 | Miscellanies, in Verse and Prose |  |
Chess:
Translated from Vida.
A sportive image of the Martial rage,
And war, which two fictitious Monarchs wage,
Their boxen troops, inspir'd by thirst of praise,
And party-colour'd arms, invite my lays.
Th' important strife, unsung by former times,
Record, ye Serian Nymphs, in deathless rimes:
A daringwarmth transports my Soul: 'tis sweet
To tempt untrodden paths with youthful feet:
Vouchsafe, O Goddesses, my steps to guide
O'er barren hills and rocks, till now untry'd;
'Tis yours to point the secret path; from you
Italian Swains the matchless Science drew,
By Scacchis, your illustrious Sister, taught.
When Ocean, gaining Her he long had sought,
Was match'd with Earth, to grace the Nuptial Feast,
Descended Jove, his chief invited Guest,
To Memnon's fields, and Æthiopia's coast,
And in his train the whole celestial Host.
With universal shouts the shores around
Of all the wide-extended Sea resound.
Anon (the table of the banquet clear'd)
By order of Oceanus appear'd
A painted Board, the Gods to entertain
With mimic war; for on its chequer'd Plain
Twice thirty Seats and four a Square compose,
Eight multiply'd by eight, in even rows:
A various hue alternately they take,
White intermix'd with black; alike in make;
In compass equal: so diversify'd,
The tortoise raises in its speckled pride
His bending back. The Gods admiring fate,
When Ocean thus began; Behold the fate
Of war in little, on this field of fight,
Where two contending Kings dispute their right,
And adverse Legions with their Martial show
Delight the Nereids in their beds below,
And nations bord'ring on the spacious Main,
When, undisturb'd by winds, its crystal Plain
Betrays the Secrets of the watry Reign.
The Heroes are at hand: he spoke the word,
And heap'd with ready war the destin'd board:
Drawn from an urn, the Pigmy Warriors ape,
In Box by Artists turn'd, the human Shape;
And, match'd in number as in strength, are seen,
One white, another black, of each sixteen.
Distinct in form, they vary too in name;
Nor are their pow'rs or offices the same:
For here two Monarchs, pair'd on either side,
Raise their crown'd heads; with each a royal Bride.
Prompt to engage, in Quivers some delight;
Some hors'd, and some on foot, provoke the fight:
And here, for war in India's clime renown'd,
The tow'r-sustaining Elephant is found.
Two neighbour-camps divide the double band;
And front to front in marshal'd ranks they stand.
In Lines the most remote, the Kings appear,
And each, supreme in height, adorns his rear:
Against each other full their seats are fix'd,
Fourth in the lines; and with twice three betwixt
They form a Line across: a seat of white
Holds the black King; of black, his Opposite.
Close by the Kings, the Queens assume their place;
Left of her Lord the white; the black, to grace
Her Hero's better side; and, ere she moves,
A station each of her own hue approves.
In either line the next partitions claim
Two Archers, Areiphili their name,
Belov'd by Mars, to whose distinguish'd care
Belongs the guard of each Imperial Pair:
The Guards inclosing, and the Pairs inclos'd,
Are white and white, to black and black oppos'd.
To These, two Knights on either hand succeed,
Each mounted on a white, or sable steed,
His cassock grac'd with gold, with plumes his head.
To close each line, of Elephants a Pair
High on their backs the pond'rous Castle bear.
The foremost Lines their Infantry display;
Eight of a side the King on Queen obey,
To tempt the danger, and begin the day.
Two armies, thus distinguish'd, share the field,
And adverse wings their various colours yield;
Such as our eyes might once again behold,
If Gallia's Offspring, white with Alpine cold,
Should here embattled on the Plain descend,
And Æthiops there their Negro wings extend.
And war, which two fictitious Monarchs wage,
Their boxen troops, inspir'd by thirst of praise,
And party-colour'd arms, invite my lays.
Th' important strife, unsung by former times,
Record, ye Serian Nymphs, in deathless rimes:
A daringwarmth transports my Soul: 'tis sweet
To tempt untrodden paths with youthful feet:
Vouchsafe, O Goddesses, my steps to guide
O'er barren hills and rocks, till now untry'd;
'Tis yours to point the secret path; from you
Italian Swains the matchless Science drew,
By Scacchis, your illustrious Sister, taught.
When Ocean, gaining Her he long had sought,
Was match'd with Earth, to grace the Nuptial Feast,
Descended Jove, his chief invited Guest,
To Memnon's fields, and Æthiopia's coast,
And in his train the whole celestial Host.
138
Of all the wide-extended Sea resound.
Anon (the table of the banquet clear'd)
By order of Oceanus appear'd
A painted Board, the Gods to entertain
With mimic war; for on its chequer'd Plain
Twice thirty Seats and four a Square compose,
Eight multiply'd by eight, in even rows:
A various hue alternately they take,
White intermix'd with black; alike in make;
In compass equal: so diversify'd,
The tortoise raises in its speckled pride
His bending back. The Gods admiring fate,
When Ocean thus began; Behold the fate
Of war in little, on this field of fight,
Where two contending Kings dispute their right,
And adverse Legions with their Martial show
Delight the Nereids in their beds below,
And nations bord'ring on the spacious Main,
When, undisturb'd by winds, its crystal Plain
Betrays the Secrets of the watry Reign.
The Heroes are at hand: he spoke the word,
And heap'd with ready war the destin'd board:
Drawn from an urn, the Pigmy Warriors ape,
In Box by Artists turn'd, the human Shape;
And, match'd in number as in strength, are seen,
One white, another black, of each sixteen.
139
Nor are their pow'rs or offices the same:
For here two Monarchs, pair'd on either side,
Raise their crown'd heads; with each a royal Bride.
Prompt to engage, in Quivers some delight;
Some hors'd, and some on foot, provoke the fight:
And here, for war in India's clime renown'd,
The tow'r-sustaining Elephant is found.
Two neighbour-camps divide the double band;
And front to front in marshal'd ranks they stand.
In Lines the most remote, the Kings appear,
And each, supreme in height, adorns his rear:
Against each other full their seats are fix'd,
Fourth in the lines; and with twice three betwixt
They form a Line across: a seat of white
Holds the black King; of black, his Opposite.
Close by the Kings, the Queens assume their place;
Left of her Lord the white; the black, to grace
Her Hero's better side; and, ere she moves,
A station each of her own hue approves.
In either line the next partitions claim
Two Archers, Areiphili their name,
Belov'd by Mars, to whose distinguish'd care
Belongs the guard of each Imperial Pair:
The Guards inclosing, and the Pairs inclos'd,
Are white and white, to black and black oppos'd.
140
Each mounted on a white, or sable steed,
His cassock grac'd with gold, with plumes his head.
To close each line, of Elephants a Pair
High on their backs the pond'rous Castle bear.
The foremost Lines their Infantry display;
Eight of a side the King on Queen obey,
To tempt the danger, and begin the day.
Two armies, thus distinguish'd, share the field,
And adverse wings their various colours yield;
Such as our eyes might once again behold,
If Gallia's Offspring, white with Alpine cold,
Should here embattled on the Plain descend,
And Æthiops there their Negro wings extend.
