In that sad Hour, when the frighted Maid
Was drawn by Villains from the mourning Shade,
to th' appointed Forest came;
He reach'd the Bower, but he miss'd the Dame;
Through balmy Paths with infant Roses bound,
Where blushing Daisies strew the painted Ground;
He rov'd, impatient of the Nymph's Delay,
And often doubted to return or stay:
By chance he turn'd his mournful Eye, and sees
His Friend  through the parting Trees:
The Youth drew nearer with an eager Pace
Amazement hover'd on his boding Face;
And thus impatient to  said,
Where is  where thy darling Maid,
This Ev'ning restless, tho' I know not why,
When setting  stain'd the western Sky:
To these sweet Shades I took my heedless Way,
To share the Fragrance of declining Day:
Alone and pensive as I wander'd here,
A Woman's Voice surpris'd my list'ning Ear;
To yon rude Tow'rs I trac'd the sinking Sound,
Till the still'd Out-cries were in distance drown'd:
What think you now? I fear some threat'ning Ill
From headstrong Passion and imperious Will:
I fear  and yourself betray'd,
I know your Brother loves the beauteous Maid;
Then hear my Vow, the frantick Lover cries,
And turn'd his Eye-balls on the glimm'ring Skies:
Hear me, ye Pow'rs whose sacred Hands sustain
These Worlds of Nature in a mighty Chain;
If my fierce Brother has presum'd to bear,
And from her Bowers force my injur'd Fair,
These wakeful Eye-lids shall no more be clos'd:
This Spirit rested, nor these Limbs repos'd;
This vengeful Rapier shall be sheath'd no more,
Till the rude Traitor shall his Prize restore:
He said, and raging left the gloomy Shade,
Full of Resentment for his injur'd Maid:
summon'd to a neighb'ring Plain
Their Friends a little, but a martial Train:
Twice twenty Youths their Gen'ral's Voice attend,
And share the Quarrel of their injur'd Friend.
pleas'd to see the assembl'd Pow'rs,
Led his small Squadron to the hostile Towers:
The frowning Portals well secur'd they found,
The gloomy Court with Centries guarded round;
Who spite of Reason and their Country's Laws,
Were drawn to combat in a guilty Cause:
The first of these  fair and young,
Whose curling Locks below his Shoulders hung,
Too rashly bold encounter'd hand to hand,
Fierce  of  Band:
The pointed Jav'lin sped beneath his Chin,
And streaming Purple stain'd his beauteous Skin:
His very Cheeks are wash'd with deeper Dyes,
And lasting Slumber seals his swimming Eyes:
This piteous Sight enrag'd the vicious Train,
But mostly  Brother of the slain;
Revenge, he cry'd, and hurl'd his deathful Dart:
It hiss'd along, but miss'd the Hero's Heart,
Despairing, raging, on the Youth he flew,
While down his Forehead roll'd the sultry Dew:
Blows answer Blows, and round their Temples sing
The glancing Weapons, and the Bucklers ring:
Aloof they fight, or now in Circles wheel'd,
Each thought to conquer; both disdain to yield,
Till  with a side-way Blow
Transpierc'd the Liver of his heedless Foe:
He drew the Weapon from his tortur'd Side,
The gaping Wound disgorg'd a purple Tide:
His Eyes turn'd upward with a ghastly Roll,
Headlong he fell and sob'd away his Soul:
Now Joy transported the victorious Throng,
With  all the Welkin rung:
Applause and Clamour shook the trembling Ground,
heard and curs'd the hated Sound:
Griev'd for his Friend he with the foremost press'd,
And all their Lances glitter round his Breast:
But the strong Shield their Points at distance holds,
Where two fair Eagles spread their Wings in Gold;
A weighty Spear his better Hand supplies,
And livid Light'nings sparkle in his Eyes.
first sustain'd the Warrior's Rage,
The beauteous Darling of his Father's Age;
His tender Arm the deadly Spear arrests,
And tore his Shoulder from his ivory Breast:
Too late his Friends to his Assistance run,
For his black Eyes no more behold the Sun.
