At this the swain, whose venturous soul No fears of magic art control,

Advanced in open sight;

"Nor have I cause of dread," he said,

"Who view by no presumption led Your revels of the night.

""Twas grief, for scorn of faithful love, Which made my steps unweeting rove Amid the nightly dew."

""Tis well-" the gallant cries again;
"We fairies never injure men
Who dare to tell us true.

"Exalt thy love-dejected heart, Be mine the task, or ere we part To make thee grief resign;

Nor take the pleasure of thy chaunce; Whilst I with Mab, my partner, daunce, Be little Mable thine."

He spoke, and all a sudden there
Light music floats in wanton air;
The monarch leads the queen :
The rest their fairie partners found:
And Mable trimly tripp'd the ground
With Edwin of the Green.

The dauneing past, the board was laid,

And siker such a feast was made

As heart and lip desire;

Withouten hands the dishes fly,

The glasses with a wish come nigh,
And with a wish retire.

But now to please the fairie king,
Full every deal they laugh and sing,
And antic feats devise;

Some wind and tumble like an ape,
And other some transmute their shape
In Edwin's wondering eyes.

Till one at last, that Robin hight,
Renown'd for pinching maids by night,

Has hent him up aloof;

And full against the beam he flung,
Where by the back the youth he hung,

To spraul unneath the roof.

From thence," Reverse my charm!" he cries,

"And let it fairly now suffice

The gambol has been shown." But Oberon answers with a smile,

"Content thee, Edwin, for a while;

The vantage is thine own."

Here ended all the phantom play;

They smelt the fresh approach of day, And heard a cock to crow;

The whirling wind that bore the crowd Has clapp'd the door, and whistled loud, To warn them all to go.

Then screaming all at once they fly,
And all at once the tapers die;
Poor Edwin falls to floor:

Forlorn his state, and dark the place,
Was never wight in such a case
Through all the land before.

But soon as Dan Apollo rose,
Full jolly creature home he goes,
He feels his back the less;

His honest tongue and steady mind
Had rid him of the lump behind,

Which made him want success.

With lusty livelyhed he talks,
He seems a dauncing as he walks :

His story soon took wind;

And beauteous Edith sees the youth

Endow'd with courage, sense, and truth, Without a hunch behind.

The story told, Sir Topaz moved,
The youth of Edith erst approved,
To see the revel scene;

At close of eve he leaves his home,

And wends to find the ruin'd dome
All on the gloomy plain.

As there he bides, it so befel,

The wind came rustling down à dell,
A shaking seized the wall:
Up sprung the tapers as before,
The fairies bragly foot the floor,
And music fills the hall.

But certes, solely sunk with woe,
Sir Topaz sees the elphine show,
His spirits in him dye :
When Oberon crys, " A man is near,
A mortal passion, cleeped fear,
Hangs flagging in the sky."

With that, Sir Topaz, hapless youth!
In accents faltering, ay for ruth,
Intreats them pity graunt;
"For als he been a mister wight
Betray'd by wandering in the night
To tread the circled haunt.”

1

"Ah Losell vile!" at once they roar; "And little skill'd of fairie lore,

Thy cause to come we know:

Now has thy kestrell courage fell;
And fairies, since a lye you tell,
Are free to work thee woe."

Then Will, who bears the wispy fire,
To trail the swains among the mire,
The captive upward flung;

There like a tortoise in a shop

He dangled from the chamber top,
Where whilome Edwin hung.

The revel now proceeds apace,
Deftly they frisk it o'er the place,
They sit, they drink, and eat;
The time with frolic mirth beguile,
And poor Sir Topaz hangs the while
"Till all the rout retreat.

By this the stars began to wink,

They shriek, they fly, the tapers sink,

And down ydrops the knight;

For never spell by fairie laid

With strong enchantment bound a glade

Beyond the length of night.