Then Father Ocean thus his theme pursu'd:
Immortal Pow'rs, ye have already view'd
The form of Battle: I must now explain
The Laws that here amid the war obtain,
And with eternal force its rage restrain.
Deny'd in bodies form'd to try their chance,
But one at once alternate they advance:
If first a Black upon the Plain appears,
Against him strait a White his weapon rears.
One common end the Combatants propose,
To hem the Monarch in who heads their foes.
And He, so pent that no Remove is found,
To save his head from some impending wound,
Concludes the battle. But ere yet they gain
The well-defended Prize, o'er heaps of slain
A glorious way is clear'd; by turns they yield,
By turns prevail, and thin the painted field.
The Dead are borne away; their empty place
Receives the Conquerors, who there must face
The Friends of the Deceas'd; and, if they meet
Their vow'd revenge unhurt, may thence retreat.
Immortal Pow'rs, ye have already view'd
The form of Battle: I must now explain
The Laws that here amid the war obtain,
And with eternal force its rage restrain.
Deny'd in bodies form'd to try their chance,
But one at once alternate they advance:
If first a Black upon the Plain appears,
Against him strait a White his weapon rears.
One common end the Combatants propose,
To hem the Monarch in who heads their foes.
And He, so pent that no Remove is found,
To save his head from some impending wound,
141
The well-defended Prize, o'er heaps of slain
A glorious way is clear'd; by turns they yield,
By turns prevail, and thin the painted field.
The Dead are borne away; their empty place
Receives the Conquerors, who there must face
The Friends of the Deceas'd; and, if they meet
Their vow'd revenge unhurt, may thence retreat.
The
Foot alone, an easy loss, by law
Of arms, when once advanc'd, can ne'er withdraw.
By proper marches to the field they bend,
And still in various forms of war contend.
The Foot, detach'd the doubtful fight to prove,
Directly forward in a line must move:
Their motions ever to one step are ty'd,
Save that the first allows a double stride:
The method varies, when at hand they strike,
And flank the Foe by stealth, with wounds oblique.
But when the castled Elephants forsake
The wings they close, the war to undertake;
At once from end to end they scour the field;
And, right or left, opposing Warriors yield,
Or forward when they rush, or back again;
But lines directly strait their course constrain:
For only they who bend the bow, by grant
From Mars, can deal the distant death aslant;
And always cross the Field the Marksmen claim,
To speed their arrows with unerring aim.
Their various paths of various hue are found;
One treads the white, and one the sable ground:
To these conditions fix'd, their seats they change,
And here and there the whole division range.
Of arms, when once advanc'd, can ne'er withdraw.
By proper marches to the field they bend,
And still in various forms of war contend.
The Foot, detach'd the doubtful fight to prove,
Directly forward in a line must move:
Their motions ever to one step are ty'd,
Save that the first allows a double stride:
The method varies, when at hand they strike,
And flank the Foe by stealth, with wounds oblique.
But when the castled Elephants forsake
The wings they close, the war to undertake;
At once from end to end they scour the field;
And, right or left, opposing Warriors yield,
Or forward when they rush, or back again;
But lines directly strait their course constrain:
For only they who bend the bow, by grant
From Mars, can deal the distant death aslant;
142
To speed their arrows with unerring aim.
Their various paths of various hue are found;
One treads the white, and one the sable ground:
To these conditions fix'd, their seats they change,
And here and there the whole division range.
Impatient of the curb, the
Warrior Horse
Bounds o'er the field with unresisted force:
And with a bending leap he springs amain
A seat, the second from his own, to gain:
White is the goal, if black the starting-place;
For as one colour still begins the race,
Another ends it in a stated space.
But forward, backward, to the left and right,
The Queen, superior to the rest in fight,
Directly, or athwart, the field divides;
But a strait path her manag'd fury guides:
Nor can she mount aloft, and shift her ground,
As does the Horseman with a winding bound:
No bars, no limits, her career restrain,
At will extended o'er the painted Plain,
So neither friend nor foe the pass maintain;
For 'tis to none but to the Steed allow'd,
To force entrenchments, and o'erleap the croud.
Bounds o'er the field with unresisted force:
And with a bending leap he springs amain
A seat, the second from his own, to gain:
White is the goal, if black the starting-place;
For as one colour still begins the race,
Another ends it in a stated space.
But forward, backward, to the left and right,
The Queen, superior to the rest in fight,
Directly, or athwart, the field divides;
But a strait path her manag'd fury guides:
Nor can she mount aloft, and shift her ground,
As does the Horseman with a winding bound:
No bars, no limits, her career restrain,
At will extended o'er the painted Plain,
So neither friend nor foe the pass maintain;
For 'tis to none but to the Steed allow'd,
To force entrenchments, and o'erleap the croud.
Each Monarch, faithful to a trust so great,
With caution tempers his heroic heat:
For all, while he is safe, are bent on fight;
But, broken by his fall, they take their flight:
His tardy steps, that rule his People's fate,
His safety favour, and become his state:
Plac'd in the midst the thronging Legions fence
Their darling Leader, at their lives expence;
Receive his wounds, by loyal ardor led,
And pleas'd in death, to guard his sacred head.
He rarely chuses to attack a Foe,
Contented to decline th' impending blow:
But, should ill Stars some Enemy engage,
In close encounter to provoke his rage,
Its dire effects the rash Advent'rer feels;
And certain fate on ev'ry side he deals
To neighb'ring foes; but seldom is he known
To reach their flight; nor are his arrows thrown
Beyond a seat contiguous to his own.
So he advances too, and so retires,
Excepting that his first remove requires
A stride more spacious, when on either hand
He takes the Wing beneath his own command,
And bids its Leader near the Centre stand.
Now view, ye heav'nly Pow'rs, a battle fought
Within these rules, by ancient wisdom taught.
With caution tempers his heroic heat:
For all, while he is safe, are bent on fight;
But, broken by his fall, they take their flight:
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His safety favour, and become his state:
Plac'd in the midst the thronging Legions fence
Their darling Leader, at their lives expence;
Receive his wounds, by loyal ardor led,
And pleas'd in death, to guard his sacred head.
He rarely chuses to attack a Foe,
Contented to decline th' impending blow:
But, should ill Stars some Enemy engage,
In close encounter to provoke his rage,
Its dire effects the rash Advent'rer feels;
And certain fate on ev'ry side he deals
To neighb'ring foes; but seldom is he known
To reach their flight; nor are his arrows thrown
Beyond a seat contiguous to his own.
So he advances too, and so retires,
Excepting that his first remove requires
A stride more spacious, when on either hand
He takes the Wing beneath his own command,
And bids its Leader near the Centre stand.
Now view, ye heav'nly Pow'rs, a battle fought
Within these rules, by ancient wisdom taught.
But as, when war the leagues of men divides,
The Pow'rs above espouse their diff'rent sides;
With mutual hate they feed the spreading flame,
And dire contention shakes th' ætherial frame.
The Thund'rer, awful, from his throne on high,
(Threats in his mouth, and terror in his eye)
Enjoins the trembling Gods a strict neutrality.
Apollo, then, and Maia's Offspring, fair
And blooming both, he bids for fight prepare:
But then no wings did Mercury convey;
Nor yet had Phœbus learn'd to drive the day,
Lodg'd in his orient Car, along the heav'nly way.
