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 |
 |
|
| I. |
| II. |
| III. |
| IV. |
| V. |
| VI. |
| VII. |
| VIII. |
| IX. |
| X. |
| XI. |
| XII. |
 | King Arthur |  |
Against th Unjust th'Almighty do's declare,
Against th'wicked he advances War.
He'll from the Earth this impious Race destroy,
And with their Slaughter will his Fury cloy.
He'll give his ravening Sword their Flesh for Food,
And make his thirsty Arrows drunk with Blood.
He from their Thrones will haughty Princes thrust,
And roll their awful Purple in the Dust.
The Proud and Mighty who the Earth Oppress,
His Justice by their Ruin shall Confess.
Such Universal Woe, such Misery,
Such shall th'unheard of Desolation be,
That Men with strict enquiry must be sought,
Grown fearce, as Gems from farthest India brought.
Precious and rare as Ophir's Golden Oar,
Or purest Pearl from wanton Asia's Shore.
How hard 'twill be to find a Man's abode,
And when 'tis found he'll be with Wonder show'd,
The strangest Savage that frequents the Wood.
With Nails o'ergrown, wild Looks, and matted Hair,
He'll sculk in Caves, or wander in Despair.
And if by chance a roaming Beast of Prey
Shall meet him in his solitary VVay,
He'll wonder at a Monster so unknown,
And yield himself by the Man-Beast out-done.
Against th'wicked he advances War.
He'll from the Earth this impious Race destroy,
And with their Slaughter will his Fury cloy.
He'll give his ravening Sword their Flesh for Food,
And make his thirsty Arrows drunk with Blood.
He from their Thrones will haughty Princes thrust,
And roll their awful Purple in the Dust.
The Proud and Mighty who the Earth Oppress,
His Justice by their Ruin shall Confess.
Such Universal Woe, such Misery,
Such shall th'unheard of Desolation be,
That Men with strict enquiry must be sought,
Grown fearce, as Gems from farthest India brought.
Precious and rare as Ophir's Golden Oar,
Or purest Pearl from wanton Asia's Shore.
How hard 'twill be to find a Man's abode,
And when 'tis found he'll be with Wonder show'd,
The strangest Savage that frequents the Wood.
With Nails o'ergrown, wild Looks, and matted Hair,
He'll sculk in Caves, or wander in Despair.
And if by chance a roaming Beast of Prey
Shall meet him in his solitary VVay,
He'll wonder at a Monster so unknown,
And yield himself by the Man-Beast out-done.
| King Arthur | |