Elegant Extracts

And here and there ambitiously display'd
A purple shred of some rich robe, prepar'd
Erst by the Muses or th' Aonian Maid,
To deck great Tullias or the Mantuan bard,
Which o'er each motley vest with uncouth
splendor glar'd.

And well their outward vesture did express
The bent and habit of their inward mind,
Affecting Wisdom's antiquated dress,
And usages by time cast far behind:
Thence to the charms of younger Science blind,
The customs, laws, the learning, arts, and phrase,
Of their own countries they with scorn declin'd;
Ne sacred Truth herself would they embrace
Unwarranted, unknown in their forefathers days.
Thus ever backward casting their survey
To Rome's old ruins, and the groves forlorn
Of elder Athens, which in prospect lay [turn
Stretch'd out against the mountain, would they
Their busy search, and o'er the rubbish mourn,
Then gath'ring up with superstitious care
Each little scrap, however foul or torn,
In grave harangues they boldly would declare,
This Ennius, Varro, this the Stagirite, did wear.
Yet ander names of venerable sound, [rod,
While o'er the world they stretch'd their awful
Thro' all the provinces of Learning own'd
For teachers of whate'er is wise and good;
Als from each region to their drad * abode
Came youth unnumber'd, crowding all to taste
The streams of Science, which united flow'd
Adown the mount from nine rich sources cast,
And to the vale below in one rude torrent past.
O'er ev'ry source, protectress of the stream,
One of those Virgin Sisters did preside,
Who dignifying with her noble name
Her proper food, aye pour'd into the tide,
The heady vapors of scholastic pride,
Despotical and abjeet, bold and blind,
Fierce in debate, and forward to decide,
Vain love of praise with adulation join'd,
And disingenuous scorn and impotence of mind.
Extending from the hill on ev'ry side,
In circuit vast a verdant valley spread,
Across whose uniform flat bosom glide
Ten thousand streams, in winding mazes led
By various sluices from one common head;
A turbid mass of waters, vast, profound!
Hight of Philology the lake, and fed
By that rade torrent which with roaring sound
Came tumbling from the hill, and flow'd the

level round.

And ev'ry where this spacious valley o'er,
Fast by each stream was seen a numerous throng
Of beardless striplings, to the birch-crown'd shore
By nurses, guardians, fathers, dragg'd along,
Who, helpless, meek, and innocent of wrong,

Drad, dreadful.

Were torn reluctant from the tender side
Of their fond mothers, and by faitours + strong,
By pow'r made insolent and hard by pride, [tide.
Were driv'n with furious rage, and fash'd into the
On the rude bank with trembling feet they stood,
And casting round their oft reverted eyes,
If haply they mote 'scape the hated flood,
Fill'd all the plain with lamentable eries:
But far away th' unheeding father flies,
Constrain'd his strong compunctions to repress;
While close behind, assuming the disguise
Ofnurt'ring Care and smiling Tenderness, [press.
With secret scourges arin'd those grisly faitours
As on the steepy margin of a brook,
When the young Sun with flowry Maia rides,
With innocent dismay a bleating flock
Crowd back affrighted at the rolling tides,
The shepherd-swain at first exhorting chides
Their seely fear; at length, impatient grown,
With his rude crook he wounds their tender sides,
And, all regardless of their piteous moan, [down.
Into the dashing wave compels them furious
Thus urg'd by mast ring fear and dolorous teen §
Into the current plung'd that infaut crowd:
Right piteous was the spectacle I ween,
Of tender striplings stain'd with tears and blood,
Perforce conflicting with the bitter flood,
And lab'ring to attain the distant shore,
Where holding forth the gown of manhood stood
The Siren Liberty, and evermore
Solicited their hearts with her enchanting lore,
Irksome and long the passage was, perplex'd
With rugged rocks, on which the raving tide
By sudden bursts of angry tempests vex'd
Oft dash'd the youth, whose strength moteillabide
With head uplifted o'er the waves to ride;
Whence many wearied ere they had o'erpast
The middle stream (for they in vain have tried)
Again return'd astounded || and aghast,
Ne one regardful look would ever backward cast.
Some, of a rugged more enduring frame,
Their toilsome course with patient pain pursu'd,
Andtho' with many a bruise and muchel blane,
Eft hanging on the rocks, and eft embra'd
Deep in the muddy stream, with hearts subdu'd,
And quail'd by labor, gain'd the shore at last;
But in life's practis'd lear** unskill'd and rude,
Forth to that forked hill they silent pac'd,
Where hid in studious shades their fruitless
hours they waste.