Across his shoulder was his quiver plac'd,
And golden locks his shining temples grac'd.
These only Jove ordains to wage the war;
And due rewards await the Conqueror.
The greater Pow'rs assume their seats; the Band
Of minor Deities around them stand.
But to this sacred law consent the Gods,
That none by words, by gesture, or by nods,
To either Champion shall presume to show
Where he may give, receive, or ward, a blow.
The Pow'rs above espouse their diff'rent sides;
With mutual hate they feed the spreading flame,
And dire contention shakes th' ætherial frame.
144
(Threats in his mouth, and terror in his eye)
Enjoins the trembling Gods a strict neutrality.
Apollo, then, and Maia's Offspring, fair
And blooming both, he bids for fight prepare:
But then no wings did Mercury convey;
Nor yet had Phœbus learn'd to drive the day,
Lodg'd in his orient Car, along the heav'nly way.
Across his shoulder was his quiver plac'd,
And golden locks his shining temples grac'd.
These only Jove ordains to wage the war;
And due rewards await the Conqueror.
The greater Pow'rs assume their seats; the Band
Of minor Deities around them stand.
But to this sacred law consent the Gods,
That none by words, by gesture, or by nods,
To either Champion shall presume to show
Where he may give, receive, or ward, a blow.
And now the blind award of lots must try
Who first to battle shall his Foe defy:
A post of honour and advantage too,
Which Phœbus for his white Militia drew.
He ponders deeply how to use the grace,
And who shall first explore the middle space.
The Warrior, plac'd before the Queen, at length
Obeys the God's commands with all his strength,
And makes one step of two: with equal force
The swarthy Queen's Forlorn arrests his course.
Thus, each to other opposite, they form
The threat'ning front of war's impetuous storm;
In vain it threatens; for the Foot, when found
In one continu'd track, maintain their ground;
But never launch the spear, or give the mutual wound.
The rest, to aid their Friends on either side,
Alternate stretch along the Champain wide;
And short excursions are securely try'd.
Fair was the face of war, nor were they yet
With deadly hate in dreadful combat met;
When he, who from the Blacks his march began,
Through one of equal rank his faulchion ran.
Sidelong he pierc'd the foe, and seiz'd his room;
In vain he seiz'd it; for he shar'd his doom.
Surprising, and surpris'd, he yields his breath;
Nor saw th' avenger of his Brother's death.
The wary Moorish King his danger knew,
And from the middle of his camp withdrew:
Its inmost parts a safe retreat afford;
And close-embody'd Foot surround their Lord.
Who first to battle shall his Foe defy:
A post of honour and advantage too,
Which Phœbus for his white Militia drew.
He ponders deeply how to use the grace,
And who shall first explore the middle space.
The Warrior, plac'd before the Queen, at length
Obeys the God's commands with all his strength,
And makes one step of two: with equal force
The swarthy Queen's Forlorn arrests his course.
145
The threat'ning front of war's impetuous storm;
In vain it threatens; for the Foot, when found
In one continu'd track, maintain their ground;
But never launch the spear, or give the mutual wound.
The rest, to aid their Friends on either side,
Alternate stretch along the Champain wide;
And short excursions are securely try'd.
Fair was the face of war, nor were they yet
With deadly hate in dreadful combat met;
When he, who from the Blacks his march began,
Through one of equal rank his faulchion ran.
Sidelong he pierc'd the foe, and seiz'd his room;
In vain he seiz'd it; for he shar'd his doom.
Surprising, and surpris'd, he yields his breath;
Nor saw th' avenger of his Brother's death.
The wary Moorish King his danger knew,
And from the middle of his camp withdrew:
Its inmost parts a safe retreat afford;
And close-embody'd Foot surround their Lord.
But sudden now the fierce insulting Knight
From either Army's left renews the fight;
By turns a passage thro' the Foe they clear,
And scatter ruin in their swift career.
The wretched Foot in ev'ry part are slain;
Retire they cannot; and resist in vain;
With noise of trampling Steeds resounds the spacious Plain.
But while the Knight, by fierce Apollo led,
With havock of the Foot his fury fed,
To crafty stealth insidious Hermes true,
Contriv'd to execute a higher view.
Against the hostile King he bent his wiles,
And sped the left-hand Knight through adverse files:
Uncheck'd, unpunish'd here and there he pass'd;
He wheel'd, he travers'd, and he fix'd at last.
The station long desir'd his course compleats,
And King and Elephant at once he threats;
Ev'n that huge bulk selected to sustain
The tow'r that on the right o'erlook'd the Plain.
Apollo, warn'd of danger to the State,
Sigh'd for his Elephant's unhappy fate,
Expos'd defenceless to the Sable Knight,
While he remov'd his Monarch to the right:
Cold in his heart he feels the Victor's blade,
And low in dust his glorious schemes are laid;
Nor could a heavier loss the King betide,
But in the fall of his unequal'd Bride.
Yet, Traytor! thou, Apollo cry'd aloud,
Shalt ne'er escape the stroke of vengeance vow'd:
Sternly he cry'd; the trembling Cavalier
Beheld inevitable ruin near;
For thick Battalions here the Wretch inclos'd,
And there the Warrior Dame his Flight oppos'd:
The Warrior Dame his forfeit Life requir'd;
He fell with honour, and with joy expir'd.
From either Army's left renews the fight;
By turns a passage thro' the Foe they clear,
And scatter ruin in their swift career.
The wretched Foot in ev'ry part are slain;
Retire they cannot; and resist in vain;
With noise of trampling Steeds resounds the spacious Plain.
146
With havock of the Foot his fury fed,
To crafty stealth insidious Hermes true,
Contriv'd to execute a higher view.
Against the hostile King he bent his wiles,
And sped the left-hand Knight through adverse files:
Uncheck'd, unpunish'd here and there he pass'd;
He wheel'd, he travers'd, and he fix'd at last.
The station long desir'd his course compleats,
And King and Elephant at once he threats;
Ev'n that huge bulk selected to sustain
The tow'r that on the right o'erlook'd the Plain.
Apollo, warn'd of danger to the State,
Sigh'd for his Elephant's unhappy fate,
Expos'd defenceless to the Sable Knight,
While he remov'd his Monarch to the right:
Cold in his heart he feels the Victor's blade,
And low in dust his glorious schemes are laid;
Nor could a heavier loss the King betide,
But in the fall of his unequal'd Bride.
Yet, Traytor! thou, Apollo cry'd aloud,
Shalt ne'er escape the stroke of vengeance vow'd:
Sternly he cry'd; the trembling Cavalier
Beheld inevitable ruin near;
For thick Battalions here the Wretch inclos'd,
And there the Warrior Dame his Flight oppos'd:
The Warrior Dame his forfeit Life requir'd;
He fell with honour, and with joy expir'd.
147
Lame of a wing, the Whites, with double rage,
Supplying loss of strength, their foes engage.
Such fury fires the Bull, whose better horn
In cruel conflict from his front is torn:
His mortal smart augments his frantic mood;
His neck and sturdy chest are bath'd in blood;
His groans re-echo thro' the bellowing wood.
Apollo thus a loose to vengeance gave;
With death insatiate, and with fury brave:
No scheme directs the fall of friends or foes;
To ruin these, alike he ruins those.
