Arcades, æterno viridantes flore juventæ,

Nocte innutantes qualibet inter oves, Afpicite, at fenfim languens juvenilior ætas,

Hæc juxta, hæc, inquam florea faxa perit!
Ante omnes carum fic levit Adonida Cypris,
Deceptufque Deam triftius urfit Amor;
Hunc, tacitè adrepens per denfa filentia noctis
Incautum fævo dente momordit Aper.

Stringe lyram interea pulchrè Prudentia ludens,
Harmoniæque graves, Cynthia, funde modos!
Doctæ ambæ vigiles curas fopire canendo,

Tuque tuum imperti, Præfes Apollo, chorum!
Tuque adamanteis, Pluton' armate catenis,

O Tu Terrorum Rex, metuende Deus,
Duc me, quà paffim chryftallina flumina currunt,
Elyfique lavat lucida lympha nemus.

Vos etiam mæfti falices, triftefque cupreffi,
Aureliæ æternum ferta dicata meæ ;
Audi etiam, Morpheu, divum placidiffime Morphea,
Ut queror, ut penitus maceror igne novo.

Triftè Aluens, fed lenè fluens, Mæander, amæno
Murmure qui curfum flexilis orbe rotas!
Margine fæpe etiam quam plurimus errat amator,
Cui tua fubmittunt florea dona decus.

Sic quando fenfim languens Philomela, filentem Mollior aggreditur, nec fine voce, procum ; Afpice, de cœlo interea Junonius ales Defcendens, fato cedit inane Melos.

PART OF HOMER'S

Goblets of nectar thy glad fire prepares, And thee, his faireft, nobleft fon declares ; While ev'ry god fits rapt, Latona's breast

Thrice blett Latona! from thee, Goddefs, fprung Diana chafte, and Phœbus ever-young : * Her in Ortygia's ifle, and Him you bore At Cynthius' hill on Delos' fea-girt fhore, Where the tall palm upbears its lovely head, And clear Inopus laves the flow'ry mead.

O Phobus, where fhall I begin thy praise! Well can't thou rule the poet's artless lays. Oft on the craggy rock, or mountain hoar, By river fide, or on the fea's hoarse shore, Wand'ring well-pleas'd, with mufic's magic found, And airs divine, thou charm'ft the region round.

* Delos and Ortygia are mentioned as different If lands in the Original.

Say, fhall I fing how first on Delos' fhore,
Thee, glorious progeny, Latona bore *?
How frit; from other iffes, befet with grief,
In vain thy tortur'd mother fought relief,
Each to her out-caft woe denied abode,
Nor durft one ifle receive the future god.
At length to Delos came the lab'ring fair,
And fuppliant thus befought her needful care.
Delos receive Apollo, and O! raise
A glorious temple to record his praife!
Then fhall He govern thee with gentle sway,
And only Phoebus fhall thine ifle obey.
What though no flocks, nor herds, nor juicy vine,
Nor plants of thousand natures fhall be thing,
Swift to the temple of the Bowyer-king t
Oblations rich shall ev'ry nation bring;
For ever from thy altars fhall arise
The fragrant incenfe of burnt-facrifice.
No longer then regret thy barren foil,
Receive the God, and live by other's toil!

She fpake with inward rapture Delos fmil'd,
And footh'd the fuppliant pow'r with anfwer mild.
Latona! mighty Cæus' daughter fair,
Full willingly wou'd Delos cafe thy care,
Full willingly behold her barren earth
Witness the glories of Apollo's birth:

The mighty God would raife my lowly name,
And confecrate his native ifle to fame.
One fear alone diftracts my beating heart;
That fear, O Goddefs, lift while I impart.
Second to none amid th' æthereal skies,
Apollo foon all terrible fhall rife:
All nations fhall adore the mighty God,
And kings and kingdoms tremble at his nod.
Haply (for ah! dire fears my foul infeft,
And fill with horror my tumultuous breaft)
Soon as the glorious Godhead fhall be born,
My defert region will he view with fcorn,
Indignant fpurn me, curfe my barren foil,
And plunge into the waves my hated ifle.
Triumphant then to happier climes remove,
There fix his fhrine, plant there his facred grove.
Whelm'd in the briny main fhall Delos lay,
To all the finny brood a wretched prey.
But, O Latona! if, to quell my fear,
You'll deign a folemn facred oath to fwear,
That here the God his glorious feat shall hold,
And here his fapient oracles unfold,
Your facred burthen here, Latona, lay,
Here view the Godhead bursting into day.
Thus Delos pray'd, nor was her pray'r denied,
But foon with folemn vows thus ratified:
Witness O heaven and earth! O Stygian lake!
Dire adjuration, that no God may break!
In Delos fhall Apollo's fhrine be rear'd,
Delos, his best belov'd, most honour'd, most rever'd,
Thus vow'd Latona: Delos hail'd her earth
Bleft in the glories of Apollo's birth.
Nine hapless days and nights, with writhing throes,
And all the anguish of a mother's woes,
Latona tortur'd lay; in forrowing mood,
Around her many a fifter-goddess itood.
Aloft in heaven imperial Juno fat,
And view'd relentless her unhappy fate.

