And firft the Dame came rufhing through the

Wood,

[Food And next the famifh'd Hounds that fought their

And grip'd her Flanks, and oft effay'd their
Jaws in Blood.

Laft came the Fellon on the Sable Steed, [to speed:
Arm'd with his naked Sword, and urg'd his Dogs
She ran, and cry'd; her Flight directly bent,
(A Gueft unbidden) to the fatal Tent,

[ment.

TheScene of Death, and Place ordain'd for Punish-
Loud was the Noife, aghaft was every Gueft,
The Women fhriek'd, the Men forfook the Feast;
The Hounds at nearer distance hoarfly bay'd;
The Hunter clos'd purfu'd the visionary Maid,
She rent the Heav'n with loud Laments, imploring(

Aid.

The Gallants, to protect the Lady's Right, Their Fauchions brandifh'd at the grifly Spright; High on his Stirups, he provok'd the Fight. Then on the Crowd he caft a furious Look, And wither'd all their Strength before he strook : Back, on your Lives; let be, faid he, my Prey, And let my Vengeance take the destin'd way.

Vain are your Arms, and vainer your Defence, Against th' eternal Doom of Providence:

Mine is th' ungrateful Maid by Heav'n defign'd:
Mercy she would not give, nor Mercy shall she find.
At this the former Tale again he told

With thund'ring Tone, and dreadful to behold:
Sunk were their Hearts with Horror of the Crime,
Nor needed to be warn'd a fecond Time,
But bore each other back; fome knew the Face,
And all had heard the much-lamented Cafe,
Of him who fell for Love, and this the fatal Place.
And now th'infernal Minister advanc'd,
Seiz'd the due Victim, and with Fury launch'd
Her Back, and piercing through her inmoft Heart,
Drew backward, as before, th' offending Part.
The reeking Entrails next he tore away,
And to his meagre Mastiffs made a Prey:
The pale Affiftants on each other star'd,
With gaping Mouths for iffuing Words prepar'd;
The still-born Sounds upon the Palate hung,
And dy'd imperfect on the faltring Tongue.
The Fright was general; but the Female Band
(A helpless Train) in more Confufion ftand;

With Horror fhuddring, on a heap they run, Sick at the fight of hateful Justice done;

the

For Conscience rung th' Alarm, and made the Cafe their own.

So fpread upon a Lake with upward Eye A plump of Fowl, behold their Foe on high, They close their trembling Troop ; and all attend On whom the fowfing Eagle will defcend.

But most the proud Honoria fear'd th' Event, And thought to her alone the Vision sent. Her Guilt presents to her distracted Mind Heav'n's Juftice, Theodore's revengeful Kind, And the fame Fate to the fame Sin affign'd; Already fees her self the Monster's Prey, And feels her Heart and Entrails torn away. 'Twas a mute Scene of Sorrow, mix'd with Fear, Still on the Table lay th' unfinish'd Cheer; The Knight and hungry Maftiffs ftood around, The mangled Dame lay breathlefs on the Ground When on a fudden, re-infpired with Breath, Again the rose, again to suffer Death;

Nor stay'd the Hell-hounds, nor the Hunter stay'd, But follow'd, as before, the flying Maid:

:

Th' Avenger took from Earth th' avenging Sword, And mounting light as Air,his SableSteed he spurr'd: The Clouds difpell'd, the Sky refum'd her Light, And Nature flood recover'd of her Fright.

But Fear, the last of Ills, remain'd behind, And Horror heavy fate on ev'ry Mind. Nor Theodore incourag'd more his Feast, But fternly look'd, as hatching in his Breast Some deep Defign, which when Honoria view'd, The fresh Impulse her former Fright renew'd: She thought herself the trembling Dame who fled, And him the grifly Ghost that fpurr'd th'infernal Steed:

The more difmay'd, for when theGuests withdrew Their courteous Hoft faluting all the Crew, Regardless gafs'd her o'er; nor grac'd with kind

Adieu.

That Sting infix'd within her haughty Mind,

The downfal of her Empire fhe divin'd

And her proud Heart with fecret Sorrow pi n'd.
Home as they went, the fad Difcourfe renew'd
Of the relentless Dame to Death purfu'd,
And of the Sight obscene so lately view'd.

None durft araign the righteous Doom the bore, Ev'n they who pity'd most yet blam'd her more: The Parallel they needed not to name,

But in the Dead they damn'd the living Dame

At ev'ry little Noife she look'd behind, For ftill the Knight was prefent to her Mind: And anxious oft she started on the way, And thought the Horfeman-Ghoft came thundring for his Prey.

Return'd, fhe took her Bed, with little Reft, But in fhort Slumbers dreamt the Funeral Feast: Awak'd, the turn'd her Side, and flept again;The fame black Vapours mounted in her Brain, And the fame Dreams return'd with double Pain.

Now forc'd to wake, because afraid to fleep, Her Blood all Fever'd, with a furious Leap She fprung from Bed, distracted in her Mind, And fear'd,at ev'ryStep,a twitchingSpright behind. Darkling and defp'rate with a stagg'ring pace, Of Death afraid, and conscious of Disgrace; Fear, Pride, Remorfe, at once her Heart affail'd, Pride put Remorse to flight, but Fear prevail'd,