"Taught by my skill, wherever you fhall

Atray,

"Give but a call, and he'll at once obey. When thus the knight his fecret tale made known,

Happy to call fo choice a gift his own, The mighty monarch thank'd his courteous guest,

Then to the palace went to renovate the fèaft;
The maffy bridle to the tow'r they bear,
The horse then yanish'd-but I know not
where;

And fo I take my leave of all the train
Who haften to the festa scene again,
And pass the night in sports and revels gay,
Till the faint blufhing dawn proclaim'd re-
turing day.

PART THE SECOND.
Now fleep on downy pinions hov'ring nigh,
Sheds her foft influence o'er each weary eye;
And one by one, with sportive toil oppreft,
Slowly retiring, yield to welcome rest.

I fhall not tell their dreams, by fancy bred,
The fickly phantoms of a throbbing head,
Which loft mid wine, and love, and mirth,
and noise,

Broods o'er the pleasures it no more enjoys.
The greater part,o'erwhelm'd in flumberslie,
Till the bright fun had gain'd the middle sky.
But Canace, who bade her fire adieu,
And foon at eve to grateful reft withdrew,
Awoke at early dawn; the decm'd it wrong,
For young and modeft virgins to prolong
Their revels through the night; next day
to dread

The faded cheek, tir'd limbs, and aching head.
The ring and mirror form her only joy,
And every care, and every with employ:
Such bright tranfporting hopes these prefents
yield,

She views cach wonder in her dreams reveal'd;

Her colour comes and goes, her pulse beats high,

So much the burns their magic power to try. Soon as the fun illum'd the eastern fkies, Gay as the lark, the haten'd to a ife, And call'd her fleepy nurfe; whofe heavy head Inclin'd to doze another hour in bed"Why with thus early, madam, to he dreft?" She cries," while yet the flumbing "world's at rest." "I can no longer fleep," reply'd the fair, "And fain would breathe the fragrant "morning air."

The nu fe now wak'd her train; the damfels all

Arife at once, obedient to her call:
Their beauteous mift efs they in hafte array,
More fresh and fragrant than the new-boru
day:

And forth fhe came, with light though

flately pace,

Bright as the fun, who now began his race: The dutcous train her devious steps attend, And through t: e dewy park their way they

bend.

The rolling mift that o'er the meadow spread,
Veil'd the broad fun in deeply blushing red :
Yet the fresh morning air, the bloomingfcene,
The dew-drops fparkling o'er each tender
green,

The chorus of wild birds that round them fing,
And gayly chaunt the praifes of the spring,
Excite a fecret joy in every heart;
Yet moft in Canace's, whom magic art
Had taught at once their language to explain,
And knowthemeaning of each warbled ftrain.
But when we fpin the tedious story's thread,
Till curiofity itself be dead,

We lofe our pains; fo briefly I fhall tell,
What in the fequel of their walk befel.
As Canace, engag'd in carelets play,
Now cull'd fresh flowers, and now purfu'd
her way,

She faw, upon a lone and blafted tree,
Whofe "top was bald with dry antiquity,"
A falcon perch'd; her fhrill and mournful cry
Made the deep woods and diftant groves reply,
And oft' with furious beak her breast she tare,
And with her wings affail'd, till fpouting gore
Ran from the wither'd branch on which the
stood,

And underneath, the ground was dy'd with blood:

So moving her complaint; the hardest heart
Might learn, in grief like hers, to bear a part:
E'en the full favage might her woes deplore,
And eyes might weep, which never wept
before.

No falconer e'er view'd a bird so fair,
Her form, and plumage, far beyond compare ;
She feem'd a falcon of the gentleft fort,
From foreign hands procur'd to train forsport:
And now he grew fo faint from lofs of blood,
She Icarce could hold the bough on which
the ftood.

Fair Canace, who on her finger wore
The magic ring, and heard the hawk deplore
Her mournful fate, and view'd her hapless

plight,

Had almoft (woon'd with terror at the fight;
And drawing near the tree with fearful hafte,
Ou the fad bird a look of pity cast,
And held her lap, with anxious care below,
Left fhe fhould tumble headlong from the
bough:

Thus Canace awhile expecting stood,
And gaz'd upon the hawk befmcard with
blood.