Here feveral verfes containing nothing but a mere lift of the names of islands are omitted. + Bozuyer-king and Bowyer-God are expreffions frequently ufed by Dryden, in his verfion of the firft Iliad, to fignify Apollo.

Lucina too, the kind affuaging pow'r
That tends the lab'ring mother's child-bed hour,
And mitigates her woes, in golden clouds
High on Olympus' top the Goddess shrouds.
Her large full eyes with indignation roll,
And livid envy feiz'd her haughty foul,
That from Latona's loins was doom'd to spring
So great a fon, the mighty Bowyer-king-
The milder pow'rs, that near the lab'ring fair
View'd all her pangs with unavailing care,
Fair Iris fent, the many colour'd maid,
To gain with goodly gifts Lucina's aid.
But charg'd her heed, left Juno fhould prevent
With prohibition dire their kind intent,
Fleet as the winged winds, the flying fair
With nimble pinion cut the liquid air.
Olympus gain'd, apart fhe call'd the maid,

Then fought with many a pray'r her needful aid,
And mov'd her foul: when foon with dove-like
pace

Swiftly they meafur'd back the viewless airy space.
Soon as to Delos' ifle Lucina came

The pangs of travail feiz'd Latona's frame.
Her twining arms fhe threw the palm around,
And prelt with deep-indented knee the ground :
Then into day fprung forth the jolly boy,
Earth fmil'd beneath, and heaven rang with joy.
The Sifter Pow'rs that round Latona ftood
With chafte ablutions cleans'd the infant-god.
His lovely limbs in mantle white they bound,
And gently drew a golden fwathe around.
He hung not helpless at his mother's breaft,
But Themis fed him with an heavenly feast.
Pleas'd while Latona views the heavenly boy,
And fondly glows with all a mother's joy,
The lufty babe, ftrong with ambrofial food,
In vain their bonds or golden fwathes withstood,
Bonds, fwathes, and ligaments with eafe he broke,
And thus the wond'ring Deities bespoke ;
"The lyre, and founding bow, and to declare
"The Thund'rer's counfels, be Apollo's care!"

He fpake; and onwards all majestic frode;
The Queen of Heaven awe-ftruck view'd the God.
Delos beheld him with a tender fmile,
And hail'd, enrich'd with gold, her happy isle;
Her happy ifle, Apollo's native feat,
His facred haunt, his best-belov'd retreat.
Grac'd with Apollo, Delos glorious fhines,
As the tall mountain crown'd with stately pines.
Now ftony Cynthus would the God afcend,
And now his courfe to various iflands bend.
Full many a fane, and rock, and shady grove,
River, and mountain did Apollo love;
But chiefty Delos: the Ionians there,
With their chatte wives and prattling babes, repair,
There gladly celebrate Apollo's name
With many a folemn rite and facred game;
The jolly dance and boly hymn prepare,
And with the Citus urge the manly war.
If, when their facred feaft th' Ionians hold,
Their gallant fports a stranger fhou'd behold,
View the ftrong nerves the brawny chiefs that brace,
Or eye the fofter charms of female grace;
Then mark their riches of a thousand kinds,
And their tall ships born swift before the winds,
So goodly to the fight wou'd all appear,
The fair affembly Gods he wou'd declare.
There too the Delian Virgins, beauteous choirs
Apollo's handmaids, wake the living lyre !

bow'r,

O'er a mad ftate held loose the reins of pow'r :
The trampled Law had loft its ancient force,
And Right confounded, mifs'd her even course.
'Twas thus when VALOIS France's fceptre bore,
Scepter'd indeed, but now a king no more;
Not glory's minion now, the voice of fame,
Swell'd the loud trumpet to the hero's name ;
His laurels wither'd, and all blasted now,
Which conqueft hung upon his infant brow;
Whofe progrefs Europe mark'd with confcious fear,
Whofe lofs provok'd his country's common tear,
When, the long train of all his virtues known,
The North admiring call'd him to the throne.
In fecond rank, the light which strikes the eyes,
Rais'd to the first, grows dim, and feebly dies.
From war's ftern foldier, active, firm, and brave,
He funk a monarch, pleasure's abject slave.
Lull'd with foft eafe, forgetful of all state,
His weakness totter'd with a kingdom's weight;
Whilft loft in floth, and dead to glorious fame,
The fons of riot govern'd in his name.
QUELUS, St. MAIGRIN, death-cemented pair,
JOYEUSE the gay, and D'ESPERON the fair,
The careless king in pleasure plung'd with these,
In luft intemperate, and lethargic eafe.

gave.

