The world consenting will applaud the deed:
To my own vengeance I devote her head.
And the great spirits of our heroes dead.'
*' Thus while I rav'd, I saw my mother rise,
Confest a goddess, to my wori'dritig eyes.
In pomp unusual, and divinely bright;
Her beamy glories piere'd the shades oiF ntgfct ;
Such she appear'd, as when in Heaven's abodes
She shines in all her glories to the gods.
Just raib'd to strike, my hand she gently took,
Then from her rosy lips the goddess spoke, [on?
'* * What wrath so fierce to vengeance drives thi»
Arc we no objects of thy care, my son ?
Think of Anchiscs, and his helpless age^
Thy hoary sire eacpos'd.to hostile nge^'
Digitized by VjOOQIC
OF vmCttft JESHD. BOOK H.
i*$
thhik irtldy #Mir Cf^to yift ftoiivif«,
ThifA if thy ohfM, ^ yoaDg lUhifl ti¥» ;
Wliom, ever bov'riagr nHiiid, th« Ofttkf endow.
Prom cvVjr tide endangei^d by tli« foi* ;'
And, bi^i iny ctre withstood, the rtiihie* #»ord
loQf tinoe had slftugfater'd, or the flatnet d^rour'd.
Nor M«iiteoiifl Heten now, nor IVirif hiame,
HerfuUty cfuintift, w hit Anhap|>y Hatne ;
The gods, m^ aoh, Ih' immortal gedn destrby
This gioriooB emphne, ansl the tewVt of Troy.
Heaoethen retire, retire without delay,
Attend thy owther,^ and her wortift obey ;'
Look up, fmr lo ! I tikir thy dond^ eye
From the thick midiit bi dim tnortatity ;
Where yon rude piles of ihatter'd ramparts rise,
Stone rent from Mooe, hi dreadAil niia lies, ftlies :
And Mack with roMing smoke the 4imj whirlwind
There, Neptnoe*8 tHdettt brenki the bttlwarkt
down,
There, from her hatitheavts the IrernhKog town;
Ilear'n's aw^l queeii, to nrgethe Trojan ikte,
Here storms tremend6ns at the Scean gate>
Radiant hi unhi the (Various toddeM stands.
And from tbe Havy caffs her Argive hands.
On yoB W(^ tow*r the martial maid behoM, '
With her dread Oorgon hIaKe in ekAuk^ef g«M.
Great JoTe himtdf the sons of Greece iMjpfires,
Saeh arm he terengtheos, anod eacih soift he fires.
Agahistthi^ TA^Mrt, fMn the bright abodes^
See ! where the thitAd*re«> tails «h* embatt1^d godi.
Strire then lio ihore with Hea^'n ;— but oh ! retreat, i
Ovfself wilf IfifTde thee to thy fhther^jt seat;
Ottrself wm de^ef and liefrieiid thy ftiaht.' '
She said, anfd stiMc wiHrin the shades bfufi^ht ;
Andio! the fodi with dreadM faces iFi^wn'd,
And k>wer*d, mii)fffi<!ally stem, aroutad.
Then fell protidintfnH btriwarks, tow^, and spires ;
ThenTVby, though rils'd^ Noptune, stink hi fires.
80 when an aged aHh^ whose honours rise
F^om ^raeiteep moMtain towering to th^ skies,
Wi«h many an* axe h^ Aioutihg «wafaK Is ply*d.
Fierce they repeat the strokes from every iide ;
T^< tall tlee'WehlbH^g,''as'the bloirs go romid.
Sews the high hesltl, and nods to every wmind :
At last quite ? ihgulshM, with a dfuadait peal,
la one loud gfTMin rella^rashhig' down the va}<
HeadltNig wf ih Inlf the shatte^d miMntaia fliek,
Ahd strelehM out bug* te length th' wnseaiuned
itdnltesL • '
" Mowj by the goddess led, I bend my way,
Though jairelhis hM, aAd Aames around me play j
With siofrfng spires IM HaoM* obli<|ttely -fiy,
The glancing darts turn innocently by. '
800a as, these various dangers pak,, f eeme
Within my rer^rend Aither^s ancient dome,
Whom firsf I MUght, %> bear hia belplest age
Safe o'er the nfauotaiAs/'fer from hoKtile rage ^
An cxiPd Kfe disdaidihg to enj«r.
