Or Summer Noon-tide Air. Attention held them mute.
Deep was the Cave, and downward as it went From the wide Mouth, a rocky rough Defcent. And here th'Access a gloomy Grove defends ; And there th’unnavigable Lake extends, O'er whofe unhappy Waters, void of Light, No Bird prefumes to fteer his airy Flight. Such deadly Stenches from the Depth arife, And teaming Sulphur that infe&ts the Skies. From hence the Grecian Bards their Legends make, And give the Name Avernus to the Lake.
AUTUMN. See Year. When yellow Autumn weighs
The Year, and adds to Nights, and fhortens Days; And Suns declining fhine with feeble Rays.
The Evening of the Year;
When Woods with Juniper and Chefnuts crown'd, With falling Fruits and Berries paint the Ground;
And lavish Nature laughs, and ftrows her Stores around. Dryd. When dubious Months uncertain Weather bring; When Fountains open; when impetuous Rain Swells hafty Brooks, and pours upon the Plain: When Earth with Slime and Mud is cover'd o'er, And hollow Places fpew their wat'ry Store.
Thus like a Sailer by the Tempeft hurl'd Afhore, the Babe is fhipwrack'd on the World: Naked he lies, and ready to expire,
Helpless of all that humane Wants require;
Expos'd upon unhofpitable 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 Nurse 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 Safety Gittadels 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.
If tender Infants, who imprison'd stay
Within the Womb, prepar'd to break away,
Were conscious of themselves, and of their State, And had but Reason to fuftain Debate;
The painful Paffage they would dread, and fhew Reluctance to a World they do not know:
They in their Prifons ftill would chufe to lie, As backward to be born as we to die.
BACCHANALS.
She flies the Towns, and mixing with a Throng Of madding Matrons, bears the Bride along : Wand'ring thro' Woods, and Wilds, and devious Ways, She feign'd the Rites of Bacchus, cry'd aloud, And to the buxom God the Virgin vow'd. Evoe, O Bacchus! Thus began the Song; And Eve, anfwer'd all the female Throng: O Virgin, worthy thee alone! fhe cry'd; O worthy thee alone! the Crew reply'd. For thee the feeds her Hair, fhe leads thy Dance, And with thy winding Ivy wreaths her Lance. Like Fury feiz'd the reft; the Progrefs known, All feek the Mountains, and forfake the Town. All clad in Skins of Beafts the Jav'lin bear, Unbind their Fillets,
Give to the wanton Winds their flowing Hair, And Shrieks and Shoutings rend the fuff'ring Air.
Rouling their haggard Eyes, infpir'd with Rage divine, Shake high above their Heads a flaming Pine; And Orgies and Nocturnal Rites prepare. Lefs wild the Bacchanalian Dames appear,
When from afar their Nightly God they hear,
And howl about the Hills, and fhake the wreathy Spear.
BACCHU S. See Mufick.
Great Father Bacchus to my Song repair, For clu tring Vines are thy peculiar Care: For thee large Bunches load the bending Vine; And the laft Bleffings of the Year are thine : To thee his Joys the jolly Autumn owes;
When the fermenting Juice the Vat o'erflows.
Come ftrip with me, my God; come drench all o'er
Thy Limbs in Muft of Wine, and drink at ev'ry Pore. Dryd. Virg.
See Bacchus uraing from his Indian War,
By Tygers drawn triumphant in his Car;
From Nfs Top defcending on the Plains,
With cur ing Vices around his Purple Reins. So Bacchus thro' the conquer'd Indies rode, And Beafts in Chelsfisk'd before their honeft God.
Dryd. (Pal. & Arc. BASTARD.
Why should dull Law rule Nature, who firft made That Law, by which herself is now betray'd? E'er Man's Corruptions made him wretched, he Was born moft noble, who was born moft free: Each of himself was Lord; and unconfin'd Obey'd the Dictates of his God-like Mind. Law was an Innovation brought in fince, When Fools began to love Obedience, And call'd their Slav'ry Safety and Defence. Why fhould it be a Stain then on my Blood, Because I came not in the common Road; But born obfcure, and fo more like a God? He's a Baftard! Got in a Fit of Nature! She fhook him from her Nerves in a Convulfion; His Father ftamp'd the Bullion in a Heat, And taking from the Mint the fiery Oar, His Image blefs'd, and cry'd, it is my own.
Yet more! a Prieft begot him, and 'tis thought, That Earth is more oblig'd to Priefts for Bodies,
Than Heav'n for Souls. Nay, and a young Priest too! Perhaps in the Embraces of a Nun,
Who ventur'd Life to clafp the lufty Joy.
BATTLE. See Fight, Joufts, War. O the brave Din, the noble Clank of Arms! All the Plain
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, stretch'd In battaillous Afpe&t:
Briftled with upright Beams, innumerable, Of rigid Spears, and Helmets throng'd, and Shields Various, with boasted Arguments pourtray'd: The banded Pow'rs of Satan.
That food for Heav'n, in mighty Quadrate joyn'd Of Union irrefiftable, mov'd on
In Silence their bright Legends, 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,
Ner ftrait'ning Vale, nor Wood, nor Stream divides Their perfect Ranks; for high above the Ground Their March was, and the paffive Air upbore Their nimble Tread.
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 ftood in terrible Array
Of hideous Length: Before the cloudy Van, On the rough Edge of Battle, e'er it joyn'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 Motion 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 underground, or Waters, forcing way Sidelong, had push'd a Mountain from his Seat, Half funk with all his Pines. Nor stood in gaze The adverfe Legions, nor lefs hideous joyn'd The horrid Shock: Now ftorming Fury rofe, Arms on Armour clafhing, bray'd Horrible Discord, and the madding Wheels Of brazen Chariots rag'd; dire was the Noife Of Conflict: Over-head the dismal Hifs Of fiery Darts in flaming Vollies flew, And flying vaulted either Hoft with Fire; So under fiery Cope together rufh'd Both Battels main, with ruinous Affault, And inextinguifhable Rage: All Heav'n Refounded, and had Earth been then, all Earth Had to her Centre fhook. Deeds of Eternal Famè Were done, but infinite; for wide was spread The War and various : Sometimes on firm Ground A ftanding 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 fhaggy 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, crush'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, Hurl'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 Confufion heap'd Upon Confufion rofe. Long time in even Scale The Battle hung; till Satan
Saw where the Sword of Michael smote, 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 He hafted, and oppos'd the rocky Orb
Of ten-fold Adamant, his ample Shield :
A vaft Circumf'rence! Then both addrefs'd for Fight Unfpeakable: For like two Gods they feem'd, Stood they, or mov'd; in Stature, Motion, Arms, Fit to decide the Empire of great Heav'n. Now wav'd their fiery Swords, and in the Air Made horrid Circles: Two broad Suns, their Shields. Blaz'd oppofite: While Expectation flood
In Horrour. From each Hand with speed retir'd Th'Angelick Throng, unfafe within the Wind Of fuch Commotion: But the Sword of Michael met The Sword of Satan, and in half cut fheer; nor ftay'd, But with swift Wheel reverfe, deep entring fhar'd All his Right-fide: Then Satan firft knew Pain, And writh'd him to and fro convolv'd; fo fore The griding Sword with discontinuous Wound Pafs'd thro' him.
And now their Mightieft quell'd, the Battle fwerv'd, With many an Inrode gor'd: Deformed Rout Enter'd and foul Disorder: All the Ground With fhiver'd Armour strown; and on a Heap Chariot and Charioteer lay overturn'd,
And fiery foaming Steeds What food, recoil'd
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