With restless steps aye traverfing the field.
And ever as his foe's intemperate pride,
Through rage defenceless, mote advantage yield,
With his sharp fword so oft he did him f gride,
That his gold-fandal'd feet in crimson floods were dyed.
XLIX.
His bafer parts he maim'd with many a wound;
But far above his utmost reach were 8 pight
The forts of life: ne ever to confound
With utter ruin, and abolish quite
A power fo puiffant by his fingle might
Did he prefume to hope: Himfelf alone
From lawless force to free, in bloody fight.
He ftood; content to bow to CUSTOM's throne,
SO REASON Mote not blush his fovran rule to own.
So well he warded, and fo fiercely prefs'd
His foe, that weary wex'd he of the fray;
Yet h nould he algates lower his haughty crest;
But masking in contempt his fore difmay,
Disdainfully releas'd the trembling prey,
As one unworthy of his princely care:
Then proudly cafting on the warlike i fay
A fmile of scorn and pity, through the air
'Gan blow his fhrilling horn; the blast was heard afar.
f Gride, cut, hack. g Pight, placed.
be algates, would not by any means.
Eftfoons aftonifh'd at th' alarming found,
The fignal of distress and hoftile wrong,
Confusedly trooping from all quarters round,
Came pouring o'er the plain a numerous throng
Of every fex and order, old and young;
The vaffals of great CUSTOM's wide domain,
Who to his lore inur'd by usage long,
His every fummons heard with pleasure fain,
And felt his every wound with sympathetick pain.
LII.
They, when their bleeding king they did behold,
And faw an armed KNIGHT him standing near,
Attended by that Palmer fage and bold;
Whofe vent'rous fearch of devious Truth while-ear
Spread through the realms of Learning horrors drear,
Y-feized were at first with terrors great;
And in their boding hearts began to fear,
Diffention factious, controverfial hate,
And innovations ftrange in CUSTOм's peaceful state.
But when they faw the KNIGHT his fauchion sheathe,
And climbing to his fteed march thence away,
With all his hoftile train, they 'gan to breathe
With freer fpirit, and with afpect gay
Soon chaced the gathering clouds of black affray.
Alfe their great monarch, cheared with the view
Of myriads, who confess his sovran fway,
His ruffled pride began to plume anew;
And on his bugle clear a ftrain of triumph blew.
LIV.
There-at the multitude, that flood around,
Sent up at once a universal roar,
Of boisterous joy: the fudden-bursting found,
Like the explosion of a warlike ftore
Of nitrous grain, th' afflicted k welkin tore.
Then turning towards the KNIGHT, with fcoffings lewd, Heart-piercing infults, and revilings fore,
Loud bursts of laughter vain, and hisses rude,
As through the throng he pafs'd, his parting fteps pursued.
LV.
Alfe from that forked hill the boasted feat
Of ftudious Peace, and mild Philosophy,
Indignant murmurs mote be heard to threat,
Muftering their rage; ekė baleful Infamy,
Rouz'd from her den of base obscurity
By those fame Maidens Nine, began to found
Her brazen trump of black'ning obloquy:
While Satire, with dark clouds encompast round,
Sharp, fecret arrows fhot, and aim'd his back to wound.
But the brave FAIRY KNIGHT no whit difmay'd
Held on his peaceful journey o'er the plain ;
With curious eye obferving, as he stray'd
Through the wide provinces of CUSTOM's reign,
What mote afresh admonish him remain
Faft by his virtuous purpose; all around
So many objects mov'd his just disdain ;
Him feem'd that nothing serious, nothing found
In city, village, bow'r, or caftle mote be found.
LVII.
In village, city, caftle, bow'r and hall,
Each fex, each age, each order and degree,
To vice and idle sport abandon'd all,
Kept one perpetual general jubilee.
Ne fuffered ought disturb their merry glee ;
Ne sense of private lofs, ne publick woes,
Restraint of law, Religion's drad decree,
Inteftine defolation, foreign foes,
Nor heav'n's tempeftuous threats, nor earth's convulfive
But chiefly they whom Heav'n's difpofing hand
Had feated high on Fortune's upper stage;
And plac'd within their call the facred band
That waits on Nature and Inftruction fage,
If happy their wife 1 hefts mote them engage
To climb through knowledge to more noble praise;
And as they mount, enlighten every age
With the bright influence of fair Virtue's rays;
Which from the aweful heights of Grandeur brighter blaze.
LIX.
They, O perverfe and base ingratitude!
Defpifing the great ends of Providence,
For which above their mates they were endued
With wealth, authority, and eminence,
To the low fervices of brutal sense
Abused the means of pleasures more refin'd,
Of knowledge, virtue, and beneficence;
And fettering on her throne th' immortal mind,
The guidance of her realm to paffions wild refign'd.
Hence thoughtlefs, fhamelefs, recklefs, fpiritlefs,
Nought worthy of their kind did they affay;
But or benumb'd with palfied Idleness
In meerly living loiter'd life away.
Or by false taste of pleafure led aftray,
For-ever wandring in the fenfual bow'rs
Of feverish Debauch, and luftful Play,
Spent on ignoble toils their active pow'rs,
And with untimely blasts diseas'd their vernal hours.
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