Naked he lies, and ready to expire,
Helpless of all that human Wants require :
Expos'd upon inhospitable Earth,
From the firft Moment of his hapless Birth.
Strait with foreboding Cries he fills the Room,
(Too fure Prefages of his future Doom.)
But Flocks and Herds, and ev'ry favage Beast,
By more indulgent Nature are increas'd.
They want no Rattles for their froward Mood,
No Nurfe to reconcile 'em to their Food
With broken Words: Nor Winter Blafts they fear,
Nor change their Habits with the changing Year:
Nor for their fafety Cittadels prepare ;
Nor forge the wicked Inftruments of War:
Unlabour'd Earth her bounteous Treasure grants,
And Nature's lavish Hand fupplies their common Wants
[Dryd. Lucr
Great Father Bacchus to my Song repair,
For cluftring Vines are thy peculiar Care :
For thee large Bunches load the bending Vine;
And the laft Bleflings of the Year are thine :
To thee his Joys the jolly Autumn owes,
When the fermenting Juice the Vat o'erflows.
Come strip with me, my God; come drench all o'er
Thy Limbs in Must of Wine, and drink at ev'ry Pore.
[Dryd. Virg.
See Bacchus turning from his Indian War,
By Tygers drawn Triumphant in his Car;
From Nifus Top defcending on the Plains,
With curling Vines around his purple Reins. Dryd. Virg.
So have I feen the Baker's Hand beftow
All Sorts of Figures on the kneaded Dough.
In Beafts, in Birds, in Men, the Pafte is dreft,
And in ten thousand Shapes adorns the various Feaft.
BASHFULNESS.
The whiles, the Faerie Knight did entertaine Another Damfel of that gentle Crew,
That was right faire, and modeft of Demaine, But that too oft the chang'd her native Hue. Strange was her Tire, and all her Garments blue, Clofe round about her tuckt, with many a Plight : Upon her Fift, the Bird that fhunneth View,
And keeps in Covers clofe from living Wight,
Did fit, as if afhamid how rude Dan did her dight.
So long as Guyon with her communed,
Unto the Ground fhe caft her modeft Eye,
And ever and anone, with rofie red,
The bashfuil Blood her fnowy Cheekes did die,
And her became as polifh'd Ivorie,
Which cunning Craftfman's Hand hath over-laid With fair Vermillion, or pure Lastery.
Great Wonder had the Knight to fee the Maid So ftrangely paffioned, and to her gently faid;
Fair Damfell, feemeth by your troubled Cheare,
That either me to bold yee weene, this wife
You to moleft, or other Ill to feare,
That in the Secret of your Heart clofe lyes,
From whence it doth, as Cloud from Sea, arife.
If it be I, of Pardon I you pray;
But if cught elfe that I mote not devife,
I will (if please you it difcrue) affay
To eafe you of that ill, fo wifely as I may.
She anfwered nought, but more abaft for Shame, Held down her Head, the whiles her lovely Face The flushing Blood with Blufhing did inflame, And the ftrong Paflion marr'd her modeft Grace, That Guyon marvail'd at her uncouth Case:
Till Aima him befpake, Why wonder yee, Fair Sir, at that which you so much imbrace?
She is the Fountaine of your Modestee: You shame-fac'd are, but Shame-fac'dness itself is shee.
And next to her fate goodly Sham-fac'dnefs;
Ne ever durft her Eyes from Ground up-reare,
Ne ever once did look up from her Dress,
As if fome Blame of Evill he did feare,
That in her Cheek made Rofes oft appear.
Th'unmarry'd Youth no anxious Cares moleft,
No Sorrows difcompose his peaceful Breaft;
His Heart and Thoughts are as his Perfon free,
And Pleafure courts him with Variety:
With fparkling Wine he oft revives his Soul,
And drowns all Trouble in the cordial Bowl:
Then finds fome Nymph, who freely yields her Heart,
And frives to eafe the faithful Lover's Smart ;
Who thinks her Kindnefs Charm enough to move,
And fcorns all other Bonds but thofe of Love.
