headlong down The Trojan fix'd his view And scarcely through the gloom the sullen Shadow knew Then thus the Prince What envious Pow'r O Friend Brought your lov'd life to this disastrous end For Phoebus ever true in all he said Has in your fate alone my Faith betray'd The God foretold you shou'd not die before You reach'd secure from Seas th' Italian Shore Is this th' unerring Pow'r The Ghost reply'd Nor Phoebus flatter'd nor his Answers ly'd Nor envious Gods have sent me to the Deep But while the Stars and course of Heav'n I keep My weary'd Eyes were seiz'd with fatal sleep I fell and with my weight the Helm constrain'd Was drawn along which yet my gripe retain'd Now by the Winds and raging Waves I swear Your Safety more than mine was then my Care Lest of the Guide bereft the Rudder lost Your Ship shou'd run against the the rocky Coast Three blust'ring Nights born by the Southern blast I floated and discover'd Land at last High on a Mounting Wave my head I bore Forcing my Strength and gath'ring to the Shore Panting but but past the danger now I seiz'd The Craggy Cliffs and my tyr'd Members eas'd While cumber'd with my dropping Cloaths I lay The cruel Nation covetous of Prey Stain'd with my Blood th' unhospitable Coast And now by Winds and Waves my lifeless Limbs are tost Which O avert by yon Etherial Light Which I have lost for this eternal Night Or if by dearer tyes you may be won By your dead Sire and by your living Son Redeem from this Reproach my wand'ring Ghost Or with your Navy seek the Velin Coast And in a peaceful Grave my Corps compose Or if a nearer way your Mother shows Without whose Aid you durst not undertake This frightful Passage o're the Stygian Lake Lend to this Wretch your Hand and waft him o're To the sweet Banks of yon forbidden Shore Scarce had he said the Prophetess began What Hopes delude thee miserable Man Think'st thou thus unintomb'd to cross the Floods To view the Furies and Infernal Gods And visit without leave the dark abodes Attend the term of long revolving Years Fate and the dooming Gods are deaf to Tears This Comfort of thy dire Misfortune take The Wrath of Heav'n inflicted for thy sake With Vengeance shall pursue th' inhumane Coast Till they propitiate thy offended Ghost And raise a Tomb with Vows and solemn Pray'r And Palinurus name the Place shall bear This calm'd his Cares sooth'd with his future Fame And pleas'd to hear his propagated Name Now nearer to the Stygian Lake they draw Whom from the Shore the surly Boatman saw Observ'd their Passage thro' the shady Wood And mark'd their near Approaches to the Flood Then thus he call'd aloud inflam'd with Wrath Mortal what e're who this forbidden Path In Arms presum'st to tread I charge thee stand And tell thy Name and Buis'ness in the Land Know this the Realm of Night the Stygian Shore My Boat conveys no living Bodies o're Nor was I pleas'd great Theseus once to bear Who forc'd a Passage with his pointed Spear Nor strong Alcides Men of mighty Fame And from th' immortal Gods their Lineage came In Fetters one the barking Porter ty'd And took him trembling from his Sov'raign's side Two sought by Force to seize his beauteous Bride To whom the Sibyl thus compose thy Mind Nor Frauds are here contriv'd nor Force design'd Still may the Dog the wand'ring Troops constrain Of Airy Ghosts and vex the guilty Train And with her grisly Lord his lovely Queen remain The Trojan Chief whose Lineage is from Jove Much fam'd for Arms and more for filial Love Is sent to seek his Sire in your Elisian Grove If neither Piety nor Heav'n's Command Can gain his Passage to the Stygian Strand This fatal Present shall prevail at least Then shew'd the shining Bough conceal'd within her Vest No more was needful for the gloomy God Stood mute with Awe to see the Golden Rod Admir'd the destin'd Off'ring to his Queen A venerable Gift so rarely seen His Fury thus appeas'd he puts to Land The Ghosts forsake their Seats at his Command He clears the Deck receives the mighty Freight The leaky Vessel groans beneath the weight Slowly he sails and scarcely stems the Tides The pressing Water pours within her sides His Passengers at length are wafted o're Expos'd in muddy Weeds upon the miry Shore No sooner landed in his Den they found The triple Porter of the Stygian Sound Grim Cerberus who soon began to rear His crested Snakes and arm'd his bristling Hair The prudent Sibyl had before prepar'd A Sop in Honey steep'd to charm the Guard Which mix'd with pow'rful Drugs she cast before His greedy grinning Jaws just op'd to roar With three enormous Mouths he gapes and streight With Hunger prest devours the pleasing Bait. Long draughts of Sleep his monstrous Limbs enslave He reels and falling fills the spacious Cave The Keeper charm'd the Chief without Delay Pass'd on and took th' irremeable way Before the Gates the Cries of Babes new born Whom Fate had from their tender Mothers torn Assault his Ears Then those whom Form of Laws Condemn'd to die when Traitors judg'd their Cause Nor want they Lots nor Judges to review The wrongful Sentence and award a new Minos the strict Inquisitor appears And Lives and Crimes with his Assessors hears Round in his Urn the blended Balls he rowls Absolves the Just and dooms the Guilty Souls The next in Place and Punishment are they Who prodigally throw their Souls away Fools who repining at their wretched State And loathing anxious life suborn'd their Fate With late Repentance now they wou'd retrieve The Bodies they forsook and wish to live Their Pains and Poverty desire to bear To view the Light of Heav'n and breath the vital Air But Fate forbids the Stygian Floods oppose And with nine circling Streams the captive Souls inclose Not far from thence the mournful Fields appear So call'd from Lovers that inhabit there The Souls whom that unhappy Flame invades In secret Solitude and Myrtle Shades Make endless Moans and pining with Desire Lament too late their unextinguish'd Fire Here Procris Eryphile here he found Baring her Breast yet bleeding with the Wound Made by her Son He saw Pasiphae there With Phaedra's Ghost a foul incestuous pair Chast Laodamia with Evadne moves Unhappy both but loyal in their Loves Caeneus a Woman once and once a Man But ending in the Sex she first began Not far from these Phoenician Dido stood Fresh from her Wound her Bosom bath'd in Blood Whom when the Trojan Heroe hardly knew Obscure in Shades and with a doubtful view Doubtful as he who sees thro' dusky Night Or thinks he sees the Moon 's uncertain Light With Tears he first approach'd the sullen Shade And as his Love inspir'd him thus he said Unhappy Queen then is the common breath Of Rumour true in your reported Death And I alas the Cause by Heav'n I vow And
Brows of Phoebus his own Bays adorn The branching Vine the jolly Bacchus loves The Cyprian Queen delights in Mirtle Groves With Hazle Phillis crowns her flowing Hair And while she loves that common Wreath to wear Nor Bays nor Myrtle Bows with Hazle shall compare THYRSIS The towring Ash is fairest in the Woods In Gardens Pines and Poplars by the Floods But if my Lycidas will ease my Pains And often visit our forsaken Plains To him the tow'ring Ash shall yield in Woods In Gardens Pines and Poplars by the Floods MELIBOEUS I 've heard and Thyrsis you contend in vain For Corydon young Corydon shall reign The Prince of Poets on the Mantuan Plain The Eighth Pastoral OR PHARMACEUTRIA The Argument This Pastoral contains the Songs of Damon and Alphesiboeus The first of 'em bewails the loss of his Mistress and repines at the Success of his Rival Mopsus The other repeats the Charms of some Enchantress who endeavour'd by her Spells and Magic to make Daphnis in Love with her To the Rig t Hon ble Charles Ld Clifford Baron of Lounsbrough in the County of York past 8 THE mournful Muse of two despairing Swains The Love rejected and the Lovers ' pains To which the salvage Linxes listning stood The Rivers stood on heaps and stop'd the running Flood The hungry Herd their needful Food refuse Of two despairing Swains I sing the mournful Muse Great Pollio thou for whom thy Rome prepares The ready Triumph of thy finish'd Wars Whither Timavus or th' Illirian Coast Whatever Land or Sea thy presence boast Is there an hour in Fate reserv'd for me To Sing thy Deeds in Numbers worthy thee In numbers like to thine cou'd I rehearse Thy lofty Tragick Scenes thy labour'd Verse The World another Sophocles in thee Another Homer shou'd behold in me Amidst thy Laurels let this Ivy twine Thine was my earlyest Muse my latest shall be thine Scarce from our upper World the Shades withdrew Scarce were the Flocks refresh'd with Morning Dew When Damon stretch'd beneath an Olive Shade And wildly staring upwards thus inveigh'd Against the conscious Gods and curs'd the cruel Maid Star of the Morning why dost thou delay Come Lucifer drive on the lagging Day While I my Nisa's perjur'd Faith deplore Witness ye Pow'rs by whom she falsly swore The Gods alas are Witnesses in vain Yet shall my dying Breath to Heav'n complain Begin with me my Flute the sweet Maenalian Strain The Pines of Maenalus the vocal Grove Are ever full of Verse and full of Love They hear the Hinds they hear their God complain Who suffer'd not the Reeds to rise in vain Begin with me my Flute the sweet Maenalian Strain Mopsus triumphs he weds the willing Fair When such is Nisa's choice what Lover can despair Now Griffons join with Mares another Age Shall see the Hound and Hind their Thirst asswage Promiscuous at the Spring Prepare the Lights O Mopsus and perform the bridal Rites Scatter thy Nuts among the scrambling Boys Thine is the Night and thine the Nuptial Joys For thee the Sun declines O happy Swain Begin with me my Flute the sweet Maenalian Strain O Nisa Justly to thy Choice condemn'd Whom hast thou taken whom hast thou contemn'd For him thou hast refus'd my browzing Herd Scorn'd my thick Eye-brows and my shaggy Beard Unhappy Damon sighs and sings in vain While Nisa thinks no God regards a Lover's pain Begin with me my Flute the sweet Maenalian Strain I view'd thee first how fatal was the View And led thee where the ruddy Wildings grew High on the planted hedge and wet with Morning Dew Then scarce the bending Branches I cou'd win The callow Down began to cloath my Chin I saw I perish'd yet indulg'd my Pain Begin with me my Flute the sweet Maenalian Strain I know thee Love in Desarts thou wert bred And at the Dugs of Salvage Tygers fed Alien of Birth Usurper of the Plains Begin with me my Flute the sweet Maenalian Strains Relentless Love the cruel Mother led The Blood of her unhappy Babes to shed Love lent the Sword the Mother struck the blow Inhuman she but more inhuman thou Alien of Birth Usurper of the Plains Begin with me my Flute the sweet Maenalian Strains Old doting Nature change thy Course anew And let the trembling Lamb the Wolf pursue Let Oaks now glitter with Hesperian Fruit And purple Daffodils from Alder shoot Fat Amber let the Tamarisk distil And hooting Owls contend with Swans in Skill Hoarse Tity'rus strive with Orpheus in the Woods And challenge fam'd Arion on the Floods Or oh let Nature cease and Chaos reign Begin with me my Flute the sweet Maenalian Strain Let Earth be Sea and let the whelming Tide The lifeless Limbs of luckless Damon hide Farewel ye secret Woods and shady Groves Haunts of my Youth and conscious of my Loves From yon high Cliff I plunge into the Main Take the last Present of thy dying Swain And cease my silent Flute the sweet Maenalian Strain Now take your Turns ye Muses to rehearse His Friend's Complaint and mighty Magick Verse Bring running Water bind those Altars round With Fillets and with Vervain strow the Ground Make fat with Frankincense the sacred Fires To re-inflame my Daphnis with Desires 'T is done we want but Verse Restore my Charms My lingring Daphnis to my longing Arms. Pale Phoebe drawn by Verse from Heav'n descends And Circe chang'd with Charms Ulysses Friends Verse breaks the Ground and penetrates the Brake And in the winding Cavern splits the Snake Verse fires the frozen Veins Restore my Charms My lingring Daphnis to my longing Arms. Around his waxen Image first I wind Three woollen Fillets of three Colours join'd Thrice bind about his thrice devoted head Which round the sacred Altar thrice is led Unequal Numbers please the Gods my Charms Restore my Daphnis to my longing Arms. Knit with three knots the Fillets knit 'em streight And say These Knots to Love I consecrate Haste Amaryllis haste restore my Charms My lovely Daphnis to my longing Arms. As Fire this Figure hardens made of Clay And this of Wax with Fire consumes away Such let the Soul of cruel Daphnis be Hard to the rest of Women soft to me Crumble the sacred Mole of Salt and Corn Next in the Fire the Bays with Brimstone burn And while it crackles in the Sulphur say This I for Daphnis burn thus Daphnis burn away This Laurel is his Fate Restore my Charms My lovely Daphnis to my longing Arms. As when the raging Heyfar through the Grove Stung with Desire pursues her wand'ring Love Faint at the last she seeks the weedy Pools To quench her thirst and on the Rushes rowls Careless of Night unmindful to return Such fruitless Fires perfidious Daphnis burn While I so scorn his Love Restore my Charms My lingring Daphnis to my longing Arms. These Garments once were his and left to me The Pledges of his promis'd Loyalty Which underneath my Threshold I bestow These Pawns O
