Thy pains unclos'd our eyelids keep, Or grant at best tumultuous sleep

And slumbers never sound.

Thy cramps our limbs distort,

Thy knots our joints invade:
Such is thy cruel sport,

Inexorable maid!

Enter Messenger, with two Mountebanks bound.

MESSENGER.

O Mistress, opportunely art thou met. Attend; no vain or idle tale I bring, But well supported by authentic facts. As through the town (for so thou didst enjoin) With slow and gentle pace I lately rang'd, Searching if haply I might chance to find A mortal bold enough to brave thy power; There quiet all, and patient, I beheld, Subdued, O goddess, by thy mighty arm : All but these two presumptuous daring wretches, Who to the gaping crowd with oaths denied To pay due reverence to thy deity, Boasting that they would banish thee from Earth: Wherefore with fetters strong their legs I bound, And after five days' march have brought them hither,

A weary march of twice five hundred feet.

GODDESS.

Swift hast thou come, my winged messenger. Say, from what regions, through what rugged paths, Hast thou thy tedious longsome way pursued? Explain, that I may comprehend thy seed.

MESSENGER.

Five stairs, whose weak and dislocated frame
Trembled beneath my tread, descending down,
First to the level pavement I arriv'd,

That 'gainst my feet its jarring surface turn'd;
Which having with uneasy footsteps cross'd,
I enter'd next the rough and flinty street,
Whose pointed stones the gouty foot abhors:
Here meeting with a smooth, though slippery
path,

I hurried on, but with back-sliding haste,
The trodden slime my tottering ancle turn'd.
Thus as I journey'd, down on every side
The streaming sweat descended, and my legs,
Faint and relax'd, no longer firmly trod.
Thence labouring in each limb, and overtoil'd,
A broad but dangerous way receiv'd me next:
For on each hand the whirling chariots flew,
And urg'd, and press'd, and drove me faster on;
But I with nimble action plied my feet,
And quick into an alley stepp'd aside,
Till every rattling hasty wheel was pass'd.
For, as to thee, O goddess, I belong'd,
Thy votary, I ought not, could not run.

GODDESS.

Servant, thou hast not well perform'd in vain, Nor shall thy prompt obedience want reward. In recompense this pleasing boon receive, Three years of light and gentler pains to bear. But ye, most impious heaven-abandon'd villains, What and whence are ye, that so proudly dare The lists to enter with the mighty Gout, Whose power not Jove himself can overcome? Speak, wretches-many a hero have I tam'd, As all the wise and learn'd can testify.

Priam' was gouty, as old poets sing,

And by the gout the swift Achilles fell.
Bellerophon, and Thebes' unhappy lord,
The mighty Oedipus, my prowess own'd,
And, of maim'd Pelops' race, young Plisthenes.
He too, who led to Troy his warrior bands,
The halting son of Peas, felt my dart,
And by my dart the lord of Ithacà3,
Not by the poisonous trygon's bone expir'd.
Wherefore, ill-fated wretches, be assur'd,
Your wicked deeds shall meet their due reward.

1st MOUNTEBANK.

Syrians we are, in fair Damascus born; But, urg'd by want and hungry poverty, O'er earth and sea like vagabonds we roam, And with this ointment, which our father gave, We comfort and relieve the sick and lame.

GODDESS.

What is your ointment, say, and how prepar'd? 2d MOUNTEBANK.

We dare not tell, to secrecy oblig'd
Both by the solemn oath of our profession,
And last injunctions of a dying father;
Who charg'd us to conceal the powerful virtue
Of this our medicine, whose strong efficacy,
O Gout, can e'en.thy madding fires allay.

GODDESS.

Ha! miserable wretches, say ye so? Is there on Earth a medicine whose effect

My power is not sufficient to control?

Come on, upon this issue let us join.
Let us experience now the prevalence
Of your strong medicine or my raging flames.
Hither, tormenting spirits, who preside
O'er my distracting sorrows, hither come.
Spirits descend.

