THE SECOND OLYMPIONIQUE. To THERON of AGRIGENTUM, victorious in the CHARIOT-RACE.

A R G U MEN T.

He praises Theron king of Agrigentum, on account of the victory obtained in the Olympic Games, with a chariot and four horfes; likewife for his juftice, his hofpitality, his fortitude, and the illuftriousness of his ancestors; whofe adventures are occafionally mentioned then he interweaves digreffions to Semele, Ino, Peleus, Achilles, and others, and describes the future state of the righteous and of the wicked. Laftly, he concludes with extolling his own skill in panegyrick, and the benevolence and liberality of Theron.

STROPHE I. Measures 16.

SOVER

OVEREIGN hymns, whofe numbers fway
The founding harp, what god, what hero, fay,

What man, fhall we refound?

Is not Pifa Jove's delight?

And did not Hercules, with conqueft crown'd,

To him ordain

Th' Olympiad for an army slain,
Thank-offering of the war?

And muft we not, in Theron's right,
Exert our voice, and fwell our fong?
Theron, whofe victorious car

Four courfers whirl, fleeting along,

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Το

To ftranger-guefts indulgent hoft,

Of Agrigentum the fupport and boast,
Cities born to rule and grace,

Fair bloffom of his ancient race,

ANTISTROPHE I. Meafures 16.

Worthies fore perplex'd in thought,

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Till, wandering far, they found, what long they fought,

A facred feat, faft by

Where the stream does rapid run,

And reign'd, of Sicily the guardian eye,
When happy days,

And wealth, and favour, flow'd, and praife,

That in-born worth inflames.

Saturnian Jove, O! Rhea's fon,

Who o'er Olympus doft prefide,
And the pitch of lofty games,
And Alpheus, of rivers the pride,
Rejoicing in my fongs, do thou

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25

Incline thine ear, propitious to my vow,

30

Bleffing, with a bounteous hand,

The rich hereditary land

E PODE I. Measures 10.

Through their late lineage down. No power can actions

paft,

Whether deeds of right or wrong,

As things not done recall,

Not even Time, the father, who produces all;

Yet can Oblivion, waiting long,

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35

Gather

Gathering ftrength

Through the length

Of profperous times, forbid those deeds to last:
Such force has tweet-healing joy

The feftering fmart of evils to destroy,

STROPHE

II. Measures 16.

When felicity is fent

Down by the will fupreme with full content :.

Thy daughters, Cadmus, they

Greatly wretched here below,

Bless'd evermore, this mighty truth display.

No weight of grief,

But, whelm'd in pleasures, finds relief,

Sunk in the fweet abyfs..

Thou, Semele, with hair a-flow,

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Thou by thunder doom'd to die,
Mingling with the gods in blifs,.
Art happy, for ever, on high:
Thee Pallas does for ever love,
Thee chiefly Jupiter, who rules above;.

Thee thy fon holds ever dear,

Thy fon with the ivy-wreath'd fpear.

ANTISTROPHE II. Meafures 16.

Beauteous Ino, we are told,

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With the fea-daughters dwells of Nereus old,

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And has, by lot, obtain'd

Lasting life, beneath the deep,

A life within no bounds of time reftrain'd.

The hour of death,

The day when we refign our breath,

65 That

That offspring of the fun,

Which bids us from our labours sleep,
In vain do mortals feek to know,

Or who deftin'd is to run

A life unintangled with woe;.

For none are able to difclofe

The feafons of th' uncertain ebbs and flows

Now of pleafures, now of pains,

Which hidden fate to men ordains:.

EPO DE II. Meafures 10.

Thus Providence, that to thy ancestry, long-fam'd, Portions out a pleasing share

Of heaven-fprung happiness,

Does, ceafing in another turn of time to blefs,

Diftribute fome reverfe of care,

As from years

Paft appears,

Since the predeftin'd fon, at Pytho nam'd,
Did Laius, blindly meeting, kill,

And the oracle, of old pronounc'd, fulfil:

STROPHE III. Meafures 16.

Fell Erinnys, quick to view

The deed, his warlike fons in battle flew,
Each by the other's rage:

But to Polynices flain

Surviv'd Therfander, glory of his age,
For feats of war,

And youthful contefts, honour'd far,

The fcion, kept alive

To raife th? Adraftian house again a

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Does his fpreading root derive,

To branch out a progeny fair;

Who, fpringing foremost in the chace

Of fame, demands we should his triumph grace,
Tuning lyres to vocal lays,

Sweet union of melodious praife;

ANTISTROPHE III. Measures 16.

For not only has he borne

Th' Olympian prize, but, with his brother, worn
The garland of renown,

At Pytho and at Ifthmus; where,

Victorious both, they fhar'd th' allotted crown,

Joint-honour, won

In twelve impetuous courses, run

With four unwearied fteeds.

To vanquish in the ftrife fevere
Does all anxiety destroy :

And to this, if wealth fucceeds.
With virtues enamel'd, the joy
Luxuriant grows; fuch affluence
Does glorious opportunities difpenfe,
Giving depth of thought to find

Purfuits which please a noble mind,

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I LO

1-15

E PODE III. Meafures 10.

Refulgent ftar! to man the purest beam of light!

The poffeffor of this store,

Far-future things difcerning, knows

Obdurate wretches, once deceas'd, to immediate woes Confign'd, too late their pains deplore;

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For