Supplying loss of strength, their foes engage.
Such fury fires the Bull, whose better horn
In cruel conflict from his front is torn:
His mortal smart augments his frantic mood;
His neck and sturdy chest are bath'd in blood;
His groans re-echo thro' the bellowing wood.
Apollo thus a loose to vengeance gave;
With death insatiate, and with fury brave:
No scheme directs the fall of friends or foes;
To ruin these, alike he ruins those.
But artful Mercury prolongs the war;
In movements cautious, slow, and regular:
The distant consequence, maturely weigh'd,
His deeper reach in ev'ry stroke display'd:
And oft, as from afar he aim'd a dart,
To pierce the haughty Queen's unguarded heart,
His Foot at hand, abandon'd with design,
Their willing souls, to hide his frauds, resign.
In far-fetch'd sighs the knavish God repents
His seeming blunders, and in words laments.
And now an Archer from his Right, unseen,
His Arrow level'd at Apollo's Queen;
Whose interposing Foot, untaught to scan
The stratagem at first, to move began:
But Venus, pitying so severe a fate,
On Phœbus wink'd, as facing him she sate.
The trembling God obey'd the mute command,
And roll'd his eyes around, and stopp'd his hand;
The snare thus found no longer he neglects,
But, snatching back her guard, the Queen protects.
The foe demands her as his lawful prize;
And rocks, and hollow shores repeat his cries:
The jarring Gods with warmth the claim contest;
And thus Apoilo his defence address'd.
As now no law forbids us to amend
A wrong beginning; what can He intend
To mar our pastimes by disputes like these?
But fix the point hereafter as you please;
And let this rule without distinction bind
The Warriors of the black and snowy kind,
That none, advent'ring once to leave his seat,
Tho' not half way advanc'd, shall e'er retreat,
But take the purpos'd post, and wait th' event.
He spoke. Th' Immortals gave their joint consent.
In movements cautious, slow, and regular:
The distant consequence, maturely weigh'd,
His deeper reach in ev'ry stroke display'd:
And oft, as from afar he aim'd a dart,
To pierce the haughty Queen's unguarded heart,
His Foot at hand, abandon'd with design,
Their willing souls, to hide his frauds, resign.
In far-fetch'd sighs the knavish God repents
His seeming blunders, and in words laments.
And now an Archer from his Right, unseen,
His Arrow level'd at Apollo's Queen;
Whose interposing Foot, untaught to scan
The stratagem at first, to move began:
But Venus, pitying so severe a fate,
On Phœbus wink'd, as facing him she sate.
148
And roll'd his eyes around, and stopp'd his hand;
The snare thus found no longer he neglects,
But, snatching back her guard, the Queen protects.
The foe demands her as his lawful prize;
And rocks, and hollow shores repeat his cries:
The jarring Gods with warmth the claim contest;
And thus Apoilo his defence address'd.
As now no law forbids us to amend
A wrong beginning; what can He intend
To mar our pastimes by disputes like these?
But fix the point hereafter as you please;
And let this rule without distinction bind
The Warriors of the black and snowy kind,
That none, advent'ring once to leave his seat,
Tho' not half way advanc'd, shall e'er retreat,
But take the purpos'd post, and wait th' event.
He spoke. Th' Immortals gave their joint consent.
Impartial Jove rebuk'd the Paphian Queen
With stern regards, by Mercury unseen;
Whose ample hand enrag'd could scarce refrain
To jumble in revenge the num'rous train
Of foes and friends at once, and sweep the plain.
But soon he chang'd to cooler thoughts, intent
On all the wicked ways to circumvent.
He bids an Archer lay his Quiver by,
And, wheeling like a Knight, the Queen defy.
Apollo mark'd his Adversary's guile,
Turn'd to the Standers-by, and forc'd a smile:
Fallacious God! he cry'd, we own your art;
The nimble hand obeys the naughty heart:
But go, thou vain Impostor; thou art found;
Recall thy Archer from forbidden ground.
With peals of laughter loud the Gods proclaim'd
Detected fraud, and Mercury was sham'd:
Pretending error, to excuse his fault,
The Shooter to his proper place he brought.
Apollo, thus forewarn'd of ev'ry snare,
Regards the twisted finger's play with care,
Lest Hermes, One advancing in his turn,
Another Warrior should by stealth suborn.
With stern regards, by Mercury unseen;
Whose ample hand enrag'd could scarce refrain
To jumble in revenge the num'rous train
Of foes and friends at once, and sweep the plain.
But soon he chang'd to cooler thoughts, intent
On all the wicked ways to circumvent.
He bids an Archer lay his Quiver by,
And, wheeling like a Knight, the Queen defy.
149
Turn'd to the Standers-by, and forc'd a smile:
Fallacious God! he cry'd, we own your art;
The nimble hand obeys the naughty heart:
But go, thou vain Impostor; thou art found;
Recall thy Archer from forbidden ground.
With peals of laughter loud the Gods proclaim'd
Detected fraud, and Mercury was sham'd:
Pretending error, to excuse his fault,
The Shooter to his proper place he brought.
Apollo, thus forewarn'd of ev'ry snare,
Regards the twisted finger's play with care,
Lest Hermes, One advancing in his turn,
Another Warrior should by stealth suborn.
And now a Quiver-bearing Youth in white
Address'd his shaft to wound a hostile Knight,
Who watch'd to slay his Queen; in social arms
An Ivory Elephant the Foe alarms
By various marches; in the midst a place
Holds his confed'rate Knight, at once to face
The Monarch and his Queen, by glorious spoils
Secure in fancy to repay his toils.
Deluding fancy! for with zeal to guard
The Queen, an Archer had his Bow prepar'd:
The chosen Infantry with vain effort,
Denouncing swift revenge, the Knight support.
The loyal
Bowyer, of his death assur'd,
Defy'd the terror, by the praise allur'd.
Pleas'd, ere he died, to kill, his dart he sped
Against the Knight, and fix'd its steely head
Deep in his entrails; tumbled from his seat,
He roll'd, and lash'd the wind with quiv'ring feet.
The Victor's fall a vulgar hand renown'd;
Another vulgar hand reveng'd the wound.
A sharp engagement follows. High in air
The justling Elephants their turrets rear;
Destruction hovers o'er the bended bow,
And groaning earth resents the courser's blow.
The mingling legions, fir'd with mutual rage,
In conflict close, their cluster'd swarms engage.
The leaders and the led, the black and white,
Are blended in the tumult of the fight;
And chance and valour join'd exert their utmost might.
The Victors, who had chas'd their Foes away,
Chas'd in their turn, the changing tide obey.
As when encount'ring winds are loos'd, to keep
Their noisy Revels, and upturn the Deep,
Scourg'd into foam th' Ionian billows roar,
And roll alternate to the crooked shore.
Address'd his shaft to wound a hostile Knight,
Who watch'd to slay his Queen; in social arms
An Ivory Elephant the Foe alarms
By various marches; in the midst a place
Holds his confed'rate Knight, at once to face
The Monarch and his Queen, by glorious spoils
Secure in fancy to repay his toils.
Deluding fancy! for with zeal to guard
The Queen, an Archer had his Bow prepar'd:
The chosen Infantry with vain effort,
Denouncing swift revenge, the Knight support.
