His quarter-ftaff, which he could ne'er forfake,
Hung half before, and half behind his back.
He trudg'd along, unknowing what he fought,
And whiftled as he went for want of thought.
By chance conducted, or by thirst conftrain'd,
The deep receffes of the grove he gain'd;
Where, in a plain defended by the wood,
Crept through the matted grass a crystal flood,
By which an alabafter fountain ftood:
And on the margin of the fount was laid
(Attended by her flaves) a fleeping maid.
Like Dian and her nymphs, when, tir'd with sport,
To reft by cool Eurotas they refort:
The dame herself the goddess well exprefs'd,
Not more diftinguish'd by her purple vest,
Than by the charming features of her face,
And ev❜n in flumber a fuperior grace:
Her comely limbs compos'd with decent care,
Her body fhaded with a flight cymarr;
Her bofom to the view was only bare:
Where two beginning paps were scarcely fpied,
For yet their places were but fignified:
The fanning wind upon her bofom blows,
To meet the fanning wind the bofom rose;
The fanning wind, and purling ftreams, con-
tinue her repofe.

The fool of nature stood with stupid eyes,
And gaping mouth, that testified furprize,
Fix'd on her face, nor could remove his fight,
New as he was to love, and novice to delight:
Long mute he ftood, and leaning on his staff,
His wonder witnefs'd with an idiot laugh;
Then would have spoke, but by his glimm'ring
fenfe,

First found his want of words, and fear'd offence:
Doubted for what he was he should be known,
By his clown accent, and his country tone.
Through the rude chaos thus the running light
Shot the first ray that pierc'd the native night:
Then day and darkness in the mafs were mix'd,
Till gather'd in a globe the beams were fix'd:
Laft fhone the fun, who, radiant in his fphere,
Illumin'd heaven and earth, and roll'd around the
So reafon in this brutal foul began, [year.
Love made him firft fufpect he was a man;
Love made him doubt his broad barbarian found;
By love his want of words and wit he found;
That sense of want prepar'd the future way
To knowledge, and difclos'd the promise of a day.
What not his father's care, nor tutor's art,
Could plant with pains in his unpolish'd heart,
The best inftructor, love, at once infpir'd,
As barren, grounds to fruitfulness are fir'd:
Love taught him shame; and shame, with love at
Soon taught the fweet civilities of life;
His grofs material foul at once could find
Somewhat in her excelling all her kind :
Exciting a defire till then unknown,
Somewhat unfound, or found in her alone.
This made the first impreffion on his mind,
Above, but just above, the brutal kind.
For beafts can like, but not diftinguish too,
Nor their own liking by reflection know;
Nor why they like or this or t'other face,
Or judge of this or that peculiar grace;

[ftrife,

But love in grofs, and stupidly admire:
As flies, allur'd by light, approach the fire.
Thus our man-beaft, advancing by degrees,
First likes the whole, then fep'rates what he fees;
On fev'ral parts a fev'ral praise bestows:
The ruby lips, the well-proportion'd nofe,
The fnowy skin, and raven-gloffy hair,
The dimpled cheek, and forehead rifing fair,
And, ev'n in fleep itself, a fmiling air.
From thence his eyes defcending view'd the reft,
Her plump round arms, white hands, and heav-
ing breast.

Long on the laft he dwelt, though ev'ry part
A pointed arrow fped to pierce his heart.

Thus in a trice a judge of beauty grown (A judge erected from a country clown) He long'd to fee her eyes, in flumber hid, And with'd his own could pierce within the lid : He would have wak'd her, but restrain'd his thought,

And love new-born the first good manners taught.
And awful fear his ardent with withstood,
Nor durft disturb the goddess of the wood.
For fuch the feem'd by her celestial face,
Excelling all the rest of human race.
And things divine, by common sense he knew,
Must be devoutly feen, at diftant view:
So checking his defire, with trembling heart,
Gazing he flood, nor would nor could depart;
Fix'd as a pilgrim wilder'd in his way,
Who dares not ftir by night, for fear to ftray,
But ftands with awful eyes to watch the dawn
of day.

At length awaking, Iphigene the fair
(So was the beauty call'd who caus'd his care)
Unclos'd her eyes, and double day reveal'd,
While thofe of all her flaves in fleep were feal'd.

The flav'ring cudden, propp'd upon his staff, Stood ready gaping, with a grinning laugh, To welcome her awake; nor durft begin To fpeak, but wifely kept the fool within. Then the: What makes you, Cymon, here alone? (For Cymon's name was round the country known Becaufe defcended of a noble race, And for a foul ill forted with his face).