Others of rich and noble lineage bred,
Tho' with the crowd to pass the flood constrain'd,
Yet o'er the crags with fond indulgence led
By hireling guides, and in all depths sustain'd,
Skimin'd lightly o'er the tide, undipt, unstain'd,
Save with the sprinkling of the wat'ry spray,
And aye their proud prerogative maintain'd

Faitour, doer, from faire, to do, and fait, deed; commonly used by Spenser in a bad sense.

Seely, simple.

Lear, learning.

§ Teen, pain, grief.

Astounded, astonished.

¶ Muchel, much.

Of ignorance, and ease, and wanton play,
Soft harbingers of vice and premature decay.
A few, alas! how few! by Heaven's high will
With subtle spirits endow'd and sinews strong,
Albe sore mated by the tempests shrill
That bellow'd fierce and rise the rocks among,
By their own native vigor borne along,
Cut briskly thro' the waves, and forces new
Gath'ring from toil, and ardor from the throng
Of rival youths, outstript the lab'ring crew,
And to the true Parnasse ‡ and heaven-throng'd
glory flew.

Dire was the 'tumult! and from ev'ry shore
Discordant echoes struck the deafen'd ear,
Heart-thrilling cries, with sobs and singults § sore
Short interrupted, the imploring tear,
And furious stripes and angry threats severe,
Confus'dly mingled with the jarring sound
Of all the various speeches that whilcre ||
On Shinars's widespread champaign did astound
High Babel's builders vain, and their proud

works confound.

Much was the knight empassion'd at the scene;
But more his blooming son, whose tender breast
Empierced deep with sympathizing teen
On his pale cheek the sign of drad impress'd,
And fill'd with tears his eyes, with sore dis-
Upto his sire he rais'd in mournful wise, [tress'd,
Who with sweet smiles paternal soon redress'd
His troublous thoughts, and clear'd each sad
surmise:

Then turns his ready steed, and onhisjourneyhies.
But far he had not march'd ere he was stay'd
By a rude voice, that like th' united sound
Of shouting myriads thro' the valley bray'd
And shook the groves, the floods, and solid
The distant hills rebellow'd all around. [ground;
"Arrest, sir Knight," it cried, "thy foud career,
"Nor with presumptuous disobedience wound
That awful majesty which all revere !
"In my commands, sir Knight, the voice of
"nations hear."

Quick turn'd the knight, and saw upon the plain
Advancing towards him, with impetuous gait,
And visage all inflam'd with fierce disdain,
A monstrous giant, on whose brow elate
Shone the bright ensign of imperial state;
Albeit lawful kingdom he had none
But laws and kingdoms wont he oft create,
And oft times over both erect his throne,
While senates, priests, and kings, his sovran
sceptre own.

Custom he hight, and aye in ev'ry land
Usurp'd dominion with despotic sway
O'er all he holds, and to his high command

Constrains ev'n stubborn Nature to obey,.
Whom dispossessing oft he doth essay
so soft and gentle doth he win his way,
To govern in her right; and with a pace
That she unwares is caught in his embrace;
And tho' deflour'd and thrall'd nought feels her
foul disgrace.

For nurt'ring even from their tenderest age
The docile sons of men withouten pain,
By disciplines and rules to every stage
Of life accommodate, he doth them train
Insensibly to wear and hug his chain ;
Als his behests or gentle or severe,
Or good or noxious, rational or vajn,
As institutions sage and venerable lear.
He craftily persuades them to revere
Protector therefore of that forked hill,
And mighty patron of those Sisters Nine,
Who there enthron'd with many a copious rill,
Feed the full streams that thro' the valley shine,
He deemed was, and aye with rites divine,
Like those which Sparta's** hardy race of yore
He doth constrain his vassals to adore
Were wont perform at fell Diana's shrine,
Perforce their sacred names, and learn their sa-

cred lore.

