26. Meantime the master porter wide display'd Great store of caps, of slippers, and of gowns, Wherewith he those who enter'd in array'd, Loose as the breeze that plays along the downs, And waves the summer woods when evening frowns. O fair undress! best dress! it checks no vein, But ev'ry flowing limb in pleasure drowns, [fain, And heightens ease with grace. This done, right Sir Porter sat him down, and turn'd to sleep again.

27. Thus easy rob'd, they to the fountain sped, That in the middle of the court upthrew A stream, high-spouting from its liquid bed, And falling back again in drizzly dew;

There each deep draughts, as deep he thirsted, drew. It was a fountain of Nepenthe rare, [grew, Whence, as Dan Homer sings, huge pleasance And sweet oblivion of vile earthly care; [more fair. Fair gladsome waking thoughts, and joyous dreams

28. This rite perform'd, all inly pleas'd and still, Withouten tromp, was proclamation made : • Ye sons of Indolence ! do what you will, And wander where you list, through hall or glade Be no man's pleasure for another staid ! Let each as likes hine best his hours employ, And curs'd be he who minds his neighbour's trade! Here dwells kind Ease and unreproving Joy ; He little merits bliss who others can annoy.'

29. Straight of these endless numbers, swarming As thick as idle motes in sunny ray, [round, Not one eftsoons in view was to be found, But every man stroll'd off his own glad way; Wide o'er this ample court's blank area. With all the lodges that thereto pertain❜d No living creature could be seen to stray,

While solitude and perfect silence reign'd,

So that to think you dreamt, you almost was constrain'd.

30. As when a shepherd of the Hebride isles*
Plac'd far amid the melancholy main,
(Whether it be lone fancy him beguiles,
Or that aërial beings sometimes deign
To stand embodied to our senses plain)
Sees on the naked hill or valley low,
The whilst in ocean Phoebus dips his wain,
A vast assembly moving to and fro,

Then all at once in air dissolves the wondrous show.
31. Ye gods of quiet, and of sleep profound!
Whose soft dominion o'er this Castle sways,
And all the widely-silent places round,
Forgive me, if my trembling pen displays
What never yet was sung in mortal lays.
But how shall I attempt such arduous string,
I who have spent my nights and nightly days
In this soul-deadening place, loose loitering?
Ah! how shall I for this uprear my moulted wing?

32. Come on, my Muse! nor stoop to low despair,
Thou imp of Jove! touch'd by celestial fire,
Thou yet shalt sing of war and actions fair,
Which the bold sons of Britain will inspire;
Of ancient bards thou yet shalt sweep the lyre;
Thou yet shalt tread in tragic pall the stage,
Paint love's enchanting woes, the hero's ire,
The sage's calm, the patriot's noble rage, [age.
Dashing corruption down through every worthiess

33. The doors, that knew no shrill alarming bell, No cursed knocker ply'd by villain's hand, Self open'd into halls, where who can tell

*On the western coast of Scotland, called the Hebrides.

But some there be thy song, as from their graves, Shall raise. Thrice happy he! who without rigour

saves.

35. Issuing forth, the Knight bestrode his steed, Of ardent bay, and on whose front a star [breed, Shone blazing bright; sprung from the generous That whirl of active day the rapid car,

He pranc'd along disdaining gate or bar.
Meantime the bard on milk-white palfrey rode ;
An honest, sober beast, that did not mar
His meditations, but full softly trode ;

And much they moraliz'd as thus yfere they yode.

36. They talk'd of virtue, and of human bliss ; What else so fit for man to settle well? And still their long researches met in this, This truth of truths, which nothing can refe! ; From virtue's fount the purest joys out well, Sweet rills of thought that cheer the conscious soul: While vice pours forth the troubled streams of hell; The which, howe'er disguised, at last with dole Will thro' the tortur'd breast their fiery torrent roll.'

37. At length it dawn'd, that fatal valley gay, O'er which high wood-crown'd hills their summits

rear.

On the cool height awhile our palmers stay,

And, spite even of themselves, their senses cheer; Then to the wizard's wonne their steps they steer: Like a green isle it broad beneath them spread, With gardens round, and wandering currents clear, And tufted groves to shade the meadow-bed, Sweet airs and song; and without hurry all seem'd glad.

38. As God shall judge me, Knight! we must The half-enraptur'd Philomelus cry'd, [forgive,' The frail good man, deluded, here to live, And in these groves his musing fancy hide. Ah! nought is pure. It cannot be deny'd That virtue still some tincture has of vice, And vice of virtue. What should then betide, But that our charity be not too nice ?

Come, let us those we can to real bliss entice.'

39. Ay, sicker (quoth the Knight), all flesh is frail.

To pleasant sin and joyous dalliance bent;
But let not brutish vice of this avail,
And think to 'scape deserved punishment.
Justice were cruel weakly to relent;

From Mercy's self she got her sacred glaive;
Grace be to those who can and will repent,
But penance, long and dreary, to the slave,
Who must in floods of fire his gross foul spirit lave.'

40. Thus holding high discourse, they came to where

The cursed carl was at his wonted trade,
Still tempting heedless men into his spare,
In witching wise as I before have said:
But when he saw, in goodly geer array'd
The grave majestic Knight approaching nigh,
And by his side the bard so sage and staid,
His count'nance fell; yet oft his anxious eye
Mark'd them like wily fox who roosted cock doth spy.

41. Nathless, with feign'd respect he bade give back

The rabble rout, and welcom'd them full kind; Struck with the noble twain they were not slack His orders to obey, and fall behind,

Then he resum'd his song, and, unconfin'd,
Pour'd all his music, ran through all his strings ;
With magic dust their eyne he tries to blind,
And virtue's tender airs o'er weakness flings.
What pity base his song who so divinely sings !

42. Elate in thought, he counted them his own,
They listen'd so intent with fix'd delight;
But they instead, as if transmew'd to stone,
Marvell d he could with such sweet art unite
The lights and shades of manners, wrong and right.
Meantime the silly crowd the charm devour,
Wide pressing to the gate. Swift on the Knight
He darted fierce, to drag him to his bower,
Who back ning shunn'd his touch, for well he knew
its power..

43. As in throng'd amphitheatre, of old, The wary Retiarius* trapp'd his foe,

Even so the Knight, returning on him bold,
At once involv'd him in the net of woe,
Whereof I mention made not long ago.
Enrag'd at first, he scorn'd so weak a jail,
And leapt, and flew, and flounced to and fro :
But when he found that nothing could avail,
He sat him felly down, and gnaw'd his bitter nail.

44. Alarm'd, the inferior demons of the place Rais'd rueful shrieks and hideous yells around, Black stormy clouds deform'd the welkin's face, And from beneath was heard a wailing sound, As of infernal sprites in cavern bound;

A solemn sadness every creature strock,
And lightnings flash'd and horror rock'd the ground:

* A gladiator, who made use of a net, which he threw over his adversaries.