But ftill the fot ftood filent with furprise, With fix'd regard on her new-open'd eyes, And in his breast receiv'd th' envenom'd dart, A tickling pain that pleas'd amid the fmart. But, conscious of her form, with quick diftruft She faw his fparkling eyes, and fear'd his brutal luft: This to prevent, the wak'd her fleepy crew, And, rifing hafty, took a fhort adieu.

Then Cymon firft his ruftic voice effay'd,
With proffer'd fervice to the parting maid,
To fee her fafe; his hand the long denied,
But took at length, afham'd of fuch a guide.
So Cymon led her home, and leaving there,
No more would to his country clowns repair;
But fought his father's house, with better mind,
Refufing in the farm to be confin'd.

The father wonder'd at the fon's return,
And knew not whether to rejoice or mourn;
But doubtfully receiv'd, expecting still
To learn the fecret causes of his alter d will.

Nor

Nor was he long delay'd: the first request He made, was like his brothers to be drefs'd, And, as his birth requir'd, above the rest.

With ease his fuit was granted by his fire, Diftinguishing his heir by rich attire: His body thus adorn'd, he next defign'd With lib'ral arts to cultivate his mind: He fought a tutor of his own accord, And studied leffons he before abhorr'd.

Thus the man-child advanc'd, and learn'd fo
That in fhort time his equals he furpafs'd; [faft,
His brutal manners from his breast exil'd,
His mien he fafhion'd, and his tongue he fil'd;
In ev'ry exercife of all admir'd,

He feem'd, nor only feem'd, but was infpir'd:
Infpir'd by love, whole bufinefs is to pleafe;
He rode, he fenc'd, he mov'd with graceful cafe;
More fam'd for fenfe, for courtly carriage more,
Than for his brutal folly known before.

What then of alter'd Cymon fhall we fay,
But that the fire which chok'd in afhes lay,
A load too heavy for his foul to move, [love.
Was upward blown below, and brush'd away by
Love made an active progrefs thro' his mind,
The dufky parts he clear'd, the grofs refin'd,
The drowfy wak’d; and, as he went, imprefs'd
The Maker's image on the human breaft.
Thus was the man amended by defire,
And tho' he lov'd perhaps with too much fire,
His father all his faults with reafon fcann'd,
And lik'd an error of the better hand;
Excus'd th' excefs of paffion in his mind,
By flames too fierce, perhaps too much refin'd:
So Cymon, fince his fire indulg'd his will,
Impetuous lov'd, and would be Cymon still;
Galefus he difown'd, and chofe to bear [fair.
The name of fool, confirm'd and bishop'd by the
To Cipfeus by his friends his fuit he mov'd,
Cipfeus, the father of the fair he lov'd:
But he was pre-engag'd by former ties,
While Cymon was endeavouring to be wife:
And Iphigene, oblig'd by former vows,
Had given her faith to wed a foreign spouse:
Her fire and the to Rhodian Pafimond,
Though both repenting, were by promife bound,
Nor could retract; and thus, as fate decreed,
Though better lov'd, he spoke too late to fpeed.
The doom was paft, the ship already sent
Did all his tardy diligence prevent:
Sigh'd to herfelf the fair unhappy maid,
While ftormy Cymon thus in fecret faid:
The time is come for Iphigene to find
The miracle fhe wrought upon my mind;
Her charms have made me man, her ravifh'd love
In rank fhall place me with the bleft above.
For mine by love, by force the fhall be mine,
Or death, if force fhould fail, fhall finish my defign.
Refolv'd he faid; and rigg'd with speedy care
A veffel ftrong, and well equipp'd for war.
The fecret fhip with chofen friends he stor'd;
And, bent to die or conquer, went aboard.
Ambuth'd he lay behind the Cyprian shore,
Waiting the fail that all his withes bore;
Nor long expected, for the following tide
Sent out the hoftile fhip and beauteous bride.

prow,

To Rhodes the rival bark directly ficer'd,
When Cymon fudden at her back appear'd,
And ftopp'd her flight; then, ftanding on his
In haughty terms he thus defied the foe:
Or ftrike your fails at fummons, or prepare
To prove the laft extremities of war.
Thus warn'd, the Rhodians for the fight provide;"
Already were the veffels fide by fide; [bride.
Thefe obftinate to fave, and thofe to feize the
But Cymon foon his crooked grapples cast,
Which with tenacious hold his focs embrac'd,
And, arm'd with fword and fhield, amid the
prefs he pafs'd.

