King Arthur An Heroick Poem. In Twelve Books. By Richard Blackmore. To which is Annexed, An Index, Explaining the Names of Countrys, Citys, and Rivers, &c |
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 | King Arthur |  |
Then Adal who in Wisdom all the rest,
And Eloquence excell'd, his Thoughts exprest.
Britons, with great astonishment we see
The Wavering Crowd do's from our Banners flee.
The Vulgar we by this sad Instance find,
As Seas unstable, changing as the Wind.
All our Affairs are now in such a State,
As must oblige us to Capitulate.
With any Terms King Arthur will comply,
That shall disarm a British Enemy.
His Heart is so on Foreign Conquest set,
He'll easily what's done at home forget.
He would abroad be for a Hero shown,
Nor cares at home to know or to be known.
To our Demands no doubt he'll soon assent,
Domestic War and Tumults to prevent.
The Terms on which I'm willing to agree,
Are first an Universal Amnesty.
That all who please may undisturb'd retreat,
Or to their City, or their Rural Seat.
And all who in the State have been employ'd
Shall keep the Places they before enjoy'd.
But all the Chiefs and Captains who declare
They'll serve King Arthur in his Foreign War,
When they attend him to the Gallic Land,
They in his Troops shall have the same Command.
He ceas'd. The rest fearing an ill Event,
In loud Applauses gave a full Assent.
So when the Dogs that chase a timorous Hind
Which e'er the Lawns flys swifter than the Wind,
Are at a fault, and now enjoy no more
The cheerful Scent that lay so hot before:
If some Stanch Hound who rarely do's mistake,
In great Esteem and Credit with the Pack,
Opens, to tell that he the Scent has found,
The rest attending to the joyful sound,
In his Experience and his Skill confide,
And follow with full Cry their faithful Guide.
And Eloquence excell'd, his Thoughts exprest.
Britons, with great astonishment we see
The Wavering Crowd do's from our Banners flee.
The Vulgar we by this sad Instance find,
As Seas unstable, changing as the Wind.
All our Affairs are now in such a State,
As must oblige us to Capitulate.
With any Terms King Arthur will comply,
That shall disarm a British Enemy.
His Heart is so on Foreign Conquest set,
He'll easily what's done at home forget.
He would abroad be for a Hero shown,
Nor cares at home to know or to be known.
To our Demands no doubt he'll soon assent,
Domestic War and Tumults to prevent.
The Terms on which I'm willing to agree,
Are first an Universal Amnesty.
That all who please may undisturb'd retreat,
Or to their City, or their Rural Seat.
And all who in the State have been employ'd
Shall keep the Places they before enjoy'd.
But all the Chiefs and Captains who declare
They'll serve King Arthur in his Foreign War,
When they attend him to the Gallic Land,
They in his Troops shall have the same Command.
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In loud Applauses gave a full Assent.
So when the Dogs that chase a timorous Hind
Which e'er the Lawns flys swifter than the Wind,
Are at a fault, and now enjoy no more
The cheerful Scent that lay so hot before:
If some Stanch Hound who rarely do's mistake,
In great Esteem and Credit with the Pack,
Opens, to tell that he the Scent has found,
The rest attending to the joyful sound,
In his Experience and his Skill confide,
And follow with full Cry their faithful Guide.
| King Arthur | |