the Fair Sex however if they had the Desertour in their power wou'd certainly have shewn him no more mercy than the Bacchanals did Orpheus For if too much Constancy may be a fault sometimes then want of Constancy and Ingratitude after the last Favour is a Crime that never will be forgiven But of Machines more in their proper place where I shall shew with how much judgment they have been us'd by Virgil and in the mean time pass to another Article of his defence on the present Subject where if I cannot clear the Heroe I hope at least to bring off the Poet for here I must divide their Causes Let Aeneas trust to his Machine which will only help to break his Fall but the Address is incomparable Plato who borrow'd so much from Homer and yet concluded for the Banishment of all Poets wou'd at least have Rewarded Virgil before he sent him into Exile But I go farther and say that he ought to be acquitted and deserv'd beside the Bounty of Augustus and the gratitude of the Roman People If after this the Ladies will stand out let them remember that the Jury is not all agreed for Octavia was of his Party and was also of the first Quality in Rome she was present at the reading of the Sixth Aeneid and we know not that she condemn'd Aeneas but we are sure she presented the Poet for his admirable Elegy on her Son Marcellus But let us consider the secret Reasons which Virgil had for thus framing this Noble Episode wherein the whole passion of Love is more exactly describ'd than in any other Poet. Love was the Theme of his Fourth Book and though it is the shortest of the whole Aeneis yet there he has given its beginning its progress its traverses and its conclusion And had exhausted so entirely this Subject that he cou'd resume it but very slightly in the Eight ensuing Books She was warm'd with the graceful appearance of the Heroe she smother'd those Sparkles out of decency but Conversation blew them up into a Flame Then she was forc'd to make a Confident of her whom she best might trust her own Sister who approves the passion and thereby augments it then succeeds her publick owning it and after that the consummation Of Venus and Juno Jupiter and Mercury I say nothing for they were all Machining work but possession having cool'd his Love as it increas'd hers she soon perceiv'd the change or at least grew suspicious of a change this suspicion soon turn'd to Jealousie and Jealousie to Rage then she disdains and threatens and again is humble and intreats and nothing availing despairs curses and at last becomes her own Executioner See here the whole process of that passion to which nothing can be added I dare go no farther lest I shou'd lose the connection of my Discourse To love our Native Country and to study its Benefit and its Glory to be interessed in its Concerns is Natural to all Men and is indeed our common Duty A Poet makes a farther step for endeavouring to do honour to it 't is allowable in him even to be partial in its Cause for he is not ty'd to truth or fetter'd by the Laws of History Homer and Tasso are justly prais'd for chusing their Heroes out of Greece and Italy Virgil indeed made his a Trojan but it was to derive the Romans and his own Augustus from him but all the three Poets are manifestly partial to their Heroes in favour of their Country For Dares Phrygius reports of Hector that he was slain Cowardly Aeneas according to the best account slew not Mezentius but was slain by him and the Chronicles of Italy tell us little of that Rinaldo d'Estè who Conquers Jerusalem in Tasso He might be a Champion of the Church but we know not that he was so much as present at the Siege To apply this to Virgil he thought himself engag'd in Honour to espouse the Cause and Quarrel of his Country against Carthage He knew he cou'd not please the Romans better or oblige them more to Patronize his Poem than by disgracing the Foundress of that City He shews her ungrateful to the Memory of her first Husband doting on a Stranger enjoy'd and afterwards forsaken by him This was the Original says he of the immortal hatred betwixt the two Rival Nations 'T is true he colours the falsehood of Aeneas by an express Command from Jupiter to forsake the Queen who had oblig'd him but he knew the Romans were to be his Readers and them he brib'd perhaps at the expence of his Heroe's honesty but he gain'd his Cause however as Pleading before Corrupt Judges They were content to see their Founder false to Love for still he had the advantage of the Amour It was their Enemy whom he forsook and she might have forsaken him if he had not got the start of her she had already forgotten her Vows to her Sichaeus and varium mutabile semper femina is the sharpest Satire in the fewest words that was ever made on Womankind for both the Adjectives are Neuter and Animal must be understood to make them Grammar Virgil does well to put those words into the mouth of Mercury If a God had not spoken them neither durst he have written them nor I translated them Yet the Deity was forc'd to come twice on the same Errand and the second time as much a Heroe as Aeneas was he frighted him It seems he fear'd not Jupiter so much as Dido For your Lordship may observe that as much intent as he was upon his Voyage yet he still delay'd it 'till the Messenger was oblig'd to tell him plainly that if he weigh'd not Anchor in the Night the Queen wou'd be with him in the Morning Notumque furens quid femina possit she was Injur'd she was Revengeful she was Powerful The Poet had likewise before hinted that her People were naturally perfidious For he gives their Character in their Queen and makes a Proverb of Punica fides many Ages before it was invented Thus I hope my Lord that I have made good my Promise and justify'd the Poet whatever becomes of the false Knight And sure a Poet is as much priviledg'd to lye as an Ambassador for the Honour and Interest of his Country at least as Sir Henry Wootton has defin'd This naturally leads me to the defence of the Famous Anachronism in making Aeneas and Dido Contemporaries For 't is certain that the Heroe liv'd almost two hundred years before the Building of Carthage One who imitates Bocaline says that Virgil was accus'd before Apollo for this Error The God soon found that he was not able to defend his Favourite by Reason for the Case was clear he therefore gave this middle Sentence That any thing might be allow'd to his Son Virgil on the account of his other Merits That being a Monarch he had a dispensing Power and pardon'd him But that this special Act of Grace might never be drawn
imprinted in her Heart Improve the Passion and increase the Smart Now when the Purple Morn had chas'd away The dewy Shadows and restor'd the Day Her Sister first with early Care she sought And thus in mournful Accents eas'd her Thought My dearest Anna what new Dreams affright My lab'ring Soul what Visions of the Night Disturb my Quiet and distract my Breast With strange Ideas of our Trojan Guest His Worth his Actions and Majestick Air A Man descended from the Gods declare Fear never harbours in a Noble Mind But Modesty with just Assurance join'd To y e Right Hon ble John Earle of Exeter Baron Coecill of Burleigh ct AE 4. l 1. Then what he suffer'd when by Fate betray'd What brave Attempts for falling Troy he made Such were his Looks so gracefully he spoke That were I not resolv'd against the Yoke Of hapless Marriage never to be curs'd With second Love so fatal was my first To this one Error I might yield again For since Sichaeus was untimely slain This onely Man is able to subvert The fix'd Foundations of my stubborn Heart And to confess my Frailty to my shame Somewhat I find within if not the same Too like the Sparkles of my former Flame But first let yawning Earth a Passage rend And let me through the dark Abyss descend First let avenging Jove with Flames from high Drive down this Body to the neather Sky Condemn'd with Ghosts in endless Night to lye Before I break the plighted Faith I gave No he who had my Vows shall ever have For whom I lov'd on Earth I worship in the Grave She said the Tears ran gushing from her Eyes And stop'd her Speech her Sister thus replies O dearer than the vital Air I breath Will you to Grief your blooming Years bequeath Condem'd to wast in Woes your lonely Life Without the Joys of Mother or of Wife Think you these Tears this pompous Train of Woe Are known or valu'd by the Ghosts below I grant that while your Sorrows yet were green It well became a Woman and a Queen The Vows of Tyrian Princes to neglect To scorn Hyarbas and his Love reject With all the Lybian Lords of mighty Name But will you fight against a pleasing Flame This little Spot of Land which Heav'n bestows On ev'ry side is hemm'd with warlike Foes Getulian Cities here are spread around And fierce Numidians there your Frontiers bound Here lies a barren Wast of thirsty Land And there the Syrtes raise the moving Sand Barcaean Troops befiege the narrow Shore And from the Sea Pigmalion threatens more Propitious Heav'n and gracious Juno lead This wand'ring Navy to your needful Aid How will your Empire spread your City rise From such an Union and with such Allies Implore the Favour of the Pow'rs above And leave the Conduct of the rest to Love Continue still your hospitable way And still invent occasions of their Stay 'Till Storms and winter Winds shall cease to threat And Plancks and Oars repair their shatter'd Fleet. These Words which from a Friend and Sister came With Ease resolv'd the Scruples of her Fame And added Fury to the kindled Flame Inspir'd with Hope the Project they pursue On ev'ry Altar Sacrifice renew A chosen Ewe of two Years old they pay To Ceres Bacchus and the God of Day Preferring Juno's Pow'r For Juno ties The Nuptial Knot and makes the Marriage Joys The beauteous Queen before her Altar stands And holds the Golden Goblet in her Hands A milk-white Heifar she with Flow'rs adorns And pours the ruddy Wine betwixt her Horns To the Lady Mary Giffard AE 4. l. 80. And while the Priests with Pray'r the Gods invoke She feeds their Altars with Sabaean Smoke With hourly Care the Sacrifice renews And anxiously the panting Entrails Views What Priestly Rites alas what Pious Art What Vows avail to cure a bleeding Heart A gentle Fire she feeds within her Veins Where the soft God secure in silence reigns Sick with desire and seeking him she loves From Street to Street the raving Dido roves So when the watchful Shepherd from the Blind Wounds with a random Shaft the careless Hind Distracted with her pain she flies the Woods Bounds o're the Lawn and seeks the silent Floods With fruitless Care for still the fatal Dart Sticks in her side and ranckles in her Heart And now she leads the Trojan Chief along The lofty Walls amidst the buisie Throng Displays her Tyrian Wealth and rising Town Which Love without his Labour makes his own This Pomp she shows to tempt her wond'ring Guest Her falt'ring Tongue forbids to speak the rest When Day declines and Feasts renew the Night Still on his Face she feeds her famish'd sight She longs again to hear the Prince relate His own Adventures and the Trojan Fate He tells it o're and o're but still in vain For still she begs to hear it once again The Hearer on the Speaker's Mouth depends And thus the Tragick Story never ends Then when they part when Phoebe's paler Light Withdraws and falling Stars to Sleep invite She last remains when when ev'ry Guest is gone Sits on the Bed he press'd and sighs alone Absent her absent Heroe sees and hears Or in her Bosom young Ascanius bears And seeks the Father's Image in the Child If Love by Likeness might be so beguil'd Mean time the rising Tow'rs are at a stand No Labours exercise the youthful Band Nor use of Arts nor Toils of Arms they know The Mole is left unfinish'd to the Foe The Mounds the Works the Walls neglected lye And left unbuilt are shorter of the Sky But when Imperial Juno from above Saw Dido fetter'd in the Chains of Love Hot with the Venom which her Veins inflam'd And by no sense of Shame to be reclaim'd With soothing Words to Venus she begun High Praises endless Honours you have won And mighty Trophees with your worthy Son Two Gods a silly Woman have undone Nor am I ignorant you both suspect This rising City which my Hands erect But shall Coelestial Discord never cease 'T is better ended in a lasting Peace You stand possess'd of all your Soul desir'd Poor Dido with consuming Love is fir'd Your Trojan with my Tyrian let us join So Dido shall be yours Aeneas mine One common Kingdom one united Line Elisa shall a Dardan Lord obey And lofty Carthage for a Dow'r convey Then Venus who her hidden Fraud descry'd Which wou'd the Scepter of the World misguide To Lybian Shores thus artfully reply'd Who but a Fool wou'd Wars with Juno chuse And such Alliance and such Gifts refuse If Fortune with our joint Desires comply The Doubt is all from Jove and Destiny Lest he forbid with absolute Command To mix the People in one common Land Or will the Trojan and the Tyrian Line In lasting Leagues and sure Succession join But you the Partner of his Bed and Throne May move his Mind my Wishes are your own Mine said Imperial Juno be the Care Time urges now to
