For rifing Confcience now her task began,
And guilty blushes through his features ran:
Unusual horrors o'er his paffage hung;
At ev'ry step the founding portals rung.
Before the door he took a filent ftand,
And the pale taper trembled in his hand:"
• A hollow voice Lycander feem'd to call,
• And shadows danc'd along the gloomy wall.
His haughty spirit was at this dismay'd;

• Lycander trembled, and was once afraid:

"

Why beats my heart, my coward heart ?” he cries; And why this mift before my dazzled eyes? Sophinia's mine, and I will feize my store "If thousand spectres guard the awful door!" Then rushing in, the lovely dame he found In fullen posture, and in thought profound: • The wonted rofes from her cheeks were fled; • On her fair hand reclin'd her beauteous head. With flatt'ry first he tipp'd his artful tongue, And ftrove to palliate and excuse the wrong. "Let not Sophinia," with a fmile, he cries, "Think we have feiz'd her as a hostile prize:

The fault we owe to this unconquer'd flame; "Love was th' aggreffor, and be his the blame. "Truft not thy reason to a haughty guide, "Nor call that honour, which is only pride: "Honour, a pageant mistress of the vain, "The virgin's tyrant, and the hero's chain;

68

If sparkling wealth can please thy brighter eyes, "The mines of Perfia at thy feet shall rife; "And when thy chariot marks the dusty fields, "Full thirty flaves fhall grace the fhining wheels ; "For thee the east shall yield her spicy bowers, "And sweeter baths distil from weeping flowers. "Then smile, my fair-one, and be timely wife." The maid reply'd, and roll'd her fcornful eyes,

. Hence,

Hence, fawning traitor! why wouldst thou be told "How much I hate thy perfon and thy gold? "Miftaken Nature, with too nice a care, "In vain has fhap'd thee in a mould so fair: "Vice will be vice howe'er 'tis polish'd o'er ; "Thou, villain! dare to meet my eyes no more.

"Those gloomy birds that love the midnight air, "And hover round the manfions of despair, "When to their fhrieks the hollow roofs rebound, And the hoarse raven aids the dreadful found; Though howling wolves fhould with their voices join, "Are lefs offenfive to my ears than thine:

Beyond my hate, if yet a thought remain,

"To make thy fpirit curfe the galling chain;
<If with thofe thorns that Love's foft empire bounds,
“Successful rivals give the deepest wounds;

"I love thy brother; and, if that can be,
"With paffion equal to my hate for thee."
She faid; and rage poffefs'd Lycander's foul;
His palé lips tremble, and his eye-balls roll:
Three times he rais'd a dagger to her breast,
But mighty Love his daring hand suppress'd;
And now fhrill cries invade his wond'ring ears,
The noise of battle and the clash of spears;
Starting, he turn'd, nor staid to make reply,
• Tho' fury sparkled in his threat'ning eye.
"To arms!" his friends in mingled voices call,
And danger hover'd o'er the frowning wall.

In that fad hour, when the affrighted maid
⚫ Was drawn by villains from the mourning fhade,
Polyphon to th' appointed forest came;

He reach'd the bower, but he mifs'd the dame:
Through balmy paths, with infant rofes bound,
Where blufhing daifies ftrew the painted ground,
3 G

He

He rov'd, impatient of the nymph's delay,
And often doubted to return or stay:

By chance he turn'd his mournful eye, and sees
His friend Acanthus through the parting trees,
The youth drew nearer with an eager pace;
⚫ Amazement hover'd on his boding face;
And thus impatient to Polyphon faid,
"Where is Sophinia? where thy darling maid?"?
"This ev'ning restless, tho' I know not why,
"When setting Phoebus ftain'd the western sky,
"To these sweet shades I took my heedless way,
"To fhare the fragrance of declining day;
"Alone and penfive as I wander'd here,
"A woman's voice furpriz'd my list'ning ear;
"To yon rude tow'rs I trac'd the ftinking found,
"Till the ftill'd outcries were in distance drown'd,
"What think you now? I fear fome threat'ning ill,
"From headstrong paffions, and imperious will:
"I fear Sophinia and yourself betray'd;

