With breath and utterance scarce recover'd broke,
And thus th' enlighten'd feer prophetic spoke :
"Princes of Greece, attend; if ye be they
Whom o'er the main Theffalia's pines convey,
And Jafon leads to Colchos' magic land,
Such is your cruel tyrant's ftern command.
Yes, ye be they; for yet my mental eye
Undimm'd paft, prefent, future, can defcry.
Thanks to thy fon, Latona, who bestows
This grace, this only folace of my woes.
By Jove, to whom the fuppliant's caufe belongs,
Who hates the mercilefs, who avenges wrongs,
By Phoebus, by Saturnia wife of Jove,
By all the blefs'd immortal powers above,
Who lead you o'er the main with watchful care,
O help! O fave from famine and despair
A wretch ill-fated, to affliction born,
Nor leave me here unpitied and forlorn.
For not thefe orbs alone depriv'd of fight
Vindictive heaven hath veil'd in doleful night;
But to extreme old age his cruel law
Dooms me th' unwasting thread of life to draw,
Nor end my forrows here; a heavy chain
Of woes fucceeds, and pain ftill link'd to pain.
From fecret haunts aërial, unexplor'd,
Flights of devouring harpies vex my board.
Swift, inftantaneous, fudden they defcend,
And from my mouth the tasteful morfel rend.
Mean while my troubled foul, with woes opprefs'd,
No means of aid, no comfort can suggest.
Q 2
For when the feast I purpose to prepare,
They fee that purpose, and prevent my care.
But cloy'd and glutted with the luscious spoil
With noifome ordure parting they defile
Whate'er remains, if ought perchance remain,
That none approaching may the stench sustain,
Though his ftrong heart were wrapt in plated mail,
The filthy fragments fuch dire fteams exhale:
Yet me fell hunger's all fubduing pain
Compells, reluctant, loathing, to remain;
Compells the deadly odours to endure,
And gorge the craving maw with food impure.
From these invaders (fo hath fate decreed).
By Boreas' offspring fhall my board be freed.
Nor on a stranger to your house and blood,
O fons of Boreas, is your aid bestow'd.
Phineus behold, Agenor's hapless fon,
Once for prophetic skill and riches known;
Who, while I fway'd the Thracian fceptre, led
Your dower'd fifter to my spoufal bed.
Here Phineus ceas'd, each pitying hero groans,
But chief, O Boreas, thy relenting fons
Feel kind compaffion fwelling in their fouls,
While down their cheeks the generous torrent rowls.
Then Zetes near approaching, closely prefs'd
His hand, and thus the laboring feer address'd :
O moft difaftrous of all human kind,
Whence fprung the evils that o'erwhelm thy mind?
Haft thou, intrufted with the book of fate,
By folly merited celeftiat hate?
Hence falls this indignation on thy head?
Fain would the fons of Boreas grant thee aid
Fain would they execute what heaven ordains,
But awful dread their willing hands restrains.
To frighted mortals well thy fufferings prove,
How fierce the vengeance of the gods above.
Then fwear, or never shall this righteous fword,
Though drawn for thy deliverance, aid afford;
Swear, that th'affiftance which our arms fhall lend,.
Shall no immortal angry God offend.
He spoke; when straight tow'rd heaven disclosing wide
His fightless balls, the fenior thus reply'd:
My fon, th' injuftice of thy tongue restrain,
Nor let fuch thoughts thy pious foul profane:
By Phoebus, heavenly Augur, who infpires
My conscious bofom with prophetic fires
By this my wretched lot of woe and care
Thefe eyes involv'd in darkening clouds, I fwear,
By the fell dæmons of the realms below,
Whom ever unpropitious may I know,
From their refentments not in death fecure,
If falfely their dread godheads I adjure:
That your affifting hands fhall never move
Wrath or displeasure in the powers above..
Then acquiefcing in the folemn prayer,
To aid the prophet Boreas' fons prepare.
The ready youth a banquet spread, the last
That those fell harpies were decreed to tafte:"
Nigh ftand the brothers, ardent to oppose
With glittering faulchions their invading foes.-
Qu3
E PO DE III.
Nor did he e'er when rose a stormy gale
Relax his hospitable course,
Or gather in his swelling fail :
But, finding ever fome resource
The fierce extremes of fortune to allay,
Held on with equal pace his constant way.
Permit not then, through dread of envious tongues,
Thy father's worth to be in filence lost;
Nor from the publick keep these choral songs.
Not in one corner is the Poet's strain
Form’d, like a ftatue, to remain,
This, Nicasippus, tell my honour'd holt.
T
HE N·too the.jarring heroes to compose
Th’inchanting Bard, Oeagrian Orpheus rose,
And thus, attuning to the trembling ftrings :
His foothing voice, of harmony he sings.
In the beginning-how heaven, earth, and sea, In one tumultuous chaos blended lay; Till nature parted the conflicting foes, And beauteous order from disorder rose : How roll'd incessant o'er th’ ethereal plain Move in eternal dance the starry train; How the pale orb of night, and golden sun, Through months and years their radiant journeys run ; Whence rose the mountains clad with waving woods, The rushing rivers, and refounding floods,
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