Thy pains unclos'd our eyelids keep, And slumbers never sound. Inexorable maid! Enter Messenger, with two Mountebanks bound. MESSENGER. O Mistress, opportunely art thou met. Attend; no vain or idle tale I bring, But well supported by authentic facts. As through the town (for so thou didst enjoin) With slow and gentle pace I lately rang'd, Searching if haply I might chance to find A mortal bold enough to brave thy power; There quiet all, and patient, I beheld, Subdued, O goddess, by thy mighty arm: All but these two presumptuous daring wretches, Who to the gaping crowd with oaths denied To pay due reverence to thy deity, Boasting that they would banish thee from Earth: Wherefore with fetters strong their legs bound, And after five days' march have brought them hither, A weary march of twice five hundred feet. GODDESS. Swift hast thou come, my winged messenger. Say, from what regions, through what rugged paths, Hast thou thy tedious longsome way pursued? Explain, that I may comprehend thy speed. MESSENGER. Five stairs, whose weak and dislocated frame I hurried on, but with back-sliding haste, GODDESS. Servant, thou hast not well perform'd in vain, Nor shall thy prompt obedience want reward. In recompense this pleasing boon receive, Three years of light and gentler pains to bear. But ye, most impious heaven-abandon'd villains, What and whence are ye, that so proudly dare The lists to enter with the mighty Gout, Whose power not Jove himself can overcome? Speak, wretches-many a hero have I tam'd, As all the wise and learn'd can testify. Priam' was gouty, as old poets sing, 1st MOUNTEBANK. Syrians we are, in fair Damascus born; But, urg'd by want and hungry poverty, O'er earth and sea like vagabonds we roam, And with this ointment, which our father gave, We comfort and relieve the sick and lame. GODDESS. What is your ointment, say, and how prepar'd? 2d MOUNTEBANK, We dare not tell, to secrecy oblig'd GODDESS. Ha! miserable wretches, say ye so? My power is not sufficient to control? Thou from the tender sole to every toe SPIRITS. Behold, O queen, thy orders are perform❜d. See! where the wretches maim'd and roaring lie, Their limbs distorted with our fierce attack. Goddess. Now, friends, inform us of the truth; declare If aught your boasted ointment now avail. For, if my forces it indeed subdue, Far, to the dark recesses of the Earth, 1 Priam was gouly, &c.] Lucian had this circumstance from some secret histories that are not come down to us; or possibly there may be some conceit which we do not understand, since one cannot help thinking that he alludes to the lameness of Philoctetes, which he got by the fall of one of Hercules's arrows on his foot; and to the wound which Achilles received in his heel from Paris, which wound was the occasion of his death. 2 Telegonus, the son of Ulysses by Circe, coming to Ithaca to see his father, was denied entrance by the servants; upon which a quarrel ensued, in which he unfortunately slew his father Ulysses with a spear or arrow, pointed with the bone of a trygon, a poisonous fish. The depths profound of Tartarus, I'll fly, Henceforth unknown, unhonour'd, and unseen. 1st MOUNTEBANK. Behold the ointment is applied! but, oh! Sure three-mouth'd Cerberus my sinews gnaws: O mighty conqueress of human kind! In vain with mimic flames Salmoneus strove Foolish Arachne at the loom defied; [Dance. 3 The mantle of the centaur Nessus, who having proffered Hercules his service to carry his wife over the river Evenus, when he had her on the other side would have forced her. Whereupon Hercules, shot him with an arrow. Nessus, seeing he must die, in revenge presents Deianira with his mantle stained with his own blood, telling her it was a charm for love. She believing this, when Hercules' was sacrificing in Mount Oeta, sent him this mantle to put on; which he no sooner did, but the poison worked so strongly that he grew mad, and threw himself into the fire. CHORUS. O awful Gout, whose universal sway Many, various, are the woes Heaven will grant you strength and aid. Bites, and gnaws, and shakes the chain, ON THE ABUSE OF TRAVELLING. A CANTO, IN IMITATION OF SPENSER. THE ARGUMENT. Archimage tempts the Red-cross knight WISE was that Spartan law-giver of old, Who rais'd on Virtue's base his