55 60 65 At this the fwain, whofe vent'rous foul Advanc'd in open fight; "Nor have I caufe of dreed, he faid, "Who view, by no presumption led, "Your revels of the night. "Twas grief, for scorn of faithful love, "Which made my steps unweeting rove "Amid the nightly dew." "Tis well, the gallant crys again, We faeries never injure men Who dare to tell us true. Exalt thy love-dejected heart, Be mine the task, or e'er we part To make thee grief refign; 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 The monarch leads the queen: The reft their faerie part'ners found; With Edwin of the Green. 70 75 The dauncing paft, the board was laid, And fiker fuch a feaft was made As heart and lip defire; The glaffes with a wish come nigh, But, now to please the faerie king, Full ev'ry deal they laugh and fing, Some wind and tumble like an ape, 80 85 And other-fome tranfmute their shape, Till one at last, that Robin hight, Has hent him up aloof; And full against the beam he flung, Where by the back the youth he hung, To fpraul unneath the roof. 90 95 From thence," Reverse my charm," he crys, "And let it fairly now fuffice "The gambol has been shown." But Oberon answers with a fmile, The vantage is thine own. 100 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 crowd To warn them all to go. Then screaming all at once, they fly, Poor Edwin falls to floor; Forlorn his state, and dark the place, Through all the land before. But foon as Dan Apollo rofe, He feels his back the lefs; 105 110 115 Which made him want fuccefs. 120 With lufty livelyhed he talks, His ftory foon took wind; And beauteous Edith fees the youth Endow'd with courage, sense, and truth, 125 Without a bunch behind. The ftory told, Sir Topaz mov'd, To fee the revel scene: At close of eve he leaves his home, 130 And wends to find the ruin'd dome As there he bides, it so befell, The wind came rustling down a dell, A shaking seiz'd the wall; 135 Up fpring the tapers as before, The faeries bragly foot the floor, But certes forely funk with woe His fpirits in him dy: When Oberon crys, " A man is near, "A mortal paffion, cleeped fear, "Hangs flagging in the sky." 140 With that Sir Topaz (hapless youth!) 145 In accents fault'ring, ay for ruth, Intreats them pity graunt; For als he been a mister wight Betray'd by wand'ring in the night To tread the circled haunt; 150 "Ah lofell vile, at once they roar; "And little fkill'd of faerie lore, Thy caufe to come, we know: "Now has thy kestrell courage fell; «And faeries, fince a ly you tell, "Are free to work thee woe." Then Will, who bears the wispy fire There, like a tortoise in a shop, The revel now proceeds apace, They fit, they drink, and eat; The time with frolick mirth beguile, Till all the rout retreat. By this the ftarrs began to wink, 155 160 165. They shriek, they fly, the tapers fink, 170 And down y-drops the knight: For never spell by faerie laid With ftrong enchantment bound a glade Beyond the length of night. |