Heav'n with uncommon art the clay refin'd,
A proper manfion for fo fair a mind;
Each look, each action bore peculiar grace,
And love itself was painted on his face.
In peaceful time he suffer'd not his mind
To ruft in floth, tho' much to peace inclin'd;
Nor wanton in the lap of pleasure lay,
And loft to glory loiter'd life away;
But active rifing ere the prime of day,

Thro' woods and lonely defarts lov'd to ftray;
With hounds and horns to wake the furious bear,
Or rouze the tawny lion from his laire;
To rid the foreft of the favage brood,

And whet his courage for his country's good.
One day, as he purfued the dang'rous fport,
Attended by the nobles of his court,
It chanced a beaft of more than common speed
Sprang from the brake, and thro' the defart fled.
The ardent prince impetuous as the wind
Rufh'd on, and left his lagging train behind.
Fir'd with the chace, and full of youthful blood,
O'er plains, and vales, and woodland wilds he rode,
Urging his courfer's speed, nor thought the day
How wafted, nor how intricate the way;
Nor, till the night in dusky clouds came on,
Restrain'd his pace, or found himself alone.
Mifling his train, he ftrove to measure back
The road he came, but cou'd not find the track;

Still

Still turning to the place he left before,
And only lab'ring to be loft the more.
The bugle horn, which o'er his shoulders hung,
So loud he winded, that the forest rung;
In vain, no voice but Echo from the ground,
And vocal woods, made mock'ry of the found.
And now the gath'ring clouds began to spread
O'er the dun face of night a deeper shade;
And the hoarfe thunder growling from afar,
With herald voice proclaim'd th' approaching war;
Silence awhile enfued, then by degrees

A hollow wind came mutt'ring thro' the trees.
Sudden the full-fraught fky discharg'd its ftore,
Of rain and rattling hail a mingled fhow'r;
The active lightning ran along the ground;
The fiery bolts by fits were hurl'd around,
And the wide forests trembled at the found.
Amazement feiz'd the prince;-where cou'd he fly?
No guide to lead, no friendly cottage nigh.
Penfive and unrefolv'd awhile he stood,

Beneath the scanty covert of the wood;
But drove from thence foon fallied forth again,"
As chance directed, on the dreary plain;
Constrain'd his melancholy way to take
Thro' many a loathfome bog, and thorny brake,
Caught in the thicket, flound'ring in the lake.
Wet with the storm, and wearied with the way,
By hunger pinch'd, himself to beafts a prey;
M 3

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Nor wine to cheer his heart, nor fire to burn,
Nor place to reft, nor profpect to return.
Drooping and fpiritlefs, at life's defpair,

He bade it pafs, not worth his farther care ;
When fuddenly he fpied a distant light,

That faintly twinkled thro' the gloom of night,

And his heart leap'd for joy, and bless'd the welcome fight.
Oft-times he doubted, it appear'd fo far,

And hung fo high, 'twas nothing but a star,

Or kindled vapour wand'ring thro' the sky,

But ftill prefs'd on his fteed, ftill kept it in his eye;
Till, much fatigue, and many dangers past,
At a huge mountain he arriv'd at last.

There lighting from his horfe, on hands and knees
Grop'd out the darkfome road, by flow degrees,
Crawling or clamb'ring o'er the rugged way ;
The thunder rolls above, the flames around him play.
Joyful at length he gain'd the steepy height,
And found the rift whence fprang the friendly light.
And here he ftopp'd to reft his wearied feet,
And weigh the perils he had still to meet;
Unfheath'd his trufty fword, and dealt his eyes
With caution round him to prevent surprize;
Then fummon'd all the forces of his mind,
And ent'ring boldly caft his fears behind:
Refolv'd to push his way, whate'er withstood,
Or perish bravely as a monarch shou'd.

While

While he the wonders of the place furvey'd,
And thro' the various cells at random stray'd,
In a dark corner of the cave he view'd

Somewhat, that in the fhape of woman ftood;
But more deform'd than dreams can reprefent
The midnight hag, or poet's fancy paint

The Lapland witch, when she her broom bestrides,
And scatters ftorms and tempefts as she rides.
She look'd as nature made her to disgrace "
Her kind, and caft a blot on all the race;
Her fhrivel'd skin with yellow fpots befmear'd
Like mouldy records feem'd; her eyes were blear❜d;
Her feeble limbs with age and palfy fhook;
Bent was her body, haggard was her look.
From the dark nook outcrept the filthy crone,
And propp'd upon her crutch came tott'ring on.
The prince in civil guife approach'd the dame,
Told her his piteous cafe, and whence he came,
And till Aurora fhou'd the fhades expel,
Implor'd a lodging in her friendly cell.
Mortal, whoc'er thou art, the fiend began,

And as she spake a deadly horror ran

'Thro' all his frame; his cheeks the blood forfook,
Chatter'd his teeth, his knees together ftruck.

Whoe'er thou art, that with prefumption rude.
Dar'ft on her facred privacy intrude,

And without licence in our court appear,
Know, thou'rt the firft that ever enter'd here.

But fince thou plead'ft excuse, thou'rt hither brought
More by thy fortune than thy own default,
Thy crime, tho' great, an eafy pardon finds,
For mercy ever dwells in royal minds;

And wou'd you learn from whose indulgent hand
You live, and in whose aweful presence stand,
Know farther, thro' yon wide extended plains
Great Eolus the king of tempefts reigns,
And in this lofty palace makes abode,

Well fuited to his ftate, and worthy of the God.
The various elements his empire own,
And pay their humble homage at his throne;
And hither all the storms and clouds resort,
Proud to increase the splendor of his court.
His queen am I, from whom the beauteous race
Of winds arose, sweet fruit of our embrace!
She scarce had ended, when, with wild uproar,
And horrid din, her fons impetuous pour
Around the cave; came rushing in amain
Lybs, Eurus, Boreas, all the boist'rous train;
And close behind them on a whirlwind rode
In clouded majefty the bluft'ring God,
Their locks a thousand ways were blown about;
Their cheeks like full-blown bladders ftrutted out;
Their boafting talk was of the feats th' had done,
Of trees uprooted, and of towns o'erthrown ;
And when they kindly turn'd them to accoft
The prince, they almoft pierc'd him with their froft.

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