Samonth they march,a bluft'ring band; | Both fides he weigh'd; but, after much debate,
Andee, but in times of need, at hand; The man prevail'd above the magistrate.
This the morn when, iffuing on the guard,
Din rank and file they ftood prepar'd
ng arms to make a fhort effay,

The ten to be drunk, the bufinefs of the
day.

The cowards would have fled, but that they
Trafo many, and their foes fo few:
lacing on, the last the first impel;
Brane with weight the Cyprians fell.
Clay'd, who first the war began ;
A gene once more is loft and won.

a dungeon was the captive caft of day, and held in fetters faft; was only fpar'd at their request, Fm taken he fo nobly had releas'd; ingenia was the ladies' care,

their turn address'd to treat the fair; Paimond and histhenuptial feast prepare. fecret foul to Cymon was inclin'd, bebe maft fuffer what her fates affign'd; ve is the church of womankind. Tat work to Cymon could his fortune deal, d to the loweft fpoke of al! her wheel? ed to difmifs the downward weight, de him upward to his former height; ter pleas'd; and love (concern'd the moft) ' th' amends for what by love he lost. The fire of Pafimond had left a fon,

younger, yet for courage early known, call'd, to whom, by promife tied, indian beauty was the deftin'd bride;

was her name, above the rest

d for birth, with fortune amply bleft. Lus, who rul'd the Rhodian itate, ten by choice their annual magiftrate; ad Caffandra too with equal fire, fortune had not favour'd his defire; by her friends, by her not difapprov'd, et preferr'd, or like Ormifda lov'd: od th' affair; fome little hope remain'd, at thould his rival chance to lofe, he gain'd. Mean time young Pafimond his marriage prefs,

un'd the nuptial day, prepar'd the feast; frugally refolv'd (the charge to fhun which would be double thould he wed alone) join his brother's bridal with his own.

Limachus, opprefs'd with mortal grief,
r'd the news, and studied quick relief;
The fatal day approach'd; if force were us'd,
The magistrate his public truft abus'd;

juftice liable, as law requir'd;

Love never fails to mafter what he finds,
But works a diff'rent way in diff'rent minds,
The fool enlightens, and the wife he blinds.
This youth propofing to poffefs and 'fcape,
Began in murder, to conclude in rape:
Unprais'd byme,tho' Heaven fometimes mayblefs
An impious act with undeferv'd fuccefs;
The great, it feems, are privileg'd alone
To punish all injuftice but their own.
But here I ftop, not daring to proceed,
Yet blush to flatter an unrighteous deed;
For crimes are but permitted, not decreed.

2

Refolv'd on force, his wit the prætor bent
To find the means that might fecure th' event;
Nor long he labour'd, for his lucky thought
In captive Cymon found the friend he fought;
Th'examplepleas'd; the cause and crime thefame;
An injur'd lover, and a ravish'd dame.

How much he durft he knew by what he dar'd,
The lefs he had to lofe, the leis he car'd,
To manage loathfome life when love was the
reward.

This ponder'd well, and fix'd on his intent,
In depth of night he for the pris'ner fent;
In fecret fent, the public view to fhun;
Then, with a fober fmile, he thus begun:
The pow'rs above, who bounteously bestow
Their gifts and graces on mankind below,
Yet prove our merit first, nor blindly give
To fuch as are not worthy to receive;
For valour and for virtue they provide
Their due reward, but firft they must be tried:
Thefe fruitful feeds within your mind they
fow'd;

'Twas yours t'improve the talent they bestow'd:
They gave you to be born of noble kind,

They gave you love to lighten up your mind,
And purge the groffer parts; they gave you care
To pleate, and courage to deferve the fair.