He stands determined to expire with Tro¥ :
' Ply you, who health, mm youth, and sthtngtb
maintain,
Vou, whose warm blood beats liigh in every vein ;
For mt had Jlea^ dieoreed a longer date,
H««v*n had preset'r'd for m« the Dardan state |
Tfee touch of iJfe already have I fcndwih,
Jtt me my country's fall prevent my own j
Thilk then, this aged otffse with Tliun 1^11,
And tike, eih 1 taki^ ywof solemn laM ferewelt :
For deaih-p4h«M> hahds that offitje V«t^«lii do:
« not— ru beg it ftwm ilm pi^iDif'fcab
VOL XIX
At least thft soMier ibr my ipolli iHtT ecMra | * ]
Nor heed I now tlie honours of a tomb.
Grown to my friends an lisHees heAvy load.
Long have f liv»d, abhorr'd by ivery god,
Since, in his wrath, high Heaven's ahnigfity s)r#
Blasted these limbs with his avenging fire.'
** Thus he ; and obstmately brat appears t
The mbumM femily stand round liitMrs.
Myself, my shrieking wife, my weeping son«
Pricrtds, sr.rvanti, all, entreat him to be gone.
Nor to the general ruin add his own ;
Bid bim be rwoncil'd to life once morcf, •
Nor urge a fale, that flew too swift befbre*
Unmov'rf, he rtill determines to maintain
His cruel purpose, and w^ plead in vam.
" Once more I hiirty to the dire alarms,
To f ml ^ mberalde life in arms ;
For oh! what mcsisorcs could I'now purstlei>
When death, and only death. Was left in' view }
* To lly the foe, and leave your aifc alone,
Could such a sire propose to mich a ftm ? *
If 'tis by y'our^s and HeavenN high will det*reed,'
That yoh, and all, with hapless Ti-oy, mint bleed c
If not tier least remain? you deitn to savey "
Behold ! the door lies open to the ijtaVe. •
Pyrrhua will soon be here, all cover'd o'er
And red from venerable Priaa^ gore ;
Who sUbbM the son before th€ Hthet^s view.
Then at the shrine the roysJ fhther slew.
Why, heavenly nmther ! did thy guanlian cafa -
Snatch me froih firta, and shield me In the war ?
Within these trails to alee the Grecians reami ' ,
And purple alaughier stride iironnd the dotite }
To see my n^uMCT^d coB9ort, son, and fire, • -
Sfaeep'd in each bther*s blood, on heafto expire !
Arms ! arms \ my friends, with speed my arott
supply,
Tis Our last hour, andsummmtsustodle; '
My armi !~-4n vain you hold me,— let me ^6*-* '
^vc> gi^e me hack this moment to the (be.
*Tid well— we will not tamely perisb afl; -
But die rcveng>d, and trium^'h In our fell.'
" Now ntshing fbrth, in radiant arms, I wieM
The sword once more, and grhie the pbnd^rous
shield. • "
When, at the door, my vreephig spouse 1 mecft.
The fair Creiish, who embrac'd my feet,
And clinriog round them, with distraction wHA,
Reached to my^arms my dear unhappy chllfl t
And • Oh ?» she cries, ♦ if bewt on death thou run,
Tske,
thy wretched wife asjl
tsJOt with thee,
son;"
Or, if one glimmering h<^fram arms a^ieftf, ' '
I>ef«id those walls, ahd try thy valour liere i
Ah I who tfhall guard thy i^n'e, when thou art sU^
Tfiy child, or me, thy conior^ once in va^n V '
Thus while Ae raves, tbe vaulted dome repliaa
Tu her loud »hrit'ks, and a^nizin;? cries.
'• Wlien lo ! a wond'rous Prodigy appeatt.
For while each. parent kissM the boy with tears.
Sudden a circling flame wai'seen to sprtad
With beams refulgent round Tiihts* h^d$
Then on his locks the lambent ylory preys.
