He felt the charms of Edith's eyes,
Nor wanted hope to gain the prize,
Cou'd ladies look within;

But one Sir Topaz drefs'd with art,
And, if a shape cou'd win a heart,
He had a shape to win.

Edwin (if right I read my fong)
With flighted paffion pac'd along
All in the moony light:

'Twas near an old enchaunted court,
Where sportive Faeries made refort
To revel out the night.

His heart was drear, his hope was crofs'd, 'Twas late, 'twas farr, the path was lost That reach'd the neighbour-town;

With weary steps he quits the fhades,
Refolv'd the darkling dome he treads,
And drops his limbs adown.

But fcant he lays him on the floor,
When hollow winds remove the door,
A trembling rocks the ground:

And (well I ween to count aright)
At once an hundred tapers light
On all the walls around.

Now founding tongues affail his ear, Now founding feet approachen near,

And now the founds encrease, And from the corner where he lay He fees a train profufely gay

Come pranckling o'er the place.

But (truft me Gentles!) never yet
Was dight a mafquing half so neat,
Or half fo rich before;

The country lent the sweet perfumes,
The fea the pearl, the fky the plumes,
The town its filken store.

Now whilst he gaz'd, a Gallant drest
In flaunting robes above the rest,
With awfull accent cry'd;

What Mortall of a wretched mind,
Whofe fighs infect the balmy wind,
Has here prefum'd to hide ?

At this the Swain, whose vent'rous foul No fears of magic art controul,

Advanc'd in open fight;

Nor have I caufe of dreed, he said, • Who view (by no prefumption led). 'Your revels of the night.

'Twas grief, for scorn of faithful love, • Which made my steps unweeting 1ove ⚫ Amid the nightly dew.'

'Tis well, the Gallant cries again, We Faeries never injure men Who dare to tell us true.

Exalt thy love-dejected heart,

Be mine the task, or ere we part,
To make thee grief resign;

Now take the pleasure of thy chaunce;
Whilft I with Mab my part'ner daunce,
Be little Mable thine.

He spoke, and all a fudden there
Light music floats in wanton air;

The Monarch leads the Queen : The rest their Faerie partners found, And Mable trimly tript the ground

With Edwin of the

green.

The dauncing paft, the board was laid,

And fiker fuch a feaft was made

As heart and lip defire;

Withouten hands the difhes fly,

The glaffes with a wifh come nigh,
And with a wifh retire.

24

But now to please the Faerie King,
Full ev'ry deal they laugh and fing,
And antic feats devife;

Some wind and tumble like an ape,
And other-fome tranfmute their shape
In Edwin's wond'ring eyes.

'Till one at last that Robin hight,
(Renown'd for pinching maids by night)
Has hent him up aloof;

And full against the beam he flung,
Where by the back the Youth he hung
To spraul unneath the roof.

From thence," Reverse my charm, he

"And let it fairly now fuffice

"The gambol has been shown."
But Oberon anfwers with a fmile,
Content thee Edwin for a while,
The vantage is thine own.

Here ended all the phantome play;
They smelt the fresh approach of day,
And heard a cock to crow;

The whirling wind that bore the croud
Has clap'd the door, and whistled loud,
To warn them all to go.

crys,

Then screaming all at once they fly,

And all at once the tapers dy';

Poor Edwin falls to floor; Forlorn his state, and dark the place, Was never wight in fike a cafe Through all the land before.

But foon as dan Apollo rofe,
Full jolly creature home he goes,
He feels his back the lefs;
His honeft tongue and fteady mind
Han rid him of the lump behind

Which made him want fuccefs.

With lufty livelyheed he talks,
He feems a dauncing as he walks,

His story foon took wind;

And beauteous Edith fees the youth, Endow'd with courage, fenfe and truth, Without a bunch behind.

The story told, Sir Topaz mov'd,
(The youth of Edith erst approv'd)

To fee the revel scene:

At close of eve he leaves his home,
And wends to find the ruin'd dome

All on the gloomy plain.

D