Thus far they tried you, and by proof they

found

The grain entrusted in a grateful ground;
But fill the great experiment remain'd,
They fuffer'd you to lofe the prize you gain'd,
That you might learn the gift was theirs alone;
And, when reftor'd, to them the bleffing own,
Reftor'd it foon will be; the means prepar'd,
The difficulty fmooth'd, the danger thar'd;
Be but yourfelf, the care to me resign,
Then Iphigene is yours, Caflandra mine.
Your rival Pafimond purfues your life;
Impatient to revenge his ravish'd wife,
But yet not his; to-morrow is behind,

when his office ceas'd, his pow'r expir'd:And love our fortunes in one band has join'd; Want pow'r remain'd, the means were in his Two brothers are our foes; Ormifda mine,

hand,

B force to feize, and then forfake the land:
betwixt extremes he knew not how to move;
A have to fame, but more a flave to love:
Retaining others, yet himself not free,

As much declar'd as Pafimond is thine;
To-morrow muft their common vows be tied ;
With love to friend, and fortune for our guide,
Let both refolve to die, or each redeem a bride.
Right I have none, nor haft thou much toplend;

Made impotent by pow'r, debas'd by dignity. 'Tis force, when done, mut justify the deed;

Our task perform'd, we next prepare for flight;
And let the lofers talk in vain of right:
We with the fair will fail before the wind;
If they are griev'd, I leave the laws behind.
Speak thy refolves; if now thy courage droop,
Defpair in prifon, and abandon hope:
But if thou dar'ft in arms thy love regain
(For liberty without thy love were vain)
Then fecond my defign to feize the prey,
Or lead to fecond rape, for well thou know'ft the

way.

Said Cymon, overjoy'd, Do thou propose
The means to fight, and only thew the foes:
For from the first, when love had fir'd my mind,
Refolv'd I left the care of life behind.

To this the bold Lyfimachus replied:
Let heaven be neuter, and the sword decide;
The fpoufals are prepar'd, already play
The minstrels, and provoke the tardy day:
By this the brides are wak'd, their grooms are
drefs'd;

All Rhodes is fummon'd to the nuptial feast,
All but myself, the fole unbidden gueft.
Unbidden though I am, I will be there;
And, join'd by thee, intend to joy the fair.
Now hear the rest; when day resigns the light,
And cheerful torches gild the jolly night,
Be ready at my call; my chofen few
With arms adininifter'd fhall aid thy crew.
Then, ent'ring unexpected, will we feize
Our deftin'd prey, from men diffolv'd in eafe,
By wine difabled, unprepar'd for fight;
And, haftening to the feas, fuborn our flight:
The feas are ours, for I command the fort;
A fhip well-mann'd expects us in the port.
If they, or if their friends, the prize contest,
Death fhall attend the man who dares refift.
It pleas'd: the prifoner to his hold retir'd;
His troop with equal emulation fir'd, [quir'd.
All fix'd to fight, and all their wonted work re-
The fun arofe; the streets were throng'd around,
The palace open'd, and the posts were crown'd.
The double bridegroom at the door attends
Th' expected spouse, and entertains the friends;
They meet, they lead to church, the priests invoke
The pow'rs, and feed the flames with fragrant
fmoke.

This done, they feaft, and at the clofe of night
By kindled torches vary their delight;
These lead the lively dance, and thofe the
brimming bowls invite.

Now at th' appointed place and hour affign'd,
With fouls refolv'd the ravishers were join'd:
Three bands are form'd; the first is fent before
To favour the retreat, and guard the shore ;
The fecond at the palace gate is plac'd,
And up the lofty ftairs afcend the laft;
A peaceful troop they feem with fhining vefts,
But coats of mail beneath fecure their breafts.
Dauntless they enter, Cymon at their head,
And find the feast renew'd, the table spread;
Sweet voices, mix'd with inftrumental founds,
Afcendthevaultedroof, the vaultedro of rebounds.

When, like the harpies rufhing through the
The fudden troop appears, the tables fall,
Their fmoking load is on the pavement throw
Each ravisher prepares to feize his own;
The brides, invaded with a rude embrace,
Shriek out for aid, confufion fills the place.
Quick to redeem the prey their plighted lor
Advance, the palace gleams with thining (wo

But late is all defence, and fuccour vain;
The rape is made, the ravifhers remain;
Two sturdy flaves were only fent before
To bear the purchas'd prize in fafety to the fhe
The troop retires, the lovers close the rear,
With forward faces not confefling fear;
Backwardtheymove,but fcorn their pacetomer
Then feek the ftairs, and with flow hafte defcer
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 tw
His rival's head with one defcending blow;
And as the next in rank Ormifda ftood,
Heturn'd the point; the sword,inur'd to bloot
Bor'd his unguarded breaft, which pour'd
purple flood.

