Let fuller notes th' applauding world amaze,
And the loud clarion labour in your praise.
This band difmifs'd, behold another croud
Prefer the fame requeft, and lowly bow'd;
The conftant tenour of whofe well-spent days No lefs deferv'd a juft return of praise. But straight the direful Trump of Slander founds; Thro' the big dome the doubling thunder bounds; Loud as the burft of cannon rends the skies, The dire report thro' ev'ry region flies, In ev'ry ear inceffant rumours rung, And gath'ring fandals grew on ev'ry tongue. From the black trumpet's rufty concave broke Sulphureous flames, and clouds of rolling fmoke: The pois'nous vapour blots the purple skies, And withers all before it as it flies..
IMITATIONS.
VER. 328, 338, behold another croud, etc.
--
From the black trumpet's ruffy, etc.]
Therewithal there came anone
A troop came next, who crowns and armour wore, And proud defiance in their looks they bore: For thee (they cry'd) amidst alarms and ftrife, We fail'd in tempests down the ftream of life; 345 For thee whole nations fill'd with flames and blood, And fwam to empire thro' the purple flood.
Another huge companye
Of good folke-
What did this Eolus, but he
Took out his trump of brass,
That fouler than the devil was :
And
gan his trump for to blowe,
As all the world fhould overthrowe.
Throughout every regione
Went this foul trumpet's foune,
Swift as a pellet out of a gunne,
When fire is in the powder runne.
And fuch a smoke gan out wende,
Out of the foul trumpet's ende-etc»
I hofe ills we dar'd, thy infpiration own;
What virtue feem'd, was done for thee alone.
Ambitious fools! (the Queen reply'd, and frown'd)
Le all your acts in dark oblivion drown'd;
There fleep forgot, with mighty tyrants gone,
Your ftatues moulder'd, and your names unknown!
A fudden cloud ftraight fnatch'd them from my fight,
And each majestic phantom funk in night.
355
Then came the finalleft tribe I yet
had feen;
Plain was their drefs, and modeft was their mien.
Great idol of inankind! we neither claim
The praife of merit, nor afpire to fame!
But fafe in deferts from th' applause of men,
Would die unheard of, as we liv'd unfeen.
IMITATIONS.
VER. 356. Then came the smallest, etc.]
I faw anone the fifth route,
That to this lady gan loute,
And downe on knees anone to fall,
And to her they besoughten all,
To hiden their good works eke.
And faid, they yeve not a leke
For no fame ne fuch renowne;
For they for contemplacyoune,
And Goddes love had it wrought,
Ne of fame would they ought.
What, quoth fhe, and be ye wood?
And ween ye for to do good,
And for to have it of no fame?
Have ye despite to have my name?
Nay ye shall lien everichone:
Blowe thy trump, and that anone
(Quoth fhe) thou Eolus, I hote,
And ring thefe folkes works by rote,
That all the world may of it heare;
And he gan blow their loos fo cleare,
In his golden clarioune,
Through the world went the foune,
All fo kindly, and eke fo foft,
That their fame was blown aloft.
'Tis all we beg thee, to conceal from fight
Thofe as of goodness, which themfelves requite.
O let us ftill the fecret joy partake,
To follow virtue e'en for virtue's fake.
365
And live there men, who flight immortal fame ?
Who then with incenfe fhall adore our name?
But, mortals know, 'tis ftill our greatest pride
To blaze thofe virtues which the good would hide.
Rife! Mufes, rife! add all your tuneful breath, 370
These must not fleep in darkness and in death.
She faid in air the trembling mufic floats,
And on the winds triumphant fwell the notes;
So foft, tho' high, fo loud, and yet fo clear,
Ev'n lift'ning Angels lean from heav'n to hear:
To furtheft shores th' Ambrofial spirit flies,
Sweet to the world, and grateful to the skies.
