BOW. See Archers and Arrow.

She faid, and from her Quiver chose with speed, The winged Shaft, predeftin'd for the Deed : Then to the ftubborn Eugh her Strength apply'd, 'Till the far-diftant Horns approach'd on either Side; The Bow-ftring touch'd her Breaft; fo ftrong fhe drew! Whizzing in Air, the fatal Arrow flew :

At once the twanging Bow, and founding Dart, The Traitor heard, and felt the Point within his Heart. [Dryd. Virg.

BOWE R.

A Sylvan Lodge, that like Pomona's Arbour smil'd, With Flowrets deck'd, and fragrant Smells. The Roof Of thickest Covert was inwoven Shade,

Lawrel and Mirtle; and what higher grew

Of firm and fragrant Leaf: on either Side,
Acanthus, and each od❜rous bushy Shrub,

Fenc'd up the verdant Wall: each beauteous Flower,
Iris, all Hues, Rofes, and Jeffamin,

Rear'd high their flourish'd Heads between,and wrought Mofaick under foot the Violet,

:

Crocus, and Hyacinth, with rich Inlay

Border'd the Ground; more colour'd than with Stone
Of coftlieft Emblem. In fhady Bower,

More facred, or fequefter'd, tho' but feign'd,
Pan, or Sylvanus never flept, nor Nymph,
Nor Faunus haunted.

BOWER of BLIS S.
Thence paffing forth, they fhortly do arrive
Whereas the Bower of Bliss was fituate;

A Place pick'd out by Choice of beft alive,
That Nature's Work by Art can imitate :
In which whatever in this Worldly State

Is fweet and pleafing unto living Senfe,
Or that may daintiest Fantasie aggrate,

Milt.

Was poured forth with plentiful Difpenfe,
And made there to abound with lavish Affluence.

Goodly

Goodly it was enclosed round about, As well their enter'd Guests to keep within, As thofe unruly Beafts to hold without; Yet was the Fence thereof but weak and thin: Nought feared their Force that Fortilage to win, But Wifdom's Powre and Temperances Might, By which the mightiest Things efforced bin : And eke the Gate was wrought of Subftance light Rather for Pleasure than for Battery or Fight.

It framed was of pretious Yvory,
That feem'd a Work of admirable Wit;
And therein all the famous Hiftorie
Of Fafon and Medea was ywrit;

Her mighty Charmes, her furious loving Fit,
His goodly Conqueft of the golden Fleece,
His falfed Faith, and Love to lightly flit,
The wondred Argo, which invent rous Peece
Firft through the Euxian Seas bore all the flow'r of

Ye might have feen the frothy Billowes fry
Under the Ship, as thorough them fhe went,
That feemed Waves were into Yvory,

Greece.

Or Yvory into the Waves were fent,
And other where the fnowy Subftance fprent,
With vermell-like the Boyes Bloud therein fhed:
A pitious Spectacle did reprefent,

And otherwhiles with Gold befprinkeled';

It feem'd th' enchanted Flame which did Creifa wed.

All this and more might in this goodly Gate

Be read; that ever open flood to all

Which thither came; but in the Porch there fate
A comely Perfonage of Stature tall,

And femblance pleafing more than natural,
That Travellers to him feem'd to entice;
His loofer Garments to the Ground did fall,
VOL. II.

D

And

And flew about his Heels in wanton wife,
Not fit for fpeedy Pace or manly Exercife.

The Foe of Life that Good envies to all,
That fecretly doth us procure to fall,
Through guileful Semblaunce which he makes us fee.
He of this Gardin had the Governall,

And Pleafures Porter was devis'd to be,
Holding a Staffe in Hand for more Formalitie.