Withyow'drevenge,thegath`ring crowdpurfu
The ravifhers turn head, the fight renews;
The hall is heap'd with corps; the fprinkled ge
Befmears the walls, and floats the marble flo
Difpers'd at length the drunken squadron ¡ies
The victors to their veffel bear the prize; [cries
And hear behind loud groans and lamentabl
Thecrew with inerry (houts their anchorsweigh
Then ply their oars, and brufh 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 fovereign of the fea no more;
Their fhips unrigg'd, and spent their naval store
They neither could defend, nor can pursue,
But grinn'd their teeth, and caft a helpless view
In vain with darts a diftant war they try,
Short, and more fhort, the miffive weapons fly.
Meanwhile the ravishers their crimes enjoy,
And flying fails and fweeping oars employ:
The cliff's of Rhodes in little space are lost;
Jove's ille they feek, nor Jove denies his coaft.
In fafety landed on the Candian fhore,
With gen'rous wines their spirits they restore;
There Cymon with his Rhodian friends refides,
Both court and wed at once the willing brides.
A war enfues, 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 fhort exile mutt for fhow proceed;
The term expir'd, from Candia they remove
And happy each at home enjoys his love.

was the next, but change deceiv'd his

gat a fairer, but found none so fair. od have worn her out by flow degrees, by fafting ftarve th' untam'd difeafe: prefent love requir'd a prefent eafe. ng he feeds alone his famith'd eyes, ling ring death, but looking not he dies. the chofe the longest way to fate,

ing at once his life, and his estate. His friends beheld, and pity'd him in vain, What advice can ease a lover's pain! ence, the best expedient they could find, ave the fortune, if not cure the mind: means they long propos'd, but little gain'd. after much purfuit, at length obtain'd.

With more diftinguifh'd notes invades his ear;
He rais'd his head, and faw a beauteous maid,
With hair difhevell'd, iffuing through the shade,
Stripp'd of her clothes, and ev'n those parts re-
veal'd,

Which modeft nature keeps from fight conceal'd. Her face, her hands, her naked limbs were torn, With paffing thro' the brakes, and prickly thorn, love had clipp'd his wings and cut him fhort, Two maftiffs gaunt and grim her flight purfu'd Cafin'd within the purlieus of the court.

When Heav'n was nam`d, they loos'd their hold No more a lover, but a mortal foe,

again,

Then fprung the forth, they follow'd her amain.
Not far behind, a knight of fwarthy face,
High on a coal-black steed purfu'd the chace;
With flashing flames his ardent eyes were fill'd,I
And in his hand a naked fword he held:
He cheer'd the dogs to follow her who fled,
And vow'd revenge on her devoted head.

As Theodore was born of noble kind,
The brutal action rous'd his manly mind;
Mov'd with unworthy ufage of the maid,
He, tho' unarm'd, refolv'd to give her aid.
A faplin pine he wrench'd from out the ground,
The readieft weapon that his fury found.
Thus furnith'd for offence, he crofs'd the way
Betwixt the graceless villain and his prey. [afar,
The knight came thund'ring on, but, from
Thus, in imperious tone, forbad the war:
Cease, Theodore, to proffer vain relief,
Nor ftop the vengeance of fo juft a grief;
But give me leave to feize my deftin'd prey,
And let eternal juftice take the way:
I but revenge my fate, difdain'd, betray'd,
And fuff'ring death for this ungrateful maid.
He faid, at once difmounting from the fteed;
For now the hell-hounds, with fuperior (peed,
Had reach'd the dame, and, falt ning on her fide,
The ground with iffuing ftreams of purple dy'd;
Stood Theodore furpriz'd in deadly fright,
With chatt'ring teeth, and bristling hair upright;
Yet arm'd with inborn worth, Whate'er, faid he,
Thou art, who know'ft me better than I thee;
Or prove thy rightful caufe, or be defied :
The spectre, fiercely ftaring, thus reply'd.