18
Next these a youthful train their vows exprefs'd,
With feathers crown'd, with gay embroid'ry drefs'd:
Hither, they cry'd, direct your eyes, and fee 380
The men of pleasure, dress, and gallantry;
Ours is the place at banquets, balls and plays,
Sprightly our nights, polite are all our days;
Courts we frequent, where 'tis our pleafing care
To pay
due vifits, and address the fair:
In fact, 'tis true, no nymph we could perfuade,
But ftill in fancy vanquish'd every maid;
Of unknown Ducheffes lewd tales we tell,
Yet, would the world believe us, all were well.
385
Tho came the fixth companye,
And gan faft to Fame cry, etc.
IMITATIONS.
VER. 378. Next these a youthful train, etc.] The reader might compare these twenty-eight lines following, which contain the. fame matter, with eighty-four of Chaucer, beginning thus:
heing too prolix to be here inferted.
The joy let others have, and we the name,
And what we want in pleafure, grant in fame.
The Queen affents, the trumpet rends the skies,
And at each blast a Lady's honour dies.
Pleas'd with the ftrange fuccefs, vaft numbers prest. Around the fhrine, and made the fame request: 395 What you, (fhe cry'd) unlearn'd in arts to please, Slaves to yourfelves, and ev'n fatigu'd with ease, Who lofe a length of undeferving days, Would you ufurp the lover's dear-bought praise ? To juft contempt,-ye vain pretenders, fall, The people's fable, and the fcorn of all. Straight the black clarion fends a horrid found,. Loud laughs burst out, and bitter fcoffs fly round, Whispers are heard, with taunts reviling loud, And fcornful hiffes run through all the croud.
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405 Laft, thofe who boast of mighty mischiefs done, Enslave their country, or ufurp a throne; Or who their glory's dire foundation lay'd On fov'reigns ruin'd, or on friends betray'd;
Calm, thinking villains, whom no faith could fix, 410 Of crooked counfels and dark politics;
Of thefe a gloomy tribe furround the throne,
And beg to make th' immortal treafons known..
The trumpet roars, long flaky flames expire,
With fparks, that feem'd to fet the world on fire. 415
At the dread found, pale mortals ftood aghaft,
And ftartled Nature trembled with the blast.
This having heard and feen, fome pow'r unknown Straight chang'd the fcene, and fnatch'd me from the throne.
IMITATIONS.
VER.406. Last, those who boast of mighty, etc.]
Tho came another companye,
That had y-done the treachery, etc.
VIR. 418. This having beard and feen, etc.] The Scene here
Before my view appear'd a ftru&ture fair,
Its fite uncertain, if in earth or air;
With rapid motion turn'd the manfion round;
With ceaseless noife the ringing walls refound;
Not less in number were the spacious doors,
Than leaves on trees, or fands upon the fhores; 425
Which ftill unfolded ftand, by night, by day,
Pervious to winds, and open ev'ry way.
As flames by nature to the skies afcend,
As weighty bodies to the centre tend,
As to the fea returning rivers roll, ́.
And the touch'd needle trembles to the pole ;
Tho faw I ftonde in a valey,
Under the caftle faft by
A houfe, that Domus Decali
That Labyrinthus cleped is,
Nas made fo wonderly, I wis,
Ne half fo queintly y-wrought;
And evermo as fwift as thought,
This queint house about went,
That never more it still ftent
And eke this houfe hath of entrees,
As many as leaves are on trees
In Summer, when they ben grene;
And in the roof yet men may fene
A thousand hoels and well mo
To letten the foune out-go;
And by day in every tide
Ben all the doors open wide,
And by night each one unfhet;
No porter is there one to let,
No manner tydings in to pace:
Ne never reft is in that place.
IMITATIONS.
changes from the Temple of Fame, to that of Rumour, which is almost entirely Chaucer's. The particulars follow.
VER. 428. As flames by nature to the, etc.] This thought is transferred hither out of the third book of Fame, where it takes up no less than one hundred and twenty verfes, beginning thus,, Geffray, thou wotteft well this, etc.
K.S
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