And barmleai fires around his tem^^ \fute.
IVemblin^r^and pale'we qtieneh with hnsy care
The sadred fires, and shake his flaming h^ir. "
Rut old Anchises lills liis joyful eyes.
His hantlA and voice, in transport, to the ^kiM.
" • Almighty JovCl 4h glory Ihron'd on Vlri^
ThisoiMai«g«rdsuvw9th*gi^jiekKM^;. ^
CjOOgle
Kb
Digitized by ^
Mf
PITTS TRANSLATION;
/ - *^
If e^er tmr vowt d^et y*d thy aid dirinef
Vouchsafe t,hy succour, and oonfirm tby tigii''
Scarce )iad he fpoke, when sudden firom the pole.
Fall on the left, . the happy thunders roll ;
A sUr shot swe<:piog through the shades of nighty
And drew behind a radiant trail of light,
That ^*«r the palace^ gliding from above,
To point our way, descends in Ida's grovcj,
Then left a. bug conlinu'd streapa in view, ,
The track still glittering where the glory flew.
The flame psAt gleaming with a bluish glarei ,
And smokee ciff^uiphur fill the tainted air. , j
" At this convinc'd, aroao my reverend sire, ^ •
AddressM the gods, and hail'd the sacred fire.
• Proceed, my friends, no iooger 1 delay.
But instant follow where you Itjkd the way, ,
Ye gods*, by these your omens, you ordaia
That from Xhe womb of fate shall rise^again, . ,
To Ngbt and life, a gloiious second Troy ;
Then sav^ this house, and this auspicious bpy ; .
Convitic'd by omens so divinely bright,
I g%, my son,, companion of (by flight.'
T^us tt'^'^and nearer now in curling spires
Through the Ipng walls roU'd on tbe roaring fires.
• Haste then, my sire,* I cryM, * my neck ascend,
With joy beneath your sacred load I bcud.
Together will we share, where'er I go.
One common welfore^ or one common woe.
Ourseif nith oare wilt youiyg liilus lead ;
At safef distance you my spouse succeed ;
Heed jtoo these orders^ ye attendant trains
Without the wall stands Ceres' vacant fane,
Bais'd on, a mount; au aged cypress near, .
Preserv'd fof ?ges with religious fear ;
Thither, ifoni dtffierent roads assembling, come.
And mcet/.'tAbody*d at the sacred dome :
Thou, thou, my sire, our gods and relics bear;
lliesc haiii|^, yet horrid with the stainf of war.
Refrain theif^^ucb unhallowM till tbe day.
When ^ic ,pMr§ «tieam shall wash the guilt
away.*,
" Nuw,< with a lion> spoils bespread, I take
My sire; a ple^a^ing burthen, on by back ;
Close ciingiK^ to my hand, and pressing nigh.
With steps unequal trippM liilus by;
Behind,, my iov'd Creiisa tQok her way ;
Through every lonely dark recess we stray :
And F, who late th* embattled Greeks could dare.
Their flying dartjs, and whole emboUy'd war.
Now take alarm, while horrours reign around.
At every breeze, and start at every sound.
With fancy'd fears my busy thoughts were wild
For my dear father, ^nd endangered child.
" Now, to the city gates approach iujg near,
I seem the sound of trampling feet to hear.
Alarm'd, my sire lookM forward through the shade,
And, * Fly my son, they come,, they come!' he
said ;
• Lo ! from their shields I see the splendours strc^ ;
And ken distinct the helmet's fiery gleam:'
And here, some envious god, in this di»may.
This sudden terrour, snatch'd my sense away.
For while o'er devious paths I \»ildly trod.
Studious to wander from the beaten road ;
I lost my dear Creiisa, nor can tell
From that sad moment, if by fate she fell ;
Or sunk fatigu'd ; or straggled from the train ;
Jiutah I she liovcr blist these eyes again !
Nor, till to Ceres' ancient wall we came,
Did' I suspect her lost, nor mis* the dame*
There all the tFMp).»si«mblp4,'«U botlW,
Ix)8t to her friends, her ^tl^cr, top, and me.
