Raternas acies, alternaque regna profanis
Decertata odiis, fontesque evolvere Thebas,
Pierius menti calor incidit. Unde jubetis
Ire, Deae? gentisne canam primordia dirae?
Sidonios raptus, et inexorabile pactum
Legis Agenoreae? scrutantemque aequora Cadmum?
Longa retro series, trepidum fi Martis operti
Agricolam infandis condentem praelia fulcis
Expediam, penitusque sequar quo carmine muris
Jusserit Amphion Tyrios accedere montes:
Unde graves irae cognata in moenia Baccho
Quod faevae Junonis opus; cui fumpferit arcum
Raternal rage, the guilty Thebes' alarms,
Th'alternate reign destroy'd by impious arms,
Demand our fong; a facred fury fires
My ravish'd breast, and all the Muse inspires.
O Goddess, say, shall I deduce my rhimes
From the dire nation in its early times,
Europa's rape, Agenor's stern decree,
And Cadmus searching round the spacious fea?
How with the ferpent's teeth he fow'd the foil,
And reap'd an iron harvest of his toil?
Or how from joining stones the city sprung,
While to his harp divine Amphion sung ?
Or shall I Juno's hate to Thebes refound,
Whose fatal rage th' unhappy Monarch found?
Infelix Athamas, cur non expaverit ingens
Ionium, socio cafura Palaemone mater.
Atque adeo jam nunc gemitus, et profpera Cadmi
Praeteriisse finam: limes mihi carminis esto
Oedipodae confusa domus: quando Itala nondum
Signa, nec Arctoos aufim fperare triumphos,
Bisque jugo Rhenum, bis adactum legibus Istrum,
Et conjurato dejectos vertice Dacos:
Aut defensa prius vix pubefcentibus annis
Bella Jovis. Tuque o Latiae decus addite famae,
Quem nova maturi fubeuntem exorsa parentis
Aeternum sibi Roma cupit: licet arctior omnes
Limes agat stellas, et te plaga lucida coeli
Pleïadum, Boreaeque, et hiulci fulminis expers
Sollicitet; licet ignipedum frenator equorum
Ipfe tuis alte radiantem crinibus arcum
Imprimat, aut magni cedat tibi Jupiter aequa
The fire against the son his arrows drew,
O'er the wide fields the furious mother flew,
And while her arms a second hope contain,
Sprung from the rocks and plung'd into the main.
But wave whate'er to Cadmus may belong,
And fix, O Muse! the barrier of thy fong
At Oedipus - from his disasters trace
The long confufions of his guilty race:
Nor yet attempt to stretch thy bolder wing,
And mighty Cæfar's conqu'ring eagles fing;
How twice he tam'd proud Ister's rapid flood,
While Dacian mountains stream'd with barb'rous
Twice taught the Rhine beneath his laws to roll,
And stretch'd his empire to the frozen Pole,
Or long before, with early valour ftrove,
In youthful arms t'assert the cause of Jove.
And Thou, great Heir of all thy father's fame,
Encrease of glory to the Latian name!
O bless thy Rome with an eternal reign,
Nor let defiring worlds entreat in vain.
What tho' the stars contract their heav'nly space, 35
And croud their shining ranks to yield thee place;
Tho' all the fries, ambitious of thy fway,
Conspire to court thee from our world away;
Tho' Phœbus longs to mix his rays with thine
And in thy glories more serenely shine;
Tho' Jove himself no less content would be
To part his throne and share his heav'n with thee;
Parte poli; maneas hominum contentus habenis,
Undarum terraeque potens, et fidera dones.
Tempus erit, cum Pierio tua fortior ceftro
Facta canam: nunc tendo chelyn. fatis arma referre
Aonia, et geminis sceptrum exitiale tyrannis,
Nec furiis poft fata modum, flammasque rebelles
Seditione rogi, tumulisque carentia regum
Funera, et egestas alternis mortibus urbes;
Caerula cum rubuit Lernaeo sanguine Dirce,
Et Thetis arentes assuetum stringere ripas,
Horruit ingenti venientem Ismenon acervo.
Quem prius heroum Clio dabis? immodicum irae
Tydea? laurigeri fubitos an vatis hiatus?
Urget et hoftilem propellens caedibus amnem
Turbidus Hippomedon, plorandaque bella protervi
Arcados, atque alio Capaneus horrore canendus.
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