Thou from the tender sole to every toe
Round all the foot the burning anguish spread.
Thou in the heel shalt settle, from the thigh
Thou on the knee shalt pour the bitter drop.
And each of you a finger shall torment.

SPIRITS.

Behold, O queen, thy orders are perform'd. See! where the wretches maim'd and roaring lie, Their limbs distorted with our fierce attack.

GODDESS.

Now, friends, inform us of the truth; declare If aught your boasted ointment now avail. For, if my forces it indeed subdue, Far, to the dark recesses of the Earth,

1 Priam was gouty, &c.] Lucian had this circumstance from some secret histories that are not come down to us; or possibly there may be some conceit which we do not understand, since one cannot help thinking that he alludes to the lameness of Philoctetes, which he got by the fall of one of Hercules's arrows on his foot; and to the wound which Achilles received in his heel from Paris, which wound was the occasion of his death.

2 Telegonus, the son of Ulysses by Circe, coming to Ithaca to see his father, was denied entrance by the servants; upon which a quarrel ensued, in which he unfortunately slew his father Ulysses with a spear or arrow, pointed with the bone of a trygon, a poisonous fish.

The depths profound of Tartarus, I'll fly, Henceforth unknown, unhonour'd, and unseen.

1st MOUNTEBANK.`

Behold the ointment is applied! but, oh! The flames relent not. Oh! I faint! I die! A secret poison all my leg consumes. Not so pernicious is the bolt of Jove: Nor rages so the wild tempestuous sea: Nor more resistless is the lightning's blast. Sure three-mouth'd Cerberus my sinews gnaws: Or on my flesh some poisonous viper preys; Or to my limbs th' envenom'd mantle clings 3, Drench'd in the Centaur's black malignant gore! O queen, have mercy! freely we acknowledge That, nor our ointment, nor aught else on Earth, Thy unresisted fury can restrain,

O mighty conqueress of human kind!

OCYPUS.

I too, O potent goddess, grace implore.
Once in the wanton pride of vigorous youth,
Vain of my beauteous limbs and active strength,
I mock'd thy dolours, and thy power defied.
But now, chastis'd by thy afflictive arm,
And by thy nearer influence subdued,
My impious vaunts, O goddess, I retract,
Adore thy might, and deprecate thy wrath.

GODDESS.

Spirits, forbear, and mitigate their woes.
See, they repent them of the dire contention.
Now let the world confess my stubborn power,
Nor mov'd by pity, nor by drugs subdued.

[Goddess and Spirits re-ascend.

CHORUS.

In vain with mimic flames Salmoneus strove
To emulate the bolts of thundering Jove;
To deepest Hell with scorching lightning driven,
Too late he own'd the stronger power of Heaven.
The satyr Marsyas blew his boastful reed, [strings."
And, "Phobus, strike," he cried, "thy rival
Stript of his skin, he mourns the impious deed,
While round the bleeding trophy Pythius sings.
Robb'd of her children, in eternal woe,
In streams eternal while her sorrows flow,
Sad Niobe laments the fatal hour,
That urg'd her to provoke Latona's power.
Thee, Pallas, skill'd in every work divine,

Foolish Arachne at the loom defied;
Incessant thence she draws the filmy twine,
Memorial of her fond presumptuous pride.
Taught by the vengeance of the gods above,
Latona, Pallas, Pythian Phoebus, Jove,
To mortals be this sage instruction given,
"That man, though bold, is not a match for
Heaven."
[Dance.

3 The mantle of the centaur Nessus, who having proffered Hercules his service to carry his wife over the river Evenus, when he had her on the other side would have forced her. Whereupon Hercules shot him with an arrow. Nessus, seeing he must die, in revenge presents Deianira with his mantle stained with his own blood, telling her it was a charim for love. She believing this, when Hercules was sacrificing in Mount Oeta, sent him this mantle to put on; which he no sooner did, but the poison worked so strongly that he grew mad, and threw himself into the fire.

CHORUS.

O awful Gout, whose universal sway
The trembling nations of the Earth obey,
Our torments, gracious sovereign, O assuage!
Be short our pangs, be moderate thy rage!

