IN TWO CAN TO S. Written in Imitation of the Style and Manner of SPENSE R's FAIRY QUEEN. Infcribed, to Lady LANGHAM, Widow of Sir JOHN LANGHAM, Bart. By GILBERT WEST, Efq; Unum ftudium vere liberale eft, quod liberum facit. Hoc Goodly DISCIPLINE! from heav'n y-fprong! With each bright Virtue that adorns the mind! And THOU, whofe pious and maternal care, To the smooth walks of Truth and Innocence; Where Happiness heart-felt, Contentment sweet, Philosophy divine aye hold their blest retreat. THOU, most belov'd, most honour'd, most rever'd! And trace the plan of goodly Nurture o'er, I bring thy modeft virtues into view; And proudly boast that from thy precious store, Which erft enrich'd my heart, I drew this facred lore. And thus, I ween, thus fhall I best repay I labour to diffufe th' important good, 'Till this great truth by all be understood; "That all the pious duties which we owe, "Our parents, friends, our country and our God; "The feeds of every virtue here below, "From Difcipline alone, and early Culture grow." CANTO I. ARGUMENT. b The Knight, as to PÆDIA's houfe He his young Son conveys, Is ftaid by CUSTOM; with him fights, A Gentle KNIGHT there was, whose noble deeds O'er Fairy Land by Fame were blazon'd round : For warlike enterprize, and sage areeds ⚫ Pædîa is a Greek word, fignifying Education. VOL. IV. B Whence Whence with the marks of higheft honours crown'd By GLORIANA, in domestic peace, That port, to which the wife are ever bound, There in domestic virtue rich and great The lord, the judge, the father of the plain, Aye dwelt; sweet partner of his joy and pain, From this fair union, not of fordid gain, But merit fimilar and mutual love, True fource of lineal virtue, fprung a train Of youths and virgins; like the beauteous grove, Which round the temple of Olympic Jove, d Begirt with youthful bloom the parent tree, The facred olive; whence old Elis wove Her Parent tree, the facred olive.] This tree grew in the Altis, or facred grove of Olympic Jupiter at Olympia, having, as the Eleans pretended, Her verdant crowns of peaceful victory, The guerdons of bold strength, and swift activity. IV. So round their noble parents goodly rose These generous fcyons: they with watchful care With prudent culture the young shoots to rear: f They by a Palmer fage inftructed were, Who from deep thought and studious fearch erewhile Had learnt to mend the heart, and till the human foil. V. For by cœleftial Wifdom whilom led Through all th' apartments of th' immortal mind, Where variously disjointed or combin'd, pretended, been originally planted there by Hercules. It was efteemed facred, and from that were taken the Olympic crowns. See Paufanias. Eliac. and the Differtation on the Olympic games. e Guerdons, rewards. f Palmer, pilgrim. The perfon here fignified is Mr. Locke, characteriz'd by his works. Sted, place, ftation. |