Bent on that goodly lond his eager fight: 'Then forward rufh'd, impatient to descry What towns and castles there-in were || empight; gore. Nor long way had they travell'd, ere they came Right in the centre of the vale empight, In outward form presenting to the fight That fam'd Parnassian hill, on whofe fair brows Lift'ning to sweet Caftalia's founding stream, Which through the plains of Cirrha murm'ring flows. But This to That compar'd mote juftly seem Ne fitting haunt for gods, ne worthy man's esteem. VOL. IV. ‡ Lond, land. B XVI. For Empight, placed. XVI. For this nor founded deep, nor fpredden wide, In figur'd plots with leafy walls inclos'd, That plot to plot still answer'd, fhade to fhade; There likewife mote be seen on every fide The yew obedient to the planter's will, To Er, formerly. || Hight, called, named. § Dight, dreft. To various beafts and birds of fundry quill Alfe other wonders of the fportive shears In living box by cunning artists trac'd; And gallies trim, on no long voyage bound, But by their roots there ever anchor'd fast, All were their bellying fails out-fpread to every blast. O'er all appear'd the mountain's forked brows And all along arrang'd in order'd rows, By changeful fummers ftarv'd, and pinch'd by winter's cold. B 2 Emprize, enterprize, attempt. All, ufed frequently by the old English poets for all-though. XXI. Amid this verdant grove with folemn state, In features various, as unlike in mind: Alfe boafted they themselves of heav'nly kind, Thence round their brows the Delphick bay they twin'd, In antique garbs, for modern they disdain'd, To deck great Tullius or the Mantuan Bard; Which o'er each motley veft with uncouth fplendor glared. XXIII. And well their outward vefture did exprefs The bent and habit of their inward mind, Whilom, formerly. Thence, Thence, to the charms of younger Science blind, The customs, laws, the learning, arts and phrafe Of their own countries they with fcorn declin'd; Ne facred Truth herself would they embrace, Unwarranted, unknown in their fore-fathers' days. XXIV. Thus ever backward cafting their furvey; To Rome's old ruins and the groves forlorn Of elder Athens, which in profpect lay Stretch'd out beneath the mountain, would they turn Their busy search, and o'er the rubbish mourn. Then gathering up with fuperftitious care, Each little scrap, however foul or torn, In grave harangues they boldly would declare, This Ennius, Varro; This the Stagyrite did wear. XXV. Yet, under names of venerable found, Wide o'er the world they ftretch'd their aweful rod; For teachers of whate'er is wife and good. B 3 XXVI. O'er Drad, dreadful. |