Many, various, are the woes
That this scene of life compose.
Use with reconciling balm
Can our throbbing sorrows calm;
Can our sharpest pains beguile,
And bid gouty wretches smile.
Hence, companions of my care,
Learn with patient hearts to bear,
To expect with souls unmov'd
Ills ye have already prov'd.
If severer woes invade,

Heaven will grant you strength and aid.
Who, impatient of his pain,

Bites, and gnaws, and shakes the chain,
Laughter he, and scorn shall move,
Such is the decree of Jove.

THE ABUSE OF TRAVELLING. A CANTO,

IN IMITATION OF SPENSER.

THE ARGUMENT.

Archimage tempts the Red-cross knight
From love of Fairy land,

With show of foreign pleasures all,
The which he doth withstand.

I WISE was that Spartan law-giver of old,
Who rais'd on Virtue's base his well-built state,
Exiling from her walls barbaric gold,
With all the mischiefs that upon it wait,
Corruption, luxury, and envious hate;
And the distinctions proud of rich and poor,
Which among brethren kindle foul debate,
And teach Ambition, that to fame would soar,
To the false lure of wealth her stooping wing to
lower.

Yet would Corruption soon have entrance found,
And all his boasted schemes eftsoon decay'd,
Had not he cast a powerful circle round,
Which to a distance the arch felon fray'd,
And ineffectual his foul engines made:
This was, to weet, that politic command,
Which from vain travel the young Spartan stay'd,
Ne suffer'd him forsake his native land,
To learn deceitful arts, and science contraband.
Yet had the ancient world her courts and schools;
Great kings and courtiers civil and refin'd;
Great rabbins, deeply read in wisdom's rules,
And all the arts that cultivate the mind,
Embellish life, and polish human kind.
Such, Asia, birth-place of proud monarchy,
Such, elder Egypt, in thy kingdoms shin'd,
Mysterious Egypt, the rank nursery

Of superstitions fond, and learned vanity.

But what accomplishments, what arts polite, Did the young Spartan want, his deeds to grace,

Whose manly virtues, and heroic spright,
Check'd by no thought impure, no falsehood base,
With natural dignity might well outface
The glare of manners false, and mimic pride?
And wherefore should they range from place to
place,

Who to their country's love so firm were tied, All homely as she was, that for her oft they died? And sooth it is (with reverence may ye hear, And honour due to passion so refin'd)

The strong affection which true patriots bear
To their dear country, zealous is and blind,
And fond as is the love of womankind,
So that they may not her defects espy,
Ne other paragone may ever find,
But gazing on her with an awful eye
And superstitious zeal, her learn to deify.

And, like as is the faith unsound, untrue,
Of him who, wandering aye from fair to fair,
Conceiveth from each object passion new,
Ör from his heart quite drives the troublous care;
So with the patriot-lover doth it fare,
Who, through the world delighting aye to rove,
His country changeth with each change of air,
Or weening the delights of all to prove,
On none, of all alike, bestows his vagrant love.
Als3 doth corruption in a distant soil,
With double force assay 4 the youthful heart,
Expos'd suspectless to the traitor's wile,
Expos'd unwarn'd to pleasure's poison'd dart,
Expos'd unpractis'd in the world's wide mart,
Where each one lies, imposes, and betrays,
Without a friend due counsel to impart,
Without a parent's awe to rule his ways,
Without the check of shame, or spur of public
praise.

Forthy 5, false Archimago, traytor vile, Who burnt 'gainst Fairy-land with ceaseless ire, 'Gan cast with foreign pleasures to beguile Her faithful knight, and quench the heavenly fire That did his virtuous bosom aye inspire With zeal unfeigned for her service true, And send him forth in chivalrous attire, Arm'd at all points adventures to pursue, And wreak upon her foes his vowed vengeance due.

So as he journeyed upon the way, Him soon the sly enchaunter over-hent, Clad like a fairy knight in armour gay, With painted shield, and spear right forward bent, In knightly guise and show of hardiment, That aye prepared was for bloody fight. Whereat the Elfin9 kuight with speeches gent Him first saluted, who, well as he might, Him fair salutes again, as seemeth 10 courteous knight.

