In vain the fea's intruding tide

Europe from Afric shall divide,

And part the fever'd world in two:

Through Afric's fands their triumphs they fhall fpread,

And the long train of victories pursue

To Nile's yet undiscover'd head.

Riches the hardy foldier fhall defpife, And look on gold with un-defiring eyes, Nor the disbowell'd earth explore

In fearch of the forbidden ore;

Thofe glitt'ring ills conceal'd within the Mine,
Shall lye untouch'd, and innocently shine.
To the last bounds that nature fets,
The piercing colds and fultry heats,
The godlike race fhall fpread their arms;
Now fill the polar circle with alarms,

Till storms and tempefts their purfuits confine;
Now fweat for conqueft underneath the line.

This only law the victor fhall reftrain,
On these conditions fhall he reign;
If none his guilty hand employ
To build again a fecond Troy,
If none the rafh defign pursue,

Nor tempt the vengeance of the Gods anew.

A Curfe there cleaves to the devoted place, That fhall the new foundations rafe:

Greece fhall in mutual leagues confpire

To form the rifing town with fire,

And at their armies head my felf will show
What Juno, urged to all her rage, can do.

Thrice fhould Apollo's felf the city raise
And line it round with walls of brass,

Thrice fhould my fav'rite Greeks his works confound,
And hew the fhining fabrick to the ground;
Thrice fhould her captive dames to Greece return,
And their dead fons and flaughter'd husbands mourn.

But hold, my Mufe, forbear thy towering flight,
Nor bring the secrets of the Gods to light:
In vain would thy prefumptuous verse
Th' immortal rhetoric rehearfe;

The mighty strains, in Lyric numbers bound,
Forget their majefty, and lofe their found.

O VI D's

METAMORPHOSES

BOOK II.

The Story of PHAETON.

THE Sun's bright palace, on high columns rais'd,
With burnish'd gold and flaming jewels blaz'd ;

The folding gates diffus'd a filver light,
And with a milder gleam refresh'd the fight;
Of polish'd ivory was the cov'ring wrought:
The matter vied not with the fculptor's thought,
For in the portal was difplay'd on high
(The work of Vulcan) a fictitious sky;
A waving fea th' inferiour earth embrac'd,
And Gods and Goddeffes the waters grac❜d.
Egeon here a mighty whale beftrode ;
Triton, and Proteus (the deceiving God)
With Doris here were carv'd, and all her train,
Some loosely swimming in the figur'd main,

While fome on rocks their dropping hair divide.
And fome on fishes through the waters glide:
Tho' various features did the Sifters grace,
A Sifter's likeness was in every face.

On earth a different landskip courts the eyes,

Men, Towns, and Beafts, in diftant profpects rife,

And Nymphs, and Streams, and Woods, and rural Deities.
O'er all, the Heav'n's refulgent Image fhines;

On either gate were fix engraven figns.

Here Phaeton, ftill gaining on th' ascent,
To his fufpected father's palace went,
'Till preffing forward through the bright abode,
He faw at distance the illuftrious God:
He faw at diftance, or the dazling light
Had flafh'd too ftrongly on his aking fight.

The God fits high, exalted on a throne
Of blazing gems, with purple garments on
The Hours, in order rang'd on either hand,
And Days, and Months, and Years, and Ages, ftand
Here Spring appears with flow'ry chaplets bound;
Here Summer in her wheaten garland crown'd;
Here Autumn the rich trodden grapes besmear;
And hoary Winter fhivers in the reer.

Phoebus beheld the youth from off his thrones That eye, which looks on all, was fix'd on one.

VOL. I.

I

He

}

He faw the boy's confufion in his face,

Surpriz'd at all the wonders of the place;

And cries aloud, ". What wants my Son? for know "My Son thou art, and I must call thee fo.

Light of the world, the trembling youth replies, "Illustrious Parent fince you don't despise "The Parent's name, fome certain token give, "That I may Clymene's proud boast believe, Nor longer under falfe reproaches grieve.

The tender fire was touch'd with what he said, And flung the blaze of glories from his head, And bid the youth advance: " My Son, faid he, "Come to thy Father's arms! for Clymenè "Has told thee true; a Parent's name I own, "And deem thee worthy to be call'd my Son. "As a fure proof, make fome request, and I, "Whate'er it be, with that request comply; By Styx I fwear, whose waves are hid in night, "And roul impervious to my piercing fight.

The youth transported, asks without delay, To guide the Sun's bright chariot for a day.

The God repented of the oath he took, For anguish thrice his radiant head he fhook:

"My