Fierce was the fight; but, haft'ning to his prey,
By force the furious lover freed his way:
Himfelf alone difpers'd the Rhodian crew,
The weak difdain'd, the valiant overthrew.
Cheap conqueft for his following friends remain`d;
He reap'd the field, and they but only glean'd.
His victory confefs'd, the foes retreat,
And caft the weapons at the victor's feet,
Whom thus he cheer'd: O Rhodian youth, I
fought

For love alone, nor other booty fought:
Your lives are fafe; your veffel I refign;
Yours be your own, reftoring what is mine:
In Iphigene I claim my rightful due,
Robb'd by my rival, and detain'd by you.
Your Pafimond a lawlefs bargain drove,
The parent could not fell the daughter's love;
Or, if he could, my love difdains the laws,
And, like a king, by conqueft gains his caufe:
Where arms take place, all other pleas are vain;
Love taught me force, and force fhall love maintain;
You, what by ftrength you could not keep, release,
And at an eafy random buy your peace.

Fear on the conquer'd fide focn fign'd th'accord,
And Iphigene to Cymon was reftor'd:
While to his arms the blufhing bride he took,
To feeming fadnefs the compos'd her look;
As if by force fubjected to his will,

Tho' pleas'd diffembling, and a woman still.
And (for the wept) he wip'd her falling tears,
And pray'd her to difmifs her empty fears;
For yours I am, he faid, and have deferv'd
Your love much better whom fo long I ferv'd,
Than he to whom your formal father tied
Your vows, and sold a slave, not sent a bride.
Thus while he spoke, he feiz'd the willing prey,
As Paris bore the Spartan ipoufe away.
Faintly the fcream'd, and ev'n her eyes confefs'à
She rather would be thought, than was, diftrefs'd.
Who now exults but Cymon in his mind?
Vain hopes and empty joys of human kind,
Proud of the prefent, to the future blind!
Secure of fate, while Cymon ploughs the fea,
And steers to Candy with his conquer'd prey,
Scarce the third glass of meafur'd hours was run,
When, like a fiery meteor, funk the sun,
The promife of a form; the fhifting gales
Forfake by fits, and fill, the flagging fails;
Hoarfe murmurs of the main from far were heard,
And night came on, not by degrees prepar'd,
But all at once; at once the winds arife,
The thunders roll, the forky lightning flies.

In vain the mafter iffues out commands,
In vain the trembling failors ply their hands:
The tempeft unforefeen prevents their care,
And from the first they labour in despair.
The giddy thip, betwixt the winds and tides,
Forc'd back, and forwards, in a circle rides,
Stunn'd with the diffrent blows; then fhoots amain,
Till, counterbuff'd, the ftops, and fleeps again.
Not more aghaft the proud archangel fell,
Plung'd from the height of heaven to deepeft hell,
Than ftood the lover of his love poffeft,
Now curs'd the more, the more he had been bleft;
More anxious for her danger than his own,
Death he defies, but would be loft alone.

Sad Iphigene to womanith complaints
Adds pious prayers, and wearies all the faints;
Ev'n if the could, her love the would repent;
But, fince the cannot, dreads the punishment:
Her forfeit faith, and Pafimond betray'd,
Are ever present, and her crime upbraid.
The blames herself, nor blames her lover lefs,
Augments her anger as her fears increase;
From her own back the burden would remove,
And lays the load on his ungovern'd love,
Which interpofing durft, in Heaven's defpite,
Invade and violate another's right:
The pow'rs incens'd awhile deferr'd his pain,
And made him mafter of his vows in vain:
But foon they punith'd his prefumptuous pride;
That for his daring enterprize she died,
Who rather not refifted than complied.

Then, impotent of mind, with alter'd fenfe She hugg'd th' offender, and forgave th' offence, Sex to the laft: meantime, with fails declin'd, The wand'ring veffel drove before the wind: Tofs'd and retofs'd, aloft, and then below, Nor port they feek, nor certain courfe they know, But every moment wait the coming blow. Thus blindly driven, by breaking day they view'd The lands before them, and their fears renew'd; The land was welcome, but the tempeft bore The threaten'd ship against a rocky thore.