Whal;Qiui«,«wi)at gods did niy wilfi^iy spate)
At both ( ravM, and madden'd lyith de^r.
In TiiQy'f last ruins did I ever know
A fcene 00 crarl 1 â– toch transcendent 3ro^ !
Our gods, my son, and fat^fr, ^> the train
I next coromond, and hide tl^em la the plain;
Then,^ for Jtqy, and ihin^ln jinns,again.
Rcsolv'd the burning town to f^der o'er.
And tempt the dangers that J scap'd befuw.
Now to tb^ gale I run ivitli.^ri^ baste,, • t
Whence '(irst from IVion to-t^ plain I past ;
Dart round my #yes. io erety ^placc jn vain,
And tread my fonner footsteps o'er again.
Surrounding horrpurs all piy ioul afluright;
4nd more, the dreadful silence of tbe night
N^t IP ipy h^usfi I Hew j^itJltput delay,
If there, if haply there she bent her way.
In v'^ini^tbe conquering .ibf:$,w^e entcx'd there |
Digho'er the dom^, the JQ^noes cniblaze the air;
Fierce to devour, the fiery teonpest flies.
Swells in the wind, and.U^uqdera tg^the skies.
Back to th'. embattled citadel I,raHa. ,,
And sefjch'd her father's i^gai wim in vain.
Ulysses now, and Phoeniot; 1 survfyj
Whogoard, in Juno's fane, j^qgathj^rMprey^
In one huge heap the Trojan wic^Ub wan roiled*
Refulgent robes, and bowU of vofi^fOj gold* .
4 pile of ubles on the pavement nodf >
SnatchM from the blazing temi>l^pC tl^e gods.
A mighty train of shrieking mcf^hnni .bound,
Stood with their captive children frem)>Hng TOnodL
Yet more— rl boldly raise mST voiqa op^ high.
And in the shade on dear Creiisa qrf ;
Call on her name a thousand times jn vaiut
But still repeat the darling name again..
Thus wliile I rave and roll my searching eyei^
Solemn and slow I saw her shade arise,
The form enlarged majestic ^fi^OiVfd. along ;
Fear rais'd my hair, and lifrrpur clUin'd mf
.tongue:
Thus id i stood amaz'd, the h^av'nly /air
With tlieee mild accentf soothed my ^ercadespalre
" * Why with excess of sorrow favea in rain
My dearest lord, at what the goda ordnii^ ?
Oh could I share thy toila !-H>ttt ipte denies;
And Jove» dread Jove, t1^ sover6ign{Of Ibe ikick
In long, long exile, art thou doom'd to sweep
Seas alter seas, and plough tbe wat'ry deep-
Hesperia shall be thine, where Tyber glides
Through fruitful realms', and roUs in easy tides*
There shall tliy fates a happier lot piovidie,
A glorious empire, and a ro^'al bridev
Then let your sorrows for.Cffliisa cease ;
For know, I never shall he led to Greece ;
Nor feel the victor's chain, nor capjtive's 1'
A siave to some imperious Argive dame^
No ! — ^bom a princess, sprung from Heav'n abov^
Ally'd to Venus, and deriv'd liroro Jove,
Sar red from Greece, 'tis mine, in thcee abodes^
To 6er\-e the glorious mother of the gods.
Farewell ; and to our son thy caie approve.
Our son,, the pledge of our eomiputual love.'
** Thus she; and as I wept, and wi»h'd tositf
Ten thousand things, dissolvM in air away.
Thrice round her neck my eager arms I threw |
Til rice fipom my empty arms the pha
Swift as the wind, with momentary I
Swift as a fluting visioB.of Uie nigbi.
Digitized by VjOOQIC
OF vnt(}!t^\*;t^b. Book m.
547
Kow, da^'iptntmcHTft^, \o iny long*— *
Fromruin'd flion I rHbilirh a^in ;
Tb mbom, iffhb wonder and sorprise
A mighty crowd of new co|hpanions ,
A host cif willing etfles round tne sCa
Matroto, and mm, a roiserable hai
Eager the wretch*^'potir from eVcty
To share my fbrttme^ on th(* fakmy
Valiant, and arm'd; ' my con*(Joct th
To featl imdtix them on som^ fbrt-igi
And now, o'er Ida with an earif rai
FUiiie« tl0e bri^tht^K that leads t
No hopes of aid in yiew^ apd every (
Poiiest by Greece, .'at len«>i T yield
Safe o'er tb^hill my father I convc;
And bear the Venei^ble load a;way.**
tka. r....^ .