next did his bright Lance extend,
A blust'ring Soldier and  Friend:
Him  met, old  Heir,
The youthful Husband of  fair:
Now born untimely from his Father's Side,
His smiling Fortunes and his lovely Bride:
Just at his Hip the Steel an Entrance found,
And tore his Bowels with a ghastly Wound:
Back fell the Youth, his tinkling Arms reply;
Loud Shrieks and Clamours rend the frighted Sky:
now with deadly Anguish stung,
His ready Jav'lin at the Victor flung:
The erring Weapon with a whistling Sound
Flew o'er his Head, and plough'd the distant Ground:
Enrag'd to see the bloodless Point descend,
And miss the Vengeance for his bleeding Friend;
His shining Eyes that did with Fury glow,
He turn'd, and thus defy'd the stronger Foe:
Hope not for Conquest, mighty Clown, he cries,
From thy stern Visage and gigantick Size:
A little Arm, if Heav'n direct the Blow,
May send thee howling to the Shades below:
Slave, cries  with a stormy Glare,
Go, wash thy Face, and curl thy waving Hair,
Thy coward Heart belies thy daring Tongue;
He spoke and drove his weighty Spear along,
The failing Mischief on the Buckler sung:
Not so  sent his faithful Dart,
The speedy Vengeance reach'd the Hero's Heart;
Down fell the Knight, his clanging Arms rebound,
And his proud Soul came rushing thro' the Wound.
saw, but turn'd his Eyes away,
Where in the Dust the mighty Soldier lay;
Then like a Whirlwind rush'd the Youth along,
And sought his Brother in the hostile Throng:
Spear his frantick Hand arrests,
And hurl'd the Weapon at its Owner's Breast;
The missive Death deceiv'd his bloody Hand,
Its thirsty Point lay shiver'd in the Sand:
Suspence and Horror held the martial Crew,
And the sick Moon receiv'd a paler Hue:
The Stars retir'd from the hated Sight,
And wrap'd their Glories in the Clouds of Night.
cry'd, O stay thy hostile Arm,
The Name of Brother wears a potent Charm:
Our Mother did in Youth's fair Bloom expire,
And left us Infants to our tender Sire;
And till  blew this deadly Flame,
Our Fears were equal and our Hopes the same;
The same our Pleasures and the like our Woes;
We slept together and as fondly rose,
Then let, O let not murd'rous Rage divide
Our Hearts, but lay those threat'ning Arms aside:
Let ranc'rous Hate possess our Souls no more,
Thou to her Friends the beauteous Maid restore;
Then let her Voice our rival Cause decide,
And him she favours wed the smiling Bride:
He said; but Rage had stop'd  Ears;
Base Slave, he cry'd, thou Child of puny Fears,
Not  Son thy Soul disclaim her Race,
My Mother ne'er produc'd a Thing so base,
Some fairy Elf or treach'rous Nurse beguil'd
My sleeping Parents of their lawful Child:
Then in his Place her dunghil Offspring laid,
And my young Brother to her Hut convey'd:
This was thy Mother coarser than her Fate,
And thou the Son of her plebeian Mate:
Here ceas'd the Youth; — for Actions spoke the rest,
And hurl'd a Jav'lin at  Breast:
His Shield receiv'd it with a smart Rebound,
The missive Weapon trembl'd on the Ground;
Now hand to hand the rival Youths engage,
burn'd with more than mortal Rage:
Black Fury roll'd in each relentless Eye,
Both fought to conquer or resolv'd to die;
But now  tho' with Hate inspir'd,
By fits was fainting and by fits respir'd;
Sword a fatal Passage found,
Beneath his Arm a deep and ghastly Wound;
Stagg'ring he drop'd and grasp'd the bloody Ground.
Yet as he liv'd, without a Groan he fell,
Nor drew a Sigh, but only cry'd, 'Tis well;
'Tis well, my Fury with my Life shall end:
Farewel, my Brother and at last my Friend;
By our dear Parent see me quickly laid,
Be thine the Conquest, thine the beauteous Maid;
He paus'd, and then with feebler Accent cries,
My Friends, Farewel, and clos'd his swimming Eyes:
The mourning Victor bending o'er the slain,
Essay'd to raise him, but essay'd in vain:
His failing Arms resign'd their feeble Hold,
And Drops of Horror from his Temples roll'd:
From each cold Cheek the blushing Beauty flies,
And the Ground danc'd before his dazzl'd Eyes;
The weeping Youth, with friendly Force, divide
The gentle Mourner from his Brother's Side;
Then Friends and Foes united gather round,
And lift the bleeding Body from the Ground;
Some raise the drooping Head, and others press'd
Their careful Arms around his manly Breast;
Tho' with black Dust and hostile Crimson stain'd,
Its native Fierceness still the Face retain'd;
Back on his Shoulders fell his graceful Hair,
And the grand Features wore a scornful Air.
Now all too late the rash Adventure blame,
Pale Conquest sigh'd and loath'd her hated Name;
From the black Tow'rs their solemn Steps return,
And both the Victors and the Vanquish'd mourn.