O D E XI.

AD MERCURIU M.

Mercurium rogat ut cantus fibi dicet, quibus animum Lydes flectat in ejus amorem, propofita Danaidum fabulá.

MERCURI (nam te docìlis magiftro
Movit Amphion lapides, canendo)

Tuque teftudo, refonare feptem
Callida nervis :

Nec loquax olim, neque grata, nunc &
Divitum menfis & amica templis)

Dic modos, Lyde quibus obftinatas
Applicet aures.

Tu potes tigres comitefque fylvas
Ducere, & rivos celeres morari.
Ceffit immanis tibi blandienti
Janitor aulæ

Cerberus, quamvis furiale centum
Muniant angues caput exeatque
Spiritus teter faniefque manet
Ore trilingui.

PROSE INTERPRETATION.

O Mercury! (for the teachable Amphion animated ftone by his voice, with you for his mafter;) and thou fhell, fkilful to refound with seven strings, of old neither mufical nor acceptable, now familiar to the tables of the rich, and the temples, indite fuch measures as Lyde may incline her obftinate ears to. You are powerful to attract tygers, and their concomitant woods, and to ftop rapid rivers Cerberus, the monstrous porter of the infernal court, yielded to your blan

He requests Mercury to fuggeft to him fuch strains as may work upon the affections of Lyde, chufing for his fubject the tale of the Danaids.

O MERCURY! for thou inftill'd

The notes of old Amphion fung,
Who with his voice could cities build,
And thou, O fhell! compleatly fill'd,

When fev'n-times fweetly ftrung;
Nor vocal, nor in vogue of yore,
Now known in palaces and fanes,
In fuch inviting accents foar,
As may tempt Lyde to her door,
Attentive to thy ftrains.

The tygers, with their woodlands wild,
You to your train in pow'r compel;
You make the rapid torrents mild,
Th' enormous hell-hound heard, and fmil'd,
You play'd your lute fo well.
He fmil'd-tho' on his Stygian head
A hundred twisted fnakes are hùng,
And steams of peftilential dread,
And matter ftill with poifon fed,

Flow from his triple tongue.

PROSE INTERPRETATION.

blandifhments, though an hundred fnakes guard his head, and a foul spirit of corrupted matter flows out from his triple

T 2

tongue.

Quin & Ixion Tityofque vultu

Rifit invito ftetit urna paulum
Sicca, dum grato Danai puellas
Carmine mulces.

'Audiat Lyde fcelus atque notas
Virginum pœnas, & inane lymphæ
Dolium fundo pereuntis imo,
Seraque fata,

Quæ manent culpas etiam fub Orco,
Impiæ: nam quid potuere majus?
Impiæ fponfos potuere duro
Perdere ferro.

Una de multis face nuptiali
Digna, perjurum fuit in parentem
Splendidè mendax, & in omne virgo
Nobilis ævum.

Surge (quæ dixit juveni marito)
Surge, ne longus tibi fomnus unde
Non times, detur: focerum & fceleftas
Falle forores.

PROSE INTERPRETATION.

tongue. Moreover, Ixion and Tityus fmiled with an unwilling countenance; and, while you footh the girls of Danaus with your fweet verfe, their urn remained a while dry. Let Lyde hear the crime of thofe virgins, and their notorious punishment, and the veffel ftill empty, by the water wafting through the bottom, and the permanent fates that attend their fins, even beneath the grave. Impious! (for what greater wickedness could they do?) Impious! they could destroy their bridegrooms with the remorfelefs fteel. One of the many, worthy of the nuptial torch, was glorioufly false to her perjured parent, and a virgin of ennobled name to every

age:

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Ixion too, and Tityos, fhew'd

An irkfome glimpse of ghaftly joy,
While to your melody renew'd,
No more the Danaids purfu'd

Their task of vain employ.
Let Lyde hear the rueful tale,

And punishment at laf injoin'd,
How they still ply the fieve-like pail,
Which ever must be fill'd to fail,
The monsters of their kind.

The deftiny that must remain

For crimes beyond the grave to feelImpious! what could be more a stain? Impious! their bridegrooms all were flain By their remorfelefs fteel,

*

But one of many was a bride,

Whofe merit grac'd the nuptial flame,
To her falfe father nobly ly'd,
And left her memory the pride
Of everlasting fame.

ઃઃ

Who bade her youthful spouse " arise-
"Arife (the faid) with my reprieve-
"Left a long fleep should seal your eyes
Whence leaft you fear-my father's fpies
"And fifters too deceive -

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age: who faid to her young hufband, "Arife, arife, left a long fleep be inflicted on you whence you have no fear; "deceive your father-in-law, and flagitious fifters, who,

T 3

slike

Quæ, velut nactæ vitulos leænæ,

Singulos (eheu) lacerant, ego illis
Mollior, nec te feriam, nec intra
Clauftra tenebo,

Me pater fævis oneret catenis,
Quod viro clemens mifero peperci:
Me vel extremos Numidarum in agros
Claffe releget.

I, pedes quo te rapiunt & auræ :
Dum favet nox & Venus: I fecundo

Omine: & noftri memorem fepulchro
Sculpe querelam.

PROSE INTERPRETATION.

"like lioneffes, with calves in their clutches, alas! tear "them to pieces one by one: I, more tender-hearted than "them, will neither ftrike thee, nor ftay thee in my custody. Let my father load me with barbarous chains, because I, "merciful, fpared my wretched husband; let him banish 66 me with a fleet even to the remotest plains of Numidia. " Go