Erect and firm he march'd; his armour rang. With him his youthful son Choræbus came. When, rous'd at length to daring deeds of arms Next Butes stood: skill'd with unerring aim Shook with his dire alarms th' astonish'd land, In Avalon's P fair isle the hero dwelt; Fair isle, fit emblem of his gen'rous mind. For there the bounteous earth spontaneous gave Reclin'd in od'rous shades, and in the ear Of yielding virgin whisp'ring tales of love, Inhal'd the smell of flow'rs, the violet, P The isle of Avalon is said, in old authors, to produce fruits all the year round, and corn, &c. without culture, The cowslip, which the Fairy empress loves, Which wanton Zephyr from the teeming earth Wins by his warm caresses. Invade the sense; for there perpetual Spring, With Summer join'd, holds through the laughing year Delightful empire; each luxuriant bough Bends with Hesperian fruit, and courts the hand; While the fair blossom to the ravish'd eye Foretells the rich succession. Uther next, Uther, the bravest of Loëgria's chiefs, Advanc'd his giant limbs: great Uther, first In dang'rous fight, in peace the just and good, Of great Pendragon, and his greater son. But Deunan's warriors noble Turon led, And hardy Malim of Phoenician race, And sage Mempricius, whose deep-furrow'd brow, Thinly o'erspread with hoary hair, confest The force of eighty winters. His weak arm He guides more vig'rous youth to fair success. Of smooth Antona, and the plain where now Fair Sarisburia's lofty spires arise; From strong Verlucio's walls with turrets crown'd, (Verlucio, seated by the gliding stream, Amidst whose fields, with waving harvests gay, In equal arms with godlike Dares join'd, And Vindogladia, and Alaunus' stream, Send Durius, Leucon, Attys to the war. The noble Durius in the field of death Wields the strong lance, and rears the sev❜nfold shield. Leucon and Attys speed the flying dart, VOL. II. E Or hurl destruction from the distant sling. An hundred chiefs with princely Locrine came, But far the bravest, Galgacus was there, And Ilus, sprung from great Æneas' line; And Polydorus, of Achæan race, Son of Euryalus, whom toils of war Together borne, and hardy deeds achiev'd, Had bound the friend of Brutus. When the chief His blooming Polydorus. O'er the rest Hence was the hero grac'd in Locrine's court With every honour. To his warm embrace The Monarch gave the charms of Imogen, Dimly foreshewing future misery. And now the heralds to the royal tent Summon Loëgria's leaders. Ev'ry chief Assumes his place. High in the midst, the king Superior sits enthron'd. Then Turon rose, And, turning to the bold Deunanian chiefs, Thus spoke his ardent soul. "At length, my friends, To solemn treaties and Cornubian faith, We saw our wealth, our cultivated plains Seiz'd by th' insulting foe; our towns in flames; The sacred temples of our gods profan'd With impious violation! Then we wept Upon our useless arms, which should have stream'd With hostile blood, and with reluctant step Before th' innumerous foe retir'd, not fled. At length Loëgria's chiefs appear in arms. Hear then my sentence, warriors. With the dawn Seek we the foe. I brook disgrace no more." He ceas'd. Then rising slow, the king extends |