150
Defy'd the terror, by the praise allur'd.
Pleas'd, ere he died, to kill, his dart he sped
Against the Knight, and fix'd its steely head
Deep in his entrails; tumbled from his seat,
He roll'd, and lash'd the wind with quiv'ring feet.
The Victor's fall a vulgar hand renown'd;
Another vulgar hand reveng'd the wound.
A sharp engagement follows. High in air
The justling Elephants their turrets rear;
Destruction hovers o'er the bended bow,
And groaning earth resents the courser's blow.
The mingling legions, fir'd with mutual rage,
In conflict close, their cluster'd swarms engage.
The leaders and the led, the black and white,
Are blended in the tumult of the fight;
And chance and valour join'd exert their utmost might.
The Victors, who had chas'd their Foes away,
Chas'd in their turn, the changing tide obey.
As when encount'ring winds are loos'd, to keep
Their noisy Revels, and upturn the Deep,
Scourg'd into foam th' Ionian billows roar,
And roll alternate to the crooked shore.
Oppos'd by vanquish'd multitudes in vain,
The fierce white Queen intrepid scour'd the Plain:
Advancing to the fight, a Bowyer's throat
She pierc'd; an Elephant, returning, smote.
From wing to wing she launch'd the thund'ring dart:
Sure was her hand; remorseless was her heart.
Thro' shafts, thro' foes she push'd her warm attack;
The shafts were useless, and the foes gave back:
To check her furious course in vain they swarm;
And manly spirits raise her conqu'ring arm,
Eager to cleave their thickest ranks alone,
To mount their inmost trench, and storm the throne.
The fierce white Queen intrepid scour'd the Plain:
151
She pierc'd; an Elephant, returning, smote.
From wing to wing she launch'd the thund'ring dart:
Sure was her hand; remorseless was her heart.
Thro' shafts, thro' foes she push'd her warm attack;
The shafts were useless, and the foes gave back:
To check her furious course in vain they swarm;
And manly spirits raise her conqu'ring arm,
Eager to cleave their thickest ranks alone,
To mount their inmost trench, and storm the throne.
The gloomy Monarch, and his Clan, dismay'd,
Implore, at length, their own Virago's aid:
Fir'd by the call, impatient to appear,
She springs to stop her Rival Queen's career,
And shakes, with equal force, her ebon spear.
Heroic Amazon! how dire a waste
Of slaughter'd foes thy vengeful weapon grac'd?
And who the first expir'd, and who the last?
The Horse and Infantry of either host
No longer now their speed or firmness boast;
But roll promiscuous o'er the fatal field;
Nor can the Warrior God his Archers shield.
Implore, at length, their own Virago's aid:
Fir'd by the call, impatient to appear,
She springs to stop her Rival Queen's career,
And shakes, with equal force, her ebon spear.
Heroic Amazon! how dire a waste
Of slaughter'd foes thy vengeful weapon grac'd?
And who the first expir'd, and who the last?
The Horse and Infantry of either host
No longer now their speed or firmness boast;
But roll promiscuous o'er the fatal field;
Nor can the Warrior God his Archers shield.
Who can rehearse the carnage of the day?
Or how can song the prostrate Chiefs display?
A dismal havock all the Plain o'erspreads,
With dying Men confus'd, and sprawling Steeds;
For here the white, and there the swarthy Dame
Their pointed weapons at each other aim;
Determin'd ne'er to yield till death shall cease
The cruel strife, and give the Vanquish'd peace.
Or how can song the prostrate Chiefs display?
A dismal havock all the Plain o'erspreads,
With dying Men confus'd, and sprawling Steeds;
For here the white, and there the swarthy Dame
Their pointed weapons at each other aim;
152
The cruel strife, and give the Vanquish'd peace.
Mean while the two contending Pow'rs divine
Their captive dead on either part confine
In prisons near the camp; and watch with care,
Lest bodies, once bereft of vital air,
Reviv'd, should try again the fortune of the war.
But Mars, to Mercury in friendship ty'd,
And, leaning on Apollo's shoulder, ply'd
His working thoughts the Youth to reinforce
(Would fate allow it) by some new resource.
For this, a Centinel and Archer slain
He rais'd from death, and slurr'd upon the plain,
In jetty arms to front their foes again.
So when Medea's oft repeated spell
Has charm'd the Tyrant Pair that govern Hell,
The Goddess, summon'd by her triple name,
With a false soul erects the lifeless frame;
Breath to its lungs her Magic pow'r supplies,
Speech to its tongue, and light to glad its eyes.
So foul a fraud, by Vulcan found alone,
With loud resentment was to Phœbus shown.
Discover'd as he was, the blood retir'd
From Mars's Cheeks, and rage Apollo's fir'd.
With indignation chaf'd, the King of Gods
Commanded Hermes to withdraw his odds
Of aids, unjustly rais'd; unwove the train
Of false removes; and right prevail'd again.
The Leaders now with doubled fury strive,
And both their Queens through flying Squadrons drive.
The female Warriors, drench'd in slaughter, pass'd
Resistless o'er the field, but stopp'd at last;
And each, to guard her King, her Rival fac'd.
A desp'rate push Apollo's Champion made,
And stretch'd on earth her Adversary laid;
But, ah! how dear the fleeting pleasure cost,
When, with her life, the Royal spoils she lost.
Alarm'd on either part, they turn'd their eyes,
To view the falling Queens; and female cries,
And floods of tears, attend their obsequies.
With grief the people croud each royal tent;
The drooping Kings with mutual grief lament.
Alike on Blacks and Whites the tempest driv'n,
With equal loss had equal terror giv'n:
Yet neither side was quite of strength bereft,
But still unbroken a Remainder left.
Their captive dead on either part confine
In prisons near the camp; and watch with care,
Lest bodies, once bereft of vital air,
Reviv'd, should try again the fortune of the war.
But Mars, to Mercury in friendship ty'd,
And, leaning on Apollo's shoulder, ply'd
His working thoughts the Youth to reinforce
(Would fate allow it) by some new resource.
For this, a Centinel and Archer slain
He rais'd from death, and slurr'd upon the plain,
In jetty arms to front their foes again.
So when Medea's oft repeated spell
Has charm'd the Tyrant Pair that govern Hell,
The Goddess, summon'd by her triple name,
With a false soul erects the lifeless frame;
Breath to its lungs her Magic pow'r supplies,
Speech to its tongue, and light to glad its eyes.
So foul a fraud, by Vulcan found alone,
With loud resentment was to Phœbus shown.
Discover'd as he was, the blood retir'd
From Mars's Cheeks, and rage Apollo's fir'd.
With indignation chaf'd, the King of Gods
Commanded Hermes to withdraw his odds
Of aids, unjustly rais'd; unwove the train
Of false removes; and right prevail'd again.
153
And both their Queens through flying Squadrons drive.
The female Warriors, drench'd in slaughter, pass'd
Resistless o'er the field, but stopp'd at last;
And each, to guard her King, her Rival fac'd.
A desp'rate push Apollo's Champion made,
And stretch'd on earth her Adversary laid;
But, ah! how dear the fleeting pleasure cost,
When, with her life, the Royal spoils she lost.