VIRGIJl'S jpy$ip.
JRvtAt , p^fo<^eeds In his relation : h
couni of the fleet in wliich he s
•access of his Qrit vqyage to
tbe;ice b^, directs his course to I
the oracle ^hat place the gods
fo^ iiis habitation f iy <|,mistakc
answer, he settles in Crete; his
give hifn the tnie sense of tlie ora
He ibUow;' their advice, and* ma
his wajf fbr Itajyv he ,|s casi on
and meets wit^ very ^urprisipg' t
at leni^h.he Iqiv^s on. Sicily ;,w1
Anchisee dies- jTbis is the playe
sailing from, wh(;p the t^mpo^t i
him upon) the Carthagini^^n coast
" Wbb!i Heav'Q destroyed, by too
The throne of Wfamj and' the Phry
WhenTreyv though Keptm*^ tais'd
round.
The prider of AftTa, iatcH^ upon the
WewW??litln ttw^C ir*)iidii»>nt^=il
CaH'dbytK^'rtiidhVgotrtfenl 6f th6= i
Secret, a so^wen naVy Wfe pbrtl^e,'
JBcm^h Antaikfros; aV^i the hills o
Doubtful, where ^ifeat'n would fik <
Oar gathered pow'r^ )pi¥pAii« to plou
Scarce had the summer ^t a genin
My sire commands the cfcnva^s to dl
And steer wherevetftiteshdti Id poin
With tears I leave the jpbt^, rpy na
And tl^ose dear ffelds; where f lion i
Anexird wretfch, I l^ad'tnto th^'f1<^
Mysoif, my'lVlendir, andallmyvai
** The wirfiKe thttitiaiji till fi bo
Sacred to M^rri, Ly<n/rgas' ancient
All^'a to Troy, yhfld Toft anf< townM
The same their ^dj^ and hospitable*
Thither, wHhf«t^a\4fse, my conn
And imisM i^ tdite ohid the wmdfng
Digitized by VjOOQIC
548
PITT'S TRANSLATIOM
Swift from tke port oor e«ger coone we ply,
And lands tod towns roll backward, as we fly.
^ '*' By Doris lor'd, and Ocean's azure god,
Lrai a Aiir Me amid th* .^can dood ;
Which Phoebus fix'd ; for once she wanderM rtund
The shores, and floated on the vast profound.
But now unmov*d, the peopled region hrares
Tbie roaring whirlwinds, and the furious Kavea.
Safa i« her open ports the sacred isle
RecelvM us, harrass'd with the naval toil.
Oui* revcr'nce due to Phopbus' town we pay,
Oe,
The hallowM tripods in the face of day.
Humbled' we fell ; then, prostrate or the ground.
We hear these accents in an awful sound :
• Ye f alia^t sons of Trc>y, the land that bore
Yoiir mij?hty ancestors to light before,
On(« more their great dettcendants shall embrace j^.
^^o— seek the ancient mother of your race.
There the wide world, Mnvfis^ house shall sway.
And down, from son to son, th' imperial power
tonvey.*
** Thus Phsrbus spoke; and joy iMmultuous ^*d
The thronging crowds ; and eager all eoquirM,
y>y}\at ^•a!^l, what town, his oracles ordain,
Where the kind god would fix the wand'ring train ?
Then in his mind my sire revolving o'er
The long, long records of the tinj«*h before :
* I.eam, ye a^tsembled petTS,' he cries, * from mc,
Tlio happy realm the laws of fate decree;
Fjiir Crete Imblimely tow'rs amid the doods,
Proud nurse of Jove, the rovtreign pf the gods.
There ancient hia stands, and thence we trace
The fintt memorials of the Trojan race ;
A hundrrnl citie.f th<' blest isle contains.