A winding bay was near; to this they bent, And just escap'd; their force already spent : Secure from ftorins, and panting from the sea, The land unknown at leifure they furvey; And faw (but foon their fickly fight withdrew) The rifing tow'rs of Rhodes at diftant view; And curs'd the hoftile fhore of Pafimond, Sav'd from the feas, and fhipwreck'd on the ground.

The frighted failors tried their strength in vain To turn the stern, and tempt the stormy main; But the stiff wind withstood the lab'ring oar, And forc'd them forward on the fatal fhore! The crooked keel now bites the Rhodian strand, And the ship noor'd conftrains the crew to land. Yet ftill they might be fafe, because unknown; But, as ill fortune feldom comes alone, The veffel they difmifs'd was driven before, Already fhelter'd on their native fhore; [cheer; Known each, they know, but each with change of The vanquith'd fide exults, the victors fear; Not them but theirs, made pris'ners ere they light, Defpairing conqueft, and depriv'd of flight.

The country rings around with loud alarms, And raw in fields the rude militia fwarms; Mouths without hands, maintain'd at vaft expence, In peace a charge, in war a weak defence: Stout once a month they march, a blust'ring band; And ever, but in times of need, at hand; This was the morn when, Muing on the guard, Drawn up in rank and file they stood prepar'd Of feeming arms to make a fhort effay, Then haften to be drunk, the business of the day. The cowards would have fled, but that they

knew

Themfelves fo many, and their foes fo few:
But, crowding on, the laft the first impel;
Till overborne with weight the Cyprians fell.
Cymon enflav'd, who firft the war begun;
And Iphigene once more is loft and won.

Deep in a dungeon was the captive cast,
Depriv'd of day, and held in fetters faft;
His life was only spar'd at their request,
Whom taken he fo nobly had releas'd;
But Iphigenia was the ladies care,
Each in their turn addrefs'd to treat the fair;
While Pafimond and histhe nuptialfeastprepare.

Her fecret foul to Cymon was inclin'd,
But the muft fuffer what her fates affign'd;
So paffive is the church of womankind.
What worse to Cymon could his fortune deal,
Roll'd to the loweft fpoke of all her wheel >
It refted to difiifs the downward weight,
Or raife him upward to his former height;
The latter pleas'd; and love (concern'd the moft)
Prepar'd th' amends for what by love he loft.

The fire of Pafimond had left a fon,
Though younger, yet for courage early known
Ormifda call'd, to whom, by promife tied,
A Rhodian beauty was the deftin'd bride;
Caffandra was her name, above the reft
Renown'd for birth, with fortune amply bleft.
Lyfimachus, who rul`d the Rhodian state,
Was then by choice their annual magistrate;
He lov'd Caffandra too with equal fire,
But fortune had not favour'd his defire;
Crofs'd by her friends, by her not disapprov'd,
Nor yet preferr'd, or like Ormisda lov'd:
So ftood th' affair; fome little hope remain'd,
That, fhould his rival chance to lofe, he gain'd.
Mean time young Pafimond his marriage
prefs'd,

Ordain'd the nuptial day, prepar'd the feast;
And frugally refolv'd (the charge to fhun
Which would be double fhould he wed alone)
To join his brother's bridal with his own.

Lyfimachus, opprefs'd with mortal grief,
Receiv'd the news, and ftudied quick relief;
The fatal day approach'd; if force were us'd,
The magiftrate his public trust abus'd;
To juftice liable, as law requir'd;
For, when his office ceas'd, his pow'r expir'd:
While pow'r remain'd, the means were in his hand,
By force to feize, and then forfake the land:
Betwixt extremes he knew not how to move;
A flave to fame, but more a flave to love:
Reftraining others, yet himself not free,
Made impotent by pow'r, debas'd by dignity.

Both

Quick to redeem the prey their plighted lords
Advance, the palace gleams with fhining fwords.
But late is all defence, and fuccour vain;
The rape is made, the ravishers remain;
Two sturdy flaves were only fent before
To bear the purchas'd prize in fafety to the fhore:
The troop retires, the lovers close the rear,
With forward faces not confefling fear;
Backward they move, but fcorn their pace to mend;
Then feek the stairs, and with flow hafte defcend.
Fierce Pafimond, their paffage to prevent,
Thruft full on Cymon's back in his defcent;
The blade return'd unbath'd, and to the han-
dle bent.

Stout Cymon foon remounts, and cleft in two
His rival's head with one defcending blow;
And as the next in rank Ormisda stood,
He turn'd the point; the fword, inur'd to blood,
Bor'd his unguarded breaft, which pour'd a
purple flood.