And to the Fairy knight now drawing near
With voice terrfic and imperious mien
(All was he wont less dreadful to appear [seen)
When known and practis'd than at distance
And kingly stretching forth his sceptre sheen,
Him he commandeth
threaten'd pain
upon
Of his displeasure high and vengeance keen,
From his rebellious purpose to refrain, [train.
And all due honors pay to Learning's rev'rend
So saying, and forestalling all reply,
His peremptory hand without delay,
As one who little car'd to justify
His princely will, long us'd to boundless sway,
Upon the Fairy youth with great dismay
In ev'ry quaking limb convuls'd he lay'd,
And proudly stalking o'er the verdant lay ††
Him to those scientific streams convey'd,
With many his young compeers, therein to be
embay'd it.

The knight his tender son's distressful stour §§
Perceiving, swift to his assistance flew,
Ne vainly stay'd to deprecate that pow'r
Which from submission aye more haughty grew:
For that proud giant's force he wisely knew
Not to be meanly dreaded, nor defied
With rash presumption; aud with courage true,
Rather than step from virtue's path aside,
Oft had he singly scorn'd his all-dismaying
pride.

+ Mated, amazed, scared.
Whilere, formerly.

Parnasse, Parnassus. Sovran for sovereign.

⚫ Albe, although. Singults, sighs. **The Lacedemonians, in order to make their children hardy and endure pain with constancy and courage, were accustomed to cause them to be scourged very severely. "And I myself," says Plutarch, in his Life of Lycurgus," have seen several of them endure whipping to death at the foot of the altar of Diana, surnamed Othia." †† Lay, mead. ‡‡ Embay'd, bathed, dipt. §§ Stour, trouble, misfortune, &c.

And

And now, disdaining parle, his courser hot
He fiercely prick'd, and couch'd his vengeful

spear,

Wherewith the giant he so rudely smot,
That him perforce constrain'd to wend * arrear;
Who much abash'd at such rebuke severe,
Yet his accustom'd pride recov'ring soon,
Forthwith his massy sceptre 'gan uprear,
For other warlike weapon he had none,
Ne other him behov'd to quell his boldest fonet.
With that enormous mace the Fairy knight
So sore he bet that all his armor bray'd §,
To pieces well nigh riv'n with the might
Of so tempestuous strokes; but he was stay'd,
And ever with delib'rate valor weigh'd
The sudden changes of the doubtful fray,
From cautious prudence oft deriving aid,
When force unequal did him hard assay;
So lightly from the steed he leap'd upon the lay.
Then swiftly drawing forth his trenchant blade,
High o'er his head he held his fenceful shield,
And warily forecasting to evade

They, when their bleeding king they did behold
And saw an armed knight him standing near,
Attended by that palmer sage and bold,
Whose vent'rous search of devious truth whilere
Spread thro' the realns of learning horrors drear,
Yseised were at first with terrors great,
And in their boding hearts began to fear
Dissension factious, controversial hate,
And innovations strange, in Custom's peaceful

stale.

But when they saw the knight his falchion sheath,
And climbing to his steed march thence away
With all his hostile train, they 'gan to breathe
With freer spirit, and with aspect gay
Soon chas'd the gath'ring clouds of black afray:
Als their great monarch, cheered with the view
Of myriads who confess his sovran sway,
His ruffled pride began to plume anew
And on his bugle clear a strain of triumph blew.
Thereat the multitude that stend around
Sent up at once a universal roar
Of boistrous joy: the sudden-bursting sound,
Like the explosion of a warlike store

Of nitrous grain, th' afflicted welkin §§ tore:
Then turning tow'rds the knight with scoffings
Heart-piercing insults and revilings sore, [lewd,

The giant's furious arm about him wheel'd,
With restless steps aye traversing the field,
And ever as his foe's intemp'rate pride
Thro' rage defenceless mote advantage yield,
With his sharp sword so oft he did hini gride Ţ, | Loud bursts of laughter vain, and hisses rude
That his gold sandal'd feet in crimson floods
were dy'd.

