With time's first birth began the heav'nly lays,
And last, eternal, thro' the length of days.
Around these wonders as I cast a look,
The trumpet founded, and the Temple shook,
And all the Nations fummon'd at the call,
From diff'rent quarters fill the crouded hall:
Of various tongues the mingled founds were heard ; 280
In various garbs promifcuous throngs appear'd;
Thick as the bees, that with the spring renew
Their flow'ry toils, and fip the fragrant dew,
When the wing'd colonies firft tempt the sky,
O'er dusky fields and shaded waters fly,
Or fettling, feize the sweets the blossoms yield,
And a low murmur runs along the field.
Millions of fuppliant crouds the shrine attend,
And all degrees before the Goddess bend;
The poor, the rich, the valiant, and the sage,
And boafting youth, and narrative old-age.
VER. 276. Around thefe wonders, &c.]
I heard a noife approchen blive,
That far'd as bees done in a hive,
Against her time of out flying;
Right fuch a manere murmuring,
For all the world it feemed me.
Tho gan I look about and fee
That there came entring into th' hall,
A right great company withal;
And that of fondry regions,
Of all kind of conditions,
Their pleas were diff'rent, their request the fame;
For good and bad alike are fond of Fame.
Some the disgrac'd, and some with honours crown'd;
Unlike fucceffes equal merits found.
Thus her blind fifter, fickle Fortune reigns,
And undiscerning, scatters crowns and chains.
First at the fhrine the Learned world appear,
And to the Goddess thus prefer their pray'r.
Long have we fought t' inftruct and pleafe mankind, 300
With ftudies pale, with midnight vigils blind;
But thank'd by few, rewarded yet by none,
We here appeal to thy fuperior throne:
On wit and learning the just prize bestow,
For Fame is all we muft expect below.
The Goddess heard, and bade the Muses raise
The golden Trumpet of eternal Praife:
From pole to pole the winds diffuse the sound,
That fills the circuit of the world around;
Not all at once, as thunder breaks the cloud;
The notes at firft were rather fweet than loud:
By juft degrees they ev'ry moment rise,
Fill the wide earth, and gain upon the skies.
VER. 294. Some fhe difgrac'd, &c.]
And fome of them fhe granted fone,
And fome he warned well and fair,
And fome fhe granted the contrair
Right as her fifler dame Fortune
Is wont to ferve in commune,
At ev'ry breath were balmy odours fhed,
Which ftill grew fweeter as they wider spread:
Lefs fragrant fcents th' unfolding rose exhales,
Or fpices breathing in Arabian gales.
Next these the good and juft, an awful train,
Thus on their knees addrefs'd the facred fane.
Since living virtue is with envy curs'd,
And the best men are treated like the worst,
Do thou, juft Goddefs, call our merits forth,
And give each deed th' exact, intrinfic worth,
VER. 318. The good and juft, &c.]
Tho came the third companye,
And gan up to the dees to hye,
And down on knees they fell anone,
And faiden: We ben everichone
Folke that han full truely
Deferved Fame right-fully,
And prayen you it might be knowe
Right as it is, and forth blowe.
Igrant, quoth fhe, for now me lift
That your good works shall be wift,
And yet ye shall have better loos,
Right in defpite of all your foos,
Than worthy is, and that anone.
Let now (quoth fhe) thy trump gone-
And certes all the breath that went
Out of his trump's mouth smel'd
As men a pot of baume held
Among a basket full of rofes
Not with bare juftice fhall your act be crown'd,
(Said Fame) but high above desert renown'd:
Let fuller notes th' applauding world amaze,
And the loud clarion labour in your praise.
This band difmifs'd, behold another croud: Prefer'd the fame requeft, and lowly bow'd; The conftant tenour of whofe well-spent days No lefs deferv'd a juft return of praise.
But strait the direful Trump of Slander founds
Thro' the big dome the doubling thunder bounds;
Loud as the burft of cannon rends the fkies,
The dire report thro' ev'ry region flies :
In ev'ry ear inceffant rumours rung,
And gath'ring scandals grew on ev'ry tongue.
From the black trumpet's rufty concave broke
Sulphureous flames, and clouds of rolling fmoke:
VER. 328. Behold another croud, &c.]
338. From the black trumpet's rufty, &c.] Therewithal there came anone
The pois'nous vapour blots the purple skies,
And withers all before it as it flies.
A troop came next, who crowns and armour wore, And proud defiance in their looks they bore: For thee (they cry'd) amidst alarms and strife, We fail'd in tempefts down the stream of life; For thee whole nations fill'd with flames and blood, And fwam to empire thro' the purple flood. Thofe ills we dar'd, thy inspiration own, What virtue feem'd, was done for thee alone. Ambitious fools! (the Queen reply'd, and frown'd) 350 Be all your acts in dark oblivion drown'd; There fleep forgot, with mighty tyrants gone, Your statues moulder'd, and your names unknown! A fudden cloud strait snatch'd them from my fight, And each majestic phantom funk in night.
Then came the smallest tribe I yet had seen; Plain was their dress, and modest was their mien.
Swift as a pellet out of a gunne
When fire is in the powder runne.
And fuche a fmoke gan out wende,
Out of the foul trumpes ende,
VER. 356. Then came the fmalleft, &c.]
I faw anone the fifth route
That to this lady gan loute,
And downe on knees anon to fall,
And to her they befoughten all,
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