well-built state, Exiling from her walls barbaric gold, With all the mischiefs that upon it wait, Corruption, luxury, and envious hate; And the distinctions proud of rich and poor, Which among brethren kindle foul debate, And teach Ambition, that to fame would soar, To the false lure of wealth her stooping wing to lower. Yet would Corruption soon have entrance found, And all his boasted schemes eftsoon decay'd, Had not he cast a powerful circle round, Which to a distance the arch felon fray'd, · And ineffectual his foul engines made: This was, to weet, that politic command, Which from vain travel the young Spartan stay'd, Ne suffer'd him forsake his native land, To learn deceitful arts, and science contraband. Yet had the ancient world her courts and schools; Great kings and courtiers civil and refin'd; Great rabbins, deeply read in wisdom's rules, And all the arts that cultivate the mind, Embellish life, and polish human kind. Such, Asia, birth-place of proud monarchy, Such, elder Egypt, in thy kingdoms shin'd, Mysterious Egypt, the rank nursery of superstitions fond, and learned vanity, But what accomplishments, what arts polite, Whose manly virtues, and heroic spright, Who to their country's love so firm were tied, And, like as is the faith unsound, untrue, Of him who, wandering aye from fair to fair, Conceiveth from each object passion new, Or from his heart quite drives the troublous care; So with the patriot-lover doth it fare, Who, through the world delighting aye to rove, His country changeth with each change of air, Or weening the delights of all to prove, On none, of all alike, bestows his vagrant love. Als3 doth corruption in a distant soil, With double force assay 4 the youthful heart, Expos'd suspectless to the traitor's wile, Expos'd unwarn'd to pleasure's poison'd dart, Expos'd unpractis'd in the world's wide mart, Where each one lies, imposes, and betrays, Without a friend due counsel to impart, Without a parent's awe to rule his ways, Without the check of shame, or spur of public praise. Forthy 5, false Archimago, traytor vile, Who burnt 'gainst Fairy-land with ceaseless ire, 'Gan cast with foreign pleas; es to beguile Her faithful knight, and quench the heavenly fire That did his virtuous bosom aye inspire With zeal unfeigned for her service true, And send him forth in chivalrous attire,. Arm'd at all points adventures to pursue, And wreak upon her foes his vowed vengeance due. So as he journeyed upon the way, Then 'gan he purpose" frame of valiant deeds And knight that would in feats of arms excel, Or him, who leifer choosing calm retreat, With Peace and gentle Virtue aye would dwell, Who have their triumphs, like as hath Bellona fell. These, as he said, beseemed knight to know, And all to be in Fairy-lond y-taught, Where every art and all fair virtues grow; Yet various climes with various fruits are fraught, And such in one hath full perfection raught 15 The which no skill may in another rear. So gloz'd th' enchaunter till he bath him brought To a huge rock, that clomb so high in air, That from it he uneath 16 the murmuring surge mote hear. Thence the salt wave beyond in prospect wide A spacious plain the false enchaunter show'd, With goodly castles deck'd on every side, And silver streams, that down the champain flow'd, And wash'd the vineyards that beside them stood, And groves of myrtle; als the lamp of day His orient beams display'd withouten cloud, Which lightly on the glistening waters play, And tinge the castles, woods, and hills, with purple ray. So fair a landscape charm'd the wondering knight; And how to steer the wandering bark aright. Then fairly him besought to waft them o'er; Swift flew the dauncing bark, and reach'd the adverse shore. There when they landed were, them ran to greet A bevy bright of damsels gent and gay, Who with soft smiles, and salutation sweet, And courteous violence would force them stay, And rest them in their bower not far away; Their bower that most luxuriously was dight2 With all the dainties of air, earth, and sea, All that mote please the taste, and charm the sight, The pleasure of the board, and charm of beauty bright. 21 16 Hardly. 19 Together. 