Eftfoors aftonifh'd at th' alarming found,
The fignal of distress and hostile wrong,
Confufedly trooping from all quarters round,
Came pouring o'er the plain a numerous throng
Of every sex and order, old and young;
The vaffals of great CUSTOM's wide domain,
Who to his lore inur'd by ufage long,
His every fummons heard with pleasure fain,
And felt his every wound with fympathetic pain.
LII.
They, when their bleeding king they did behold,
And faw an armed KNIGHT him standing near,
Attended by that Palmer fage and bold,
Whofe vent'rous fearch of devious Truth while-ere
Spread through the realms of Learning horrors drear,
Y-feized were at firft with terrors great;
And in their boding hearts began to fear
Diffention factious, controverfial hate,
And innovations ftrange in CUSTOM's peaceful state.
LIII.
But when they faw the KNIGHT his fauchon fheathe,
And climbing to his steed march thence away,
With all his hoftile train, they 'gan to breathe
With freer fpirit, and with aspect gay
Soon chaced the gathering clouds of black affray,
Alfe their great monarch, cheared with the view
Of myriads, who confefs his fov'ran fway,
His ruffled pride began to plume anew;
And on his bugle clear a ftrain of triumph blew.
LIV.
There-at the multitude, that flood around,
Sent up at once a univerfal roar
Of boisterous joy: the fudden-bursting found,
Like the explosion of a warlike ftore
Of nitrous grain, th' afflicted welkin tore.
Then turning towards the KNIGHT, with fcoffings lewd,
Heart-piercing infults, and revilings fore,
Loud bursts of laughter vain, and hiffes rude,
As through the throng he pafs'd, his parting steps pursued.
Alfe from that forked bill, the boafted feat
Of studious Peace and mild Philofophy,
Indignant murmurs mote be heard to threat,
Muftering their rage; eke baleful Infamy,
Rouz'd from her den of bafe obfcurity
By thofe fame Maidens Nine, began to found
Her brazen trump of black'ning obloquy :
While Satire, with dark clouds encompast round,
Sharp, fecret arrows fhot, and aim'd his back to wound.
But the brave FAIRY KNIGHT, no whit dismay'd,
Held on his peaceful journey o'er the plain;
With curious eye obferving, as he stray'd
Through the wide provinces of CUSTOM's reign,
What mote afresh admonish him remain
Fast by his virtuous purpose; all around
So many objects mov'd his just disdain,
Him feem'd that nothing serious, nothing found
In city, village, bow'r, or caftle mote be found.
LVII.
In village, city, castle, bow'r, and hall,
Each fex, each age, each order and degree,
To vice and idle sport abandon'd all,
Kept one perpetual general jubilee.
Ne fuffer'd aught disturb their merry glee ;
Ne fenfe of private lofs, ne public woes,
Restraint of law, Religion's drad decree,
Inteftine defolation, foreign foes,
Nor heav'n's tempeftuous threats, nor earth's convulfive
But chiefly they whom Heav'n's disposing hand
Had feated high on Fortune's upper stage,
And plac'd within their call the facred band
That waits on Nurture and Instruction fage,
If happy their wife P hefts mote them engage
To climb through knowledge to more noble praise,
And as they mount, enlighten every age
With the bright influence of fair Virtue's rays,
Which from the aweful heights of Grandeur brighter blaze.
LIX.
They, O perverse and base ingratitude!
Defpifing the great ends of Providence,
For which above their mates they were endued
With wealth, authority, and eminence,
To the low fervices of brutal sense
Abused the means of pleasures more refined,
Of knowledge, virtue, and beneficence;
And, fettering on her throne th' immortal mind,
The guidance of her realm to paffions wild refigned.
Hence thoughtless, shameless, reckless, spiritless,
Nought worthy of their kind did they affay;
But, or benumb'd with palfied Idleness
In meerly living loiter'd life away;
Or by false taste of pleasure led aftray,
For-ever wand'ring in the sensual bow'rs
Of feverish Debauch, and luftful Play,
Spent on ignoble toils their active pow'rs,
And with untimely blasts difeas'd their vernal hours.
Hefts, behefts, precepts, commands.
Ev'n they, to whom kind Nature did accord
A frame more delicate, and purer mind,
Though the foul brothel and the wine-ftain'd board
Of beastly Comus loathing they declin❜d,
Yet their foft hearts to idle joys refign'd;
Like painted infects, through the fummer-air
With random flight aye ranging unconfin'd;
And tasting every flower and bloffom fair,
Withouten any choice, withouten any care.
LXII.
For choice them needed none, who only fought
With vain amusements to beguile the day;
And wherefore fhould they take or care or thought,
Whom Nature prompts, and Fortune calls to play?
"Lords of the earth, be happy as ye may !"
So learn'd, fo taught the leaders of mankind;
Th' unreasoning vulgar willingly obey,
And, leaving toil and poverty behind,
Ran forth by different ways the blissful boon to find.
LXIII.
Nor tedious was the fearch; for every where,
As nigh great CUSTOM's royal tow'rs the KNIGHT
Pafs'd through th' adjoining hamlets, mote he hear
The merry voice of feftival Delight
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