Thus being entred, they behold around
A large and fpatious Plaine on every Side

T

Strow'd with Pleafaunce, whofe faire graffie ground Mantled with green, and goodly beatifide

With all the Ornaments of Floraes Pride,

Wherewith her mother Art, as halfin Scorne

Of niggard Nature, like a pompous Bride
Did deck her, and too lavishly adorne,

When forth from Virgin bowre he comes th' early

Thereto the Heavens alwaies Joviall,
Lookt on them lovely, ftill in ftedfast State,
Ne fuffred Storme nor Froft on them to fall,
Their tender Buds or Leaves to violate,

Morne.

Nor fcorching Heat, nor Cold intemperate
T'afflict the Creatures which therein did dwell;
But the milde Aire with Seafon moderate

Gently attempred and difpos'd fo well,

That ftill it breathed forth fweet Spirit and wholefomé Smell.

More fweet and wholfome than the pleasant Hill of Rhodope, on which the Nymph that bore

A Giant-babe, her felf for Griefe did kill i Or the Theffalian Tempè, where of yore, 3,4 ylen o. A Faire Daphne, Phoebus Heart with Love did gore, Or Ida, where the Gods lov'd to repaire, When-ever they their heavenly Bowres forlore;

.!!

Of

Of fweet Parnaffe, the haunt of Muses faire;
Or Eden, if that ought with Eden mote compare.

'Till that he came unto another Gate,

No Gate, but like one, beeing goodly dight
With boughes and branches, which did broad dilate
Their clafping Armes, in wanton wreathings intri-

So fashioned a Porch with rare devife,
Archt over head with an embracing Vine,

cate.

Whofe Bunches hanging downe, feem'd to entice
All paffers by to tafte their lufhious Wine,
And did themfelves into their Hands incline,
As fresh Offering to be gathered:
Some deep empurpled as the Hyacint,

Some as the Rubine, laughing fweetly red,
Some like faire Emerauldes not yet ripened.

And them amongft, fome were of burnifht Gold, So made by Art, to beautifie the reft,

Which did themselves emongst the Leaves enfould, As lurking from the View of covetous Guest, That the weak Boughes, with fo rich load oppreft, Did bow adown as over-burthened.

There the most dainty Paradife on ground, It felf doth offer to his fober Eye,

In which all Pleafures plentioufly abound, And none does others Happiness envie : The painted Flowres, the Trees upfhooting hie, The Dales for Shade, the Hills for breathing Place, The trembling Groves, the cryftall running by;

And that which all faire Works doth most aggrace, The Art which wrought it all appeared in no Place.

One would have thought (fo cunningly the rude And fcorned Parts were mingled with the fine) That Nature had for Wantonnefs enfude

Art, and that Art at Nature did repine;
So ftriveing each the other to undermine,
Each did the others Worke more beautify;
So differing both in Willes, agreed in fine:
So all agreed through sweet diversitie,
This Garden to adorne with all varietie.

And in the midft of all, a Fountaine ftood, Of richest Subftance that on Earth might be, So pure and fhiny, that the filver Flood Through't every Channell running, one might fee; Moft goodly it with pure Imageree

Was over-wrought, and Shapes of naked Boyes,
Of which fome feem'd with lively Jollitee

To fly about, playing their wanton Toyes,
Whiles others did themselves embay in liquid Joyes.

And over all, of pureft gold, was spred
A tayle of Ivie in his native hew:

For the rich Metall was fo coloured,
That Wight that did not well advised view,
Would furely deem it to be Ivie true :

Lowe his lafcivious Armes adowne did creep,
That themselves dipping in the filver Dew,
Their fleecie Flowres they tenderly did fteepe,
Which Drops cryftall feem'd for Wantonnefs to
(weepe.

Infinite Streames continually did well
Out of this Fountaine, fweet and faire to fee,
The which into an ample Laver fell,'
And fhortly grew to fo great quantitie,
That like a little Lake it feem'd to bee;

Whofe depth exceeded not three cubits hight,
That through the Waves one might the Bottom fee,
All pav'd beneath with Jafper fhining bright,
That feem'd the Fountaine in that Sea did fayle

(upright.

And