And knight that would in feats of arms excel, Or him, who leifer 14 choosing calm retreat, With Peace and gentle Virtue aye would dwell, Who have their triumphs, like as hath Bellona fell. These, as he said, beseemed knight to know, And all to be in Fairy-lond y-taught, Where every art and all fair virtues grow; Yet various climes with various fruits are fraught, And such in one hath full perfection raught 15 The which no skill may in another rear.

So gloz'd th' enchaunter till he hath him brought To a huge rock, that clomb so high in air, That from it he uneath 16 the murmuring surge mote

hear.

Thence the salt wave beyond in prospect wide

spacious plain the false enchaunter show'd, With goodly castles deck'd on every side, And silver streams, that down the champain flow'd, And wash'd the vineyards that beside them stood, And groves of myrtle; als the lamp of day His orient beams display'd withouten cloud, Which lightly on the glistening waters play, And tinge the castles, woods, and hills, with purple ray.

So fair a landscape charm'd the wondering knight; And eke the breath of morning fresh and sweet Inspir'd his jocund spirit with delight, And ease of heart for soft persuasion meet. Then him the traitor base 'gan fair entreat, And from the rock as downward they descend, Of that blest lond his praises 'gan repeat, Till he him moved hath with him to wend 17; So to the billowy shore their hasty march they bend. There in a painted bark all trim and gay, Whose sails full glad embrac'd the wanton wind, There sat a stranger wight 18 in quaint array, That seem'd of various garbs attone 19 combin'd, Of Europe, Afric, east and western Inde. Als round about him many creatures stood, Of several nations and of divers kind, Apes, serpents, birds with human speech endow'd, And monsters of the land, and wonders of the flood. He was to weet a mighty traveller, Who Curiosity thereafter hight 29, And well he knew each coast and harbour fair, And every nation's latitude and site,

20

And how to steer the wandering bark aright.
So to him straight the false enchaunter bore,
And with him likewise brought the Red-cross

knight:

Then fairly him besought to waft them o'er; Swift flew the dauncing bark, and reach'd the adverse shore.

There when they landed were, them ran to greet A bevy bright of damsels gent and gay, Who with soft smiles, and salutation sweet, And courteous violence would force them stay, And rest them in their bower not far away; Their bower that most luxuriously was dight 21 With all the dainties of air, earth, and sea, All that mote please the taste, and charm the sight, The pleasure of the board, and charm of beauty bright.

Als might be therein hear a mingled sound Of feast and song and laughing jollity, That in the noise was all distinction drown'd Of graver sense, or music's harmony. Yet were there some in that blithe company That aptly could discourse of virtuous lore, Of manners, wisdom, and sound policy; Yet nould they often ope their sacred store, Ne might their voice be heard mid riot and uproar.

Thereto the joys of idleness and love,

And luxury, that besots the noblest mind,
And custom prevalent at distance drove
All sense and relish of a higher kind,
Whereby the soul to virtue is refin'd.
Instead whereof the arts of Slavery
Were taught, of Slavery perverse and blind,
That vainly boasts her native liberty,

Yet wears the chains of pride, of lust, and gluttony.
Of which the Red-cross knight right well aware,
Would in no wise agree with them to go,
Albeit with courtly glee their leader fair,
Hight Politessa, him did kindly woo.

But all was false pretence, and hollow show, False as the flowers which to their breasts they tied,

Or those which seemed in their cheeks to glow, For both were false, and not by Nature dy'd, False rivals of the Spring and Beauty's rosy pride.

An uncouth stripling quaintly habited,
As for some revel mask, or antic daunce,
All chequer'd o'er with yellow, blue, and red;
Als in a vizor black he shrouds his head,
The which he tossed to and fro amain,
And eft 3 his lathy falchion brandished,
As if he meant fierce battle to darrain,
And like a wanton ape eft skipp'd he on the plain.