His baser parts he maim'd with many a wound;
But far above his utmost reach were pight
The sorts of life; ne never to confound
With utter ruin, and abolish quite
A pow'r so puissant, by his single might
Did he presume to hope: himself alone
From lawless force to free in bloody fight
He stood, content to bow to custour's throne,
So reason mote not blush his sovran rule to own.
So well he warded and so fiercely prest
His foe, that weary wax'd he of the fray.
Yet nould he algates †† lower his haughty crest,
But masking in contempt his sore dismay,
Disdainfully releas'd the trembling prey
As one unworthy of his princely care:
Then proudly casting on the warlike Fay ‡‡
A smile of scorn and pity, thro' the air
'Gan blow his shrilling horn; the blast was heard
afar.

Eftsoons astonish'd at th' alarming sound,
The signal of distress and hostile wrong,
Confus'dly trooping from all quarters round,
Came pouring o'er the plain a numerous throng
Of ev'ry sex and order, old and young,
The vassals of great Custom's wide domain,
Who to his lore inur'd by usage long
His ev'ry summons heard with pleasure fain,
And felt his ev'ry wound with sympathetic pain.

As thro' the throng he pass'd his parting steps pursued.

Als from that forked hill, the boasted seat
Of studious Peace and mild Philosophy,
Indignant murmurs note be heard to threat,
Must'ring their rage; eke baleful Infamy,
Rous'd from her den of base obscurity
By those fam'd Maidens Nine, began to sound
Her brazen trump of black'ning obloquy,
While Satire, with dark cloudsencompass'd round
Sharp secret arrows shot, and aim'd his back to
wound.

But the brave Fairy knight no whit dismay'd,
Held on his peaceful journey o'er the plain,
With curious eye observing, as he stray'd
Thro' the wide provinces of Custom's reign,
What mote afresh admonish him remain
Fast by his virtuous purpose; all around
So many objects mov'd his just disdain,
Him seein'd that nothing serious, nothing sound,
In city, village, bow'r, or castle, mote be found.
In village, city, castle, bow'r, and hall,
Each sex, each age, each order and degree,
To vice and idle sport abandon'd all,
Kept one perpetual gen'ral jubilee,
Ne suffer'd aught disturb their merry glee;
Ne sense of private loss, ne public woes,
Restraint of law, religion's drad decree,
Intestine desolation, foreign foes,[vulsive threes.
Norlicaven's tempestuousthreats, nor earth'scon
Bet, beat.
§ Bray'd, resounded.
Pight, plac'd.
SS Welkin, sky.

+ Fone, foes. Gride, cut, hack.

* Wend arrear, move backwards. Trenchant, cutting. t Nould he algates, would not by any means.

# Fay, Fairy.

But

But chiefly they whom Heaven's disposing hand
Had seated high on Fortune's upper stage,
And plac'd within their call the sacred band
That wants on Nurture and Instruction sage,
If haply their wise hests* mote them engage
To climb thro' knowledge to more noble praise,
And, as they mount, enlighten ev'ry age
With the bright influence of fair virtue's rays,
Which from the awful heights of grandeur
brighter blaze :-

They, O perverse and base ingratitude!
Despising the great ends of Providence,
For which above their mates they were endued
With wealth, authority, and enuinence,
To the low services of brutal sense
Abus'd the means of pleasures more refin'd,
O, knowledge, virtue, and beneficence;
And, fett'ring on her throne th' immortal Mind,
The guidanceofherrealmto passions wild resign'd.
Hence, thoughtless, shameless, reckless, spiritless,
Nought worthy of their kind did they essay,
But, or benumb'd with palsied idleness,
In merely living loiter'd life away,
Or by false taste of pleasure led astray,
For ever wand'ring in the sensual bow'rs
Of feverish Debauch and lustful Play,
Spent on ignoble toils their active pow'rs,
And with untimely blasts diseas'd their vernal

hours.

