The diftant hills rebellow'd all around.
"Arreft, Sir Knight, it cried, thy fond career,
"Nor with prefumptuous difobedience wound
"That aweful majesty, which all revere !

"In my commands, Sir Knight, the voice of nations hear! XXXIX.

Quick turn'd the KNIGHT, and faw upon the plain
Advancing towards him with impetuous gate,
And visage all inflamed with fierce disdain,
A monstrous GIANT, on whose brow elate
Shone the bright enfign of imperial state;
Albeit lawful kingdom he had none;

But laws and kingdoms wont he oft create,
And oft'times over both erect his throne,

While fenates, priests and kings his †fovran fceptre own.
XL.

CUSTOM he hight; and aye in every land
Ufurp'd dominion with defpotick fway

O'er all he holds; and to his high command
Constrains even stubborn Nature to obey;
Whom difpoffeffing oft, he doth affay
To govern in her right: and with a pace
So foft and gentle doth he win his way,
That she unwares is caught in his embrace,

And tho' deflowr'd and thrall'd nought feels her foul difgrace,

Sevran, for fovereign.

XLI. For

XLI.

For nurt'ring, even from their tend'reft age,
The docile fons of men withouten pain,
By disciplines and rules to every stage
Of life accommodate, he doth them train
Infenfibly to wear and hug his chain.
Alfe his behefts or gentle or fevere,
Or good or noxious, rational or vain,
He craftily perfuades them to revere,
As inftitutions fage, and venerable lear.
XLII.

Protector therefore of that forked hill,
And mighty patron of thofe Sifters Nine,

Who there enthron'd, with many a copious rill

Feed the full streams, that through the valley shine,

He deemed was; and aye with rites divine,
*Like thofe, which Sparta's hardy race of yore
Were wont perform at fell Diana's shrine,

He doth constrain his vaffals to adore

Perforce their facred names, and learn their facred lore.
XLIII.

And to the FAIRY KNIGHT now drawing near,
With voice terrifick and imperious mien,

(All was he wont lefs dreadful to appear,

When known and practised than at distance seen)

And

*The Lacedemonians in order to make their children hardy and endure pain with conftancy and courage, were acLuftomed to cause them to be scourged very feverely.

And 1

myfelf

And kingly ftretching forth his fceptre sheen,
Him he commandeth, upon threat'ned pain
Of his displeasure high and vengeance keen,
From his rebellious purpose to refrain,

And all due honours pay to Learning's rev'rend train.
XLIV.

So faying and forestalling all reply,
His peremptory hand without delay,
As one who little cared to justify

His princely will, long us'd to boundless sway,
Upon the Fairy Youth with great dismay
In every quaking limb convuls'd, he lay'd:
And proudly stalking o'er the verdant † lay,
Him to those scientifick fireams convey'd,

With many his young compeers therein to be ‡embay'd.

XLV.

The KNIGHT his tender fon's distressful || ftour
Perceiving, fwift to his affiftance flew :

Ne vainly stay'd to deprecate that pow'r,
Which from fubmiffion aye more haughty grew.
For that proud GIANT's force he wisely knew,
Not to be meanly dreaded, nor defy'd

With rash presumption; and with courage true,
Rather than step from Virtue's paths afide,

Oft had he fingly scorn'd his all-difmaying pride.

myfelf (jays Plutarch, in his life of Lycurgus) have seen feveral of them endure whipping to death, at the foot of the altar of Diana Jurnamed Orthia.

Embay'd, bathed, dipt.

+ Lay, mead trouble, misfortune, &c.

Stour,

XLVI.

And now, difdaining parle, his courfer hot

He fiercely prick'd, and couch'd his vengeful spear; Where-with the GIANT he fo rudely fmot,

*

That him perforce constrain'd to wend arrear.
Who, much abash'd at such rebuke severe,
Yet his accuftom'd pride recov'ring foon,
Forth-with his maffy fceptre gan up-rear;
For other warlike weapon he had none,

Ne other him behoved to quell his boldest + fone.
XLVII.

With that enormous mace the FAIRY KNIGHT
So fore he bet, that all his armour ‡ bray'd,
To pieces well-nigh riven with the might
Of fo tempeftuous ftrokes: but He was stay'd,
And ever with deliberate valour weigh'd
The fudden changes of the doubtful fray;
From cautious prudence oft deriving aid,
When force unequal did him hard assay:
So lightly from his steed he leapt upon the lay.
XLVIII.

Then fwiftly drawing forth his | trenchant blade,
High o'er his head he held his fenceful shield;
And warily fore-cafting to evade

The GIANT's furious arm, about him wheel'd,

*Wend arrear, move backwards.

Bet, beat; bray'd, refounded.

With

+ Fone, foes. Trenchant, cutting.

With restless steps aye traverfing the field.
And ever as his foe's intemperate pride,
Through rage defencelefs, mote advantage yield,
With his sharp fword so oft he did him * gride,

That his gold-sandal'd feet in crimson floods were dyed.
XLIX.

His bafer parts he maim'd with many a wound;
But far above his utmost reach were † pight

The forts of life: ne ever to confound
With utter ruin, and abolish quite

A power so puissant by his single might
Did he prefume to hope: Himself alone
From lawless force to free, in bloody fight
He ftood; content to bow to CUSTOM's throne,
SO REASON Mote not blush his fovran rule to own.

L.

So well he warded, and fo fiercely prefs'd His foe, that weary wex'd he of the fray; Yet nould he algates lower his haughty creft; But masking in contempt his fore dismay, Disdainfully releas'd the trembling prey, As one unworthy of his princely care: Then proudly cafting on the warlike || fay A fmile of fcorn and pity, through the air Gan blow his fhrilling horn; the blast was heard afar.

LI. Eft

Nould

Fay, fairy.

* Gride, cut, hack. + Pight, placed. he algates, would not by any means.