"I know your brother loves the beauteous maid." "Then hear my vows!" the frantick lover cries, And turn'd his eye-balls on the glimm'ring skies; "Hear me, ye pow'rs! whofe facred hands sustain "Thefe worlds of nature in a mighty chain;

If my fierce brother has prefum'd to bear, And from her bowers forc'd my injur'd fair, "Thefe wakeful eye-lids fhall no more be clos'd, "This fpirit refted, nor these limbs repos'd; "This vengeful rapier shall be sheath'd no more "Till the rude traitor shall his prize restore." He faid; and, raging, left the gloomy fhade, Full of refentment for his injur'd maid. • Acanthus fummon'd to a neighb'ring plain

Their friends, a little, but a martial train; ⚫ Twice twenty youths their gen'ral's voice attend, And share the quarrel of their injur'd friend.

⚫ Polyphon

Polyphon, pleas'd to fee the affembled powers,
Led his fmall fquadron to the hoftile towers:
The frowning portals well fecur'd they found;
The gloomy court with fentries guarded round;
Who, spite of reafon and their country's laws,
Were drawn to combat in a guilty cause.
• The first of thefe, Cyrenus, fair and young,
Whofe curling locks below his fhoulders hung,
Too rafhly bold, encounter'd hand to hand,
Fierce Polyarchus of Polyphon's band:
The pointed jav'lin sped beneath his chin,

And ftreaming purple ftain'd his beauteous fkin;
His very cheeks are wash'd with deeper dyes,
And lasting flumber feals his swimming eyes.
This piteous fight enrag'd the vicious train,
But moftly Iphis, brother of the flain.

Revenge!" he cry'd, and hurl'd his deathful dart;

It hifs'd along, but mifs'd the hero's heart;
Defpairing, raging, on the youth he flew,
While down his forehead roll'd the fultry dew:
Blows anfwer blows, and round their temples fing
The glancing weapons, and the bucklers ring.
• Aloof they fight, or new in circles wheel'd,
Each thought to conquer, both disdain to yield;
• Till Polyarchus, with a fide-way blow,
Tranfpierc'd the liver of his heedlefs foe:
He drew the weapon from his tortur'd fide ;
The gaping wound difgorg'd a purple tide;
His eyes turn'd upward with a ghaftly roll;
Headlong he fell, and groan'd' away his foul!
Now joy transported the victorious throng;
With Polyarchus!" all the welkin rung:

"

Applause and clamour fhook the trembling ground;
Lycander heard, and curs'd the hated found.

• Griev'd for his friend, he with the foremost prefs'd,
And all their lances glitter round his breaft;

• But

But the ftrong shield their points at distance hold, Where two fair eagles spread their wings in gold; A weighty spear his better hand supplies, And livid lightnings fparkle in his eyes. • Vinario first fuftain'd the warrior's rage, The beauteous darling of his father's age; His tender arm the deadly fpear arrefts, And tore his shoulder from his iv'ry breast; Too late his friends to his affistance run, For his black eyes no more behold the fun. • Miranthus next did his bright lance extend, A bluft'ring foldier, and Lycander's friend; • Him Merias met, old Meriander's heir, • The youthful husband of Lycofia fair:

Now borne untimely from his father's fide,
His fmiling fortunes and his lovely bride;
Juft at his hip the steel an entrance found,
And tore his bowels with a ghaftly wound:
Back fell the youth, his tinkling arms reply;

Loud fhrieks and clamours rend the frighted fky.

Polyphon now, with deadly anguish ftung,

• His ready jav❜lin at the victor flung:

The erring weapon, with a whiftling found,

Flew o'er his head, and plough'd the distant ground,

Enrag'd to fee the bloodlefs point descend,

And mifs the vengeance for his bleeding friend,

His fhining eyes, that did with fury glow,

• He turn'd, and thus defy'd the stronger foe.
"Hope not for conqueft, mighty clown!" he cries;
"From thy ftern visage and gigantick fize :
"A little arm, if Heav'n direct the blow,

May fend thee, howling, to the shades below." "Slave!" cries Miranthus, with a ftormy glare, "Go, wash thy face, and curl thy waving hair;

"Thy