And eft about him skipp'd a gaudy throng
Of youthful gallants, frolic, trim, and gay,
Chanting in careless notes their amorous song,
Match'd with like careless guests, like amorous
play.

Als were they gorgeous, dress'd in rich array,
And well accepted of that female train,
Whose hearts to joy and mirth devoted aye,
Each proffer'd love receive without disdain,
And part without regret from each late favour'd
swain.

And now they do accord in wanton daunce To join their hands upon the flowery plain; The whiles with amorous leer and eyes askaunce Each damsel fires with love her glowing swain; Till, all impatient of the tickling pain, In sudden laughter forth at once they break, And ending so their daunce, each tender twain To shady bowers forthwith themselves betake, Deep hid in myrtle groves, beside a silver lake. Thereat the Red-cross knight was much enmov'd, And 'gan his heart with indignation swell, To view in forms so made to be belov'd, Ne faith, ne truth, ne heavenly virtue dwell;

But lust instead, and falsehood, child of Hell; And glutton sloth, and love of gay attire: And sooth to say, them well could parallel Their lusty paramours 5 in vain desire; Well fitted to each dame was every gallant squire. Yet when their sovereign calls them forth to arms, Their sovereign, whose behests they most revere, Right wisely can they menage war's alarms, And wield with valour great the martial spear, So that their name is dreaded far and near. Oh! that for liberty they so did fight!

Then need not Fairy-land their prowess fear, Ne give in charge to her adventurous knight Their friendship to beware, and sense-deluding sleight.

But not for liberty they wagen war,

But solely to aggrate7 their mighty lord,
For whom their dearest blood they nillen spare,
When so him listeth draw the conquering sword;
So is that idol vain of them ador'd,

Who ne with might beyond his meanest thrall
Endued, ne with superior wisdom stor'd,
Sees at his feet prostrated millions fall,
And with religious dread obey his princely call
Thereto so high and stately was his port,
That all the petty kings him sore envy'd,
And would him imitate in any sort,
With all the mimic pageantry of pride,
And worship'd be like him, and deify'd,
Of courtly sycophants and caitifs 9 vile,
Who to those services themselves apply'd,
And in that school of servitude erewhile
Had learn'd to bow, and grin, and flatter, and
beguile.

For to that seminary of fashions vain
The rich and noble from all parts repair,
Where grown enamour'd to the gaudy train,
And courteous haviour gent and debonair,
They cast to imitate such semblaunce fair;
And, deeming meanly of their native lond,
Their own rough virtues they disdain to wear;
And back returning drest by foreign hond,
Ne other matter care, ne other understond.
Wherefore th' enchaunter vile, who sore was
griev'd

To see the knight reject those damsels gay,
Wherewith he thought him sure to have deceiv'd,
Was minded to that court him to convey,
And daze his eyen with majesty's bright ray:
So to a stately castle he him brought,

Which in the midst of a great garden lay,
And wisely was by cunning craftsmen wrought,
And with all riches deck'd surpassing human
thought.

There underneath a sumptuous canopy,

That with bright ore and diamonds glitter'd far,
Sate the swoln form of royal surquedry 10,
And deem'd itself allgates" some creature rare;
While its own haughty state it mote compare
With the base countenance of the vassal fry,
That seem'd to have nor eye, nor tongue, nor ear;
Ne any sense, ne any faculty,

That did not to his throne owe servile ministry.

Yet wist he not that half that homage low
Was at a wizard's shrine in private pay'd,
The which conducted all that goodly show,
And as he list th' imperial puppet play'd,
By secret springs and wheels right wisely made,
That he the subtle wires mote not avize1,
But deem in sooth that all he did or said,
From his own motion and free grace did rise,
And that he justly hight immortal, great, and wise.
And eke to each of that same gilded train,
That meekly round that lordly throne did stand,
Was by that wizard ty'd a magic chain,
Whereby their actions all he mote command,
And rule with hidden influence the land.
Yet to his lord he outwardly did bend,

And those same magic chains within his hand
Did seem to place, albeit by the end

He held them fast, that none them from his gripe mote rend.

