Classic Poem

Canto the First

Still wakeful guilt, Almanzor's rebel sin,
Taking advantage of unguarded mirth,
Which now without mistrust did revel in
The princess' court, gives thence new treason birth.

By treachery seized, and through night's shades conveyed,
She had for ever in this storm been lost,
Had not its rage by such rude hands been staid.
That safety near as much as danger cost.

These hell-engendered embryoes, which had long
Lay hid within Almanzor's breast, grown strong,
Now for delivery strive; clandestine plots,
Ripened with age and lust, dissolve the knots
Wherein his fear had fettered them, and fly
Beyond the circle of his loyalty.
Since his deserts made him a stranger to
His princess' court, he 'd lived like those that do
Fly that pursuing vengeance which attends
A rebel's acts, seen only to such friends,
Whose blemished honor suffering in his fall,
Assist his rising, though they venture all
By that unlawful act, on paths that may
Precipitate to ruin. The dark way
Had long been sought for, consultations did
Whisper rebellion in soft airs, forbid
To live in louder language, until, like
Inevitable thunder, it could strike
As swift, as secret, and as sure as those,
Heaven's anger hurls through all that durst oppose.
In all the progress of that dark design,
Whose unseen engines strove to undermine
That power, which since Heaven doth in kings infuse,
None but unhallowed rebels durst abuse,
Time, treason's secret midwife, did produce
No birth like this. — Such friends, as often use
Had taught him their soul's characters, he makes
Sharers of's guilt; but, whilst he troubled takes
A care to fit each smaller wheel unto
This fatal engine, those black powers, that do
Assist such dark designs, a moving spirit
Supply it with. Although Almanzor's merit
Purchased few friends, yet had his tempting gold
Corrupted some, mongst which it surest hold
Upon Amphibia took; a lady who,
Before Florenza's sweeter virtues drew
Her favor to a better object, swayed
The princess' choice affections; she, betrayed
By glittering charms, persuades her thoughts — no deed
For guilt is branded, whose attempts may feed
Ambition's malice, and at one blow give
Envy and avarice a hope to live,
Pleased with their ruin, whose fair merits dwell
High in those thoughts from whence she justly fell.
To wreak revenge unto as large extent
As hate could wish, what hell could ne'er invent
Without assistance of a female wit —
Man's first betrayer — all that seemed but fit
From treason's close embrace to propagate
Revenge, she lights him. What, though close as fate
When parling with the destinies, is by
Her counsel acted, swift as stories fly
From vulgar tongues, her treachery makes known
To the bold rebel; whose intentions grown
Hence ripe for action, when his secret guilt
A strong retreat had for rebellion built,
By laying the foundation of 't in those
Who, since by want or envy made the foes
T' the public peace, are soon persuaded by
Their princess' fall to cure that malady.
This platform laid — some, whose wise valour he
By practice knew adorned with secrecy,
Amongst the number of his guilty friends,
Selected in its first attempt, attends
Treason's dark walks, which, now more secret by
Night's dismal shadows made, had brought them nigh
The princess' palace. Through the hemisphere's
Dark curtain now the big bulked roof appears,
And dappled windows showed their several light,
Like rich enamel in the jet of night.
All rocked in sweet security they found
By fate's false smiles, triumphant mirth had crowned
The glorious train, whose height of joy could taste
No poison of suspicion, each embraced
His free delights, yet feared no snake should lie
Lurking within those flowers. Amidst which high
Divine flames of enthean joy, to her
That levelled had their way, a messenger
Makes known their near approach; for which before
She had prepared, and veiled the pavement o'er
In thin, but candid innocence. Accurst
By all that e'er knew virtue! oh, how durst
Thy envy turn these comic scenes into
So red a tragedy as must ensue
Thy guilt's stenography, which thus writes fate
In characters of blood! But now too late
'Tis to repent; when punishment wrought fair
Shows thy foul crimes, thou only may'st despair.
Leaving this fiend to hatch her vipers here,
Let's breathe awhile, although in full career,
Stay on the brow o' the precipice to view
The court's full joys; which, being arrived unto
Their zenith, seemed, to fate-discerning eyes,
Like garlands wore before a sacrifice.
The cornucopiae, from the tables now
Removed by full-fed rurals, did allow
Time for discourse, as much as modest mirth
Durst stretch her wings; crowned cups gave lusty birth
To active sports; the hearth's warm bounties flame
From lofty piles, and in their pride became
The lustre of the roof. To glorify
Which yet imperfect festival, the eye
That lent to this large body light divine,
Pharonnida, at whose adored shrine
These sacrifices offered were, appears
Within the hall, and with her presence clears
Each supercilious brow, — if hopes to see
What 's now enjoyed suffered such there to be.