Know, Theodore, thy ancestry I claim,
And Guido Cavalcanti was my name :
One common fire our fathers did beget,
My name and story fome remember yet:
Thee, then a boy, within my arms I laid,
When for my fins I lov'd this haughty maid;
Not lefs ador'd in life, nor ferv'd by me,
Than proud Honoria now is lov'd by thee.
What did I not her ftubborn heart to gain?
But all my vows were anfwer'd with difdain:
She fcorn'd my forrows, and defpis'd my pain.
Long time I dragg'd my days in fruitlefs care;
Then, loathing lite, and plung'd in deep defpair,
To finish my unhappy life, I fell

On this fharpfword, and now am damn'd in hell |
Short was her joy, for foon the infulting maid
By heaven's decree in this cold grave was laid:
And as in unrepented fin the dy'd,

Doom'd to the fame bad place is punish'd for her
pride:

Because the deem'd I well deferv`d to die,
And made a merit of her cruelty.
There, then, we met; both try'd, and both were
caft,

And this irrevocable fentence pafs'd;
That the, whom I fo long purfu'd in vain,
Should fuffer from my hands a ling ring pain!
Renew'd to life, that he might daily die,
I daily doom'd to follow, the to fly:

I feek her life (for love is none below): As often as my dogs with better speed Arreft her flight, is the to death decreed: Then with this fatal fword, on which I dy pierce her open back, or tender fide, And tear that harden'd heart from out breaft,

Which, with her entrails, makes my hun
hounds a feast.

Nor lies the long, but, as the fates ordain,
Springs up to life, and, fresh to second pai
Is fav'd to-day, to-morrow to be flain.

This, vers'd in death, th' infernal knight
lates,

And then for proof fulfill'd the common fa
Her heart and bowels thro' her back he drev
And fed the hounds that help'd him to pur
Stern look'd the fiend, as fruftrate of his wil
Not half fuffic'd, and greedy yet to kill.
And now the foul, expiring through the wou
Had left the body breathlefs on the ground,
When thus the grifly fpectre fpoke again:
Behold the fruit of ill-rewarded pain:
As many months as I fuftain'd her hate,
So many years is the condemn'd by fate
To daily death; and ev'ry feveral place,
Confcious of her disdain and my difgrace,
Muft witnefs her juft punishment; and be
A fcene of triumph and revenge to me!
As in this grove I took my laft farewell,
As on this very fpot of earth I fell,
As Friday faw me die, fo the my prey
Becomes ev'n here, on this revolving day.

Thus while he spoke the virgin from
ground

Upftarted fresh, already clos'd the wound,
And, unconcern'd for all the felt before,
Precipitates her flight along the fhore:
The hell-hounds, as ungorg'd with flesh
blood,

Purfue their prey, and feek their wonted for
The fiend remounts his courfer, mends his pa
And all the vifion vanish'd from the place.
Long ftood the noble youth opprefs'd with aw
And ftupid at the wond'rous things he faw,
Surpaffing common faith, tranfgreffing nature'

law:

He would have been asleep, and wifh'd to wa
But dreams, he knew, no long impreffion ma
Though ftrong at firft; if vifion, to what end,
But fuch as muft bis future ftate portend?
His love the damfel, and himself the fiend.
But yet, reflecting that it could not be
From heaven, which cannot impious acts decr
Refolv'd within himself to fhun the fnare,
Which hell for his deftruction did prepare;
And as his better genius fhould direct,
From an ill caufe to draw a good effect.
Infpir'd from heaven he homeward took !
way,

Nor pall'd his new defign with long delay:
But of his train a truty fervant fent
To call his friends together at his tent.

