73

460

466

Who pass, repafs, advance, and glide away ; Hofts rais'd by fear, and phantoms of a day : Aftrologers, that future fates foreshew, Projectors, quacks, and lawyers not a few ; And priefts, and party-zealots, num'rous bands With home-born lies, or tales from foreign lands; Each talk'd aloud, or in fome secret place, And wild impatience star'd in ev'ry face. The flying rumours gather'd as they roll'd, Scarce any tale was fooner heard than told; And all who told it added fomething new, And all who heard it, made enlargements too, In ev'ry ear it spread, on every tongue it grew. Thus flying eaft and weft, and north and fouth, News travell❜d with increase from mouth to mouth. So from a fpark, that kindled firft by chance, With gath'ring force the quick'ning flames advance Till to the clouds their curling heads afpire, And tow'rs and temples fink in floods of fire.

470

475

e;

480

When thus ripe lies are to perfection sprung, Full grown, and fit to grace a mortal tongue, Thro' thousand vents, impatient, forth they flow, And rufh in millions on the world below.

Fame fits aloft, and points them out their course,

'Their date determines, and prescribes their force: Some to remain, and fome to perish foon;

485

Or wane and wax alternate like the moon.

Around, a thousand winged wonders fly,

Born by the trumpet's blast, and scatter'd thro' the sky. There, at one paffage, oft you might survey,

A lie and truth contending for the way;

And long 'twas doubtful, both so closely pent,
Which firft fhould iffue thro' the narrow vent :
At last agreed, together out they fly,
Infeparable now, the truth and lie;

The ftrict companions are for ever join'd

490

495

And this or that unmix'd, no mortal e'er fhall find.
While thus I ftood, intent to see and hear,
One came, methought, and whisper'd in my ear:
What could thus high thy rash ambition raise ?
Art thou, fond youth, a candidate for praise?
'Tis true, faid I, not void of hopes I came,
For who fo fondas youthful bards of Fame ?

NOTES.

500

VER. 497. While thus I flood, etc.] The hint is taken from a paffage in another part of the third book, but here more naturally made the conclufion, with the addition of a Moral to the whole. In Chaucer he only answers " he came to fee the place;" and the book ends abruptly, with his being furprized at the fight of a Man of great Authority, and awaking in a fright. P.

IMITATIONS.

VER. 489. There, at one paffage, etc.)
And fometime I faw there at once,
A lefing and a fad footh faw
That gonnen at adventure draw
Out of a window forth to pace-

And no man, be he ever fo wrothe,

Shall have one of these two, but bothe, etc. P.

But few, alas! the casual bleffing boast,
So hard to gain, fo eafy to be loft.

How vain that fecond life in others breath,

505

Th' eftate which wits inherit after death!

Eafe, health, and life, for this they must refign, (Unfure the tenure, but how vast the fine!)

510

The great man's curfe, without the gains, endure,
Be envy'd wretched, and be flatter'd, poor;
All lucklefs wits their enemies profeft,
And all fuccessful, jealous friends at best.
Nor Fame I flight, nor for her favours call;

She comes unlook'd for, if she comes at all.

But if the purchase cost so dear a price,
As foothing Folly, or exalting Vice:

515

Oh! if the Muse must flatter lawless sway,

And follow ftill where fortune leads the way;
Or if no bafis bear my rifing name,

But the fall'n ruins of another's fame;

520

Then teach me, heav'n! to scorn the guilty bays,
Drive from my breaft that wretched luft of praise,
Unblemish'd let me live, or die unknown;
Oh! grant an honest fame, or grant me none !

(76)

January and May:

OR THE

MERCHANT'S TALE.

FROM

CHAUCER.

THERE liv'd in Lombardy, as authors write,

In days of old, a wife and worthy knight;

Of gentle manners, as of gen'rous race,

Bleft with much fenfe, more riches, and fome grace.
Yet led aftray by Venus' foft delights,

He scarce could rule fome idle appetites :
For long ago, let Priests say what they cou❜d,
Weak finful laymen were but flesh and blood.
But in due time, when fixty years were o'er,
He vow'd to lead this vitious life no more;
Whether pure holiness infpir'd his mind,
Or dotage turn'd his brain, is hard to find;
But his high courage prick'd him forth to wed,
And try the pleasures of a lawful bed.

NOTES.

5

ΙΘ

JANUARY AND MAY.] This tranflation was done at fixteen or feventeen years of Age. P.

This was his nightly dream, his daily care,
And to the heav'nly pow'rs his conftant pray'r,
Once, ere he dy'd, to tafte the blissful life
Of a kind husband and a loving wife.

These thoughts he fortify'd with reasons still,
(For none want reasons to confirm their will.)
Grave authors fay, and witty poets fing,
That honeft wedlock is a glorious thing:
But depth of judgment moft in him appears,
Who wifely weds in his maturer years.
Then let him chufe a damfel young and fair,
To bless his age, and bring a worthy heir;
To footh his cares, and free from noife and ftrife,
Conduct him gently to the verge of life.

Let finful batchelors their woes deplore,

Full well they merit all they feel, and more:
Unaw'd by precepts, human or divine,
Like birds and beafts, promifcuously they join:
Nor know to make the prefent bleffing laft,
To hope the future, or effeem the paft:
But vainly boaft the joys they never try'd
And find divulg'd the fecrets they would hide.
The marry'd man may bear his yoke with eafe,
Secure at once himfelf and heav'n to please;
And pafs his inoffenfive hours away,

In blifs all night, and innocence all day:
Tho' fortune change, his conftant spouse remains,
Augments his joys, or mitigates his pains.

15

20.

25

30

35

40