and I go A glorious Name among the Ghosts below A lofty City by my Hands is rais'd Pygmalion punish'd and my Lord appeas'd What cou'd my Fortune have afforded more Had the false Trojan never touch'd my Shore Then kiss'd the Couch and must I die she said And unreveng'd 't is doubly to be dead Yet ev'n this Death with Pleasure I receive On any Terms 't is better than to live These Flames from far may the false Trojan view These boding Omens his base flight pursue She said and struck Deep enter'd in her side The piercing Steel with reeking Purple dy'd Clog'd in the Wound the cruel Weapon stands The spouting Blood came streaming on her Hands Her sad Attendants saw the deadly Stroke And with loud Cries the sounding Palace shook Distracted from the fatal sight they fled And thro the Town the dismal Rumor spread First from the frighted Court the Yell began Redoubled thence from House to House it ran The groans of Men with Shrieks Laments and Cries Of mixing Women mount the vaulted Skies Not less the Clamour than if ancient Tyre Or the new Carthage set by Foes on Fire The rowling Ruin with their lov'd Abodes Involv'd the blazing Temples of their Gods Her Sister hears and furious with Despair She beats her Breast and rends her yellow Hair And calling on Eliza's Name aloud Runs breathless to the Place and breaks the Crowd Was all that Pomp of Woe for this prepar'd These Fires this Fun'ral Pile these Altars rear'd Was all this Train of Plots contriv'd said she All only to deceive unhappy me Which is the worst didst thou in Death pretend To scorn thy Sister or delude thy Friend Thy summon'd Sister and thy Friend had come One Sword had serv'd us both one common Tomb. Was I to raise the Pile the Pow'rs invoke Not to be present at the fatal Stroke At once thou hast destroy'd thy self and me Thy Town thy Senate and thy Colony Bring Water bathe the Wound while I in death Lay close my Lips to hers and catch the flying Breath This said she mounts the Pile with eager haste And in her Arms the gasping Queen embrac'd Her Temples chaf'd and her own Garments tore To stanch the streaming Blood and cleanse the Gore Thrice Dido try'd to raise her drooping Head And fainting thrice fell grov'ling on the Bed Thrice op'd her heavy Eyes and sought the Light But having found it sicken'd at the sight And clos'd her Lids at last in endless Night Then Juno grieving that she shou'd sustain A Death so ling'ring and so full of Pain Sent Iris down to free her from the Strife Of lab'ring Nature and dissolve her Life For since she dy'd not doom'd by Heav'ns Decree Or her own Crime but Human Casualty And rage of Love that plung'd her in Despair The Sisters had not cut the topmost Hair Which Proserpine and they can only know Nor made her sacred to the Shades below Downward the various Goodess took her flight And drew a thousand Colours from the Light Then stood above the dying Lover's Head And said I thus devote thee to the dead This Off'ring to the Infernal Gods I bear Thus while she spoke she cut the fatal Hair The strugling Soul was loos'd and Life dissolv'd in Air. The Fifth Book of the Aeneis The Argument Aeneas setting sail from Africk is driven by a Storm on the Coasts of Sicily Where he is hospitably receiv'd by his friend Acestes King of part of the Island and born of Trojan Parentage He applies himself to celebrate the Memory of his Father with Divine Honours And accordingly institutes Funeral Games and appoints Prizes for those who shou'd conquer in them While the Ceremonies were performing Juno sends Iris to perswade the Trojan Women to burn the Ships who upon her instigation set fire to them which burnt four and would have consum'd the rest had not Jupiter by a miraculous Shower extinguish'd it Upon this Aeneas by the advice of one of his Generals and a Vision of his Father builds a City for the Women Old Men and others who were either unfit for War or weary of the Voyage and sails for Italy Venus procures of Neptune a safe Voyage for him and all his Men excepting only his Pilot Palinurus who was unfortunately lost To the most Illustrious Prince Charles Duke of S t Albans Master Falconer to his Ma ty and Captaine of y e Hon ble Band of Gen t Pensioners AE 5. l. 2. MEan time the Trojan cuts his wat'ry way Fix'd on his Voyage thro the curling Sea Then casting back his Eyes with dire Amaze Sees on the Punic Shore the mounting Blaze The Cause unknown yet his presaging Mind The Fate of Dido from the Fire divin'd He knew the stormy Souls of Woman-kind What secret Springs their eager Passions move How capable of Death for injur'd Love Dire Auguries from hence the Trojans draw 'Till neither Fires nor shining Shores they saw Now Seas and Skies their Prospect only bound An empty space above a floating Field around But soon the Heav'ns with shadows were o'respread A swelling Cloud hung hov'ring o're their Head Livid it look'd the threatning of a Storm Then Night and Horror Ocean's Face deform The Pilot Palinurus cry'd aloud What Gusts of Weather from that gath'ring Cloud My Thoughts presage e're yet the Tempest roars Stand to your Tackle Mates and stretch your Oars Contract your swelling Sails and luff to Wind The frighted Crew perform the Task assign'd Then to his fearless Chief not Heav'n said he Tho Jove himself shou'd promise Italy Can stem the Torrent of this raging Sea Mark how the shifting Winds from West arise And what collected Night involves the Skies Nor can our shaken Vessels live at Sea Much less against the Tempest force their way 'T is Fate diverts our Course and Fate we must obey Not far from hence if I observ'd aright The southing of the Stars and Polar Light Sicilia lies whose hospitable Shores In safety we may reach with strugling Oars Aeneas then reply'd too sure I find We strive in vain against the Seas and Wind Now shift your Sails What place can please me more Than what you promise the Sicilian Shore Whose hallow'd Earth Anchises Bones contains And where a Prince of Trojan Lineage reigns The Course resolv'd before the Western Wind They scud amain and make the Port assign'd Mean time Acestes from a lofty Stand Beheld the Fleet descending on the Land And not unmindful of his ancient Race Down from the Cliff he ran with eager Pace And held the Heroe in a strict Embrace Of a rough Lybian Bear the Spoils he wore And either Hand a pointed Jav'lin bore His Mother was a Dame of Dardan Blood His Sire Crinisus a Sicilian Flood He welcomes his returning Friends ashore With plenteous Country Cates and homely Store Now when the following Morn had chas'd away The flying Stars and light restor'd the Day Aeneas call'd the Trojan Troops around And thus bespoke them
Scholar After all I must confess that the Boorish Dialect of Theocritus has a secret charm in it which the Roman Language cannot imitate though Virgil has drawn it down as low as possibly he cou'd as in the Cujum pecus and some other words for which he was so unjustly blam'd by the bad Criticks of his Age who cou'd not see the Beauties of that merum Rus which the Poet describ'd in those expressions But Theocritus may justly be preferr'd as the Original without injury to Virgil who modestly contents himself with the second place and glories only in being the first who transplanted Pastoral into his own Country and brought it there to bear as happily as the Cherry-trees which Lucullus brought from Pontus Our own Nation has produc'd a third Poet in this kind not inferiour to the two former For the Shepherd's Kalendar of Spencer is not to be match'd in any Modern Language Not even by Tasso's Amynta which infinitely transcends Guarinis 's Pastor-Fido as having more of Nature in it and being almost wholly clear from the wretched affectation of Learning I will say nothing of the Pifcatory Eclogues because no modern Latin can bear Criticism 'T is no wonder that rolling down through so many barbarous Ages from the Spring of Virgil it bears along with it the filth and ordures of the Goths and Vandals Neither will I mention Monsieur Fontinelle the living Glory of the French 'T is enough for him to have excell'd his Master Lucian without attempting to compare our miserable Age with that of Virgil or Theocritus Let me only add for his reputation Si Pergama dextrâ Defendi possint etiam hâc defensa fuissent But Spencer being Master of our Northern Dialect and skill'd in Chaucer 's English has so exactly imitated the Doric of Theocritus that his Love is a perfect Image of that Passion which God infus'd into both Sexes before it was corrupted with the Knowledge of Arts and the Ceremonies of what we call good Manners My Lord I know to whom I dedicate And cou'd not have been induc'd by any motive to put this part of Virgil or any other into unlearned Hands You have read him with pleasure and I dare say with admiration in the Latine of which you are a Master You have added to your Natural Endowments which without flattery are Eminent the superstructures of Study and the knowledge of good Authors Courage Probity and Humanity are inherent in you These Vertues have ever been habitual to the Ancient House of Cumberland from whence you are descended and of which our Chronicles make so honourable mention in the long Wars betwixt the Rival Families of York and Lancaster Your Forefathers have asserted the Party which they chose 'till death and dy'd for its defence in the Fields of Battel You have besides the fresh remembrance of your Noble Father from whom you never can degenerate Nec imbellem feroces Progenerant Aquilam Columbae It being almost morally impossible for you to be other than you are by kind I need neither praise nor incite your Vertue You are acquainted with the Roman History and know without my information that Patronage and Clientship always descended from the Fathers to the Sons and that the same Plebeian Houses had recourse to the same Patrician Line which had formerly protected them and follow'd their Principles and Fortunes to the last So that I am your Lordship 's by descent and part of your Inheritance And the natural inclination which I have to serve you adds to your paternal right for I was wholly yours from the first moment when I had the happiness and honour of being known to you Be pleas'd therefore to accept the Rudiments of Virgil 's Poetry Coursely Translated I confess but which yet retains some Beauties of the Author which neither the barbarity of our Language nor my unskilfulness cou'd so much sully but that they appear sometimes in the dim mirrour which I hold before you The Subject is not unsuitable to your Youth which allows you yet to Love and is proper to your present Scene of Life Rural Recreations abroad and Books at home are the innocent Pleasures of a Man who is early Wise and gives Fortune no more hold of him than of necessity he must 'T is good on some occasions to think beforehand as little as we can to enjoy as much of the present as will not endanger our futurity and to provide our selves of the Vertuoso 's Saddle which will be sure to amble when the World is upon the hardest trott What I humbly offer to your Lordship is of this nature I wish it pleasant and am sure 't is innocent May you ever continue your esteem for Virgil and not lessen it for the faults of his Translatour who is with all manner of Respect and sense of Gratitude My Lord Your Lordship 's most Humble and most Obedient Servant JOHN DRYDEN THE LIFE OF Pub. Virgilius Maro VIRGIL was born at Mantua which City was built no less than Three Hundred Years before Rome and was the Capital of the New Hetruria as himself no less Antiquary than Poet assures us His Birth is said to have happen'd in the first Consulship of Pompey the Great and Lic Crassus but since the Relater of this presently after contradicts himself and Virgil's manner of Addressing to Octavius implies a greater difference of Age than that of Seven Years as appears by his First Pastoral and other places it is reasonable to set the Date of it something backward And the Writer of his Life having no certain Memorials to work upon seems to have pitched upon the two most Illustrious Consuls he could find about that time to signalize the Birth of so Eminent a Man But it is beyond all Question that he was Born on or near the Fifteenth of October Which Day was kept Festival in honour of his Memory by the Latin as the Birth-Day of Homer was by the Greek Poets And so near a resemblance there is betwixt the Lives of these two famous Epic Writers that Virgil seems to have follow'd the Fortune of the other as well as the Subject and manner of his Writing For Homer is said to have been of very mean Parents such as got their Bread by Day-labour so is Virgil. Homer is said to be Base Born so is Virgil. The former to have been born in the open Air in a Ditch or by the Bank of a River so is the latter There was a Poplar Planted near the place of Virgil's Birth which suddenly grew up to an unusual heighth and bulk and to which the Superstitious Neighbourhood attributed marvellous Vertue Homer had his Poplar too as Herodotus relates which was visited with great Veneration Homer is describ'd by one of the Ancients to have been of a slovenly and neglected Meen and Habit so was Virgil. Both were of a very delicate and sickly Constitution Both addicted to Travel and the study of Astrology Both had their Compositions