They came, and, ufual falutations paid,
With words premeditated, thus he said;
What you have often counfell'd, to remove
My van parfait of unregarded love;
thrift my finking fortune to repair,
The late, yet is at laft became my care:
We heart fhall be my own; my vaft expence
c'd to bounds, by timely providence;
Thly I require; invite for me

with her father's family,

and mine; the cause I fhall difplay, Ody text; for that's the appointed day. We had were all his friends, the task was ight,

Ter, mother, daughter, they invite;
By the dame was drawn to this repart;
trefolv'd, because it was the last.
was come, the guests invited came,
with the reft, th' inexorable dame:
prepar'd with riotous expence,
cat, more care, and moft magnificence,
pace ordain'd was in that haunted grove,
the revenging ghost purfu'd his love,
les in a proud pavillion spread,
owers below, and tiffue overhead:
in rank, Honoria chief in place,
artfully contriv'd to fet her face

the thicket, and behold the chace.
ak was ferv'd, the time fo well forecast,
when the deffert and fruits were plac'd,
fend's alarm began; the hollow found
the leaves, the foreft fhook around,
acken'd, roll'd the thunder, groan'd
the ground.

ng before the loud laments arise Crefs'd, and maftiffs' mingled cries; Ate dame came rushing thro the wood, and set the famifh'd hounds that foughttheir [in blood. pher flanks, and oft effay'd their jaws ne the felon, on his fable steed,

food,

with his naked fword, and urg'd his dogs to speed.

, and cry'd, her flight directly bent anbidden) to the fatal tent,

At this the former tale again he told,
With thund'ring tone, and dreadful to behold:
Sunk were their hearts with horror of the crime,
Nor needed to be warn ́d a second time,

But bore each other back: fome knew the face,
And all had heard the much lamented cafe
Of him who fell for love, and this the fatal place.)
And now th' infernal minister advanc'd,
Seiz'd the due victim and with fury lanc'd
Her back, and piercing through her inmoftheart,
Drew backward, as before, th' offending part.
The reeking entrails next he tore away,
And to his meagre maftiffs made a prey.
The pale affiftants on each other ftar'd,
With gaping mouths for iffuing words prepar'd;
The ftill-born founds upon the palate hung,
And dy'd imperfect on the falt ring tongue.
The fight was gen'ral; but the female band
(A helpless train) in more confufion stand:
With horror fhudd'ring, on a heap they run,
Sick at the fight of hateful juftice done;
For confcience rung the alarm, and made the
cafe their own.

So fpread upon a lake, with upward eye,
A plump of fowl behold their foe on high;
They clofe their trembling troop, and all attend
On whom the fowfing eagle will defcend.

But moft the proud Honoria fear'd th' event,
And thought to her alone the vision sent.
Her guilt prefents to her distracted mind
Heaven's juftice, Theodore's revengeful kind,
And the fame fate to the fame fin affign'd:
Already fees herself the monster's prey,
And feels her heart and entrails torn away.
'Twas a mute fcene of forrow, mix'd with fear:

Still on the table lay th' unfinish'd cheer:
The knight and hungry mastiffs ftood around,
The mangled dame lay breathlefs on the ground
When on a fudden, re-infpir'd with breath,
Again the rofe, again to fuffer death;
Nor ftaid the hell-hounds nor the hunter ftaid,
But follow'd, as before, the flying maid:
Th'avenger took from earth th' avenging fword,
And mounting light as air his fable steed he
fpurr'd:

iz Lene of death, and place defign'd for pu-nd nature ftood recover'd of her fright.
The clouds difpell'd, the sky refum'd the light,

nishment.

was the noife, aghaft was ev'ry guest,
men fhriek`d, the men forfook the feat;
ounds at nearer diftance hoarfely bay'd;
unter clofe purfu'd the vifionary maid.

But fear, the laft of ills, remain'd behind,
And horror heavy fat on ev'ry mind.
Nor Theodore encourag'd more the feast,
But fternly look'd as hatching in his breast

rent the heav'n with loud laments, implor-Some deep defigns; which when Honoria view'd,

ring aid.

Pegallants, to protect the lady's right,
falchions brandifh'd at thegrifly (pright;
on his ftirrups he provok'd the fight,
on the crowd he caft a furious look,
ther'd all their ftrength before he fpoke:
on your lives; let be, faid he, my prey,
are your arms, and vainer your defence,
my vengeance take the deftin'd way:
th' eternal doom of Providence:
is th' angrateful maid by heaven defign'd,
7 the would not give,nor mercy fhall thefind.

The fresh impulse her former fright renew'd;
She thought herself the trembling dame who fled,
And him the grifly ghoft that spurr'd th' infernal

fteed: