'Long time before our fathers lives began,
There liv'd an ancient and a worthy man,
Was long the fav'rite of indulgent Fame;
For wretches knew and blefs'd Clytiphon's name,
Juft without pride, without reluctance kind;

• For inborn goodness, with foft pity, join'd

To form the bafis of his godlike mind.

His temp'rate foul was ne'er disturb'd with rage,
• But graceful bore the rev'rend weight of age;
• All-bounteous Heav'n had to his fhare confign'd
A moderate fortune, with a peaceful mind:
His dwelling, feated on a rifing hill,

• Was water'd round with many a chrystal rill;
Gardens and groves the fmother'd buildings fcreen,
• Which look'd the feat of some retir'd queen.
• Cythania, toaft of the admiring land,
The fairest virgin of the fhining band,
Did to Clytiphon's honour truft her charms,
And gave her beautics to his faithful arms;
But cruel Death, whose business is to rend
The pale-ey'd matron from her weeping friend,
Had torn Cythania from his widow'd fide,
And left her spouse to wail his conftant bride.
Heav'n fpar'd one child to crown his feeble age,
To chear his fpirits, and his grief afsuage;
Sophinia, precious to her father's mind!
⚫ To her alone was ev'ry with confin'd:
Nor did the virgin less deserve his care;

• Her guiltless foul was, like her person, fair;

• For Heav'n, to form this matchlefs beauty, join'd

• Her mother's features to her father's mind;

6

• Not op'ning rofes, nor the bashful day,

• Blush'd half fo fweetly as Sophinia gay:

Her eyes were dazzling, and her temples fair,
And ev'ry feature wore a fmiling air;

}

• For

For wit and learning fhe out-ftripp'd her kind,
Nor could her sex debase her noble mind;'
In fearch of knowledge fhe would fpend the day,
And judgment walk'd before her guiltless way.
'Not many furlongs from those blissful plains,
Where good Clytiphon rul'd the happy fwains,
There liv'd a wealthy and a worthy peer,
• Lov'd by his friends, and to his country dear;
Laon the great, in valour juftly fam'd,

His fons, Lycander and Polyphon nam'd;
Both noble youths, and by their friends admir'd,
And thirft of glory both their hearts inspir'd:
Lycander's form was fairer than his mind;

His fhape was faultlefs, and his brow fublime;
His jetty locks in mazy ringlets run,

⚫ And his bright eyes were like a morning fun.

Rays quick and fierce their fubtle lightening fling;

• His cheeks were fresher than the dawning fpring. But then, as tempefts o'er the ocean roll,

• Continual paffions tore his boiling foul; Difdainful, proud, with an imperious will, Headlong he rush'd on unsuspected ill:

Reason, in vain, oppos'd her facred shield,

• And Virtue's felf must to the whirlwind yield. • Polyphon's foul was of a gentler kind;

No rugged ftorms could shake his eafy mind: Still calm, and pleasant, as the ev'ning skies, • When not a breeze through the ftill region flies; No gloomy frowns a fullen heart betray, • His brow was thoughtless, and his air was gay. Thefe to Clytiphon's did their fire attend, The pleafing manfion of their father's friend; • With lovers eyes they both Sophinia view, As with her years her rifing beauty grew; With airy hopes they nurs'd the rival flame, And fought with gifts to win the fmiling dame ;

• But

But he, too cautious to be foon betray'd,

• Their merit balanc'd, and their tempers weigh'd:
Lycander's fortune pleas'd the lovely dame,
His power, titles, and his rifing fame;

And the gay maid beheld, with early pride,
Laon's bright heir attending at her fide;
That way would oft her vanity incline,
But then her reafon fear'd his base defign.
Still at her heart the fullen doubt remains,
And put a period to the golden dreams :
Polyphon's image on her fancy ftole,

• With thousand beauties in his taintlefs foul;
Clear as his face, and sprightly as his mien;
Soft as his voice, and, like his brow, ferene.
Polyphon now the wav'ring nymph admires,

• Nor thinks of caftles, towns, and fhining spires;
Her changing thoughts prefer an easy home,
• And dwell with patience on a younger fon.
Lycander once her fav'rite was,
but now

He meets refentment and a frozen brów; In vain to move the fcornful nymph he tries, With fprightly oaths and well-diffembled lies: • His form no more can please Sophinia's eyes. • Without concern he met the fair's difdain, • Nor could her frown disturb the haughty swain: • Conscious of merit, he purfu'd her ftill,

And only thought her tongue bely'd her will. • For Impudence, to Vice a trufty fquire, • Who bears her arms, and fans her purple fire, Had taught Lycander, that affairs of love • Are difregarded in the realms above;

That oaths are licens'd to addrefs the fair, • And vows to virgins but the sport of air;

• That maids are merchandize, and may be fold For charming eloquence and mighty gold.

• A grove

• A grove there was, a venerable shade,

• No hoftile iron durft her boughs invade;
• Whose lofty pines for fev'ral ages grew,
And rev'rend oaks a hundred winters knew:
A crystal river wander'd half-way round,
The reft defended with a hazel mound;
'Twas here, to fhun Lycander's jealous eye,
When Sol departed to the western sky,
The fly Sophinia us'd to leave her maids,

And meet Polyphon in the balmy fhades;

While the proud youth, who found himself defpis'd,

His perfon flighted, and Polyphon priz'd,'

Grew wild with love, and defp'rate with defpair,
And vow'd deftruction to the gentle pair.

No quiet hour his furly spirit knows,

Nor reft by day-light, or at night repose:
Cold to his friends; and if they ask his care,
He only answers with a fullen glare.

'One ev'ning, when the sparkling fun withdrew,
And thirsty flowers fipp'd the grateful dew;
When this fair grove had put on all her charms,
And zephyrs play'd amidft her curling arms;
Sophinia, weary of the fultry day,

• To the cool forest took her lonely way;
Attentive only to the linnet's fong,

No ill fhe thought of, and fhe fear'd no wrong:

• Pleas'd with the glories of the smiling year,

(For guilty minds are only taught to fear)

The well-known path her willing feet pursue
Through the brown fhade, where in the centre grew
A row of laurels crown'd with lasting green,
And fofter beech and flow'ring rose between:
Here, in a fatal hour, Sophinia came,

For proud Lycander watch'd the lovely dame;

Revenge and love at once his bofom fire;
His broad eyes flash with more than mortal fire.
Then to his friends the raging hero flew;
• His friends a thoughtless and a wanton crew,
Whose flothful hands were backward, as their will,
In virtue's cause, but refolute in ill:

To these the youth difclos'd his rafh defign;
• His glad companions in th' adventure join,
• That fome, well practis'd in the ruffian's trade,
• Should bear Sophinia from the filent shade.

The mifchief pleas'd; yet none propos'd the way,
Tho' fhort the time, and dang'rous the delay:
In ftill fufpenfe the lift'ning heroes ftand,

Till, with rude voice, Miranthus thus began. "A caftle has for many cent'ries ftood

"Within the confines of the neighb'ring wood,
Whofe gloomy arches seem difpos'd to hide
"Offended fubjects from a tyrant's pride:
"And often fhe has lent her hoftile tow'rs,
The guilty refuge of rebellious pow'rs ;
"Here let your friends this peevish girl convey,
And keep her fecret from the face of day.
"Those doors with iron eloquence shall plead
Your mighty paffion to the scornful maid:
"You have, what my unready thoughts defign'd,
"The hafty dictates of a ruftick mind;
"A mind inur'd to wars and rude alarms,
"Unfkill'd in love, and beauty's fofter charms."
He ceas'd-Applaufe was feen in ev'ry eye,

⚫ And peals of laughter rent the troubled sky;
• Two fav'rite heroes, fingled from the crew,
< With hostile feet that facred path pursue;
Whofe winding maze betray'd the fmiling bow'r
That held Sophinia in a baneful hour:

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