Maj t s Excheqr. and one of his Maj t s Most Hon ble Privy Councill Past 10. THY sacred Succour Arethusa bring To crown my Labour 't is the last I sing Which proud Lycoris may with Pity view The Muse is mournful tho' the Numbers few Refuse me not a Verse to Grief and Gallus due So may thy Silver Streams beneath the Tide Unmix'd with briny Seas securely glide Sing then my Gallus and his hopeless Vows Sing while my Cattle crop the tender Browze The vocal Grove shall answer to the Sound And Echo from the Vales the tuneful Voice rebound What Lawns or Woods withheld you from his Aid Ye Nymphs when Gallus was to Love betray'd To Love unpity'd by the cruel Maid Not steepy Pindus cou'd retard your Course Nor cleft Parnassus nor th' Aonian Source Nothing that owns the Muses cou'd suspend Your Aid to Gallus Gallus is their Friend For him the lofty Laurel stands in Tears And hung with humid Pearls the lowly Shrub appears Maenalian Pines the Godlike Swain bemoan When spread beneath a Rock he sigh'd alone And cold Lycaeus wept from every dropping Stone The Sheep surround their Shepherd as he lyes Blush not sweet Poet nor the name despise Along the Streams his Flock Adonis fed And yet the Queen of Beauty blest his Bed The Swains and tardy Neat-herds came and last Menalcas wet with beating Winter Mast Wond'ring they ask'd from whence arose thy Flame Yet more amaz'd thy own Apollo came Flush'd were his Cheeks and glowing were his Eyes Is she thy Care is she thy Care he cries Thy false Lycoris flies thy Love and thee And for thy Rival tempts the raging Sea The Forms of horrid War and Heav'ns Inclemency Sylvanus came his Brows a Country Crown Of Fennel and of nodding Lillies drown Great Pan arriv'd and we beheld him too His Cheeks and Temples of Vermilion Hue. Why Gallus this immod'rate Grief he cry'd Think'st thou that Love with Tears is satisfi'd The Meads are sooner drunk with Morning Dews The Bees with flow'ry Shrubs the Goats with Brouze Unmov'd and with dejected Eyes he mourn'd He paus'd and then these broken Words return'd 'T is past and Pity gives me no Relief But you Arcadian Swains shall sing my Grief And on your Hills my last Complaints renew So sad a Song is onely worthy you How light wou'd lye the Turf upon my Breast If you my Suff'rings in your Songs exprest Ah! that your Birth and Bus'ness had been mine To penn the Sheep and press the swelling Vine Had Phyllis or Amyntas caus'd my Pain Or any Nymph or Shepherd on the Plain Tho Phyllis brown tho black Amyntas were Are Violets not sweet because not fair Beneath the Sallows and the shady Vine My Loves had mix'd their pliant Limbs with mine Phyllis with Myrtle Wreaths had crown'd my Hair And soft Amyntas sung away my Care Come see what Pleasures in our Plains abound The Woods the Fountains and the flow'ry ground As you are beauteous were you half so true Here cou'd I live and love and dye with only you Now I to fighting Fields am sent afar And strive in Winter Camps with toils of War While you alas that I shou'd find it so To shun my sight your Native Soil forgo And climb the frozen Alps and tread th' eternal Snow Ye Frosts and Snows her tender Body spare Those are not Limbs for Ysicles to tear For me the Wilds and Desarts are my Choice The Muses once my Care my once harmonious Voice There will I sing forsaken and alone The Rocks and hollow Caves shall echo to my Moan The Rind of ev'ry Plant her Name shall know And as the Rind extends the Love shall grow Then on Arcadian Mountains will I chase Mix'd with the Woodland Nymphs the Salvage Race Nor Cold shall hinder me with Horns and Hounds To thrid the Thickets or to leap the Mounds And now methinks o're steepy Rocks I go And rush through sounding Woods and bend the Parthian Bow As if with Sports my Sufferings I could ease Or by my Pains the God of Love appease My Frenzy changes I delight no more On Mountain tops to chace the tusky Boar No Game but hopeless Love my thoughts pursue Once more ye Nymphs and Songs and sounding Woods adieu Love alters not for us his hard Decrees Not tho beneath the Thracian Clime we freeze Or Italy's indulgent Heav'n forgo And in mid-Winter tread Scythonian Snow Or when the Barks of Elms are scorch'd we keep On Meroes burning Plains the Lybian Sheep In Hell and Earth and Seas and Heav'n above Love conquers all and we must yield to Love My Muses here your sacred Raptures end The Verse was what I ow'd my suff'ring Friend This while I sung my Sorrows I deceiv'd And bending Osiers into Baskets weav'd The Song because inspir'd by you shall shine And Gallus will approve because 't is mine Gallus for whom my holy Flames renew Each hour and ev'ry moment rise in view As Alders in the Spring their Boles extend And heave so fiercely that the Bark they rend Now let us rise for hoarseness oft invades The Singer's Voice who sings beneath the Shades From Juniper unwholsom Dews distill That blast the sooty Corn the with'ring Herbage kill Away my Goats away for you have browz'd your fill TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE PHILIP Earl of Chesterfield c. My Lord I Cannot begin my Address to your Lordship better than in the words of Virgil Quod optanti Divum promittere Nemo Auderet volvenda Dies en attulit ultrò Seven Years together I have conceal'd the longing which I had to appear before you A time as tedious as Aeneas pass'd in his wandring Voyage before he reach'd the promis'd Italy But I consider'd that nothing which my meanness cou'd produce was worthy of your Patronage At last this happy Occasion offer'd of Presenting to you the best Poem of the best Poet. If I balk'd this opportunity I was in despair of finding such another and if I took it I was still uncertain whether you wou'd vouchsafe to accept it from my hands 'T was a bold venture which I made in desiring your permission to lay my unworthy Labours at your feet But my rashness has succeeded beyond my hopes And you have been pleas'd not to suffer an Old Man to go discontented out of the World for want of that protection of which he had been so long Ambitious I have known a Gentleman in disgrace and not daring to appear before King Charles the Second though he much desir'd it At length he took the confidence to attend a fair Lady to the Court and told His Majesty that under her protection he had presum'd to wait on him With the same humble confidence I present my self before your Lordship and attending on Virgil hope a gracious reception The Gentleman succeeded because the powerful Lady was his Friend but I have too much injur'd my great Author to expect he should intercede for me I wou'd have
sweet Embraces ah no longer thine She said and from his Eyes the fleeting Fair Retir'd like subtile Smoke dissolv'd in Air And left her hopeless Lover in despair In vain with folding Arms the Youth assay'd To stop her flight and strain the flying Shade He prays he raves all Means in vain he tries With rage inflam'd astonish'd with surprise But she return'd no more to bless his longing Eyes Nor wou'd th' Infernal Ferry-Man once more Be brib'd to waft him to the farther shore What shou'd He do who twice had lost his Love What Notes invent what new Petitions move Her Soul already was consign'd to Fate And shiv'ring in the leaky Sculler sate For seven continu'd Months if Fame say true The wretched Swain his Sorrows did renew By Strymon's freezing Streams he sate alone The Rocks were mov'd to pity with his moan Trees bent their heads to hear him sing his Wrongs Fierce Tygers couch'd around and loll'd their fawning Tongues So close in Poplar Shades her Children gone The Mother Nightingale laments alone Whose Nest some prying Churl had found and thence By Stealth convey'd th' unfeather'd Innocence But she supplies the Night with mournful Strains With one continu'd Tenor still complains Which fills the Forrest and the neighb'ring Plains Sad Orpheus thus his tedious Hours employs Averse from Venus and from nuptial Joys Alone he tempts the frozen Floods alone Th' unhappy Climes where Spring was never known He mourn'd his wretched Wife in vain restor'd And Pluto's unavailing Boon deplor'd The Thracian Matrons who the Youth accus'd Of Love disdain'd and Marriage Rites refus'd With Furies and Nocturnal Orgies fir'd At length against his sacred Life conspir'd Whom ev'n the salvage Beasts had spar'd they kill'd And strew'd his mangl'd Limbs about the Field Then when his Head from his fair Shoulders torn Wash'd by the Waters was on Hebrus born Ev'n then his trembling Tongue invok'd his Bride With his last Voice Eurydice he cry'd Eurydice the Rocks and River-banks reply'd This answer Proteus gave nor more he said But in the Billows plung'd his hoary Head And where he leap'd the Waves in Circles widely spread The Nymph return'd her drooping Son to chear And bade him banish his superfluous fear For now said she the Cause is known from whence Thy Woe succeeded and for what Offence The Nymphs Companions of th' unhappy Maid This punishment upon thy Crimes have laid And sent a Plague among thy thriving Bees With Vows and suppliant Pray'rs their Pow'rs appease The soft Napaean Race will soon repent Their Anger and remit the Punishment The secret in an easy Method lies Select four Brawny Bulls for Sacrifice Which on Lycaeus graze without a Guide Add four fair Heifars yet in Yoke untry'd For these four Altars in their Temple rear And then adore the Woodland Pow'rs with Pray'r From the slain Victims pour the streaming Blood And leave their Bodies in the shady Wood Nine Mornings thence Lethean Poppy bring T' appease the Manes of the Poets King And to propitiate his offended Bride A fatted Calf and a black Ewe provide This finish'd to the former Woods repair His Mother's Precepts he performs with care The Temple visits and adores with Pray'r Four Altars raises from his Herd he culls For Slaughter four the fairest of his Bulls Four Heifars from his Female Store he took All fair and all unknowing of the Yoke Nine Mornings thence with Sacrifice and Pray'rs The Pow'rs aton'd he to the Grove repairs Behold a Prodigy for from within The broken Bowels and the bloated Skin A buzzing noise of Bees their Ears alarms Straight issue through the Sides assembling Swarms Dark as a Cloud they make a wheeling Flight Then on a neighb'ring Tree descending light Like a large Cluster of black Grapes they show And make a large dependance from the Bough To the Hon ble John Granville second Son to John EARL of BATH one of the Com â—s appointed by Act of Parliam t for Examining Taking Stating the Publick Accounts of the Kingdome Geor 4 l. 795. Thus have I sung of Fields and Flocks and Trees And of the waxen Work of lab'ring Bees While mighty Caesar thund'ring from afar Seeks on Euphrates Banks the Spoils of War With conq'ring Arms asserts his Country's Cause With Arts of Peace the willing People draws On the glad Earth the Golden Age renews And his great Father's Path to Heav'n pursues While I at Naples pass my peaceful Days Affecting Studies of less noisy Praise And bold through Youth beneath the Beechen Shade The Lays of Shepherds and their Loves have plaid TO THE MOST HONOURABLE John Lord Marquess of Normanby EARL of MULGRAVE c. AND Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter A HEROICK Poem truly such is undoubtedly the greatest Work which the Soul of Man is capable to perform The Design of it is to form the Mind to Heroick Virtue by Example 't is convey'd in Verse that it may delight while it instructs The Action of it is always one entire and great The least and most trivial Episodes or under-Actions which are interwoven in it are parts either necessary or convenient to carry on the main Design Either so necessary that without them the Poem must be Imperfect or so convenient that no others can be imagin'd more suitable to the place in which they are There is nothing to be left void in a firm Building even the Cavities ought not to be fill'd with Rubbish which is of a perishable kind destructive to the strength But with Brick or Stone though of less pieces yet of the same Nature and fitted to the Cranies Even the least portions of them must be of the Epick kind all things must be Grave Majestical and Sublime Nothing of a Foreign Nature like the trifling Novels which Aristotle and others have inserted in their Poems By which the Reader is miss-led into another sort of Pleasure opposite to that which is design'd in an Epick Poem One raises the Soul and hardens it to Virtue the other softens it again and unbends it into Vice One conduces to the Poet's aim the compleating of his Work which he is driving on labouring and hast'ning in every Line the other slackens his pace diverts him from his Way and locks him up like a Knight Errant in an Enchanted Castle when he should be pursuing his first Adventure Statius as Bossu has well observ'd was ambitious of trying his strength with his Master Virgil as Virgil had before try'd his with Homer The Grecian gave the two Romans an Example in the Games which were Celebrated at the Funerals of Patroclus Virgil imitated the Invention of Homer but chang'd the Sports But both the Greek and Latin Poet took their occasions from the Subject though to confess the Truth they were both Ornamental or at best convenient parts of it rather than of necessity arising from it Statius who through his whole Poem is noted for want of Conduct and Judgment instead of staying as he