At length the beauteous maid the filence broke And thus in pity's tendereft accents spoke. "If your fad tale may reach a stranger's ear, "Repofe the burden of your forrows here: "Ah! fure that break ng heart has known to

66 prove "The death of friendship, or the lofs of love; "For thefe aloue deny the mind relief, "And call defpair to end the feene of grief; "No other cause your bofom could inspire

Against yourself to wreak your cruel ire; "For the dear love of heav'n, your rage re"strain,

"Accept my help, nor let me plead in vain. 'Mong

"'Mong birds, or beafts, I never view'd

"before,

"Afight fo dreadful; madly wound no more That mangled body;-from the tree de"fcend,

"And meet in me a kind and pow'rful friend. "As I'm the daughter of a king, I fwear,

If you'll the ftory of your woes declare, "Thofe forrows to affuage, by every aid, "And heal the wounds your frantic rage "has made!"

She ceas'd-the falcon made her no reply, But beat her fides, and gave a piercing cry, And fainting, fell to earth; all fenfe was fled, And the furrounding damfels thought her dead.

But Canace the fainting bird fuftain'd Within her arms, 'till hovering life regain'd It's wonted feat; at length, in accents weak, And language, fuch as hawks are us'd to fpeak,

66

The falcon thus her mournful tale began. Compaffion's gentle tide, in bird or man, "Alone can iffue from a gen'rous heart, "My Canace!-to feel another's fmart, "To footh defpair, to aid distress like mine, Demands a bofom, foft and pure as thine. "When nature form'd you beauteous, the "defign'd

"So fair a manfion for as fair a mind. "Tho'all my hopes of peace on earth are o'er, "And fancy paints her fairy fcenes no more "Of bright returning joy; if my fad tale "May yield inftruction, and can aught avail "In warning others thofe deceits to fhun

By which my unfufpecting youth was

"won,

"So tenderly they nurs'd, fo fondly bred, "Our youthful days in every pleasure fled : "Ah! then unus'd amid the world to roam, "I deem'd each scene as happy as my home! "On the fame rock a falcon chanc'd to dwell, "Who feem'd in every virtue to excel; "Beauteous and gentle, but too oft we find "A flatt'ring form conceals a fordid mind: "So he, beneath the mask of modest youth, "Of prompt goodnature, and unerring truth, "O'erveil'd the deepest guilt; the human

"heart

"Was never vers'd in more confummate art. "Thus the fell ferpent lurks in flow'rs con«ceal'd,

"Till by his deadly bite too late reveal'd. "The hypocrite fo well his paffion feign'd, "And practis'd every rite by love ordain'd; "By fuch obedience, such devotion strove To gain my approbation of his love;

991

"None, but the fire of falfhood could have "known

"To penetrate difguife, fo like his own: "Thus o'er the tomb do fculptur'd marbles "fhine,

"While all is dark, corrupt, and foul within. "When many a year his tender fuit he'd "feign'd,

"And of dildain and cruelty complain'd, "Too fimple to fufpect the tear and figh, "I thought in earnest that his death was "nigh;

"And fway'd by pity, liften'd to his tale, " And let at length his flattering vows prevail;

"Yet firft demanded, he'd preferve unstain' "My fame, and honour, and while life re"main'd

"Swear that he'd never from his faith depart, "But render love for love,and heart for heart. "Alas! how flightly does a promise bind "Through long revolving time the firmest "mind.