With vow'd revenge, the gath ring crowd pursues;
The ravifhers turn head, the fight renews;
The hall is heap'd with corps; the fprinkled gore
Befmears the walls, and floats the marble floor.
Difpers'd at length the drunken fquadron flies,
The victors to their veffel bear the prize; [cries.
And hear behind loud groans and lamentable
Thecrewwith merry fhouts their anchors weigh,"
Then ply their oars, and brush the buxom fea,
While troops of gather'd Rhodians crowd the
key.

What should the people do when left alone?
The governor and government are gone.
The public wealth to foreign parts convey'd;
Some troops difbanded, and the reft unpaid.
Rhodes is the fov 'reign of the fea no more;
Their fhips unrigg'd, and fpent their naval ftore;
They neither could defend, nor can purfue.
But grinn'd their teeth, and caft a helplets view:
In vain with darts a distant war they try,
Short, and more fhort, the miffive weapons fly.
Meanwhile the ravifhers their crimes enjoy,
And flying fails and tweeping oars employ:
The cliffs of Rhodes in little pace are loft;
Jove's ifle they feck, nor Jove denies his coaft.
In fafety landed on the Candian fhore,
With gen rous wines their fpirits they reftore;
There Cvmon with his Rhodian friends refides,
Both court and wed at once the willing brides.
A war entues, the Cretans own their caufe,
Stiff to defend their hofpitable laws;
Both parties lofe by turns, and neither wins,
Till peace propounded by a truce begins.
The kindred of the flain forgive the deed,
But a thoit exile muft for fhow precede;
'I he term expir'd, from Candia they remove;
And happy each at home enjoys his love.

33. A Letter from Italy, to the Right Honourable Charles Lord Halifax. In the year WHILE

1701. ADDISON.

you, my Lord, the rural fhades admire, And from Biitannia's public pofts retire, Nor longer, her ungrateful fons to pleafe, their advantage facrifice your cafej

Me into foreign realms my fate conveys,
Through nations fruitful of immortal lays,
Where the foft feafon and inviting clime
Confpire to trouble your repose with rhyme.
For wherefoe'er I turn my ravish'd eyes,
Gay gilded scenes and shining profpects rife;
Poetic fields encompafs me around,
And ftill I feem to tread on claffic ground;
For here the Mufe fo oft her harp has ftrung,
That not a mountain rears its head unfung,
Renown'd in verfe each thady thicket grows,
And ev'ry ftream in heavenly numbers flows.
How am I pleas'd to search the hills and woods
For rifing fprings and celebrated floods !
To view the Nar, tumultuous in his course,
And trace the finooth Clitumnus to his fource,
To fee the Mincio draw his wat'ry ftore
Through the long windings of a fruitful shore,
And hoary Albula's infected tide
O'er the warm bed of fmoking fulphur glide.
Fir'd with a thoufand raptures I furvey
Eridanus through flow'ry meadows ftray,
The king of floods! that, rolling o'er the plains,
The tow'ring Alps of half their moisture drains,
And, proudly fwoln with a whole winter's fnows,
Difiributes wealth and plenty where he flows.

Sometimes, mifguided by the tuneful throng,
I look for ftreams immortaliz'd in fong,
That loft in filence and oblivion lie
(Dumbare their fountains,and their channels dry),
Yet run for ever by the Mufe's skill,
And in the fimooth defcription murmur ftill.

Sometimes to gentle Tiber I retire, And the fam'd river's empty fhores admire,, That, deftitute of ftrength, derives its courfe From thrifty urns and an unfruitful fource; Yet, fung fo often in poetic lays, With fcorn the Danube and the Nile furveys; So high the deathlefs muse exalts her theme! Such was the Boyne, a poor inglorious stream, That in Hibernian vales obfcurely ftray'd, And, unobferv'd, in wild meanders play'd; Till, by your lines and Naffau's fword renown'd, Its rifing billows through the world refound; Where'er the hero's godlike acts can pierce, Or where the fame of an immortal verse.

Oh could the Mufe my ravifh'd breast inspire With warmth like yours, and raife an equal fire, Unnumber'd beauties in my verfe fhould thine, And Virgil's Italy fhould yield to mine! See how the golden groves around me fimile, That thun the coaft of Britain's ftormy ifle, Or, when tranfplanted and preserv'd with care, Curfe the cold clime, and ftarve in northern air. Here kindly warmth their mountain juice fer