But, hovering o'er him, runs Diores nigh;
Now fide by fide, and foot by foot they fly.
The youth had conquer'd in a longer way,
Or undecided left the honours of the day.
And now they juft approach'd with rapid pace,
Tir'd with the toil, the limit of the race,
When Nifus fell amid the flippery plain,

Drench'd with the copious blood of victims flain.
His feet no more the shouting victor held;
Aloft they fly, and quiver on the field.
Headlong he fell, with mud all cover'd o'er,
And every limb was ftain'd with facred gore.
Yet, as he weltered on the ground, he strove
To fhew Euryalus his ardent love.

For now, ev'n now, the youth his body threw
Before his rival Salius, as he flew :
He fell, and on the ground extended lay;
Thus favour'd by his friend, fprung fwift away
The young Euryalus, and won the day.
At once beyond the goal the victor flies;
Shouts of applaufe tumultuous rend the skies.
Next Helymus, and next Diores came
With eager ardor, now the third in fame.
Now Salius fills the ring with clam'rous cries,
By turns to every hoary judge applies,

Storms at the fraud, and claims the rightful prize.
But favour, winning tears, and youthful grace,
Plead for the boy, the victor of the race.
Diores too, before the partial crowd,

Defends the young Euryalus aloud;

Who now muft urge his claim, fhould Salius gain
The first proud honours, to the third in vain.

450

Thus then the prince-In order fhall we pay To each brave youth the prizes of the day: Since these are shar'd, permit me to extend One proof of pity to a hapless friend :

Sic fatus, tergum Gaetuli inmane leonis
Dat Salio, villis onerofum atque unguibus aureis.
Hic Nifus, Si tanta, inquit, funt praemia victis,
Et te labforum miferet; quae munera Nifo
Digna dabis? primam merui qui laude coronam;
Ni me, quae Salium, fortuna inimica tulisset.
Et fimul his dictis faciem oftentabat, et udo
Turpia membra fimo. rifit pater optimus olli,
Et clypeum efferri juffit, Didymaonis artes,
Neptuni facro Danais de pofte refixum.

355

360

Hoc juvenem egregium praeftanti munere donat.
Poft ubi confecti curfus, et dona peregit:

Nunc fi quoi virtus animusque in pectore praefens,
Adfit, et evinctis adtollat brachia palmis.
Sic ait, et geminum pugnae proponit honorem:
Victori velatum auro vittifque juvencum;
Enfem, atque infignem galeam, folatia victo.
Nec mora; continuo vaftis cum viribus effert
Ora Dares, magnoque virûm fe murmure tollit :

365

473. And with the gauntlet.] There is a curious particular in M. Segrais, who informs us, that one of the best judges in France always told him, during the time he was tranflating Virgil, that he thought it impoffible for him to make this combat of the cæftus, read agreeably in the French language: that their language was utterly incapable of lifting such a subject into a tolerable dignity. That tranflator, however, has acquitted himself gracefully; and one must do the justice to Mr. Pitt, to own he has greatly excelled in this paffage, how difficult foever it might be to clothe fuch ideas in modern language.

479. Bold Dares rear'd.] The poet in this contest between Dares and Entellus, has borrowed many circumstances from the fight between Amycus and Caftor and Pollux, in Apollonius, Argon. B. 2. Theocritus has likewife described this laft-mentioned combat in his Axego, but is, in the opinion of Scaliger, far inferior to Apollonius. Splendore & arte ab Apollonio [Theocritus] Superatur. Poet. B. 5. c. 6.

A determination which I believe, on a review of each, the judicious reader will readily adopt.

The

This faid, on Salius generous he bestow'd
A lion's yellow fpoils, (a coftly load!)

455

With martial pride his shoulders to infold;

[gold.

Rough was the dreadful mane, the paws were fheath'd in

When Nifus thus, -If fuch high prefents grace

Salius who fell, firft vanquish'd in the race,

What gift fhall I receive, who bore away,

460

And still had held the honours of the day,

Had not that fortune, which my foe o'erthrew,

Befall'n unhappy Nifus as he flew ?

Then fhow'd his robes and face with blood defil'd:

470

These gifts beftow'd; the hero cries aloud,
Stand forth, ye valiant champions, from the crowd;
Who vaunt your courage and unrivall❜d might,
And with the gauntlet dare provoke the fight.
Then he propos'd, in gold and garments gay,
A bull, to grace the victor of the day.
Next, to relieve the lofer's fhame and pain,
Caft a rich fword and helmet on the plain.
Strait with a fhout, fupremely tall and ftrong,
Bold Dares rear'd his bulk above the throng;

475

The principal strokes copied from the Greek poet are these. πώς τοίσι παρηια αμφοτερωθεν

-

Και γεννες κίυπεον· βρυχη δ ̓ ὑπετελλετ ̓ οδοντων
Ασπετος εδ' ελληξαν επιςαδιν εταζοντες·

Εσε περ

*

πλουν αθμα, και αμφότερες εδαμασσε.