Alarm'd on either part, they turn'd their eyes,
To view the falling Queens; and female cries,
And floods of tears, attend their obsequies.
With grief the people croud each royal tent;
The drooping Kings with mutual grief lament.
Alike on Blacks and Whites the tempest driv'n,
With equal loss had equal terror giv'n:
Yet neither side was quite of strength bereft,
But still unbroken a Remainder left.
Apollo's force, to three of vulgar kind,
An Archer, and an Elephant, confin'd,
Was match'd by Mercury, except the want
Of his alone surviving Elephant,
Whose blood had newly stain'd a flying dart,
That pierc'd him from afar, as then, apart
From arms, he loiter'd in the lazy court.
But still a Knight was Mercury's support:
The rest, involv'd in war's disastrous fate,
Had left his swarming Palace desolate.
An Archer, and an Elephant, confin'd,
Was match'd by Mercury, except the want
Of his alone surviving Elephant,
Whose blood had newly stain'd a flying dart,
That pierc'd him from afar, as then, apart
From arms, he loiter'd in the lazy court.
But still a Knight was Mercury's support:
The rest, involv'd in war's disastrous fate,
Had left his swarming Palace desolate.
154
The God with sighs bewails the Nation's fall,
And many a Hero's early funeral
Boils in his bosom; but, untaught to yield,
Though all his hopes are lost, he keeps the field.
The wretched Remnants of Apollo's rage
Require his caution, and his craft, to wage
The war with broken troops, if any chance
Might once again a ruin'd cause advance.
With frequent halts he marches close and slow,
And tries all methods to annoy the Foe.
The Foe triumphant drives his rattling car
With eager speed, and breathes offensive war.
But, oh! the Warriors in disgraceful plight;
And, oh! the Kings, a miserable sight:
The Legions thinn'd reveal the Plains around,
And Courts unpeopled of their Guests are found.
And many a Hero's early funeral
Boils in his bosom; but, untaught to yield,
Though all his hopes are lost, he keeps the field.
The wretched Remnants of Apollo's rage
Require his caution, and his craft, to wage
The war with broken troops, if any chance
Might once again a ruin'd cause advance.
With frequent halts he marches close and slow,
And tries all methods to annoy the Foe.
The Foe triumphant drives his rattling car
With eager speed, and breathes offensive war.
But, oh! the Warriors in disgraceful plight;
And, oh! the Kings, a miserable sight:
The Legions thinn'd reveal the Plains around,
And Courts unpeopled of their Guests are found.
The Monarchs, pierc'd with sorrow for the dead,
With loathing each beheld his widow'd bed:
True to their former loves they both remain;
But cruel Int'rest bids them wed again:
And therefore first the Ruler of the Whites,
To share his bed, the faithful Maids invites,
And dear Companions of his Consort lost;
Who, since her death, their useless Javelins tost
Amid their adverse ranks, and danger scorn'd,
Secure to share the destiny they mourn'd.
But first the daring of their souls he try'd,
Resolv'd by proof to chuse a worthy Bride.
Persuasions and commands unite their force,
To speed the Virgins in their glorious course:
For so the system of the war requires,
That she, who to her Monarch's couch aspires,
Unhurt through shafts and enemies must move,
And gain the hostile Emperor's Alcove.
With loathing each beheld his widow'd bed:
True to their former loves they both remain;
But cruel Int'rest bids them wed again:
And therefore first the Ruler of the Whites,
To share his bed, the faithful Maids invites,
And dear Companions of his Consort lost;
Who, since her death, their useless Javelins tost
Amid their adverse ranks, and danger scorn'd,
Secure to share the destiny they mourn'd.
155
Resolv'd by proof to chuse a worthy Bride.
Persuasions and commands unite their force,
To speed the Virgins in their glorious course:
For so the system of the war requires,
That she, who to her Monarch's couch aspires,
Unhurt through shafts and enemies must move,
And gain the hostile Emperor's Alcove.
Together to the goal directly press'd
The Maids elate; but she outstripp'd the rest,
Who measur'd on the right the farthest line;
Her tow'ring thoughts the future prize design,
Which hopeless now her fellow Nymphs decline.
Vast is her aim; but glory wings her feet;
And love and empire her reward complete:
Nor does the Negro King her march withstand,
Himself ambitious of the nuptial band.
But on the left, the Maid he means to grace,
In the fourth line begins th' alternate race,
Short of her Rival, by a single pace.
Her dauntless Rival pass'd the way betwixt,
And on the lofty goal her standard fix'd;
And, as her aim atchiev'd bespoke her worth,
The Monarch brought the Crown and Sceptre forth.
Nor was the Chair of the Deceas'd forgot,
And willing Hymen ty'd the solemn knot.
With songs of triumph, that ascend the skies,
The Whites from far insult their enemies.
The Maids elate; but she outstripp'd the rest,
Who measur'd on the right the farthest line;
Her tow'ring thoughts the future prize design,
Which hopeless now her fellow Nymphs decline.
Vast is her aim; but glory wings her feet;
And love and empire her reward complete:
Nor does the Negro King her march withstand,
Himself ambitious of the nuptial band.
But on the left, the Maid he means to grace,
In the fourth line begins th' alternate race,
Short of her Rival, by a single pace.
Her dauntless Rival pass'd the way betwixt,
And on the lofty goal her standard fix'd;
And, as her aim atchiev'd bespoke her worth,
The Monarch brought the Crown and Sceptre forth.
Nor was the Chair of the Deceas'd forgot,
And willing Hymen ty'd the solemn knot.
156
The Whites from far insult their enemies.
But Hermes wept, and from his swelling breast
With rage and sorrow tore the painted Vest.
His Monarch's Handmaid is deny'd to wed,
Though wanting but a step to mount his bed;
But, ah! in time, unhappy Virgin, stay,
Or for that fatal step thy life shall pay.
Behold an Elephant, in evil hour
Prepar'd to crush thee with his Iv'ry tow'r;
Mark how he guards the hindmost Line's extent,
And fear the death that waits the steep ascent!
With rage and sorrow tore the painted Vest.
His Monarch's Handmaid is deny'd to wed,
Though wanting but a step to mount his bed;
But, ah! in time, unhappy Virgin, stay,
Or for that fatal step thy life shall pay.
Behold an Elephant, in evil hour
Prepar'd to crush thee with his Iv'ry tow'r;
Mark how he guards the hindmost Line's extent,
And fear the death that waits the steep ascent!
Mean while, exulting in her lot, arose
The new-made Queen, and flash'd among her foes;
With Lightning's force she hurls her shafts around,
And echoing skies her loud alarms resound.
With horror the despairing Blacks survey'd
The hateful Visage of the Martial Maid;
And shelter from the gaping earth implor'd,
To shield their heads from her destructive sword.
Her silver arrows with her onset ring,
And flying foes appall'd surround their King.
As when a famish'd Wolf invades the Mead,
Where helpless Herds and scatter'd Heifers feed:
Shock'd at the sight, with murmurs hoarse and loud,
Around their Leader for defence they croud;
And Echo, waken'd by the suppliant Drove,
Returns their lowings from the lofty grove.
The new-made Queen, and flash'd among her foes;
With Lightning's force she hurls her shafts around,
And echoing skies her loud alarms resound.