The Mists flew upward and dissolv'd in day The Trojan Chief appear'd in open sight August in Visage and serenely bright His Mother Goddess with her hands Divine Had form'd his Curling Locks and made his Temples shine And giv'n his rowling Eyes a sparkling grace And breath'd a youthful vigour on his Face Like polish'd Iv'ry beauteous to behold Or Parian Marble when enchas'd in Gold Thus radiant from the circling Cloud he broke And thus with manly modesty he spoke He whom you seek am I by Tempests tost And sav'd from Shipwreck on your Lybian Coast Presenting gracious Queen before your Throne A Prince that ows his Life to you alone Fair Majesty the Refuge and Redress Of those whom Fate pursues and Wants oppress You who your pious Offices employ To save the Reliques of abandon'd Troy Receive the Shipwreck'd on your friendly Shore With hospitable Rites relieve the Poor Associate in your Town a wandring Train And Strangers in your Palace entertain What thanks can wretched Fugitives return Who scatter'd thro' the World in exile mourn The Gods if Gods to Goodness are inclin'd If Acts of mercy touch their Heav'nly Mind And more than all the Gods your gen'rous heart Conscious of worth requite its own desert In you this Age is happy and this Earth And Parents more than Mortal gave you birth To the Right Hon ble Elizabeth Countess Dowager of Winchelsea ct AE 1. l 875. While rowling Rivers into Seas shall run And round the space of Heav'n the radiant Sun While Trees the Mountain tops with Shades supply Your Honour Name and Praise shall never dye What e're abode my Fortune has assign'd Your Image shall be present in my Mind Thus having said he turn'd with pious hast And joyful his expecting Friends embrac'd With his right hand Ilioneus was grac'd Serestus with his left then to his breast Cloanthus and the Noble Gyas prest And so by turns descended to the rest The Tyrian Queen stood fix'd upon his Face Pleas'd with his motions ravish'd with his grace Admir'd his Fortunes more admir'd the Man Then recollected stood and thus began What Fate O Goddess born what angry Pow'rs Have cast you shipwrack'd on our barren Shores Are you the great Aeneas known to Fame Who from Coelestial Seed your Lineage claim The same Aeneas whom fair Venus bore To fam'd Anchises on th' Idaean Shore It calls into my mind tho' then a Child When Teucer came from Salamis exil'd And sought my Father's aid to be restor'd My Father Belus then with Fire and Sword Invaded Cyprus made the Region bare And Conqu'ring finish'd the successful War From him the Trojan Siege I understood The Grecian Chiefs and your Illustrious Blood Your Foe himself the Dardan Valour prais'd And his own Ancestry from Trojans rais'd Enter my Noble Guest and you shall find If not a costly welcome yet a kind For I my self like you have been distress'd Till Heav'n afforded me this place of rest Like you an Alien in a Land unknown I learn to pity Woes so like my own She said and to the Palace led her Guest Then offer'd Incense and proclaim'd a Feast Nor yet less careful for her absent Friends Twice ten fat Oxen to the Ships she sends Besides a hundred Boars a hundred Lambs With bleating cries attend their Milky Dams And Jars of gen'rous Wine and spacious Bowls She gives to chear the Sailors drooping Souls Now Purple Hangings cloath the Palace Walls And sumptuous Feasts are made in splendid Halls On Tyrian Carpets richly wrought they dine With loads of Massy Plate the Side-boards shine And Antique Vafes all of Gold Emboss'd The Gold it self inferiour to the Cost Of curious Work where on the sides were seen The Fights and Figures of Illustrious Men From their first Founder to the present Queen The Good Aeneas whose Paternal Care Iulus absence could no longer bear Dispatch'd Achates to the Ships in hast To give a glad Relation of the past And fraught with precious Gifts to bring the Boy Snatch'd from the Ruins of unhappy Troy A Robe of Tissue stiff with golden Wire An upper Vest once Hellen's rich Attire From Argos by the fam'd Adultress brought With Golden flow'rs and winding foliage wrought Her Mother Laeda's Present when she came To ruin Troy and set the World on flame The Scepter Priam's eldest Daughter bore Her orient Necklace and the Crown she wore Of double texture glorious to behold One order set with Gems and one with Gold Instructed thus the wise Achates goes And in his diligence his duty shows But Venus anxious for her Son's Affairs New Councils tryes and new Designs prepares That Cupid should assume the Shape and Face Of sweet Ascanius and the sprightly grace Shou'd bring the Prefents in her Nephews stead And in Eliza's Veins the gentle Poison shed For much she fear'd the Tyrians double tongu'd And knew the Town to Juno's care belong'd These thoughts by Night her Golden Slumbers broke And thus alarm'd to winged Love she spoke My Son my strength whose mighty Pow'r alone Controuls the Thund'rer on his awful Throne To thee thy much afflicted Mother flies And on thy Succour and thy Faith relies Thou know'st my Son how Jove's revengeful Wife By force and Fraud attempts thy Brother's life And often hast thou mourn'd with me his Pains Him Dido now with Blandishment detains But I suspect the Town where Juno reigns For this 't is needful to prevent her Art And fire with Love the proud Phoenician's heart A Love so violent so fond so sure That neither Age can change nor Art can cure How this may be perform'd now take my mind Ascanius by his Father is design'd To come with Presents laden from the Port To gratifie the Queen and gain the Court I mean to plunge the Boy in pleasing Sleep And ravish'd in Idalian Bow'rs to keep Or high Cythaera That the sweet Deceipt May pass unseen and none prevent the Cheat Take thou his Form and Shape I beg the Grace But only for a Night 's revolving Space Thy self a Boy assume a Boy 's dissembled Face That when amidst the fervour of the Feast The Tyrian hugs and fonds thee on her Breast And with sweet Kisses in her Arms constrains Thou may'st infuse thy Venom in her Veins The God of Love obeys and sets aside His Bow and Quiver and his plumy Pride He walks Iulus in his Mother's Sight And in the sweet Resemblance takes Delight The Goddess then to young Ascanius flies And in a pleasing Slumber seals his Eyes Lull'd in her Lap amidst a Train of Loves She gently bears him to her blissful Groves Then with a Wreath of Myrtle crowns his Head And softly lays him on a flow'ry Bed Cupid mean time assum'd his Form and Face Foll'wing Achates with a shorter Pace And brought the Gifts The Queen already sate Amidst the Trojan Lords in shining State High on a Golden Bed Her Princely Guest Was next her side in order sate the rest Then Canisters with
he for his Country bore Now stream'd afresh and with new Purple ran I wept to see the visionary Man And while my Trance continu'd thus began O Light of Trojans and Support of Troy Thy Father's Champion and thy Country's Joy O long expected by thy Friends from whence Art thou so late return'd for our Defence Do we behold thee weary'd as we are With length of Labours and with Toils of War After so many Fun'rals of thy own Art thou restor'd to thy declining Town But say what Wounds are these What new Disgrace Deforms the Manly Features of thy Face To this the Spectre no Reply did frame But answer'd to the Cause for which he came And groaning from the bottom of his Breast This Warning in these mournful Words express'd O Goddess-born escape by timely flight The Flames and Horrors of this fatal Night The Foes already have possess'd the Wall Troy nods from high and totters to her Fall Enough is paid to Priam's Royal Name More than enough to Duty and to Fame If by a Mortal Hand my Father's Throne Cou'd be defended 't was by mine alone Now Troy to thee commends her future State And gives her Gods Companions of thy Fate From their assistance happyer Walls expect Which wand'ring long at last thou shalt erect He said and brought me from their blest abodes The venerable Statues of the Gods With ancient Vesta from the sacred Quire The Wreaths and Relicks of th' Immortal Fire Now peals of Shouts come thund'ring from afar Cries Threats and loud Laments and mingl'd War The Noise approaches though our Palace stood Aloof from Streets encompass'd with a Wood. Louder and yet more loud I hear th' Allarms Of Human Cries distinct and clashing Arms Fear broke my Slumbers I no longer stay But mount the Terrass thence the Town survey And hearken what the frightful Sounds convey Thus when a flood of Fire by Winds is born Crackling it rowls and mows the standing Corn Or Deluges descending on the Plains Sweep o're the yellow Year destroy the pains Of lab'ring Oxen and the Peasant's gains Unroot the Forrest Oaks and bear away Flocks Folds and Trees an undistinguish'd Prey The Shepherd climbs the Cliff and sees from far The wastful Ravage of the wat'ry War Then Hector's Faith was manifestly clear'd The Grecian Frauds in open light appear'd The Palace of Deiphobus ascends In smoaky Flames and catches on his Friends Ucalegon burns next the Seas are bright With splendor not their own and shine with Trojan light New Clamours and new Clangors now arise The sound of Trumpets mix'd with fighting cries With frenzy seiz'd I run to meet th' Alarms Resolv'd on death resolv'd to die in Arms. But first to gather Friends with them t' oppose If Fortune favour'd and repel the Foes Spurr'd by my courage by my Country fir'd With sense of Honour and Revenge inspir'd Pantheus Apollo's Priest a sacred Name Had scap'd the Grecian Swords and pass'd the Flame With Reliques loaden to my Doors he fled And by the hand his tender Grand-son led What hope O Pantheus whither can we run Where make a stand and what may yet be done Scarce had I said when Pantheus with a groan Troy is no more and Ilium was a Town The fatal Day th' appointed Hour is come When wrathful Jove's irrevocable doom Transfers the Trojan State to Grecian hands The Fire consumes the Town the Foe commands And armed Hosts an unexpected Force Break from the Bowels of the Fatal Horse Within the Gates proud Sinon throws about The flames and Foes for entrance press without With thousand others whom I fear to name More than from Argos or Mycenae came To sev'ral Posts their Parties they divide Some block the narrow Streets some scour the wide The bold they kill th' unwary they surprise Who fights finds Death and Death finds him who flies The Warders of the Gate but scarce maintain Th' unequal Combat and resist in vain I Heard and Heav'n that well-born Souls inspires Prompts me thro' lifted Swords and rising Fires To run where clashing Arms and Clamour calls And rush undaunted to defend the Walls Ripheus and Iph'itus by my side engage For Valour one Renown'd and one for Age. Dymas and Hypanis by Moonlight knew My motions and my Meen and to my Party drew With young Choroebus who by Love was led To win Renown and fair Cassandra's Bed And lately brought his Troops to Priam's aid Forewarn'd in vain by the Prophetic Maid Whom when I saw resolv'd in Arms to fall And that one Spirit animated all Brave Souls said I but Brave alas in vain Come finish what our Cruel Fates ordain You see the desp'rate state of our Affairs And Heav'ns protecting Pow'rs are deaf to Pray'rs The passive Gods behold the Greeks defile Their Temples and abandon to the Spoil Their own Abodes we feeble few conspire To save a sinking Town involv'd in Fire Then let us fall but fall amidst our Foes Despair of Life the Means of Living shows So fierce a Speech incourag'd their desire Of Death and added fuel to their fire As hungry Wolves with raging appetite Scour thro' the fields nor fear the stormy Night Their Whelps at home expect the promis'd Food And long to temper their dry Chaps in Blood So rush'd we forth at once resolv'd to die Resolv'd in Death the last Extreams to try We leave the narrow Lanes behind and dare Th' unequal Combat in the publick Square Night was our Friend our Leader was Despair What Tongue can tell the Slaughter of that Night What Eyes can weep the Sorrows and Affright An ancient and imperial City falls The Streets are fill'd with frequent Funerals Houses and Holy Temples float in Blood And hostile Nations make a common Flood Not only Trojans fall but in their turn The vanquish'd Triumph and the Victors mourn Ours take new Courage from Despair and Night Confus'd the Fortune is confus'd the Fight All parts resound with Tumults Plaints and Fears And grisly Death in sundry shapes appears Androgeos fell among us with his Band Who thought us Grecians newly come to Land From whence said he my Friends this long delay You loiter while the Spoils are born away Our Ships are laden with the Trojan Store And you like Truants come too late ashore He said but soon corrected his Mistake Found by the doubtful Answers which we make Amaz'd he wou'd have shun'd th' unequal Fight But we more num'rous intercept his flight As when some Peasant in a bushy Brake Has with unwary Footing press'd a Snake He starts aside astonish'd when he spies His rising Crest blue Neck and rowling Eyes So from our Arms surpriz'd Androgeos flies In vain for him and his we compass'd round Possess'd with Fear unknowing of the Ground And of their Lives an easy Conquest found Thus Fortune on our first Endeavour smil'd Choraebus then with youthful Hopes beguil'd Swoln with Success and of a daring Mind This new Invention fatally design'd My Friends said he since
