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, The ftrict companions are for ever join'd 490 495 And this or that unmix'd, no mortal e'er fhall find. 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 no man, be he ever fo wrothe, Shall have one of these two, but bothe, etc. P. But few, alas! the casual bleffing boast, 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, She comes unlook'd for, if she comes at all. But if the purchase cost so dear a price, 515 Oh! if the Muse must flatter lawless sway, And follow ftill where fortune leads the way; But the fall'n ruins of another's fame; 520 Then teach me, heav'n! to scorn the guilty bays, (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. He scarce could rule fome idle appetites : 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, These thoughts he fortify'd with reasons still, Let finful batchelors their woes deplore, Full well they merit all they feel, and more: In blifs all night, and innocence all day: 15 20. 25 30 35 40 |