With horror the despairing Blacks survey'd
The hateful Visage of the Martial Maid;
And shelter from the gaping earth implor'd,
To shield their heads from her destructive sword.
Her silver arrows with her onset ring,
And flying foes appall'd surround their King.
As when a famish'd Wolf invades the Mead,
Where helpless Herds and scatter'd Heifers feed:
Shock'd at the sight, with murmurs hoarse and loud,
Around their Leader for defence they croud;
157
Returns their lowings from the lofty grove.
But, thund'ring on their backs, the Victor Queen
Shifts here and there the battle's vary'd scene.
Her keenest shafts, against the Monarch bent,
In hissing show'rs alarm th' Imperial tent.
And, had she not to better fate been blind,
There was a post by better fate assign'd.
The line was fourth in rank, and white the seat,
Obliquely pointing to the King's retreat.
That avenue possess'd had shut the pass,
And ended with the war the Negro race;
For thence the King, obnoxious to his foe,
Had found no friend to ward the deadly blow.
This Hermes saw; with fear he inly shook;
And, that Apollo might the blot o'erlook,
Urg'd his dispatch in words that nothing meant,
But vainly to amuse, and balk the scent.
Not yet resolv'd? the bold Impostor cry'd,
Forbear henceforward My delay to chide.
What lethargy is this? awake, for shame;
Or do you wait for night, to end the game?
Unwary Phœbus, by these taunts misled,
To spend his fury on a vulgar head,
Miss'd the decisive stroke. A joyful cry
Proclaim'd the nice escape of Mercury.
Deriding Phœbus, thus by fraud o'ermatch'd,
The King from danger and despair he snatch'd;
And posted then his willing Knight between
The rescu'd Monarch, and the hostile Queen.
His Rival's Elephant, that aw'd the Maid,
Who now had languish'd long with hope delay'd,
Struck by an arrow next, his Giant bulk display'd.
The huge unwieldy Monster shook the ground,
While Phœbus strove in vain the King to wound.
As much in vain he watch'd the swarthy Dame,
Who reach'd the goal, and soon a Queen became.
Shifts here and there the battle's vary'd scene.
Her keenest shafts, against the Monarch bent,
In hissing show'rs alarm th' Imperial tent.
And, had she not to better fate been blind,
There was a post by better fate assign'd.
The line was fourth in rank, and white the seat,
Obliquely pointing to the King's retreat.
That avenue possess'd had shut the pass,
And ended with the war the Negro race;
For thence the King, obnoxious to his foe,
Had found no friend to ward the deadly blow.
This Hermes saw; with fear he inly shook;
And, that Apollo might the blot o'erlook,
Urg'd his dispatch in words that nothing meant,
But vainly to amuse, and balk the scent.
Not yet resolv'd? the bold Impostor cry'd,
Forbear henceforward My delay to chide.
What lethargy is this? awake, for shame;
Or do you wait for night, to end the game?
Unwary Phœbus, by these taunts misled,
To spend his fury on a vulgar head,
Miss'd the decisive stroke. A joyful cry
Proclaim'd the nice escape of Mercury.
158
The King from danger and despair he snatch'd;
And posted then his willing Knight between
The rescu'd Monarch, and the hostile Queen.
His Rival's Elephant, that aw'd the Maid,
Who now had languish'd long with hope delay'd,
Struck by an arrow next, his Giant bulk display'd.
The huge unwieldy Monster shook the ground,
While Phœbus strove in vain the King to wound.
As much in vain he watch'd the swarthy Dame,
Who reach'd the goal, and soon a Queen became.
And now, rejoicing in his second Love,
Each Rival King with rival vigour strove:
And though alternate hopes and fears prevail,
And fortune pauses o'er the doubtful scale;
Yet with a fetch, familiar to the sly,
Already Hermes claim'd the victory.
Advanc'd in shew beyond misfortune's reach,
Secure his look, and lofty was his speech;
And often, feigning joy, he rais'd his tone,
To slight Apoilo's strength, and boast his own.
Apoll found his drift, and thus begun;
The battle, Youth,, is far from being won:
Insult me then, and wage the war of words,
When conquest triumphs on the Negro swords.
Without delay I dare thee to the Plain,
And trust my hand, to prove thy vaunting vain.
Each Rival King with rival vigour strove:
And though alternate hopes and fears prevail,
And fortune pauses o'er the doubtful scale;
Yet with a fetch, familiar to the sly,
Already Hermes claim'd the victory.
Advanc'd in shew beyond misfortune's reach,
Secure his look, and lofty was his speech;
And often, feigning joy, he rais'd his tone,
To slight Apoilo's strength, and boast his own.
Apoll found his drift, and thus begun;
The battle, Youth,, is far from being won:
Insult me then, and wage the war of words,
When conquest triumphs on the Negro swords.
Without delay I dare thee to the Plain,
And trust my hand, to prove thy vaunting vain.
159
With that his ardent Queen, provok'd anew,
Her twanging bow with mad resentment drew.
Resolv'd to win or die on either part,
They rush undaunted on the threat'ning dart.
Dismay, confusion, terror every-where,
And death in all his ghastly forms was there.
They struggled man to man, and breast to breast,
By turns distressing, and by turns distress'd;
And flying now, within their camp they halt,
And chasing then the hostile camp assault;
Their hopes and fears are various fortune's play;
She sooths with hope, and tortures with delay.
Her twanging bow with mad resentment drew.
Resolv'd to win or die on either part,
They rush undaunted on the threat'ning dart.
Dismay, confusion, terror every-where,
And death in all his ghastly forms was there.
They struggled man to man, and breast to breast,
By turns distressing, and by turns distress'd;
And flying now, within their camp they halt,
And chasing then the hostile camp assault;
Their hopes and fears are various fortune's play;
She sooths with hope, and tortures with delay.
Among her thickest foes the swarthy Queen,
With death attending on her lance, was seen;
Her Rival, careless to oppose her wrath,
Surpris'd the Palace by a secret path;
The narrow pass she seiz'd, the guards disarm'd;
The Court beleaguer'd, and the King alarm'd.
But when the Moorish Bride her Lord beheld
Endanger'd thus, by loyal love impell'd,
And hurrying home aghast, she left undone
The ravage so auspiciously begun;
And, at the hazard of Imperial blood,
Her Country's bulwark and her Sovereign's stood.
With death attending on her lance, was seen;
Her Rival, careless to oppose her wrath,
Surpris'd the Palace by a secret path;
The narrow pass she seiz'd, the guards disarm'd;
The Court beleaguer'd, and the King alarm'd.
But when the Moorish Bride her Lord beheld
Endanger'd thus, by loyal love impell'd,
And hurrying home aghast, she left undone
The ravage so auspiciously begun;
And, at the hazard of Imperial blood,
Her Country's bulwark and her Sovereign's stood.
Apollo here is fated to deplore
A new disaster, worse than all before.
The Sable Knight along the Plain advanc'd,
And here and there his gen'rous Courser pranc'd
With bounding fury, and unweary'd haste,
Till that predestin'd seat he gain'd at last,
Where brandish'd high his dusky spear was seen,
Alike impending o'er the King and Queen
Apollo view'd his doom with mute surprize,
And sorrow swell'd his heart and tears his eyes:
Lamenting now his strength entirely lost,
And all his hopes by envious Dæmons cross'd,
He left his happier Rival to rejoice,
Resume his spirit, and exalt his voice.