Mean time, the GUISES, fortunate and brave, Catch'd the fair moment which his weakness Then rofe the fatal League in evit hour, That dreadful rival of his waning pow'r. The people blind, their facred Monarch brav'd, Led by thofe Tyrants, who their rights enflav'd. His friends forfook him, helplefs and alone, His fervants chas'd him from his royal throne ; Revolted Paris, deaf to kingly awe, Within her gates the crouding Atranger faw. Through all the city burft rebellion's flame; And all was loft, when virtuous BOURBON came; Came, full of warlike ardour, to restore That light his prince, deluded, had no more, His active prefence breath'd an inftant flame; No longer now the fluggish fons of fhame, Onward they prefs, where glory calls, to arms, And fpring to War from Pleafure's filken charms: To Paris' gates both kings advance amain, Rome felt th'alarm, and trenibled haughty Spain: While Europe, watching where the tempelt falls, With anxious eyes beheld th' unhappy walls.

Within was DISCORD, with her hell-born train, Stirring to war the League, and haughty MAYNE, The people, and the church and from on high Call'd out to Spain, rebellion's prompt ally. DISCORD, dread moniter, deaf to human woe, To her own fubjects an avengeful foe, Bloody, impetuous, eager to deftroy, In man's misfortune founds her hateful joy! To neither party ought of mercy shown, Well-pleas'd the ftabs the dagger in her own; Dwells a fierce tyrant in the breast she fires, And fmiles to punish what herfelf infpires.

Weft of the city, near those borders gay, Where Seine obliquely winds her floping way, (Seenes now, where pleafure's foft retreats

found,

are

There rush'd at once the generous ftrength of France. A thoufand heroes, eager for the fight,

By fects divided, from revenge unite.

Thefe virtuous BOURBON leads, their chofen guide,
Their caufe confederate, and their hearts allied.
It feem'd the army felt one common flame,
Their zeal, religion, caufe, and chief the fame.
The facred Louis, fire of BOURBON'S race,
From azure fkies, befide the throne of grace,
With holy joy beheld his future heir,
And ey'd the Hero with paternal care;
With fuch as prophet's feel, a bleft prefage,
He faw the virtues of his ripening age:
Saw Glory round him all her laurels deal,
Yet wail'd his errors, though he lov'd his zeal;
With eye prophetic he beheld e'en now,
The crown of France adorn his royal brow;
He knew the wreath was deftin'd which they gave,
More will'd the Saint, the light which fhines to fave,

Still HENRY's fteps mov'd onward to the throne,
By fecret ways, e'en to himfelf unknown;
His help from Heaven the Holy Prophet fent,
But hid the arm his wife indulgence lent:
Left fure of conqueft, he had flack'd his flame,
Nor grappled danger for the meed of fame.

Already MARS had donn'd his coat of mail, And doubtful Conqueft held her even scale ; Carnage with blood had mark'd his purple way, And flaughter'd heaps in wild confufion lay, When VALOIS thus his part'ner king addreft, The figh deep-heaving from his anxious breaft.

"You fee what fate, what humbling fate is mine, "Nor yet alone,-the injury is thine. "The dauntlefs League, by hardy Chieftains led, "Which hiffes faction with her Hydra head, "Boldly confederate by a defperate oath, "Aims not at me alone, but ftrikes at both. "Though I long fince the regal circle wear, "Though thou by rank fucceed my rightful heir, "Paris difowns us, nor will homage bring "To me their prefent, you their future king. "Thine, well they know the next illuftrious claim, "From law, from birth, and deeds of loudest fame; "Yet from that throne's hereditary right "Where I but totter, wou'd exclude thee quite. "Religion hurls her furious bolts on thee, "And holy councils join her firm decree: "ROME, though the raise no fuldier's martial band, "Yet kindles war through every awe-ftruck land; "Beneath her banners bids cach hoft repair, "And truits her thunder to the Spaniard's care, "Far from my hopes each fummer friend is flown, "No fubjects hair me on my facred throne ; "No kindrod now the kind affection shows, "All fly their king, abandon, or oppose: "Rich in my fpoils, with greedy treacherous hafte, "While the bafe Spaniard lays my country wafte.

Midft foes like thefe, abandon'd, and betray'd, "France in her turn fhall foek a foreign aid: "Shall Britain's court by fecret methods try, "And win ELIZA for a firm ally.

"Of old I know between each pow'rful state, "Subfifts a jealous and immortal hate;