Een they to whom kind Nature did accord
A frame more delicate and purer mind,
Tho' the soul brothel and the wine-stain'd board
Of beastly Comus loathing they declin'd,
Yet their soft hearts to idle joys resign'd;
Like painted insects thro' the summer air
With random flight aye ranging unconfin'd,
And tasting ev'ry flow'r and blossom fair
Withouten any choice, withouten any care.
For choice them needed none who only sought
With vain amusements to beguile the day;
Andwherefore should they take or care or thought
Whom Nature prompts and Fortune calls to play?
"Lords of the earth, be happy as ye may!"
So learn'd, so taught, the leaders of mankind
Th' unreasoning vulgar willingly obey,
And, leaving toil and poverty behind, [find.
Ran forth by different ways the blissful boon to
Nor tedious was the search; for ev'ry where,
As nigh great Custom's royal tow'rs the knight
Pass'd thro' th' adjoining hamlets, mote he hear|
The merry voice of festival delight
Saluting the return of morning bright
With matin revels by the mid-day hours
Scarce ended, and again with dewy night
In cover'd theatres or leafy bow'rs, [pow'rs.
Offring her ev'ning vows to Pleasure's joyous
And ever on the way mote he espy
Men, women, children, a promiscuous throng
Of rich, poor, wise, and simple, low and high,
By land, by water, passing aye along
With murmurs, anticks, music, dance and song,

Hests, behests, precepts, commands.

To Pleasure's num'rous temples, that beside
The glist'ning streams, or tufied groves among,
To ev'ry idle foot stood open wide,
And ev'ry gay desire with various joys supplied.
For there each heart with diverse charms to move
The sly enchantress summon'd all her train;`
Alluring Venus, queen of vagrant love,
The boon companion Bacchus loud and vain,
And tricking Hermes, god of fraudful gain.
Who when blind Fortune throws directs the die,
And Phoebus, tuning his soft Lydian strain
To wanton motions and the lover's sigh, [ry.
And thought-beguiling show and masking revel-
Unmeet associates these for noble youth
Who to true honor meaneth to aspire,
And for the works of virtue, faith and truth,
Would keep his manly faculties entire ;
The which avizing well the cautious fire
From that soft Siren land of pleasaunce vain
With timely haste was minded to retire,
Or ere the sweet contagion mote attain [stain.
His son's unpractis'd heart, yet free from vicious
So turning from that beaten road aside,
Thro' many a devious path at length he pac'd,
As that experienc'd palmer did him guide
Till to a mountain hoare they came at last,
Whose high-rais'd brows, with sylvan honors
Majestically frown'd upon their plain, [grac'd,
And over all an awful horror cast;

Seen'd as those villas gay it did disdain, [train,
Which spangled all the vale like Flora's painted
The hill ascended straight, crewhile they came
To a tall grove, whose thick embow'ring shade,
Impervious to the sun's meridian flame,
E'en at mid-noon a dubious twilight made,
Like to that sober light which, disarray'd
Of all its gorgeous robe, with blunted beams;
Thro' windows dim with holy acts pourtray'd
Along some cloister'd abbey faintly gleams,
Abstracting the rapt thought from vain earth-
musing themes.

Beneath this high o'erarching canopy
Of clust'ring oaks, a sylvan colonnade,
Aye list'ning to the native melody
Of birds sweet echoing thro' the lonely shade,
On to the centre of the grove they stray'd;
which in a spacious circle op'ning round,
Within its shelt ring arms securely laid,,
Disclos'd to sudden view a vale profound,
With Nature's artless smiles and tranquil beau-
ties crown'd.

There on the basis of an antient pile,
Whose cross-surmounted spire' o'erlook'd the
A venerable matron they erewhile [wood,
Discover'd have beside a murm'ring flood,
Reclining in right sad and pensive mood:
Retir'd within her own abstracted breast,
She seem'd o'er various woes by turns to brood,
The which her changing cheer by turns express'd,
Now glowing with disdain, with grief now over-
kest t