Woe 'Till my soft Soul be temper'd to sustain Accustom'd Sorrows and inur'd to Pain If you in Pity grant this one Request My Death shall leave you of my Crown possess'd This mournful message Pious Anna bears And seconds with her own her Sister's Tears But all her Arts are still employ'd in vain Again she comes and is refus'd again His harden'd Heart nor Pray'rs nor Threatnings move Fate and the God had stop'd his Ears to Love As when the Winds their airy Quarrel try Justling from ev'ry quarter of the Sky This way and that the Mountain Oak they bend His Boughs they shatter and his Branches rend With Leaves and falling Mast they spread the Ground The hollow Vallies echo to the Sound Unmov'd the Royal Plant their Fury mocks Or shaken clings more closely to the Rocks Far as he shoots his tow'ring Head on high So deep in Earth his fix'd Foundations lye No less a Storm the Trojan Heroe bears Thick Messages and loud Complaints he hears And bandy'd Words still beating on his Ears Sighs Groans and Tears proclaim his inward Pains But the firm purpose of his Heart remains The wretched Queen pursu'd by cruel Fate Begins at length the light of Heav'n to hate And loaths to live Then dire Portents she sees To hasten on the Death her Soul decrees Strange to relate for when before the Shrine She pours in Sacrifice the Purple Wine The Purple Wine is turn'd to putrid Blood And the white offer'd Milk converts to Mud. This dire Presage to her alone reveal'd From all and ev'n her Sister she conceal'd A Marble Temple stood within the Grove Sacred to Death and to her murther'd Love That honour'd Chappel she had hung around With snowy Fleeces and with Garlands crown'd Oft when she visited this lonely Dome Strange Voices issu'd from her Husband's Tomb She thought she heard him summon her away Invite her to his Grave and chide her stay Hourly 't is heard when with a bodeing Note The solitary Screech-Owl strains her Throat And on a Chimney's top or Turret's hight With Songs obscene disturbs the Silence of the Night Besides old Prophesies augment her Fears And stern Aeneas in her Dreams appears â—â—sdainful as by Day She seems alone To wander in her Sleep thro ways unknown Guidless and dark or in a Desart Plain 〈◊〉 seek her Subjects and to seek in vain 〈…〉 k Pentheus when distracted with his Fear He saw two Suns and double Thebes appear Or mad Orestes when his Mother's Ghost â—ull in his Face infernal Torches tost And shook her snaky locks He shuns the sight Flies o're the Stage surpris'd with mortal fright The Furies guard the Door and intercept his flight Now sinking underneath a load of Grief From Death alone she seeks her last Relief The Time and Means resolv'd within her Breast She to her mournful Sister thus address'd Dissembling hope her cloudy front she clears And a false Vigour in her Eyes appears Rejoice she said instructed from above My Lover I shall gain or lose my Love Nigh rising Atlas next the falling Sun Long tracts of Ethiopian Clymates run There a Massylian Priestess I have found Honour'd for Age for Magick Arts renown'd Th' Hesperian Temple was her trusted Care 'T was she supply'd the wakeful Dragons Fare She Poppy-Seeds in Honey taught to steep Reclaim'd his Rage and sooth'd him into sleep She watch'd the Golden Fruit her Charms unbind The Chains of Love or fix them on the Mind She stops the Torrents leaves the Channel dry Repels the Stars and backward bears the Sky The yawning Earth rebellows to her Call Pale Ghosts ascend and Mountain Ashes fall Witness ye Gods and thou my better part How loth I am to try this impious Art Within the secret Court with silent Care Erect a lofty Pile expos'd in Air Hang on the topmost part the Trojan Vest Spoils Arms and Presents of my faithless Guest Next under these the bridal Bed be plac'd Where I my Ruin in his Arms embrac'd All Relicks of the Wretch are doom'd to Fire For so the Priestess and her Charms require Thus far she said and farther Speech forbears A Mortal Paleness in her Face appears Yet the mistrustless Anna could not find The secret Fun'ral in these Rites design'd Nor thought so dire a Rage possess'd her Mind Unknowing of a Train conceal'd so well She fear'd no worse than when Sichaeus fell Therefore obeys The fatal Pile they rear Within the secret Court expos'd in Air. The cloven Holms and Pines are heap'd on high And Garlands on the hollow Spaces lye Sad Cypress Vervain Eugh compose the Wreath And ev'ry baleful green denoting Death The Queen determin'd to the fatal Deed The Spoils and Sword he left in order spread And the Man's Image on the Nuptial Bed And now the sacred Altars plac'd around The Priestess enters with her Hair unbound And thrice invokes the Pow'rs below the Ground Night Erebus and Chaos she proclaims And threefold Hecat with her hundred Names And three Diana's next she sprinkles round With feign'd Avernian Drops the hallow'd ground Culls hoary Simples found by Phoebe's Light With brazen Sickles reap'd at Noon of Night Then mixes baleful Juices in the Bowl And cuts the Forehead of a new-born Fole Robbing the Mother's love The destin'd Queen Observes assisting at the Rites obscene A leaven'd Cake in her devoted Hands She holds and next the highest Altar stands One tender Foot was shod her other bare Girt was her gather'd Gown and loose her Hair Thus dress'd she summon'd with her dying Breath The Heav'ns and Planets conscious of her Death And ev'ry Pow'r if any rules above Who minds or who revenges injur'd Love 'T was dead of Night when weary Bodies close Their Eyes in balmy Sleep and soft Repose To Henry Tasburgh Esq of Bodney in y e County of Norfolk AE 4. l. 730. The Winds no longer whisper through the Woods Nor murm'ring Tides disturb the gentle Floods The Stars in silent order mov'd around And Peace with downy wings was brooding on the ground The Flocks and Herds and parti-colour'd Fowl Which haunt the Woods or swim the weedy Pool Stretch'd on the quiet Earth securely lay Forgetting the past Labours of the day All else of Nature's common Gift partake Unhappy Dido was alone awake Nor Sleep nor Ease the Furious Queen can find Sleep fled her Eyes as Quiet fled her mind Despair and Rage and Love divide her heart Despair and Rage had some but Love the greater part Then thus she said within her secret Mind What shall I do what Succour can I find Become a Supplyant to Hyarba's Pride And take my turn to Court and be deny'd Shall I with this ungrateful Trojan go Forsake an Empire and attend a Foe Himself I refug'd and his Train reliev'd T is true but am I sure to be receiv'd An Exile follows whom a Queen reliev'd Can Gratitude in Trojan Souls have place Laomedon still lives in all his Race Then shall I seek alone the Churlish
Crew Or with my Fleet their flying Sails pursue What force have I but those whom scarce before I drew reluctant from their Native Shore Will they again Embark at my desire Once more sustain the Seas and quit their second Tyre Rather with Steel thy guilty Breast invade And take the Fortune thou thy self hast made Your pity Sister first seduc'd my Mind Or seconded too well what I design'd These dear-bought Pleasures had I never known Had I continu'd free and still my own Avoiding Love I had not found Despair But shar'd with Salvage Beasts the Common Air. Like them a lonely life I might have led Not mourn'd the Living nor disturb'd the Dead These Thoughts she brooded in her anxious Breast On Boord the Trojan found more easie rest Resolv'd to sail in Sleep he pass'd the Night And order'd all things for his early flight To whom once more the winged God appears His former Youthful Meen and Shape he wears And with this new alarm invades his Ears Sleep'st thou O Goddess born and can'st thou drown Thy needful Cares so near a Hostile Town Beset with Foes nor hear'st the Western Gales Invite thy passage and Inspire thy sails She harbours in her Heart a furious hate And thou shalt find the dire Effects too late Fix'd on Revenge and Obstinate to die Haste swiftly hence while thou hast pow'r to fly The Sea with Ships will soon be cover'd o're And blazing Firebrands kindle all the Shore Prevent her rage while Night obscures the Skies And sail before the purple Morn arise Who knows what Hazards thy Delay may bring Woman 's a various and a changeful Thing Thus Hermes in the Dream then took his flight Aloft in Air unseen and mix'd with Night Twice warn'd by the Coelestial Messenger The pious Pious arose with hasty fear Then rowz'd his drowsie Train without delay Haste to your banks your crooked Anchors weigh And spread your flying Sails and stand to Sea A God commands he stood before my sight And urg'd us once again to speedy flight O sacred Pow'r what Pow'r so e're thou art To thy bless'd Orders I resign my heart Lead thou the way protect thy Trojan Bands And prosper the Design thy Will Commands He said and drawing forth his flaming Sword His thund'ring Arm divides the many twisted Cord An emulating Zeal inspires his Train They run they snatch they rush into the main With headlong haste they leave the desert Shores And brush the liquid Seas with lab'ring Oars Aurora now had left her Saffron Bed And beams of early Light the Heav'ns o'respread When from a Tow'r the Queen with wakeful Eyes Saw Day point upward from the rosie Skies She look'd to Seaward but the Sea was void And scarce in ken the sailing Ships descry'd Stung with despight and furious with despair She struck her trembling Breast and tore her Hair And shall th' ungrateful Traytor go she said My Land forsaken and my Love betray'd Shall we not Arm not rush from ev'ry Street To follow sink and burn his perjur'd Fleet Haste haul my Gallies out pursue the Foe Bring flaming Brands set sail and swiftly row What have I said where am I Fury turns My Brain and my distemper'd Bosom burns Then when I gave my Person and my Throne This Hate this Rage had been more timely shown See now the promis'd Faith the vaunted Name The Pious Man who rushing through the Flame Preserv'd his Gods and to the Phrygian Shore The Burthen of his feeble Father bore I shou'd have torn him piecemeal strow'd in Floods His scatter'd Limbs or left expos'd in Woods Destroy'd his Friends and Son and from the Fire Have set the reeking Boy before the Sire Events are doubtful which on Battels wait Yet where 's the doubt to Souls secure of Fate My Tyrians at their injur'd Queen's Command Had toss'd their Fires amid the Trojan Band At once extinguish'd all the faithless Name And I my self in vengeance of my Shame Had fall'n upon the Pile to mend the Fun'ral Flame Thou Sun who view'st at once the World below Thou Juno Guardian of the Nuptial Vow Thou Hecat hearken from thy dark abodes Ye Furies Fiends and violated Gods All Pow'rs invok'd with Dido's dying breath Attend her Curses and avenge her death If so the Fates ordain and Jove commands Th' ungrateful Wretch should find the Latian Lands Yet let a Race untam'd and haughty Foes His peaceful Entrance with dire Arms oppose Oppress'd with Numbers in th' unequal Field His Men discourag'd and himself expell'd Let him for Succour sue from place to place Torn from his Subjects and his Son's embrace First let him see his Friends in Battel slain And their untimely Fate lament in vain And when at length the cruell War shall cease On hard Conditions may he buy his Peace Nor let him then enjoy supreme Command But fall untimely by some hostile Hand And lye unbury'd on the barren Sand. These are my Pray'rs and this my dying Will And you my Tyrians ev'ry Curse fulfill Perpetual Hate and mortal Wars proclaim Against the Prince the People and the Name These grateful Off'rings on my Grave bestow Nor League nor Love the jarring Nations know Now and from hence in ev'ry future Age When Rage excites your Arms and Strength supplies the Rage Rise some Avenger of our Lybian Blood With Fire and Sword pursue the perjur'd Brood Our Arms our Seas our Shores oppos'd to theirs And the same hate descend on all our Heirs This said within her anxious Mind she weighs The Means of cutting short her odious Days Then to Sicheus's Nurse she briefly said For when she left her Country hers was dead Go Barcè call my Sister let her Care The solemn Rites of Sacrifice prepare The Sheep and all th' attoneing Off'rings bring Sprinkling her Body from the Crystal Spring With living Drops then let her come and thou With sacred Fillets bind thy hoary Brow Thus will I pay my Vows to Stygian Jove And end the Cares of my disastrous Love Then cast the Trojan Image on the Fire And as that burns my Passion shall expire The Nurse moves onward with officious Care And all the speed her aged Limbs can bear But furious Dido with dark Thoughts involv'd Shook at the mighty Mischief she resolv'd With livid Spots distinguish'd was her Face Red were her rowling Eyes and discompos'd her Pace Ghastly she gaz'd with Pain she drew her Breath And Nature shiver'd at approaching Death Then swiftly to the fatal place she pass'd And mounts the Fun'ral Pile with furious haste Unsheaths the Sword the Trojan left behind Not for so dire an Enterprise design'd But when she view'd the Garments loosely spred Which once he wore and saw the conscious Bed She paus'd and with a Sigh the Robes embrac'd Then on the Couch her trembling Body cast Repress'd the ready Tears and spoke her last Dear Pledges of my Love while Heav'n so pleas'd Receive a Soul of Mortal Anguish eas'd My fatal Course is finish'd
