On nimble Wings to Warwick-Lane repairs,
And what the Enemy intends, declares.
Confusion in each Countenance appear'd,

A Council's call'd, and Stentor first was heard;
His lab'ring Lungs the throng'd Praetorium rent,
Addressing thus the passive President.

Machaon, whose Experience we adore,

Great as your matchless Merits, is your Pow'r.
At your Approach, the baffl'd Tyrant Death

205

Breaks his keen Shafts, and grinds his clashing Teeth. 210
To you we leave the Conduct of the Day;
What you command, your Vassals must obey.
If this dread Enterprize you wou'd decline,
We'll send to treat and stifle the Design.
But if my Arguments had force, we'd try
To humble the audacious Foes, or die.

Our Spight they 'll find, to their Advantage leans;
The End is good, no matter for the Means.
So modern Casuists their Talents try,
Uprightly for the Sake of Truth to lye.

An Stelle von 203-206 haben 1-4

folgende VV.:

Disorder'd Murmurs thro' the College pass,
And pale Confusion glares in ev'ry Face.
In hast a Council's call'd, th' Occasion's great,

And quick as Thought, the summon'd Members meet.
Loud Stentor to th' Assembly had access,

None courted bus'ness more, or knew it less.

[None aim'd at more, and none succeeded less. 2-4]
True to Extreams, yet to dull Forms a Slave,
He's always dully gay, or vainly grave.

With Indignation, and a daring Air,

He paus'd a while, and thus address'd the Chair.

210 Teeth; 1-4

209 approach 1-4 || Death, 1-4. 6
214 Treat, 2-4 216 humble the ] scatter our 14. 6

in 1-4 6

215

220

He had not finish'd, 'till th' Out-guards descry'd
Bright Columns move in formidable Pride.
The passing Pomp so dazzl'd from afar,

It seem'd a Triumph, rather than a War.

Tho' wide the Front, tho' gross the Phalanx grew,
It look'd less dreadful as it nearer drew.

The adverse Host for Action strait prepare,

All eager to unveil the Face of War.

Their Chiefs lace on their Helms, and take the Field,
And to their trusty Squire resign their Shield:
To paint each Knight, their Ardour and Alarms,
Wou'd ask the Muse that sung the Frogs in Arms.
And now the Signal summons to the Fray;
Mock Falchions flash, and paltry Ensigns play.
Their Patron God his silver Bow-string twangs;
Tough Harness rustles, and bold Armour clangs;
The piercing Causticks ply their spightful Pow'r;
Emeticks ranch, and keen Catharticks scour.
The deadly Drugs in double Doses fly;

And Pestles peal a martial Symphony.

Für 221-240 haben folgende VV., die in W1 unter dem Text in Kursivdruck als Zusatz zu V. 214 beigefügt sind:

225

230

235

240

What Stentor offer'd was by most approv'd, [approv'd. 2—4]
But sev'ral Voices sev'ral Methods mov'd.

At length th' adventrous Heroes all agree

Into the Shop their bold Battalions move,

T'expect the Foe, and act defensively. [offensively. W

5

And what their Chief commands, [commands 2-4] the rest approve.
Down from the Walls they tear the Shelves in haste [haste, 2-4]

Which, on their Flank, for Pallisades are plac'd.

And then, behind the Compter rang'd, they stand,
Their Front so well secur'd t'obey Command.

And now the Scouts the adverse Host descry,
Blue Aprons in the Air for Colours fly. [fly: 2-4]
With unresisted Force they urge their Way,

And find the Foe embattel'd in Array.

9

227 straight 235 Bow-strings 11 bow-strings W1

10

Now from their level'd Syringes they pour

The liquid Volly of a missive Show'r.

Not Storms of Sleet, which o'er the Baltick drive,
Push'd on by Northern Gusts, such Horror give.
Like Spouts in Southern Seas the Deluge broke,
And Numbers sunk beneath th' impetuous Stroke.

So when Leviathans dispute the Reign
And uncontroll'd Dominion of the Main;
From the rent Rocks whole Coral Groves are torn,
And Isles of Sea-weed on the Waves are born.
Such watry Stores from their spread Nostrils fly,
"Tis doubtful which is Sea, and which is Sky.

And now the stagg'ring Braves, led by Despair,
Advance, and to return the Charge, prepare.
Each seizes for his Shield a spacious Scale,
And the Brass Weights fly thick as Show'rs of Hail.
Whole Heaps of Warriors welter on the Ground,
With Gally-Pots, and broken Phials crown'd;
Whilst empty Jarrs the dire Defeat resound.

