Thus did the league their impious arms restrain, But fcarce fubfifted to the second reign.
Yet then, no proud aspiring piles were rais'd, 200 No fretted roof with polish'd metals blaz’d; No labour'd columns in long order plac'd, No Grecian stone the pompous arches grac'd ; No nightly bands in glitt'ring armour wait Before the fleepless Tyrant's guarded gate; No chargers then were wrought in burnish'd gold, Nor filver vases took the forming mold; Nor gems on bowls emboss'd were seen to shine, Blaze on the brims, and fparkle in the wine Say, wretched rivals! what provokes your rage? 210 Say, to what end your impious arms engage? Not all bright Phoebus views in early morn, Or when his ev'ning beams the west adorn,
Haec inter fratres pietas erat; haec mora pugnae Sola, nec in regem perduratura fecundum.
Et nondum craffo laquearia fulva metallo, Montibus aut alte Graiis effulta nitebant Atria, congeftos fatis explicitura clientes. Non impacatis regum advigilantia fomnis Pila, nec alterna ferri ftatione gementes Excubiae, nec cura mero committere gemmas, Atque aurum violare cibis. Sed nuda poteftas Armavit fratres: pugna eft de paupere regno. Dumque uter anguftae fqualentia jugera Dirces. Verteret, aut Tyrii folio non altus ovaret
Exulis, ambigitur; periit jus, fafque, bonumque, Et vitae, mortifque pudor. Quo tenditis iras, 210 Ah miferi? quid fi peteretur crimine tanto Limes uterque poli, quem Sol emiffus Eco Cardine, quem porta vergens prospectat Ibera? Quafque procul terras obliquo fidere tangit
When the fouth glows with his meridian ray, And the cold north receives a fainter day; For crimes like these, not all thofe realms fuffice, Were all thofe realms the guilty victor's prize! But fortune now (the lots of empire thrown) Decrees to proud Etoocles the crown :
What joys, oh Tyrant! fwell'd thy foul that day, zzo When all were flaves thou couldst around furvey, Pleas'd to behold unbounded pow'r thy own, And fingly fill a fear'd and envy'd throne! But the vile Vulgar, ever difcontent,
Their growing fears in fecret murmurs vent; Still prone to change, tho' ftill the flaves of ftate, And fure the monarch whom they have, to hate; New lords they madly make, then tamely bear, And foftly curfe the Tyrants whom they fear. And one of thofe who groan beneath the fway Of Kings impos'd, and grudgingly obey, (Whom envy to the great and vulgar spight With fcandal arm'd, th' ignoble mind's delight)
Avius, aut Borea gelidas, madidive tepentes Igne Noti? quid fi Tyriae Phrygiaeve sub unum Convectentur opes? loca dira, arcefque nefandae Suffecere odio, furtifque immanibus emptum eft Oedipodae fediffe loco. Jam forte carebat
Dilatus Polynicis honos. quis tum tibi, faeve, 220 Quis fuit ille dies? vacua cum folus in aula Refpiceres jus omne tuum, cun&tofque minores, Et nufquam par ftare caput? Jam murmura ferpunt Plebis Echioniae, tacitumque a principe vulgus Diffident, et (qui mos populis) venturus amatur. Atque aliquis, cui mens humili laefiffe veneno
Exclaim'd-O Thebes! for thee what fates remain, What woes attend this inauspicious reign ?
Muft we, alas! our doubtful necks prepare, Each haughty master's yoke by turns to bear, And ftill to change whom chang'd we ftill must fear? Thefe now controul a wretched people's fate, These can divide, and these reverse the state: Ev'n Fortune rules no more: O fervile land, Where exil'd tyrants ftill by turns command! Thou fire of gods and men, imperial Jove! Is this th' eternal doom decreed above?
On thy own offspring haft thou fix'd this fate, From the first birth of our unhappy ftate; When banish'd Cadmus, wand'ring o'er the main, For loft Europa fearch'd the world in vain, And fated in Boeotian fields to found
A rifing empire on a foreign ground,
First rais'd our walls on that ill-omen'd plain, Where earth-born brothers were by brothers flain?