with Bridges Tow'r to Tow'r Thus all things needful for Defence abound Mnestheus and brave Seresthus walk the round Commission'd by their Absent Prince to share The common Danger and divide the Care The Souldiers draw their Lots and as they fall By turns relieve each other on the Wall Nigh where the Foes their utmost Guards advance To watch the Gate was warlike Nisus chance His Father Hyrtacus of Noble Blood His Mother was a Hunt'ress of the Wood And sent him to the Wars well cou'd he bear His Lance in fight and dart the flying Spear But better skill'd unerring Shafts to send Beside him stood Euryalus his Friend Euryalus than whom the Trojan Hoast No fairer Face or fweeter Air could boast Scarce had the Down to shade his Cheeks begun One was their Care and their Delight was one One Common hazard in the War they shar'd And now were both by choice upon the Guard Then Nisus thus Or do the Gods inspire This warmth or make we Gods of our Desire A gen'rous ardour boils within my Breast Eager of Action Enemy to Rest This urges me to fight and fires my Mind To leave a memorable Name behind Thou see'st the Foe secure how faintly shine Their scatter'd Fires the most in Sleep supine Along the ground an easie Conquest lye The wakeful few the fuming Flaggon ply All hush'd around Now hear what I revolve A Thought unripe and scarcely yet resolve Our absent Prince both Camp and Council mourn By Message both wou'd hasten his return If they confer what I demand on thee For Fame is Recompence enough for me Methinks beneath yon Hill I have espy'd A way that safely will my passage guide Euryalus stood list'ning while he spoke With love of Praise and noble Envy struck Then to his ardent Friend expos'd his Mind All this alone and leaving me behind Am I unworthy Nisus to be join'd Think'st thou I can my share of Glory yield Or send thee unassisted to the Field Not so my Father taught my Childhood Arms Born in a Siege and bred among Alarms Nor is my Youth unworthy of my Friend Nor of the Heav'n-born Heroe I attend The thing call'd Life with ease I can disclaim And think it over sold to purchase Fame Then Nisus thus alas thy tender years Wou'd minister new matter to my Fears So may the Gods who view this friendly Strife Restore me to thy lov'd Embrace with life Condemn'd to pay my Vows as sure I trust This thy Request is Cruel and Unjust But if some Chance as many Chances are And doubtful Hazards in the deeds of War If one shou'd reach my Head there let it fall And spare thy Life I wou'd not perish all Thy bloomy Youth deserves a longer date Live thou to mourn thy Love 's unhappy Fate To bear my mangled Body from the Foe Or buy it back and Fun'ral Rites bestow Or if hard Fortune shall those Dues deny Thou canst at least an empty Tomb supply O let not me the Widows Tears renew Nor let a Mother's Curse my Name pursue Thy Pious Parent who for love of thee Forsook the Coasts of friendly Sicily Her Age committing to the Seas and Wind When ev'ry weary Matron staid behind To this Euryalus you plead in vain And but protract the Cause you cannot gain No more delays but haste With that he wakes The nodding Watch each to his Office takes The Guard reliev'd the gen'rous Couple went To find the Council at the Royal Tent. All Creatures else forgot their daily Care And Sleep the common Gift of Nature share Except the Trojan Peers who wakeful sate In nightly Council for th' indanger'd State They vote a Message to their absent Chief Shew their Distress and beg a swift Relief Amid the Camp a silent Seat they chose Remote from Clamour and secure from Foes On their left Arms their ample Shields they bear The right reclin'd upon the bending Spear Now Nisus and his Friend approach the Guard And beg Admission eager to be heard Th' Affair important not to be deferr'd Ascanius bids 'em be conducted in Ord'ring the more experienc'd to begin Then Nisus thus Ye Fathers lend your Ears Nor judge our bold Attempt beyond our Years The Foe securely drench'd in Sleep and Wine Neglect their Watch the Fires but thinly shine And where the Smoke in cloudy Vapours flies Cov'ring the Plain and curling to the Skies Betwixt two Paths which at the Gate divide Close by the Sea a Passage we have spy'd Which will our way to great Aeneas guide Expect each Hour to see him safe again Loaded with Spoils of Foes in Battel slain Snatch we the lucky Minute while we may Nor can we be mistaken in the way For hunting in the Vale we both have seen The rising Turrets and the Stream between And know the winding Course with ev'ry Ford. He ceas'd And old Alethes took the Word Our Country Gods in whom our Trust we place Will yet from Ruin save the Trojan Race While we behold such dauntless Worth appear In dawning Youth and Souls so void of Fear Then into Tears of Joy the Father broke Each in his longing Arms by Turns he took Panted and paus'd and thus again he spoke Ye brave young Men what equal Gifts can we In recompencc of such Desert decree The greatest sure and best you can receive The Gods and your own conscious Worth will give The rest our grateful Gen'ral will bestow And young Ascanius 'till his Manhood owe. And I whose Welfare in my Father lies Ascanius adds by the great Deities By my dear Country by my household Gods By hoary Vesta's Rites and dark Abodes Adjure you both on you my Fortune stands That and my Faith I plight into your Hands Make me but happy in his safe Return Whose wanted Presence I can only mourn Your common Gift shall two large Goblets be Of Silver wrought with curious Imagery And high emboss'd which when old Priam reign'd My conqu'ring Sire at sack'd Arisba gain'd And more two Tripods cast in antick Mould With two great Talents of the finest Gold Beside a costly Bowl ingrav'd with Art Which Dido gave when first she gave her Heart But if in conquer'd Italy we reign When Spoils by Lot the Victor shall obtain Thou saw'st the Courser by proud Turnus press'd That Nisus and his Arms and nodding Crest And Shield from Chance exempt shall be thy Share Twelve lab'ring Slaves twelve Handmaids young and fair All clad in rich Attire and train'd with Care And last a Latian Field with fruitful Plains And a large Portion of the King 's Domains But thou whose Years are more to mine ally'd No Fate my vow'd Affection shall divide From thee Heroick Youth be wholly mine Take full Possession all my Soul is thine One Faith one Fame one Fate shall both attend My Life's Companion and my Bosom Friend My Peace shall be committed to thy Care And to thy Conduct my Concerns in War Then thus the young Euryalus reply'd Whatever
a pleasing Look Made this return Ausonian Race of old Renown'd for Peace and for an Age of Gold What Madness has your alter'd Minds possess'd To change for War hereditary Rest Sollicite Arms unknown and tempt the Sword A needless Ill your Ancestors abhorr'd We for my self I speak and all the Name Of Grecians who to Troy's Destruction came Omitting those who were in Battel slain Or born by rowling Simois to the Main Not one but suffer'd and too dearly bought The Prize of Honour which in Arms he sought Some doom'd to Death and some in Exile driv'n Out-casts abandon'd by the Care of Heav'n So worn so wretched so despis'd a Crew As ev'n old Priam might with Pity view Witness the Vessels by Minerva toss'd In Storms the vengeful Capharaean Coast Th' Eubaean Rocks The Prince whose Brother led Our Armies to revenge his injur'd Bed In Egypt lost Ulysses with his Men Have seen Charybdis and the Cyclops Den Why shou'd I name Idomeneus in vain Restor'd to Scepters and expell'd again Or young Achilles by his Rival slain Ev'n he the King of Men the foremost Name Of all the Greeks and most renown'd by Fame The proud Revenger of another's Wife Yet by his own Adult'ress lost his Life Fell at his Threshold and the Spoils of Troy The foul Polluters of his Bed enjoy The Gods have envy'd me the sweets of Life My much lov'd Country and my more lov'd Wife Banish'd from both I mourn while in the Sky Transform'd to Birds my lost Companions fly Hov'ring about the Coasts they make their Moan And cuff the Cliffs with Pinions not their own What squalid Spectres in the dead of Night Break my short Sleep and skim before my sight I might have promis'd to my self those Harms Mad as I was when I with Mortal Arms Presum'd against Immortal Pow'rs to move And violate with Wounds the Queen of Love Such Arms this Hand shall never more employ No Hate remains with me to ruin'd Troy I war not with its Dust nor am I glad To think of past Events or good or bad Your Presents I return What e're you bring To buy my Friendship send the Trojan King We met in fight I know him to my Cost With what a whirling force his Lance he toss'd Heav'ns what a spring was in his Arm to throw How high he held his Shield and rose at ev'ry blow Had Troy produc'd two more his Match in Might They would have chang'd the Fortune of the Fight Th' Invasion of the Greeks had been return'd Our Empire wasted and our Cities burn'd The long Defence the Trojan People made The War protracted and the Siege delay'd Were due to Hector's and this Heroe's hand Both brave alike and equal in Command Aeneas not inferior in the Field In pious reverence to the Gods excell'd Make peace ye Latians and avoid with Care Th' impending Dangers of a fatal War He said no more but with this cold Excuse Refus'd th' Alliance and advis'd a Truce Thus Venulus concluded his Report A Jarring Murmur fill'd the factious Court As when a Torrent rowls with rapid force And dashes o're the Stones that stop the Course The Flood constrain'd within a scanty space Roars horrible along th' uneasie race White foam in gath'ring Eddies floats around The rocky Shores rebellow to the sound The Murmur ceas'd Then from his lofty Throne The King invok'd the Gods and thus begun I wish ye Latins what we now debate Had been resolv'd before it was too late Much better had it been for you and me Unforc'd by this our last Necessity To have been earlier wise than now to call A Council when the Foe surrounds the Wall O Citizens we wage unequal War With men not only Heav'n's peculiar Care But Heav'n's own Race Unconquer'd in the Field Or Conquer'd yet unknowing how to yield What Hopes you had in Diomede lay down Our Hopes must center on our selves alone Yet those how feeble and indeed how vain You see too well nor need my Words explain Vanquish'd without ressource laid flat by Fate Factions within a Foe without the Gate Not but I grant that all perform'd their parts With manly Force and with undaunted Hearts With our united Strength the War we wag'd With equal Numbers equal Arms engag'd You see th' Event Now hear what I propose To save our Friends and satisfie our Foes A Tract of Land the Latins have possess'd Along the Tyber stretching to the West Which now Rutulians and Auruncans till And their mix'd Cattle graze the fruitful Hill Those Mountains fill'd with Firs that lower Land If you consent the Trojan shall Command Call'd into part of what is ours and there On terms agreed the common Country share There let 'em build and settle if they please Unless they chuse once more to cross the Seas In search of Seats remote from Italy And from unwelcome Inmates set us free Then twice ten Gallies let us build with Speed Or twice as many more if more they need Materials are at hand A well-grown Wood Runs equal with the Margin of the Flood Let them the Number and the Form assign The Care and Cost of all the Stores be mine To treat the Peace a hundred Senators Shall be commission'd hence with ample Pow'rs With Olive crown'd The Presents they shall bear A Purple Robe a Royal Iv'ry Chair And all the marks of Sway that Latian Monarchs wear And Sums of Gold Among your selves debate This great Affair and save the sinking State Then Drances took the word who grudg'd long since The rising Glories of the Daunian Prince Factious and rich bold at the Council Board But cautious in the Field he shun'd the Sword A closs Caballer and Tongue-valiant Lord. Noble his Mother was and near the Throne But what his Father's Parentage unknown He rose and took th' Advantage of the Times To load young Turnus with invidious Crimes Such Truths O King said he your Words contain As strike the Sence and all Replies are vain Nor are your Loyal Subjects now to seek What common Needs require but fear to speak Let him give leave of Speech that haughty Man Whose Pride this unauspicious War began For whose Ambition let me dare to say Fear set apart tho' Death is in my Way The Plains of Latium run with Blood arround So many Valiant Heros bite the Ground Dejected Grief in ev'ry Face appears A Town in Mourning and a Land in Tears While he th' undoubted Author of our Harms The Man who menaces the Gods with Arms Yet after all his Boasts forsook the Fight And sought his safety in ignoble Flight Now best of Kings since you propose to send Such bounteous Presents to your Trojan Friend Add yet a greater at our joint Request One which he values more than all the rest Give him the fair Lavinia for his Bride With that Alliance let the League be ty'd And for the bleeding Land a lasting Peace provide Let Insolence no longer awe the Throne But with a Father's