Cover'd with thick embattel'd Squadrons bright,
Chariots, and flaming Arms, and fiery Steeds,
Reflecting Blaze on Blaze, firft met his View:
From Skirt to Skirt a fiery Region, ftretch'd
In Battailous Afpect :
Briftled with upright Beams, innumerable,
Of rigid Spears, and Helmets throng'd, and Shields
Various, with boaftful Arguments pourtray'd:
The handed Pow'rs of Satan.
That food for Heav'n, in mighty Quadrate join'd
Of Union irresistible, mov'd on
In filence their bright Legions, to the Sound
Of inftrumental Harmony, that breath'd
Heroick Ardour to advent'rous Deeds,
Under their God-like Leaders. On they move
Indiffolubly firm: nor obvious Hill,
Nor ftrait'ning Vail, nor Wood, nor Stream divides
Their perfect Ranks; for high above the Ground
Their March was, and the paffive Air upbore
Of Battle now began, and rushing Sound
Of Onfet ended foon each milder Thought.
High in the midft, exalted as a God,
Th' Apoftate in his Sun-bright Chariot fate,
Idol of Majefty Divine, enclos'd
With flaming Cherubim, and golden Shields:
Then lighted from his gorgeous Throne: For now
'Twixt Hoft and Hoft but narrow Space was left,
A dreadful Interval! And Front to Front
Prefented stood in terrible Array
Of hideous length: Before the cloudy Van,
On the rough Edge of Battle, e'er it join'd,
Satan, with vaft and haughty Strides advanc'd,
Came tow'ring, arm'd in Adamant and Gold.
A noble Stroke Abdiel lifted high,
Which hung not, but fo fwift with Tempeft fell
On the proud Creft of Satan, that no Sight,
No Mt ion of quick Thought, lefs cou'd his Shield
Such Ruin intercept: Ten Paces huge
He back recoil'd, the tenth on bended Knee
His maffy Spear upftay'd. As if on Earth
Winds under-ground, or Waters, forcing way
Sidelong, had pufh'd a Mountain from his Seat,
Half funk with all his Pines. Nor ftood in gaze
The adverfe Legions, nor less hideous join'd
The horrid Shock: Now ftorming Fury rofe,
Arms on Armour clashing, bray'd
Horrible Difcord, and the madding Wheels
Of brazen Chariots rag'd; dire was the Noife
Of Conflict: Over Head the difmal His
Of fiery Darts in flaming Vollies Aew,
And flying vaulted either Hoft with Fire;
So under fiery Cope together rush'd
Both Battels main, with ruinous Affault,
And inextinguishable Rage: All Heav'n
Refounded, and had Earth been then, all Earth
Had to her Centre Shook. Deeds of eternal Fame
Were done, but infinite; for wide was spread
The War and various: Sometimes on firm Ground
A standing Fight; Then, foaring on main Wing,
Tormented all the Air: all Air feem'd then
Conflicting Fire.
Their Arms away fome threw, and to the Hills
Swift as the Lightning Glimpfe they ran, they flew :
From the Foundations loos'ning to and fro,
They pluck'd the feated Hills with all their Load.
Rocks, Waters, Woods, and by the shaggy Tops
Up-lifting, bore them in their Hands.
Main Promontories flung, which in the Air
Came fhadowing, and opprefs'd whole Legions arm❜d, Their Armour help'd their Harm, crufh'd in and bruis'd, Into their Subftance pent. which wrought them Pain Implacable, and many a dolorous Groan;
Long ftruggling underneath, e'er they could wind
Out of fuch Prifon.
The reft, in Imitation, to like Arms
Betook them, and the neighbouring Hills up-tore:
So Hills amid the Air encounter'd Hills
Hurf'd to and fro with Jaculation dire,
That underground they fought in difmal Shade;
Infernal Noife! War feem'd a civil Game
To this Uproar; horrid Confusion heap'd
Upon Confufion rofe. Long Time in even Scale
The Battel hung; 'till Satan
Saw where the Sword of Michael Imote, and fell'd
Squadrons at once; with huge two-handed Sway
Brandifh'd aloft the horrid Edge came down
Wide wafting: Such Destruction to withstand
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