With brow deject, the mournful Vandal took 67 Occasion prompt to leave his royal guest, And sought a friend who served him, as a book Read in our illness, in our health dismiss'd; For seldom did the Vandal condescend To that poor drudge which monarchs call a friend! And yet Astutio was a man of worth 68 Before the brain had reason'd out the heart; But now he learned to look upon the earth As peddling hucksters look upon the mart; Took souls for wares, and conscience for a till; And damn'd his fame to serve his master's will. Much lore he had in men, and states, and things, 69 And kept his memory mapp'd in prim precision, With histories, laws, and pedigrees of kings, And moral saws, which ran through each division, All neatly colour'd with appropriate hue-- The histories black, the morals heavenly blue! But state-craft, mainly, was his pride and boast; 70 "The golden medium" was his guiding star, Which means "move on until you're uppermost, And then things can't be better than they are!" Brief, in two rules he summ'd the ends of man-- "Keep all you have, and try for all you can!" While these conferr'd, fair Arthur wistfully 71 Look'd from the lattice of his stately room; The rainbow spann'd the ocean of the sky, An arch of glory in the midst of gloom; So light from dark by lofty souls is won, And on the rain-cloud they reflect the sun. As such, perchance, his thought, the snow-white dove, 72 Which at the threshold of the Vandal's towers Had left his side, came circling from above, Athwart the rainbow and the sparkling showers, Flew through the open lattice, paused, and sprung Where on the wall the abandon'd armour hung; Hover'd above the lance, the mail, the crest, 73 Then back to Arthur, and with querulous cries, Peck'd at the clasp that bound the flowing vest, Chiding his dalliance from the arm'd emprize, So Arthur deem'd; and soon from head to heel Blazed War's dread statue, sculptured from the steel. Then through the doorway flew the winged guide, 74 Skimm'd the long gallery, shunn'd the thronging hall, And, through deserted posterns, led the stride Of its arm'd follower to the charger's stall; Loud neigh'd the destrier[7] at the welcome clang And drowsy horseboys into service sprang. Though threaten'd danger well the prince divined, 75 He deem'd it churlish in ungracious haste Thus to depart, nor thank a host so kind; But when the step the courteous thought retraced, With breast and wing the dove opposed his way, And warn'd with scaring scream the rash delay.