21 Adorned, set forth. Als might he therein hear a mingled sound Thereto the joys of idleness and love, Yet wears the chains of pride, of lust, and gluttony. But all was false pretence, and hollow show, False as the flowers which to their breasts they tied, Or those which seemed in their cheeks to glow, For both were false, and not by Nature dy'd, False rivals of the Spring and Beauty's rosy pride. Then from behind them straightway 'gan ad vaunce An uncouth stripling quaintly habited, And eft about him skipp'd a gaudy throng Als were they gorgeous, dress'd in rich array, And now they do accord in wanton daunce To join their hands upon the flowery plain; The whiles with amorous leer and eyes askaunce Each damsel fires with love her glowing swain; Till, all impatient of the tickling pain, In sudden laughter forth at once they break, And ending so their daunce, each tender twain To shady bowers forthwith themselves betake, Deep hid in myrtle groves, beside a silver lake. Thereat the Red-cross knight was much enmov'd, And 'gan his heart with indignation swell, To view in forms so made to be belov'd, Ne faith, ne truth, ne heavenly virtue dwell; But lust instead, and falsehood, child of Hell; But not for liberty they wagen war, 8 But solely to aggrate 7 their mighty lord, For whom their dearest blood they nillen spare, When so him listeth draw the conquering sword; So is that idol vain of them ador'd, Who ne with might beyond his meanest thrall Endued, ne with superior wisdom stor'd, Sees at his feet prostrated millions fall, And with religious dread obey his princely call. Thereto so high and stately was his port, That all the petty kings him sore envy'd, And would him imitate in any sort, With all the mimic pageantry of pride, And worship'd be like him, and deify'd, Of courtly sycophants and caitifs 9 vile, Who to those services themselves apply'd, And in that school of servitude erewhile Had learn'd to bow, and grin, and flatter, and beguile, For to that seminary of fashions vain To see the knight reject those damsels gay, Which in the midst of a great garden lay, There underneath a sumptuous canopy, That did not to his throne owe servile ministry. Yet wist he not that half that homage low Was at a wizard's shrine in private pay'd, The which conducted all that goodly show, And as he list th' imperial puppet play'd, By secret springs and wheels right wisely made, That he the subtle wires mote not avize 1, But deem in sooth that all he did or said, From his own motion and free grace did rise, And that he justly hight immortal, great, and wise. And eke to each of that same gilded train, That meekly round that lordly throne did stand, Was by that wizard ty'd a magic chain, Whereby their actions all he mote command, And rule with hidden influence the land. Yet to his lord he outwardly did bend, And those same magic chains within his hand Did seem to place, albeit by the end He held them fast, that none them from his gripe mote rend. He was to weet an old and wrinkled mage, And from experience grown so crafty sage, With the sweet contrast learn themselves to please, And heighten by compare the luxury of ease." That doth on sloth and gluttony bestow Unmindful of the hand that sow'd the grain, The poor earth-trodden root of all thy greatness vain. "Oh foul abuse of sacred Majesty, That boasteth her fair self from Heaven y-sprong! Where are the marks of thy divinity? Truth, mercy, justice steady, bold and strong, To aid the meek, and curb oppressive wrong? Where is the care and love of public good, That to the people's father doth belong? Where the vice-gerent of that bounteous God, Who bids dispense to all, what he for all bestow'd? "Dwell'st thou not rather, like the prince of Hell, In Pandemonium full of ugly fiends? Dissimulation, discord, malice fell, Reckless ambition, that right onward wends 5, Though his wild march o'erthrow both fame and friends, And virtue and his country; crooked guile, Obliquely creeping to his treacherous ends, And flattery, curs'd assassin, who the while He holds the murderous knife, can fawn, and kiss, and smile." Then 'gan he straight unvail the mirror bright, And homage did require from each poor lowly swain. There mote he likewise see a ribbald train 5 Goes. 6 Una in Spenser represents Truth, see B. 1. Fairy Work hard. 7 Heathen, the usual enemy of knight-errants in 8 |