245

250

255

Thus when some Storm its Crystal Quarry rends,

260

And Jove in ratling Show'rs of Ice descends;
Mount Athos shakes the Forests on his Brow,
Whilst down his wounded Sides fresh Torrents flow,
And Leaves and Limbs of Trees o'er-spread the Vale below.

But now, all Order lost, promiscuous Blows

Confus'dly fall; perplex'd the Battel grows.
From Stentor's Arm a massy Opiat flyes,

1

241 Now] Then 1-4 || levell'd 2-4 level'd 1. leve'l'd' Druckfehler 243 o're 1-4 244 Push't 1-4 | Horrour 1-4 246 Stroak. 1-4 247 Kein neuer Abschnitt 1-1 || Reign, 1—4 248 uncontrol'd 1—4 || Main. 252 doubtful, 255 a spacious ] an ample 1-4 256 show'rs 1-4 257 heaps 1-4 | Warriours 1-4 || Ground 2-4 258 crown'd,1 259 And th' empty Vessels the Defeat resound, 1-4 260 Kein neuer Abschnitt 1

261 rattling 2-4

264 o'er spread 2-3

o're-spread

267 From Stentor's sinewy Arm an Opiate flys, [flyes ] 1-4

4

265

And strait a deadly Sleep clos'd Carus' Eyes.

At Colon great Sertorius Buckthorn flung,

Who with fierce Gripes, like those of Death, was stung; 270

But with a dauntless and disdainful Mien

Hurl'd back Steel Pills, and hit him on the Spleen.

Chiron attack'd Talthibius with such Might,

One Pass had paunch'd the huge hydropick Knight,
Who strait retreated to evade the Wound,
But in a Flood of Apozem was drown'd.
This Psylas saw, and to the Victor said,

275

Thou shalt not long survive th' unweildy Dead,
Thy Fate shall follow; then to confirm it, swore

By th' Image of Priapus, which he bore;

280

And rais'd an Eagle-stone, invoking loud

On *Cynthia, leaning o'er a silver Cloud.

Great Queen of Night, and Empress of the Seas,

If faithful to thy Midnight Mysteries,

If still observant of my early Vows,

285

These Hands have eas'd the mourning Matron's Throws;
Direct this rais'd avenging Arm aright,

So may loud Cymbals aid thy lab'ring Light.

He said, and let the pond'rous Fragment fly

290

At Chiron, but learn'd Hermes put it by.

1

2-4

And scaly Crusts from his maim'd Fore-head [Forehead -4] fell. 269 Sertorius ] Japix 1-4 || Buckthorn ] Rhubarb 1-4. 6 271 And with an angry and revengefull Mien ' || But ] And 2-4 272 Spleen,2 An Stelle der VV. 273–308 haben 1-4 nur VV. 289–290 in folgender Form:

Scribonius a vast Eagle-stone let fly

At Psylas, but Lucina put it by.

Tho' the haranguing God survey'd the War,
That Day the Muses Sons were not his Care.
Two Friends, Adepts, the Trismegists by Name,
Alike their Features, and alike their Flame.

As simpling near fair Tweed each sung by turn,
The list'ning River would neglect his Urn.
Those Lives they fail'd to rescue by their Skill,
Their *Muse cou'd make immortal with her Quill.
But learn'd Enquiries after Nature's State
Dissolv'd the League, and kindled a Debate.
The One, for lofty Labours fruitful known,
Fill'd Magazines with Volumes of his own.

At his once-favour'd Friend a Tome he threw
That from its Birth had slept unseen 'till now.
Stunn'd with the Blow the batter'd Bard retir'd,
Sunk down, and in a Simile expir'd.

And now the Cohorts shake, the Legions ply,

295

300

305

The yielding Flanks confess the Victory.

Stentor undaunted still, with noble Rage

Sprung thro' the Battel, Querpo to engage.

310

Fierce was the Onset, the Dispute was great,

Both cou'd not vanquish, Neither would retreat;
Each Combatant his Adversary mauls,

With batter'd Bed-pans, and stav'd Urinals.

On Stentor's Crest the useful Chrystal breaks,
And Tears of Amber gutter'd down his Cheeks:
But whilst the Champion, (as late Rumors tell,)
Design'd a sure decisive Stroke he fell:

* See Tass.

309-310 And Querpo, warm'd with more than mortal Rage, Sprung thro' the Battel, Stentor to engage. 1-4 312 wou'd 1—4 || retreat. 1-4 313 mauls 2—4 315-316 fehlen in 1-4.6 317 But

6

as bold Stentor, eager of Renown, 1-3 But whilst bold Stentor (as late Rumors tell,) " 318 Design'd a fatal Stroak, he tumbl'd 1-3 || sure decisive Stroke] fatal Stroke, || he fell: ] the down; Hero [Heroe] fell; 4. 6

4. 6

315