The princess on her honored throne reposed,
A fancy-tempting music first unclosed
The winding portals of the soul; which done,
Four swains, whose time-directed knowledge won
Attention with credulity, by turn
Sicilia's annals sung, and from the urn
Of now almost forgotten truth did raise
Their fame — those branches of eternal bays;
Which sober mirth, preparatives unto
More active sports, continuing, whilst the new
Model of treason was disguising in
A mask ordained to candy o'er their sin,
To gild those pills of poison with delight,
And strew with roses deadly aconite,
Was now drawn near an end, when from without
A murmuring noise of several sounds about
The palace gates was heard; which suddenly,
Dissolving to an antic harmony,
Proclaims their entrance, whose first solemn sight,
In dreadful shapes, mixed terror with delight.
In the black front of that slow march appears
A train, whose difference both in sex and years
Had spoke confusion, if agreement in
Their acclamation had no prologue been.
A dance, where method in disorder lay,
Where each seemed out, though all their rules obey,
Was first in different measures trod; which done,
Twelve armed viragoes, whose strange habit won
More admiration than their beauty, led
As many captive satyrs; in the head
O' the Amazonian troop, a matron, by
Two younger nymphs supported till come nigh
Pharonnida's bright throne, presents the rest —
Her issue; who externally exprest
So many fair-souled virtues, born to be
Protectors of their mother — Chastity,
Who wants their help, although supported by
Her weaker daughters — Fear and Modesty.
Those obscene vices, whose rude hands betray
Nature's deformities forced to obey
Their brave opposing virtues, did appear
I' the captive satyrs; who being now brought near,
A dreadful music's heard without, whose sound
Did gentler airs in their first births confound.
Which being a signal to that act of blood
That soon ensues, whilst all expecting stood
Some happier change, the false viragoes drew
Sheir swords, and with a speedy fury slew
The struggling knights, who thus disguised had been,
With the more horror to be murthered in
Their royal mistress' sight, whose shrieks did tell —
What trembling guests within her breast did dwell.
Sudden and cruel was the act; yet stands
Not treason here; but whilst their purpled hands
Yet reeked in blood, their guilty souls to stain
With blacker sins, her weak defenders slain,
Rush toward the trembling princess, who now lies
Betrayed by the soul's janitors — her eyes,
To passions insupportable, which grown
A burthen to her spirits, all were flown
T' the porch of death for rest. If souls new fled
From tainted bodies, that have surfeited
On studied sins, could be discerned when they,
Unarmed with penitence, are hurled away
By long-armed fiends — less pale, less horrid would
Their guilty looks appear. Confusion could
Not live in livelier emblem; each appears
To fly the danger, but about him bears
Its pale effects — so passengers forsake
A sinking ship; such strong convulsions shake
Surprised forts; so dooms day's trumpet shall
Startle the unprepared world, when all
Her atoms in their then worn robes shall be
Ravished in flames to meet eternity.
The unguarded princess, being by all forsook
But poor Florenza, both from thence are took,
Whilst neither in that horrid agony
Beheld their danger, and transported by
Almanzor to his coach, which near attended
On his assured success; who now, befriended
With the protecting darkness, hastes away,
Swift as desire, with the fair trembling prey.
Those few opposing friends, whose will was more
Than power to relieve her, overbore
By the victorious rebels, did in vain
Attempt her rescue; which, since fruitless slain,
Her martyrs fall, leaving their lives to be —
An evidence of dying loyalty.
Success attends thus far; but Fortune now
Left off to smile on villany, her brow
Contracted into frowns, she swiftly sent
This countermand: — Her followers, having spent
Their own endeavours to no purpose, raise
In haste the neighbouring villages; nor stays
The swift alarum, till it had outfled
The speed Almanzor made. Roused from his bed,
And warm embraces of his wife, by those
Which had outrun the danger of their foes,
The drowsy villager in trembling haste
Snatches such arms as former fear had placed
Fit to defend; with which, whilst horn-pipes call
In tones more frantic than a bacchinal,
They stumble to their rendezvous, which none
But only by the louder cries had known.
This giddy multitude, which no command
Knew, but what rage did dictate, hovering stand,
Like big swoln clouds drove by a doubtful wind,
Uncertain where to fall: one cries — behind
The greatest danger lies; some like his choice,
And speedily retreat, until a voice
More powerful, though from the like judgment sprung,
Persuades them on again; some madly rung
The jarring bells — as far from harmony
As their opinions; all which disagree
About the place whence the alarums come:
One cries — the princess' court; until struck dumb
By a more terrifying fool that swears —
The next port is surprised, toward which he stares,
To see the beacon's blaze, but is from far
Deceived b' the light of an ascending star.
So many shapes bear their weak fancies, that
All would do something, but there's none knows what.
In this strange medly of confusion, they
That could command, want such as would obey,
To exercise their power; each thinks his own
Opinion best, so must perform 't alone,
Or else remain, as hitherto they had,
Busy in doing nothing. In which mad
Fit of distracted fury, like to fight,
For want of foes, amongst themselves, the night,
Grown grey with age, foreshowed her death; when each,
Thinking that now he'd done enough to teach
An active soldier vigilance in spending
A night abroad, which they will call defending
Their prince and country from a danger, but
What 't was they know not, swearing 't shall be put
In the next chronicle, they disunite
Their ne'er well jointed forces, and a flight,
Rather than march, t'the several hamlets take,
From whence at first, being scarce half awake,
Not so much clothed, their heedless haste had sent
Them only noise and number to augment.