*

Αλλαλος δ' όλεκον σερεοις θείνοντες ἱμασι
Αλλ' ὁ μεν ες σηθοςτε, και εξω χειρας ενώμα
Αυχένος αρχαγος βεβρύκων. ὁδ' αεικεσι πλαγαις
Παν συνέφυγε προσωπον ανίκατος πολυδευκης.
Σάρκες δ' αἱ μεν ίδρωτο συνίζανον εκ μεγάλες δε
Αιψ' ολίγος γενετ' ανδρος..

H 3

Σκαιη

370

Solus qui Paridem folitus contendere contra :

Idemque ad tumulum, quo maxumus occubat Hector,
Victorem Buten inmani corpore, qui fe

Bebrycia veniens Amyci de gente ferebat,

Perculit, et fulva moribundum extendit arena.

Talis prima Dares caput altum in proelia tollit,
Oftenditque humeros latos, alternaque jactat
Brachia protendens, et verberat ictibus auras.
Quaeritur huic alius: nec quifquam ex agmine tanto
Audet adire virum, manibufque inducere caeftus.
Ergo alacris, cunctofque putans excedere palma,
Aeneae ftetit ante pedes: nec plura moratus,
Tum laeva taurum cornu tenet, atque ita fatur :
Nate dea, fi nemo audet se credere pugnae,
Quae finis standi? quo me decet ufque teneri ?
Ducere dona jube. cuncti fimul ore fremebant
Dardanidae, reddique viro promiffa jubebant.
Hic gravis Entellum dictis caftigat Acestes,
Proxumus ut viridante toro confederat herbae :

375

380

385

Entelle, heroum quondam fortiffime fruftra,

Tantane tam patiens nullo certamine tolli

390

Dona fines? ubi nunc nobis deus ille, magifter

Necquidquam memoratus Eryx? ubi fama per omnem

Trinacriam, et fpolia illa tuis pendentia tectis ?

Σκαιη μεν σκαιην πολυδεύκεας ελλαβε χειρα
Δοχμος από προβολης κλινθείς έταιρα δ' επιβαίνων
Δεξιτερης ηνεγκεν ἁπαι λαγόνος πλατυ γυιον.
Αλλ' ὁγ ̓ ὑπανεδυ κεφαλη. σιβαρα αρα χειρι
Πλαξεν ὑπο σκαιον κροταφον, και επεμπεσεν ωμω.
Εκ δ' εχυθυ μελαν αἷμα θοως κροταφοιο χάνοντος
Λαιη δε τομα τυψε, πυκνοί δ' αραβησαν οδοντες
Λαει δ' οξύτερω πιτύλω δαλειτο προσωπον
Μεχρι συνηλλοίησε πωςηια, &c.

Many other paffages befides might be produced, which bear a very near resemblance.

480. The youth, the only youth, who dar'd withstand The fierce tempestuous fway of Paris' hand.]

It may feem furprifing, that Paris, who is looked upon by moft people as an effeminate perfon, and diftinguished as being

merely

The youth, the only youth, who dar'd withstand
The fierce tempeftuous sway of Paris' hand,
Who on huge Butes prov'd his matchless might
At Hector's tomb, victorious in the fight;
(Butes, of Amycus' Bebrycian strain,)
And stretch'd th' enormous giant on the plain.
Thus, glorying in his strength, in open view
His arms around, the tow'ring Dares threw,
Stalk'd high, and laid his brawny shoulders bare,
And dealt his whistling blows in empty air.
His match was fought; thro' all a terror ran;
All gaz'd and trembled at the mighty man.
Despair, he thought, had feiz'd the circling bands;
And now before the prince the champion ftands;
Fierce by the horns the beauteous bull he took,
And in proud triumph to the hero spoke :
Since none, oh chief! accepts the proffer'd fray,
Why for his coward foe must Dares stay?

Permit me, prince, to lead my rightful prize away.
The Trojans clamour with applauding cries,
And for the youth demand the promis'd prize.
Then to Entellus old Aceftes faid,

480

485

490

495

}

500

Who fate befide him on the flow'ry bed;
Entellus !-once the braveft on the plain,
But ah! the braveft, and the best in vain!
With fuch tame patience can my friend furvey
This prize, without a contest, borne away?
Where, where is now great Eryx' vaunted name;

505

The god, who taught our thund'ring arms the game, The spoils that grace thy roof, and all thy former fame ?

merely Helen's gallant, fhould in this place be mentioned as a hero expert in the cæftus, and endued with the ftrength of a giant. The commentators anfwer to this objection, that Paris had been bred up to the bufinefs of a fhepherd, and thence had acquired that robuft habit of body which the poet here gives him. Other authors, befides Virgil, fpeak of his skill in this art, as Hyginus, Fab. 91, Servius, Ovid, &c. SEGRAIS.