Anil Uiasts a vast extent of fruitful plains.
Hence our famM ani^e^tor, old Toucit, bore
His course, and :;ainM the fair Khaetean t^hore.
There the great chief the sieat of empire chose,
I?«-fore pixind Troy's majestic structures ro»e ;
Till then, if rightly I r«-eord the tqte.
Our n|d forefather's till'd th« lowly vale.
Fiom hence arriv'd the mother of the g«ii<«»
Hence lier loud cymbals and her sacn^d woods :
Hence, at her rites religious silence rcigtw,
And lions \*hirl her chariot oVr the plains.
1 hen fly we speedy where the j^ !s comni.ind.
Appease the winds, and seek thcCretaB land :
Nor distant is the ttioM; U Jcffthai tmtk,
Three days shall waft us to t^ Nisifiil We.'
** This said ; he slays the victims dqe, and Mi
In haste the smoking altars of the guds.
A bull to Pboibus, and a bull was slain
To thee, great Neptnne, mooaich of the mail :
A milkwhile ewe to e?*ry western brcexe,
A black, to ey'ry storm that sweeps the seili
Now fiime reports Idomeneus' retreat,
Expeird and banish'd from the throne ef Ostoi
Free f\rom the foe the TACsjit region by :
We leave the Delian sbere, and plough ths iat*iy
way.
By fruitful Nazos, o*er the Hood we fly,
Where to the Bacchanals the hills reply |
By green Donysa next and Paroa steer.
Where, white in air, her glittering rocks appesr.
Thence through the Cyclades the navy glides,
Whose clustVing islands stud the silver tides.
Loud shout the sailors, and to Crete we fly ;
* To Crete, our country,-' waa the general ciyk
Swift shoots the fleet before the (driving bbst,
And on the Cretan shore descends at last
" With eager speed I frame a town, and call
From ancient Pergamos the riiing wall.
Pleased with the name^ my Trojans I command
To raise strong tow'rs, and settle in the land.
Soon as our lusty youth the fleet could moor.
And draw the vessels on the sandy shore,
Som^ join th^ nuptial bands: with busy toil
Their fcllows plotiffh the n^w-diacover'd soil
To frame impartial laws I bend my cares.
Allot the dwellings, and assign the shares.
When 1o ! from standing air and poispnM skict,
A sodden plague with dire contagion flies.
On com find trees the dreadful pest began ;
And last the fierce infection seIzM on man.
They breathe their seuls in air ; or drag with pais
Their lives, now lengthenM out for wbes, in vaia ;
Their wonted food the blasted 6elds deny,
And the red dog-star fires the sultry sky.
My sire advisM, to measure back the main,
Onisult, and beg the Delian gt>d again
To end our woes, his Buccoiiv to display, -
And to our wand*rings point the certain way.
'* 'Twas night ; soft slumbers had the worid
poasest,
M^en, as f lay composed in pleasiof test.
Those gods I bore fr^m flaming Troy, ante
In awful figures to my wond'riug eyes :
Close at my couch they stoad, divinely height,
And sbone distinct by Cynthia's gleaming Ught
'llien, to dispel the cares that rack'd my hreait,
llirse words the visionary pow'rs addrest :
** * Those truths the god in DeJoa would Rpeiti
By us,, his envoys, he unfolds in Crete ;
By us, companions of thy an^ and thee.
From flaming llion o'er the swelling sea.
l/>d by otir care, shall thy descendants rise.
The world's majestic nionarcha, to the skies*
Then build thy city for imperial away.
And boldly take the long laborious way.
Forsake this region ; for the Delian pow*r
Assigned not for thy seat the Qnoasian short%
< >nce by CF.notrian8 tilld^ thexe lies a |ilaca»
TwaM callM Hesperta by the Grecian saoe ;
For martial d(*ods and fruits rcnoiKnM by tat(
Rut since, Italia, from the leader's naoM.
These are Uie native realms the &.tea aaiigai
Hence rose the fathess ofUt^fft^ line;
Digitized by VjOOQIC
or VIRGIL'S ^NEID. BOOK III.
549
Tbe frelt flstnt , spiting fh>fri H^ten abov^.
