Constantia: or, The Man of Law's Tale, Modernized from Chaucer - Part 25

As from the brow of some impending steep,
The sportive diver views the briny deep,
From his high stand with headlong action flies,
And turns his heels retorted to the skies;
Inverted so the bulky Chief o'erturns,
And heaven, with heel of quick elation, spurns.

Light from his steed the conquering Hero sprung,
And threatful o'er the prostrate monster hung:
He, with feign'd penitence, and humbled breath,
Fond to evade the fear'd, the impending death,
(The instant weapon glittering at his breast)
The murderous scene and nightly guilt confest.

Mean-while, attended by the shouting crew,
The Fair, now freed, to greet her Champion flew;
For not of mortal arm the Chief she thought,
But Heaven's own delegate with vengeance fraught.
When now, enchanting to the Warrior's sight,
The Maid drew near, the Maid as Angels bright,
His beaver from his lovely face he rais'd,
And all on A LLA , conquering A LLA , gazed:
Earth, sea, and air, with endless triumph ring,
And shouting thousands hail their Victor King.
Not so C ONSTANTIA , — struck with strange surprize,
Her great deliverer in her judge she eyes;
Conquest and love upon his regal brow,
A cruel judge, but kind deliverer now:
Soft shame, and trembling awe, her step represt,
And wondrous gratitude disturb'd her breast;
Joys, fainting fears, quick thrill'd through every vein,
And scarce her limbs their beauteous charge sustain.

How widely devious from the ways of man,
Is the great maze of Providential plan!
Vain man, short-sighted politician! dreams,
That things shall move subservient to his schemes;
But Heaven the fond projector undermines,
And makes the agent thwart his own designs;
Against it self the instrument employs,
And with the means the end proposed destroys.
What shall prevent O MNISCIENCE to direct?
And what, what can't O MNIPOTENCE effect?
H E to the event subdues the opposing cause,
And light from darkness, wondrous influence, draws;
Defeat from conquest, infamy from fame;
And oft to honour paves the path of shame.
Why then this toil, and coil, and anxious care?
Why does man triumph, why does man despair?
Why does he chuse by vicious steps to scale,
Where Virtue may, at least as well, prevail?
Since not in him his proper fortune lies,
And Heaven alone ordains his fall or rise:
Man may propose, but only Heaven must speed;
And tho' the will is free, the event's decreed.
Be then the scope of every act, and thought,
To will, and do, still simply as we ought;
The less shall Disappointment's sting annoy,
And each success will bring a double joy:
To boundless P OWER and P RESCIENCE leave the rest;
But thou enjoy the province in thy breast!
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