The Queen, entangled in his fatal toils,
The Horseman smote, and stripp'd of regal Spoils;
But quickly by the Monarch's sword he fell,
Rejoic'd in death to serve his cause so well.
A new disaster, worse than all before.
160
And here and there his gen'rous Courser pranc'd
With bounding fury, and unweary'd haste,
Till that predestin'd seat he gain'd at last,
Where brandish'd high his dusky spear was seen,
Alike impending o'er the King and Queen
Apollo view'd his doom with mute surprize,
And sorrow swell'd his heart and tears his eyes:
Lamenting now his strength entirely lost,
And all his hopes by envious Dæmons cross'd,
He left his happier Rival to rejoice,
Resume his spirit, and exalt his voice.
The Queen, entangled in his fatal toils,
The Horseman smote, and stripp'd of regal Spoils;
But quickly by the Monarch's sword he fell,
Rejoic'd in death to serve his cause so well.
Yet Phœbus perseveres, though all in vain;
For still an Archer of the Martial strain,
And two unwounded of his Foot, remain.
Embolden'd by despair, and brave too late,
They struggle hard to prop a sinking State;
But better aids are wanting, to support
The King, and Champions of another sort.
With rapid Marches the relentless Maid
The spacious circuit of his camp survey'd,
And all its inlets here and there essay'd.
The works, demolish'd by degrees, proclaim
Her matchless force, and her unfailing aim;
Till now, the gleanings of her fury gone
Expos'd the King defenceless and alone.
As when Aurora, streak'd with rising light,
Has put the radiant Host of Stars to flight,
By Venus still a glimm'ring beam is cast;
She shines the fairest, and withdraws the last.
No prospect now of victory remains;
But still the Hero King the fight maintains,
Retiring where the Negro ranks disclose
The hopes of refuge in surrounding foes:
For should he reach a place of safety there,
And vainly for the next Remove prepare,
Debarr'd from marching by the hostile host,
The labour then on either side were lost.
And none the conquest, or the praise, could boast.
He therefore, wheeling here and there, retreats
Through desart regions, and through empty seats:
The Tyrant of the Blacks pursu'd the chace,
But still allow'd him room to shift his place:
Quite to his inmost line he push'd the Foe,
And plac'd his Queen to guard the next below:
With awe the wretched Foe her walk declines,
And still the hindmost path his flight confines.
The Victor Monarch then at distance due,
Exulting, nearer yet and nearer drew;
Till heartless now, the vanquish'd King was fix'd,
Oblig'd to front him with a seat betwixt.
In haste the wish'd occasion to improve,
The stern Virago seiz'd the line above;
And lodg'd securely, from its farther end,
Confronts the King forbidden to descend.
Then, rising to the stroke with all her might,
She lays him dead, and terminates the fight.
The Gods with loud applause the Victor crown'd;
The Victor's shouts from shore to shore resound:
Apollo with ungen'rous joy he jeers;
Insults his fortune, and derides his tears.
Triumphant thus, by Jove's supreme command
He takes his bless'd reward, the golden Wand;
Freed by whose pow'r, from gloomy Styx retires
The righteous Soul refin'd by purging fires;
It drives the guilty Damn'd to shades beneath;
Commands the dews of sleep, and softens death.
Nor was it long before the pleasing Play,
Taught by the God, to Mortals made its way,
And with Italians first beguil'd the ling'ring day.
For Scacchis, as authentic tales attest,
In days of old by Hermes was compress'd;
The brightest of the Serian Sisters, She
Nor love had known, nor danger could foresee,
As, wand'ring by the River side, she fed
Her Swans with herbage from its oozy bed:
The boxen Warriors then of diff'rent hue,
A Present to her wrongs and beauty due,
The God bestow'd, and glorious to behold,
A board of silver interspers'd with gold.
Instructed in its use, she gave her Name,
And gives it still to crown the sacred Game;
Whose praises, by majestic Rome begun,
O'erspread the Globe, and travel with the Sun:
For so the Serian Maids inspir'd my dream,
While, then a Boy, I sung the Darling theme,
Extended on the bank of their paternal stream.
For still an Archer of the Martial strain,
And two unwounded of his Foot, remain.
Embolden'd by despair, and brave too late,
They struggle hard to prop a sinking State;
But better aids are wanting, to support
The King, and Champions of another sort.
With rapid Marches the relentless Maid
The spacious circuit of his camp survey'd,
And all its inlets here and there essay'd.
The works, demolish'd by degrees, proclaim
Her matchless force, and her unfailing aim;
161
Expos'd the King defenceless and alone.
As when Aurora, streak'd with rising light,
Has put the radiant Host of Stars to flight,
By Venus still a glimm'ring beam is cast;
She shines the fairest, and withdraws the last.
No prospect now of victory remains;
But still the Hero King the fight maintains,
Retiring where the Negro ranks disclose
The hopes of refuge in surrounding foes:
For should he reach a place of safety there,
And vainly for the next Remove prepare,
Debarr'd from marching by the hostile host,
The labour then on either side were lost.
And none the conquest, or the praise, could boast.
He therefore, wheeling here and there, retreats
Through desart regions, and through empty seats:
The Tyrant of the Blacks pursu'd the chace,
But still allow'd him room to shift his place:
Quite to his inmost line he push'd the Foe,
And plac'd his Queen to guard the next below:
With awe the wretched Foe her walk declines,
And still the hindmost path his flight confines.
The Victor Monarch then at distance due,
Exulting, nearer yet and nearer drew;
Till heartless now, the vanquish'd King was fix'd,
Oblig'd to front him with a seat betwixt.
162
The stern Virago seiz'd the line above;
And lodg'd securely, from its farther end,
Confronts the King forbidden to descend.
Then, rising to the stroke with all her might,
She lays him dead, and terminates the fight.
The Gods with loud applause the Victor crown'd;
The Victor's shouts from shore to shore resound:
Apollo with ungen'rous joy he jeers;
Insults his fortune, and derides his tears.
Triumphant thus, by Jove's supreme command
He takes his bless'd reward, the golden Wand;
Freed by whose pow'r, from gloomy Styx retires
The righteous Soul refin'd by purging fires;
It drives the guilty Damn'd to shades beneath;
Commands the dews of sleep, and softens death.
Nor was it long before the pleasing Play,
Taught by the God, to Mortals made its way,
And with Italians first beguil'd the ling'ring day.
For Scacchis, as authentic tales attest,
In days of old by Hermes was compress'd;
The brightest of the Serian Sisters, She
Nor love had known, nor danger could foresee,
As, wand'ring by the River side, she fed
Her Swans with herbage from its oozy bed:
The boxen Warriors then of diff'rent hue,
A Present to her wrongs and beauty due,
163
A board of silver interspers'd with gold.
Instructed in its use, she gave her Name,
And gives it still to crown the sacred Game;
Whose praises, by majestic Rome begun,
O'erspread the Globe, and travel with the Sun:
For so the Serian Maids inspir'd my dream,
While, then a Boy, I sung the Darling theme,
Extended on the bank of their paternal stream.
| Miscellanies, in Verse and Prose | |