manly heart,
Ne devilish thoughts dismaythy contant spright:
Lighten'd the heaven above, the earth bel
In heavenly mercies hast thou not a part?
Roared aloud that thunder'd, and this shoo
Why shouldst thou then despair, that chosen Bluster'd the tempests strong: the whirlwind.

art?

[grace,

blow:

Where justice grows, there grows eke greater The bitter storm drove hail-stones in his loot.

• Rinaldo.

But

Why do we labour thro' the arduous paths
Which lead to virtue? Fruitless were the toil,
Above the reach of human feet were plac'd
The distant summit, if the fear of death
Could intercept our passage. But in vain
His blackest frowns and terrors he assumes

123. Description of Armida's wonderful To shake the firmness of the mind, which

Parrot.

yet his arm grew neither weak nor slow, Clllow to earth the wounded tree down of that fury heed or care he took, [bended: Then fled the spirits all, the charms all ended.

knows

ITH party-colour'd plumes, and purple bill, That, wanting virtue, life is pain and woe; A wondrous bird among the rest there That, wanting liberty, ev'n virtue mourns, flew, [shrill; And looks around for happiness in vain. t in plain speech sung love-lays loud and Then speak, O Sparta, and demand my life; e Leden was like human language true ; My heart exulting, answers to thy call, much she talk'd, and with such wit and And smiles on glorious fate. To live with skill, [knew: The gods allow to many! but to die t strange it seem'd how much good she With equal lustre, is a blessing Heaven er feather'd fellows all stood hush to hear; Selects from all the choicest boons of fate, umb was the wind, the waters silent were. And with a sparing hand on few bestows. gentle budding rose, quoth she, behold,

[fame

first scant peeping forth with virgin $ 125. Leonidas's Answer to the Persian Am

beams,

bassador.

ope, half shut, her beauties doth unfold s fair leaves, and, less seen, fairer seems, after spreads thein forth more broad and bold,

n languisheth, and dies in last extremes;
or seems the same that decked bed and
f many a lady late and paramour. [bow'r
n the passing of a day, doth pass.
bud and blossom of the life of man,
e'er doth flourish more; but, like the
grass

RETURN to Xerxes; tell him, on this rock

The Grecians, faithful to their post, await
His chosen myriads; tell him, thou hast seen
How far the lust of empire is below
A free-born mind: and tell him, to behold
A tyrant humbled, and by virtuous death
To seal my country's freedom, is a good
Surpassing all his boasted pow'r can give.

down, becometh wither'd, pale, and wan:
gather then the rose, while time thou hast!
t is the day, done when it scant began;
ather the rose of Love, while yet thou mayst,
wing be lov'd, embracing be embrac'd.
ceas'd; and, as approving all she spoke,
choir of birds their heavenly tune renew;
turtles sigh'd, and sighs with kisses broke;
fowls to shades unseen by pairs withdrew:
em'd, the laurel chaste, and stubborn oak,
all the gentle trees on earth that grew,
seem'd, the land, the sea, and heaven
above,
[love.
ll breath'd out fancy sweet, and sigh'd out

GLOVER's LEONIDAS. 4. Leonidas's Address to his Countrymen.

-He alone

§ 126. Pathetic Farewel of Leonidas to his Wife and Family.

hy this astonishment on ev'ry face, men of Spatta? Does the name of death te this fear and wonder? O my friends!

SEE, I feel thy anguish, nor my soul

Has ever known the prevalence of love,
E'er prov'd a father's fondness, as this hour;
Nor, when most ardent to assert my fame,
Was once my heart insensible to thee.
How had it stain'd the honours of my name
To hesitate a moment, and suspend
My country's fate, till shameful life preferr'd
By my inglorious colleague left no choice,
But what in me were infamy to shun,
Not virtue to accept! Then deem no more
That, of my love regardless, or thy tears,
I haste uncall'd to death. The voice of fate,
The gods, my fame, my country, bid me bleed.
O thou dear mourner! wherefore streams afresh
That flood of woe? Why heaves with sighs

renew'd

ains unshaken. Rising he displays godlike presence. Dignity and grace In his frame, and manly beauty, join'd h strength Herculean. On his aspect shines imest virtue, and desire of fame, ere justice gives the laurel; in his eye inextinguishable spark, which fires souls of patriots; while his brow supports Haunted valour, and contempt of death. ne he rose, and thus address'd the throng:

That tender breast? Leonidas must fall.
Alas! far heavier misery impends
O'er thee and these, if soften'd by thy tears
I shamefully refuse to yield that breath,
Which justice, glory, liberty, and Heaven
Claim for my country, for my sons, and thee.
Think on my long unalter'd fove. Reflect
On my paternal fondness. Has my heart
E'er known a pause of love, or pious care?
Now shall that care, that tenderness, be prov'd
Most warm and faithful. When thy husband

dies

For Lacedæmon's safety, thou wilt share, Thon and thy children, the diffusive good. 3A 2

Should