Eternal glory Him therefore betide! Let every generous youth his praife proclaim! Who, wand'ring through the world's rude foreft wide, By him hath been y-taught his courfe to frame To Virtue's fweet abodes, and heav'n-afpiring Fame! IX. For this the FAIRY KNIGHT with anxious thought, And fond paternal care his counsel pray'd; And him of gentleft courtesy befought His guidance to vouchfafe and friendly aid; The while his tender offspring he convey'd, Through devious paths to that fecure retreat ; Where fage PÆDîA, with each tuneful maid, On a wide mount had fix'd her rural feat, 'Mid flow'ry gardens plac'd, untrod by vulgar feet. X. And now forth-pacing with his blooming heir, His little train before he flow did ride. 1 Who well had been brought up, and nurs'd by every Muse. XI. Thus as their pleafing journey they pursued, Her wildness to correct, her lavish waste repair. XII. Right good, I ween, and bounteous was the foil, With tenfold ufury the peafant's toil.. But now 'twas ruin all, and wild decay; The sheep-fhorne down with barren P brakes o'ergrown All as the publick evil were unknown, Or every publick care from every breaft was flown. Aftonish'd at a scene at once fo fair And fo deform'd; with wonder and delight • Fain, carneft, eager. Brakes, briars. Bent Bent on that goodly a lond his eager fight: b What towns and caftles there-in were empight; For towns him feem'd, and castles he did spy, As to th' horizon round he stretch'd his roaming eye! Nor long way had they travell'd, ere they came A birchen grove that waving from the shore, And with its bitter juice empoison'd all the flood, XV. Right in the centre of the vale empight, Not distant far a forked mountain rose; In outward form presenting to the fight That fam'd Parnaffian hill, on whose fair brows The Nine Aonian Sifters wont repose; Lift'ning to fweet Caftalia's founding stream, Ne fitting haunt for gods, ne worthy man's esteem. XVI. For this nor founded deep, nor fpredden wide, с d In figur'd plots with leafy walls inclos'd, That plot to plot ftill answer'd, fhade to fhade; There likewife mote be feen on every fide d Erft, formerly. & Hight, called, named. Hight, called, named. Dight, dreft. To various beafts and birds of fundry quill Alfe other wonders of the fportive fhears In living box by cunning artists trac'd; And gallies trim, on no long voyage bound, But by their roots there ever anchor'd fast, All were their bellying fails out-fpread to every blast, XX. O'er all appear'd the mountain's forked brows With terraffes on terraffes up-thrown; And all along arrang'd in order'd rows; They fhrunk and languish'd in a foreign mold, By chageful fummers ftarv'd, and pinch'd by winter's cold. f Emprize, enterprize, attempt. All, ufed frequently by the old English poets for all-though. |