"When he perceiv'd his am'rous fuit had "gain'd

"A fond return, no falcon ever feign'd "More fervent paffion; vers'd in deep deceit, "He breath'd a thousand raptures at my "feet;

"Such tender love, and endless truth he "fwore,

"None e'er diffembled with fuch art before. "Not Trojan Paris; nor the prince of Greece, "Who wander'd far to gain the golden fleece; "Nor any fince old Lamech, who began "To match two women to a single man. "So noble his addrefs, fuch eafy grace "In ev'ry look and action you might trace: "His ready wit, his captivating fmile, "Might well the wifeft of our fex beguile : "So much did all his arts my bofoni move, "I only ftudy'd to return his love: "His truth I deem'd fo great, my foolish

"heart

"And two fhort years in mutual transport "fled;

"While judging from his fond behaviour "past,

"I vainly thought the flatt'ring scene would "laft:

"But fickle fortune deftin'd me to prove, "As well the torments, as delights of love. "My lover feign'd that he must leave his "home,

"Conftrain'd by fate, in foreign realms to

66

roam:

"At length, one fatal day he took his leave; "While I, who heard him fpeak, and faw "him grieve

"At his departure, thought his tears as true "As thofe which almoft chok'd my last "adieu!

"But fince his honour fummon'd him away, "And reafon told me, that he must obey "Her potent call; that forrow was in vain, And he won'd foon review his home again; "I ftrove my fwelling anguifh to conceal, "And feign'd a courage which I did not feel, "And fondly prefs'd his hand, repeating o'er "Thofe vows of truth I oft had fworn be"fore.

"What he reply'd I fhall not now rehearse; "In fpeech none better, or in action worse. "So forth he flew, and haften'd on his way, "Till weariness, or pleasure, bade him stay "His rapid courfe; for fure he bore in mind, "The proverb, every creature loves its 'kind,'

"Thus men have written, men too prone to "6 range,

"And vary merely for the love of change. "As filly birds, with care in cages bred, "Lodg'd on fuft down, with choiceft viands fed,

"Which feem your proffer'd kindness to dif"dain,

"While fugar, bread, and milk, allure in "vain;

"If they by chance efpy an open door, "Orturn their cup upon the fanded floor, "Leave their warm cage, and haften to the "wood,

"To feed on worms, and fuch like homely "food;

"And pleas'd with change of fare, delighted " roam,

"Forgetful of their breeding and their

"home.

"And now a hateful kite his fancy charms, "And for her loath'd embrace he flights "thefe arms;

"His plighted faith-his love from me is "flown,

"And I am left to weep, and die alone." With that, again fhe rais'd her mournful cries, Again the fwooning fell, and clos'd her ftreaming eyes.

As Canace in her foft bofom laid, The mournful damfels gath ring round, furvey'd

Her wretched plight, and with endearments ftrove

To footh the grief they knew not to remove.
But Canace with gentlest care fustain'd
The unhappy bird, until the now regain'd
The palace gate; prepar'd to plaister o'er
Her ghaftly wounds, and taunch the
oozing gore,

Where'er her tortur'd flesh with furious
beak the tore.

Now the fair princess made it all her care
From herbs and roots a med'cine to prepare,
To heal her patient's wounds; from moin
t:ll night

This pleafing labour form'd her fole delight.
Within her chamber the contriv'd a mew,
And lin'd with velvet of unchanging blue,
Denoting female truth; without was seen,
Difplay'd with art, upon a ground of green,
Of titmice, hawks, and owls, a num'rous train,
Who vows of truth and conftancy disdain:
With pies furrounded, to proclaim aloud
Their acts of folly to the lift'ning crowd.
And thus I leave fair Canace, to heal
The wounded falcon, nor fhall more reveal
About the magic king, till I explain
How the faid hawk obtain'd her love again,
Affifted in the task by Cambal bold;
As in the fequel of my tale is told.
But now I turn, adventures to recite,
Ne'er heard before, and many a bloody fight.
Yet first, 1 fing Cambufcan's high renown,
And many a city by his arms o'erthrown.
Then the exploits of valiant Algarfife,
Who won fair Theodora to his wife;
For whofe dear love he many a peril brav'd,
Oft by the brazen fteed from flaughter fav'd.
Next fhall I fpeak of Cambal, who, to gain
Fair Canace's release, upon the plain
O'ercame two brethren, who in arms had
strove

To feize the princess, and to force her love.