One troop of this disbanded company,
Which, though but few, more than could well agree
To march together, by mistake being cast
Into a narrow strait, met, as they past,
The coach that bore the princess, being by those
That stole her guarded: the mad rout oppose
Their further passage, not because they thought
Them to be those their ignorance had sought
In their late meeting — the antipathy
'Twixt them and th' gentry is enough to be
That quarrel's parent, whose event shall make
Their prince and country blessed in their mistake.
Startled from all his temperate joys with this
Unlooked for remora i' the road of bliss,
Enraged Almanzor vows to ford the flood
O' the present danger, or with his own blood
Augment the stream. With that he flies among
Those that are nearest of the numerous throng,
Who, when they found what difference was between
Their clubs (blunt as their valours) and the keen
Edge of his sword, would have fell back, but are
Forced on by those behind, who, being far
From danger, fear it not. Thus some are forced
To fight, till their unwilling souls, divorced
From their cold lodgings, made their peace. But here,
Whilst he a conqueror reigns, ingenious fear
Taught them that durst no nearer come, to do
Most mischief at a distance; climbed unto
The rock's inequitable clifts, from thence
They shower down stones that equally dispense
Danger 'mongst friends and foes. Had she not been
Defended by her coach, their princess in
This storm had perished; or, had fear of death
Unfixed her thoughts, she'd spent that precious breath
Now sacrificing in her prayers to be
From their wild rage delivered safe; but she,
Oppressed with lethargies of sorrow, lends
No ear to this rude fight, on which depends
So much of fate, — danger appears to lie
Not more in the disease than remedy.
Whilst the opposed Almanzor now had near
Hewed forth his way through all of them, appear
More company by their loud clamors drew
Unto their timely aid. Now danger grew
Horrid and threatening, till the impetuous shower,
Wetting the wings of the fierce rebel's power,
Clog all his hopes of flight, unless he leave
His trembling prey behind him. To bereave
Him of his last of hopes, he sees his train
Begin to droop. With those that yet remain
He thinks it time, whilst undiscovered, to
Secure himself; which difficult to do,
At length (though not unwounded) he alone
Breaks through their forces, blest in being unknown;
Else had their battered weapons spared to shed
The blood of others, and had surfeited
On his, which, adding knowledge to the fire
Of rage, they had most reason to desire.
The unsuccessful rebel thus secured
By speedy flight, his train not long endured
The circling danger, which from each side sends
Symptoms so deadly, all their strength defends
Not the rude torrent, nor their prayers could calm
Their foes' stern rage. Sweet mercy's healing balm
Is the extraction of brave spirits, which,
By innate valour rarified, enrich
With that fair gem the triumphs of success,
Whilst cowards make the victors' glory less —
Their highest flame of rage being but dull earth
Fired into tyranny, the spurious birth
Of a precedent fear, whose baseness knows
No calm, but what from others' danger grows.
And now the field, scoured by the beastly rage
O' the savage clowns, had left no foe to engage
A life, nor could their policy persuade
Them to let one survive, till he had made
The plot discovered. With rude haste they crush
Their trembling souls out, and all weapons blush
In part o' the blood; so many hands had gave
Them hurtless wounds, that the expecting grave
Needs only take their bones, for madly they
Had minced their flesh for the vulture's easier prey.
This victory gained, they haste t' the coach, and thence
The unknown princess take, no large expense
Of prayers, poured from Florenza's fears, could be
So powerful to obtain civility.
She tells them whom their rage profanes, and by
Their princess' name conjures them; but the high
Exalted outcries drown her voice, till one,
Who had the rape of the sad lady known,
When first performed, did with a louder voice
Proclaim her there; and, having first made choice
Of a more civil company to oppose
The uncivil clowns, rescues her; and then shows
How near their heedless rage had cast away
The glorious prize of that victorious day.
From fainting slumbers raised, the princess, now
Secure in their discovery, taught them how
To turn their fury into zeal, and show,
By serving her, the allegiance that they owe
Her royal father. To the palace come,
Rewarding all, she there commands that some
Stay for her guard; but soon that order grew
A troublesome obedience, none would to
His cottage whilst that any staid within
The palace gates. But long they had not been
Thus burthensomely diligent, ere, on
A new design, each struggles to be gone
From 's former charge; a messenger is sought,
Who to the court must post, but each one thought
Himself of most ability, so all
Or none must go; yet, ere the difference fall
Into a near approaching quarrel, he
Who rescued her, the princess chose to be
Her messenger. Euriolus, (for so
The youth was called), disdaining to be slow
Where such commands gave wings, with speed unto
The court was come; but busy fame outflew
His eager haste, and ere's arrival spread
Some scattered fragments of the news, which bred
Suspicion of that doubtful truth, from whence
His message leads to doleful confidence.