Her thus inmers'd in anxious thoughts profound" Contempt of order, manners profligate,[state. When as the knight perceiv'd, he nearer drew, The symptoms of a foul, diseas'd and bloated To weet what bitter bale did her astound, "Ev'n Wit and Genius, with their learned train And whence th' occasion of her anguish grew; 'Of Arts and Muses, tho' from heav'n above For that right noble matron well he knew, "Descended, when their talents they profane And many perils huge and labors sore "To varnish folly, kindle wanton love, Had for her sake endur'd, her vassal true, "And aid eccentric sceptic pride to rove Train'd in her love, and practis'd evermore Beyond celestial truth's attractive sphere, Her honor to respect, and reverence her lore. This moral system's central sun, aye prote "O dearest Drad!" he cried, "fair Island Queen!" To their fond votaries a curse severe, "Mother of heroes! Empress of the main! "And only make mankind more obstinately err. "What means that stormy brow of troublous" And stand my sons herein from censure clear? [train "Have they consider'd well and understood "Sith heaven-born Peace, with all her smiling" The use and import of those blessings dear "Of Sciences and Arts, adorns thy reign "Which the great Lord of Nature hath bestow'd "With wealth and knowledge, splendor and "As well to prove as to reward the good? [plain! "Whence are these torrents then, these billowy "Each port how throng'd! how fruitful ev'ry Of vice, in which as in his proper flood [seas "How blithe the country! and how gay the "The fell Leviathan licentious plays, "And upon shipwreck'd Faith and sinking "Virtue preys?

"teen,

" renown?

"town!

"While Liberty secures and heightens ev'ry "boo

"To you, ye noble, opulent, and great! Awaken rom her trance of pensive wo "With friendly voice I call an honest zeal; By these fair flat ring words, she rais'd her head;"Upon your vital influence wait And bending on the knight her frowning brow," The health and sickness of the common weal: "Moek'st thou my sorrows, Fairy Son?" she said; The maladies you cause yourselves must heal. "Or is thy judgement by thy heart misled "In vain to the unthinking harden'd crowd To deem that certain which thy hopes suggest?" Will truth and reason make their just appeal, "To deem them full of life and lustihead + "In vain will sacred wisdom cry aloud, [blood. "And justice drench in vain her vengeful swordia

Whose cheeks in Hebe 's vivid tints are dress'd, And with joy's careless mien and dimpled "smiles impress'd!

With you must reformation first take place: "You are the head, the intellectual mind "Thy unsuspecting heart how nobly good "Of this vast body politic, whose base "I know, how sanguine in thy country's cause, "And vulgar limbs to drudgery consign'd, And mark'd thy virtue singly how it stood "All the rich stores of science have resign'd "Th' assaults of mighty custom, which o'erawes" To you, that, by the craftsman's various toil, "The faint and tim'rous mind, and oft withdraws" The sea-worn mariner and sweating hind, "From Reason's lore th' ambitious and the vain," In peace and affluence maintain'd, the while By the sweet lure of popular applause, "You for yourselves and them may dress the "mental soil.

Against their better knowledge to maintain "The lawless throne of Vice or Folly's childish "reign.

Bethink you then, my children! of the trust In you repos'd; ne let your heaven-born mind "Consume in pleasure or unactive rust, "But nobly rouse you to the task assign'd, "The godlike task, to teach and mend mankind! "Learn, that ye may instruct: to virtue lead "How vice and folly had o'erspread the land:"Yourselves the way; the herd will crowd be"And canst thou then, O Fairy Son! demand

"How vast his influence, how wide his sway,
Thyself erewhile by proof didst understand,
"And saw'st, as thro' his realms thou took'st
"thy way,

"hind,

"The reason of my wo? or hope to ease "And gather precepts from each worthy deed: "Thethrobbingsofmy heart with speeches bland," Example is a lesson that all men can read. "And words more apt my sorrows to increase," But if (to all or most I do not speak) "The once-dear names of wealth, and 'liberty," In vain and sensual habits now grown old "The strong Circæan charm you cannot break,

" and peace?

"Peace, wealth, and liberty that noblest boon," Nor reassume at will your native mould "Are blessings only to the wise and good; "To weak and vicious minds their worth un

known,

"Yet envy not the state you could not hold,
"And take compassion on the rising age;
"In them redeem your errors manifold,

"And thence abus'd, but serve to furnish food" And by due discipline and nurture sage "For riot and debauch, and fire the blood "With high-spic'd luxury, whence strife,debate, "Ambition, envy, Faction's vip'rous brood,

• Sith, since.

"In virtue's lore betimes your docile sons engage.
You chiefly who like me in secret mourn
"The prevalence of custom lewd and vain,

Lustihead, strong health, vigor.

Mould, shape, form.

"And

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