A EL EGY XIX. Written in Spring 1743. GAIN the lab'ring hind inverts the foil; Again the merchant ploughs the tumid wave; Another fpring renews the foldier's toil, And finds me vacant in the rural cave. As the foft lyre difplay'd my wonted loves, He glanc'd contemptuous o'er my ruin'd fold Yes, ALPHEUS! fly the purer paths of fate; Here nobly zealous, in my youthful hours, I dreft an altar to THALIA's name: Here as I crown'd the verdant fhrine with flow'rs, DAMON, fhe cry'd, if pleas'd with honest praise, Swear that no lucre fhall thy zeal betray; Swerve not thy foot with fortune's vot❜ries more; Brand thou their lives, and brand their lifeless day— The winning phantom urg'd me, and I swore. Forth from the ruftic altar fwift I stray'd, "Aid my firm purpose, ye celeftial pow'rs! Aid me to quell the fordid breast, I said, And threw my jav'lin tow'rds their hoftile tow'rs. Think not regretful I furvey the deed; Or added years no more the zeal allow; Still, ftill obfervant to the grove I speed, The fhrine embellish, and repeat the vow. Sworn from his cradle ROME's relentless foe, Thy lake, OTHRASIMENE! beheld it glow, And CANNE's walls, and TREBIA'S Crimson fhore. The Roman ceremony in declaring war. HANNIBAL. But But let grave annals paint the warrior's fame; Now Punic pride its final eve furvey'd; And faw th' unwilling elephants retire. But when their gold deprefs'd the yielding fcale, He faw th' unutterable grief prevail; He faw their tears, and, in his fury, fmil'd. Think not, he cry'd, ye view the smiles of ease, But were it cordial, this detefted smile, Why weep ye now! ye faw with tearless eye When TYRE's imperial ftate commenc'd a flave? 'Tis paft-OCARTHAGE! vanquish'd! honour'd shade! Go, the mean forrows of thy sons deplore; Had freedom fhar'd the vow to fortune paid, She neʼer, like fortune, had forfook thy shore." He ceas'd-abash'd the conscious audience hear; By the terms forced upon the CARTHAGINIANS by SCIPIO, they were to deliver up all the elephants, and to pay near two millions sterling. ELEGY He compares his humble fortune with the distress of others; and his fubjection to DELIA, with the miferable fervitude of an African flave. HY droops this heart, with fancy'd woes forlorn? Why finks my foul beneath each wint'ry sky? What penfive crowds, by ceafelefs labours worn, What myriads, wish to be as bleft as I! What tho' my roofs devoid of pomp arife, Where only fimple friendship deigns to stray? See the wild fons of LAPLAND's chill domain, Slave tho' I be, to DELIA's eyes a slave, My DELIA's eyes endear the bands I wear; The figh she causes well becomes the brave, The pang fhe caufes, 'tis ev'n blifs to bear. |