So may we see a little lionet,

When newly whelp'd, a weak and tender thing, Despis'd by ev'ry beast; but waxen great,

When fuller times full strength and courage bring; The beasts all crouching low, their king adore,

And dare not see what they contemn'd before; The trembling forest quakes at his affrighting roar.

Mountains he flings in deep with mighty hand;

Stops and turns back the sun's impetuous course; Nature breaks nature's laws at his command; Nor force of hell or heaven withstands his force; Events to come, yet many ages hence,

He present makes, by wondrous prescience;
Proving the senses blind, by being blind to sense.

His sky-like arms, dy'd all in blue and white,
And set with golden stars that flamed wide;
His shield, invisible to mortal sight,

Yet he upon it easily descry'd

The lively 'semblance of his dying Lord,

Whose bleeding side with wicked steel was gor'd, Which to his fainting sprits new courage would afford.

Strange was the force of that enchanted shield,
Which highest pow'rs to it from heav'n impart;
For who could bear it well, and rightly wield,

It sav'd from sword, and spear, and poison'd dart;
Well might he slip, but yet not wholly fall;

Nor final loss his courage might appal;

Growing more sound by wounds, and rising by his fall.

So some have feign'd that Tellus' giant son,

Drew many new-born lives from his dead mother;

Another rose as soon as one was done,

And twenty lost, yet still remain'd another;

For when he fell, and kiss'd the barren heath, His parent straight inspir'd successive breath; And though himself was dead, yet ransom'd him from. death.*

Next went Elpinus,† clad in sky-like blue;

And through his arms few stars did seem to peép, Which there the workman's hand so finely drew, That rock'd in clouds they softly seem'd to sleep: His ragged shield was like a rocky mould,

On which an anchor bit with surest hold; I hold by being held, was written round in gold.

Nothing so cheerful was his thoughtful face,
As was his brother Fido's ; fear did dwell
Close by his heart; his colour chang'd apace,

+ Hope.

* This shield is again alluded to in Canto 12th.—

Of one pure diamond celestial fair,

That heav'nly shield by cunning hand was made;
Whose light divine spread through the misty air,
To brightest morn would turn the western shade,
And lightsome day beget before his time;
Framed in heav'n, without all earthly crime,
Dipp'd in the fiery sun, which burnt the baser slime.

As when from fenny moors, the lumpish clouds
With rising steams damp the bright morning's face,
At length the piercing sun his team nnshrouds,
And with his arrows th' idle fog doth chace;
The broken mist lies melted all in tears:
So this bright shield the shrouding darkness tears,
And giving back the day dissolves their former fears.

And went, and came, that sure all was not well: Therefore a comely maid did oft sustain

His fainting steps, and fleeting life maintain: Pollicita she hight, which ne'er could lie or feign.

These led the vanguard: and an hundred more ranks with order'd train :

Fill'd up the empty

But first in middle ward did justly go

In goodly arms, a fresh and lovely swain,+

Of heavenly love the twin, but younger brother: Well might he be, for even their very mother, With pleasing error oft mistook th' one for th' other.

As when fair Paris gave that golden ball,

A thousand doubts ran in his stagg'ring breast; All lik'd him well, fain would he give it all;

Each better seems,

and still the last seems best:

Doubts ever new his reaching hand deferr'd;

The more he looks, the more his judgment err'd: So she first this, then that, then none, then both preferr❜d.

Like them their armour seem'd full near of kin :

In this they only differ, th' elder bent
His higher soul to heav'n; the younger twin
'Mong mortals here his love and kindness spent ;
Teaching (strange alchymy) to get a living

By selling land, and to grow rich by giving; By emptying, filling bags; so heav'n and earth atchieving.

About him creep the poor with num'rous trains,

Whom he with tender care, and large expence, With kindest words and succour entertains;

The Promise. + Charity.

Nor looks for thanks, or thinks of recompence :
His wardrobe serves to clothe the naked side,

And shameful parts of bared bodies hide;

If other clothes be lack'd, his own he would divide.

To rogues his gate was shut; but open lay
Kindly the weary traveller inviting:

Oft therefore angels hid in mortal clay,

And God himself, in his free roofs delighting,
Lowly to visit him would not disdain,

And in his narrow cabin oft remain ;

Whom heav'n, and earth, and all the world cannot contain.

His table still was fill'd with wholesome meat,

Not to provoke but quiet appetite;

And round about the hungry freely eat,

With plenteous cates cheering their feeble sp'rite; Their earnest vows ope heav'n's widest door; That not in vain sweet plenty evermore With gracious eye looks down upon his blessed store.

Behind attend him, in an uncouth wise,

A troop with little caps, and shaved head; Such whilome was enfranchis'd bondmen's guise, New freed from cruel master's servile dread:

Those had he lately bought from captive chain; Hence they his triumph sing with joyful strain, And on his head due praise, and thousand blessings rain.

He was a father to the fatherless;

To widows he supplied a husband's care; Nor would he heap up woe to their distress, Or by a guardian's name their state impair,

Z

But rescue them from strong oppressor's might; Nor doth he weigh the great man's heavy spite: Who fears the highest Judge need fear no mortal wight.

Once every week he on his progress went,

The sick to visit, and those meagre swains Which all their weary life in darkness spent,

Clogg'd with cold iron, press'd with heavy chains; He hoards not wealth for his loose heir to spend it, But with a willing hand doth well extend it ; Good then is only good when to our God we lend it !

And when the dead, by cruel tyrant's spite,

Lie out to rav'nous birds and beasts expos'd, His yearnful heart pitying that wretched sight, In seemly grave their weary flesh enclos'd, And strew'd with dainty flow'rs their lowly hearse; Then all alone the last words did rehearse, Bidding them softly sleep in his sad sighing verse.

The shepherds, guarded from the sparkling heat
Of blazing air upon the flow'ry banks,

Where various flow'rs damask the fragrant seat,
And all the grove perfume, in wonted ranks
Securely sit them down, and sweetly play;
At length thus Thirsil ends his broken lay,
Lest that the stealing night his later song might stay.

Thrice, ah, thrice happy shepherd's life and state!
When courts are happiness' unhappy pawns!
His cottage low, and safely-humble gate

Shuts out proud fortune, with her scorns and fawns:
No feared treason breaks his quiet sleep;