deadly Care And terrifies the guilty World with War One Sister Plague of these from Heav'n he sent To fright Juturna with a dire Portent The Pest comes whirling down by far more slow Springs the swift Arrow from the Parthian Bow Or Cydon Eugh when traversing the Skies And drench'd in pois'nous Juice the sure Destruction flies With such a sudden and unseen a flight Shot thro' the Clouds the Daughter of the Night Soon as the Field inclos'd she had in view And from afar her destin'd Quarry knew Contracted to the boding Bird she turns Which haunts the ruin'd Piles and hallow'd Urns And beats about the Tombs with nightly Wings Where Songs obsence on Sepulchres she sings Thus lessen'd in her Form with frightful Cries The Fury round unhappy Turnus flies Flaps on his Shield and flutters o're his Eyes A lazy Chilness crept along his Blood Choak'd was his Voice his Hair with Horror stood Juturna from afar beheld her fly And knew th' ill Omen by her screaming Cry And stridour of her Wings Amaz'd with Fear Her comely Breast she beat and rent her flowing Hair Ah me she cries in this unequal Strife What can thy Sister more to save thy Life Weak as I am can I alas contend In Arms with that inexorable Fiend Now now I quit the Field forbear to fright My tender Soul ye baleful Birds of Night The lashing of your Wings I know too well The sounding Flight and Fun'ral Screams of Hell These are the Gifts you bring from haughty Jove The worthy Recompence of ravish'd Love Did he for this exempt my Life from Fate O hard Conditions of Immortal State Tho' born to Death not priviledg'd to dye But forc'd to bear impos'd Eternity Take back your envious Bribes and let me go Companion to my Brother's Ghost below The Joys are vanish'd Nothing now remains Of Life Immortal but Immortal Pains What Earth will open her devouring Womb To rest a weary Goddess in the Tomb She drew a length of Sighs nor more she said But in her Azure Mantle wrap'd her Head Then plung'd into her Stream with deep Despair And her last Sobs came bubling up in Air. Now stern Aeneas waves his weighty Spear Against his Foe and thus upbraids his Fear What farther Subterfuge can Turnus find What empty Hopes are harbour'd in his Mind 'T is not thy Swiftness can secure thy Flight Not with their Feet but Hands the Valiant fight Vary thy Shape in thousand Forms and dare What Skill and Courage can attempt in War Wish for the Wings of Winds to mount the Sky Or hid within the hollow Earth to lye The Champion shook his Head and made this short reply No threats of thine my manly Mind can move T is Hostile Heav'n I dread and Partial Jove He said no more but with a Sigh repress'd The mighty Sorrow in his swelling Breast Then as he rowld his troubled Eyes around An Antique Stone he saw the Common Bound Of Neighb'ring Fields and Barrier of the Ground So vast that Twelve strong Men of modern Days Th' enormous weight from Earth cou'd hardly raise He heav'd it at a Lift and poiz'd on high Ran stagg'ring on against his Enemy But so disorder'd that he scarcely knew His Way or what unwieldy weight he threw His knocking Knees are bent beneath the Load And shiv'ring Cold congeals his vital Blood The Stone drops from his arms and falling short For want of Vigour mocks his vain Effort And as when heavy Sleep has clos'd the sight The sickly Fancy labours in the Night We seem to run and destitute of Force Our sinking Limbs forsake us in the Course In vain we heave for Breath in vain we cry The Nerves unbrac'd their usual Strength deny And on the Tongue the falt'ring Accents dye So Turnus far'd what ever means he try'd All force of Arms and points of Art employ'd The Fury flew athwart and made th' Endeavour void A thousand various Thoughts his Soul confound He star'd about nor Aid nor Issue found His own Men stop the Pass and his own Walls surround Once more he pauses and looks out again And seeks the Goddess Charioteer in vain Trembling he views the Thund'ring Chief advance And brandishing aloft the deadly Lance Amaz'd he cow'rs beneath his conqu'ring Foe Forgets to ward and waits the coming Blow Astonish'd while he stands and fix'd with Fear Aim'd at his Shield he sees th' impending Spear The Heroe measur'd first with narrow view The destin'd Mark And rising as he threw With its full swing the fatal Weapon flew Not with less Rage the rattling Thunder falls Or Stones from batt'ring Engins break the Walls Swift as a Whirlwind from an Arm so strong The Lance drove on and bore the Death along Nought cou'd his sev'n-fold Shield the Prince avail Nor ought beneath his Arms the Coat of Mail It pierc'd thro' all and with a grizly Wound Transfix'd his Thigh and doubled him to Ground With Groans the Latins rend the vaulted Sky Woods Hills and Valleys to the Voice reply Now low on Earth the lofty Chief is laid With Eyes cast upward and with Arms display'd And Recreant thus to the proud Victor pray'd I know my Death deserv'd nor hope to live Use what the Gods and thy good Fortune give Yet think oh think if Mercy may be shown Thou hadst a Father once and hast a Son Pity my Sire now sinking to the Grave And for Anchises sake old Daunus save Or if thy vow'd Revenge pursue my Death Give to my Friends my Body void of Breath The Latian Chiefs have seen me beg my Life Thine is the Conquest thine the Royal Wife Against a yielded Man 't is mean ignoble Strife In deep Suspence the Trojan seem'd to stand And just prepar'd to strike repress'd his Hand To his Grace James Duke of Ormond Chancellor of the Vniversitys of Oxford and Dublin Knight of the most Noble Order of the Garter c Aen 12. L. 1360. He rowl'd his Eyes and ev'ry Moment felt His manly Soul with more Compassion melt When casting down a casual Glance he spy'd The Golden Belt that glitter'd on his side The fatal Spoils which haughty Turnus tore From dying Pallas and in Triumph wore Then rowz'd anew to Wrath he loudly cries Flames while he spoke came flashing from his Eyes Traytor dost thou dost thou to Grace pretend Clad as thou art in Trophees of my Friend To his sad Soul a grateful Off'ring go 'T is Pallas Pallas gives this deadly Blow He rais'd his Arm aloft and at the Word Deep in his Bosom drove the shining Sword The streaming Blood distain'd his Arms around And the disdainful Soul came rushing thro' the Wound FINIS POSTSCRIPT TO THE READER WHAT Virgil wrote in the vigour of his Age in Plenty and at Ease I have undertaken to Translate in my Declining Years strugling with Wants oppress'd with Sickness curb'd in my Genius lyable to be misconstrued in all I write and my Judges if they are not very equitable already
prejudic'd against me by the Lying Character which has been given them of my Morals Yet steady to my Principles and not dispirited with my Afflictions I have by the Blessing of God on my Endeavours overcome all difficulties and in some measure acquitted my self of the Debt which I ow'd the Publick when I undertook this Work In the first place therefore I thankfully acknowledge to the Almighty Power the Assistance he has given me in the beginning the Prosecution and Conclusion of my present Studies which are more happily perform'd than I could have promis'd to my self when I labour'd under such Discouragements For what I have done Imperfect as it is for want of Health and leisure to Correct it will be judg'd in after Ages and possibly in the present to be no dishonour to my Native Country whose Language and Poetry wou'd be more esteem'd abroad if they were better understood Somewhat give me leave to say I have added to both of them in the choice of Words and Harmony of Numbers which were wanting especially the last in all our Poets even in those who being endu'd with Genius yet have not Cultivated their Mother-Tongue with sufficient Care or relying on the Beauty of their Thoughts have judg'd the Ornament of Words and sweetness of Sound unnecessary One is for raking in Chaucer our English Ennius for antiquated Words which are never to be reviv'd but when Sound or Significancy is wanting in the present Language But many of his deserve not this Redemption any more than the Crouds of Men who daily die or are slain for Six-pence in a Battel merit to be restor'd to Life if a Wish cou'd revive them Others have no Ear for Verse nor choice of Words nor distinction of Thoughts but mingle Farthings with their Gold to make up the Sum. Here is a Field of Satire open'd to me But since the Revolution I have wholly renounc'd that Talent For who wou'd give Physick to the Great when he is uncall'd To do his Patient no good and indanger himself for his Prescription Neither am I ignorant but I may justly be Condemn'd for many of those Faults of which I have too liberally Arraign'd others Cynthias Aurem vellit admonuit 'T is enough for me if the Government will let me pass unquestion'd In the mean time I am oblig'd in gratitude to return my Thanks to many of them who have not only distinguish'd me from others of the same Party by a particular exception of Grace but without considering the Man have been Bountiful to the Poet Have encourag'd Virgil to speak such English as I could teach him and rewarded his Interpreter for the pains he has taken in bringing him over into Britain by defraying the Charges of his Voyage Even Cerberus when he had receiv'd the Sop permitted Aeneas to pass freely to Elysium Had it been offer'd me and I had refus'd it yet still some gratitude is due to such who were willing to oblige me But how much more to those from whom I have receiv'd the Favours which they have offer'd to one of a different Perswasion Amongst whom I cannot omit naming the Earls of Darby and of Peterborough To the first of these I have not the Honour to be known and therefore his liberality as much unexpected as it was undeserv'd The present Earl of Peterborough has been pleas'd long since to accept the tenders of my Service His Favours are so frequent to me that I receive them almost by prescription No difference of Interests or Opinion have been able to withdraw his Protection from me And I might justly be condemn'd for the most unthankful of Mankind if I did not always preserve for him a most profound Respect and inviolable Gratitude I must also add that if the last Aeneid shine amongst its Fellows 't is owing to the Commands of Sir William Trumball one of the Principal Secretaries of State who recommended it as his Favourite to my Care and for his sake particularly I have made it mine For who wou'd confess weariness when he enjoin'd a fresh Labour I cou'd not but invoke the assistance of a Muse for this last Office Extremum hunc Arethusa Negat quis Carmina Gallo Neither am I to forget the Noble Present which was made me by Gilbert Dolben Esq the worthy Son of the late Arch-Bishop of York who when I began this Work enrich'd me with all the several Editions of Virgil and all the Commentaries of those Editions in Latine Amongst which I cou'd not but prefer the Dolphins as the last the shortest and the most Judicious Fabrini I had also sent me from Italy but either he understands Virgil very imperfectly or I have no knowledge of my Author Being Invited by that worthy Gentleman Sir William Bowyer to Denham-Court I Translated the first Georgic at his House and the greatest part of the last Aeneid A more friendly Entertainment no Man ever found No wonder therefore if both those Versions surpass the rest and own the satisfaction I receiv'd in his Converse with whom I had the honour to be bred in Cambridge and in the same College The Seventh Aeneid was made English at Burleigh the Magnificent Abode of the Earl of Exeter In a Village belonging to his Family I was born and under his Roof I endeavour'd to make that Aeneid appear in English with as much lustre as I cou'd though my Author has not given the finishing strokes either to it or to the Eleventh as I perhaps cou'd prove in both if I durst presume to Criticise my Master By a Letter from Will. Walsh of Abberley Esq who has so long honour'd me with his Friendship and who without flattery is the best Critick of our Nation I have been inform'd that his Grace the Duke of Shrewsbury has procur'd a Printed Copy of the Pastorals Georgics and six first Aeneids from my Bookseller and has read them in the Country together with my Friend This Noble Person having been pleas'd to give them a Commendation which I presume not to insert has made me vain enough to boast of so great a favour and to think I have succeeded beyond my hopes the Character of his Excellent Judgment the acuteness of his Wit and his general Knowledge of good Letters being known as well to all the World as the sweetness of his disposition his Humanity his easiness of access and desire of obliging those who stand in need of his protection are known to all who have approach'd him and to me in particular who have formerly had the honour of his Conversation Whoever has given the World the Translation of part of the third Georgic which he calls The Power of Love has put me to sufficient pains to make my own not inferiour to his As my Lord Roscommon's Silenus had formerly given me the same trouble The most Ingenious Mr. Addison of Oxford has also been as troublesome to me as the other two and on the same account After his Bees my latter Swarm