He was to weet an old and wrinkled mage,
Deep read in all the arts of policy,

And from experience grown so crafty sage,
That none his secret counsels mote descry,
Ne search the mines of his deep subtlety.
Thereto fair peace he lov'd and cherished;
And traffic did promote and industry,
Whereby the vulgar were in quiet fed,
And the proud lords in ease and plenty wallowed.
Thence all the gorgeous splendor of the court,
Sith the sole business of the rich and great,
Was to that hope-built temple to resort,
And round their earthly god in glory wait,
Who, with their pride to swell his royal state,
Did pour large sums of gold on every one,
Brought him by harpies fell, him to aggrate,
And torn from peasants vile, beneath the throne
Who lay deep sunk in earth, and inwardly did groan.
"6 'Behold," says Archimage, "the envy'd height
Of human grandeur to the gods ally'd!
Behold yon Sun of power, whose glorious light,
O'er this rejoicing land out-beaming wide,
Calls those princely flowers on every side;
Which, like the painted daughters of the plain,
Ne toil, ne spin, ne stain their silken pride
With care, or sorrow, sith withouten pain
Them in eternal joy those heavenly beams maintain.
"Then morn and evening joy eternal greets,
And for them thousands and ten thousands moil 3,
Gathering from land and ocean honeyed sweets
For them, who in soft indolence the while
And slumbering peace enjoy the luscious spoil;
And as they view around the careful bees
Forespent with labour and incessant toil,
With the sweet contrast learn themselves to
please,

up

Unmindful of the hand that sow'd the grain, The poor earth-trodden root of all thy greatness

vain.

"Oh foul abuse of sacred Majesty,

That boasteth her fair self from Heaven y-sprong! Where are the marks of thy divinity? Truth, mercy, justice steady, bold and strong, To aid the meek, and curb oppressive wrong? Where is the care and love of public good, That to the people's father doth belong? Where the vice-gerent of that bounteous God, Who bids dispense to all, what he for all bestow'd? "Dwell'st thou not rather, like the prince of Hell, In Pandemonium full of ugly fiends? Dissimulation, discord, malice fell,

Reckless ambition, that right onward wends 5, Though his wild march o'erthrow both fame and friends,

And virtue and his country; crooked guile,
Obliquely creeping to his treacherous ends,
And flattery, curs'd assassin, who the while
He holds the murderous knife, can fawn, and kiss,
and smile."

Then 'gan he straight unvail the mirror bright,
The which fair Una gave him heretofore,
Ere he as yet, with Paynim foe to fight,
For foreign land had left his native shore.
This in his careful breast he always bore,
And on it oft would cast his wary eye;
For it by magic framed was of yore,

So that no falshood mote it well abye,
But it was plainly seen, or fearfully did fly.
This on that gay assembly did he turn,

And saw confounded quite the gaudy scene;
Saw the close fire that inwardly did burn,
And waste the throbbing heart with secret teen
Saw base dependence in the haughty mien
Of lords and princes; saw the magic chain
That each did wear, but deem'd he wore unseen,
The whiles with count'naunce glad he hid his
pain,

And homage did require from each poor lowly swain.
And though to that old mage they louted down,
Yet did they dearly wish for his decay:
Als trembled he, and aye upon the throne
Of his great lord his tottering steps did stay,
And oft behind him skulk'd for great dismay;
Als shook the throne, when so the villain crew,
That underneath oppress'd and groveling lay,
Impatient of the grievous burthen grew,
And loudly for redress and liberty did sue.

There mote he likewise see a ribbald train
Of dancers, broiderers, slaves of Luxury,
Who cast o'er all those lords and ladies vain
A veil of semblaunce fair, and richest dye,
That none their inward baseness mote descry.
But nought was hidden from that mirror bright;
Which when false Archimago 'gan espy,
He feared for himself, and warn'd the knight
From so detested place to maken speedy flight.

5 Goes.

6 Una in Spenser represents Truth, see B. 1. Fairy

Queen.