And anciMt Dsrdmnns, deriv*d from Jove,
Rile then, in haste these joyful tidings bear,
These trithi uoqaeationM to thy father's ear.
Begone— the fur Amonian realms explore,
For Jore himself denies the CreUn shore.'
" StniclcwKh the voice divine, and awful sight,
No ctqaitton dream, or vision of the night;
I Mv tbe wreaths, their features ; and a Aream
Of tnclcliog sweat ran down from every limb.
J sterted froas my bed, and rais'd on high
My hands and voice in rapture to the sky.
Then (to oar gods the due oblations paid)
Tbe fcene divine befofe my sire I laid.
Ut owns his otonr of each ancient place.
Our two gr^t founders, and the double race.
** 'My son.' he cry'd, * whom adverse fhtcs em-
Oh ! e^ercisM in all tbe woes of Troy ! Iploy t
Now I refliHJt, Cassandra*s word divine
Assigned these regions to the Dardan line.
But whosarmis'd, the sons of Troy should come
1\» fbir Hfsperia from their distant home ?
Or who gave cnedit to Cassandra's strain,
I>oom'd by the fktes to prophesy in vain ?
Pursue we now a surer, safer road,
By Pbtebos pointed, and obey the god.'
Glad we cov^y, and leave a few behind ;
Then spread our sails to catc^h the driving iiind ;
Forsake this realm ; the sparkling waves divide.
And the swift vessels shoot along the tide.
" Kow vaaish'd from our eyes tbe lessening
ground;
And all the wide horizon stretching round,
Atiove was sky, beneath was sea profound :
When, black'ning by degfebs, a gathering cloud,
Cbarg'd with big storms, flrown'd dreaded o'er the
flood.
And darken'd all the main ; the whirlwinds roar.
And roil the waves in mountains to the shore.
8iiatch'd by the furious gust, the vessels keep
Their road no more, but scatter o'er tbe deep :
The thunders roll, the ibrky lightnings fly ;
And Hi a burst of rain descends the sky.
Far from our course was dash'd the navy wide.
And dark we wander o'er the tossing tide.
Not skiKnl Palinuro in snch a sea,
So black with storms, distingnish'd night from day ;
Nor kneir to turn the helm, or point the way.
Three nights, without one guiding star in view.
Three dajrs, withont the Sun, the navy flew ;
The fourth, by dawn, the swelling shores we spy;
See tbe thin smokes, that melt into the sky.
And bluish hill;; just opening on the eye.
We ftirl the sails, with bending oars divide
Tbe fleshing wavcs^ and sweep the foamy tiJe.
*' Safe from the storm the Strophades I gain,
EIncircled by the vast Ionian main,
fcVhere dwelt Celamo with her harpy train ;
(tnoe Boreas' sons had chfls'd the direful guests
^rom Pfaineus' palace, and their wonted feasts.
tut lienda to scourge mankind, so flcrce, so fell,
If a v'n never aummonM from the depths of HcII ;
Sloated and gorg'd with prey, with wombs obscene,
bul paunches, and with ordure still unclean;
wirgrin face, with wings and hooky claws ;
>eatb in their eyes, and famine in their jaws.
•• IIm^ port we enter*d, and with joy beheld
uye herds of oxen graze the verdant field,
lid f«^edjn^ flocks of goats, withont a swain,
i4t raii^;^ at hirge, and bonnd along the plain ;
We seize, we slay, and to the oopi^iif feast
Call every gnd, and Jove himself a guest.
Then on tbe winding shore the Ubies pM^
And sat indulging in tbe rich rtpast ;
When firom the mountains, ttonibkB to Tiew,
On sounding wings tbe monster Harpies flew.
They taint the ban^nct with their touch abhdrr'd* •
Or snatch the smoking viands from the bonid.
A stench oflensive fbllews where they fly.
And loud they scream, and raise a drcadftil €17.
Thence to a cavern'd rock the train remove.
And the close shelter of a shady grove ;
Once more prepare the feast, the Ubles imis*}
Ohce more wiih fires tbe loaded altars blaca.
Again the fiends from their dark covert fljr,