Summa, nec impofitos unquam cervice volenti Ferre duces: Hancne Ogygiis, ait, afpera rebus 235 Fata tulere vicem? toties mutare timendos, Alternoque jugo dubitantia fubdere colla! Partiti verfant populorum fata, manuque Fortunam fecere levem. femperne viciffim Exulibus fervire dabor? tibi, fumme deorum, Terrarumque fator, fociis hanc addere mentem Sedit an inde vetus Thebis extenditur omen, Ex quo Sidonii nequicquam blanda juvenci Pondera, Carpathio juffus fale quaerere Cadmus Exul Hyanteos invenit regna per agros: Fraternafque acies foetae telluris hiatu, Augurium, feros demifit adufque nepotes?
What lofty looks th' unrival'd monarch bears!
How all the tyrant in his face appears!
What fullen fury clouds his fcornful brow!
Gods! how his eyes with threat'ning ardour glow! Can this imperious lord forget to reign, Quit all his ftate, defcend, and ferve again? Yet, who, before, more popularly bow'd, Who more propitious to the fuppliant croud? Patient. of right, familiar in the throne? What wonder then? he was not then alone. O wretched we, a vile fubmiffive train, Fortune's tame fools, and slaves in ev'ry reign! As when two winds with rival force contend, 265. This way; and that, the wav'ring fails they bend, While freezing Boreas, and black Eurus blow, Now here, now there, the reeling veffel throw : Thus, on each fide, alas! our tott'ring state Feels all the fury of refistless fate;
And doubtful ftill, and still diftracted ftands,
While that Prince threatens, and while this commands.
And now th' almighty Father of the Gods Convenes a Council in the bleft abodes:
Cernis ut erectum torva fub fronte minetur Saevior affurgens dempto conforte potestas? Quas gerit ore minas ? quanto premit omnia faftu ? Hicne unquam privatus erit? tamen ille precanti Mitis, et affatu bonus et patientior aequi. Quid mirum ? non folus erat. nos vilis in omnes Prompta manus cafus domino cuicunque parati. Qualiter hinc gelidus Boreas, hinc nubifer Eurus 255 Vela trahunt, nutat mediae fortuna carinae. Heu dubio fufpenfa metu, tolerandaque nullis Afpera fors populis! hic imperat : ille minatur. 270. At Jovis imperiis rapidi fuper atria coeli
Far in the bright receffes of the skies,
High o'er the rolling heav'ns, a mansion lies, Whence, far below, the Gods at once survey The realms of rifing and declining day,
And all th' extended space of earth, and air, and fea. Full in the midft, and on a starry Throne, The Majefty of heav'n superior shone; Serene he look'd, and gave an awful nod, And all the trembling fpheres confefs'd the God. At Jove's affent, the deities around In folemn ftate the confiftory crown'd. Next a long order of inferior pow'rs
Afcend from hills, and plains, and shady bow'rs; Those from whofe urns the rolling rivers flow; And those that give the wand'ring winds to blow : Here all their rage, and ev'n their murmurs cease, 290 And facred filence reigns, and univerfal peace. A fhining fynod of majestic Gods
Gilds with new luftre the divine abodes;
Lectus concilio divûm convenerat ordo Interiore polo. fpatiis hinc omnia juxta Primaeque occiduaeque domus, effufa fub omni Terra atque unde die. mediis fefe arduus infert Jpfe deis, placido quatiens tamen omnia vultu, Stellantique locat folio. nec protinus aufi Coelicolae, veniam donec pater ipfe fedendi Tranquilla jubet effe manu. mox turba vagorum Semideûm, et fummis cognati nubibus Amnes, Et compreffa metu fervantes murmura venti. Aurea tecta replent; mixta convexa deorum
VER. 281.] placido quatiens tamen omnia vultu, is the common reading; I believe it fhould be nutu, with reference to the word quations.
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