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

AR GU M EN T.

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

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STROPHE I. Measures 16.

OVEREIGN hymns, whose numbers sway

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The founding harp, what god, what hero, fay,

What man, fhall we refound?

Is not Pifa Jove's delight?

And did not Hercules, with conquest crown'd,
To him ordain

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

And muft we not, in Theron's right,
Exert our voice, and swell our fong?
Theron, whofe victorious car
Four courfers whirl, fleeting along,

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To

To ftranger-guests indulgent hoft,

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

Fair bloffom of his ancient race,

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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 ftream does rapid run,

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

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

Incline thine ear, propitious to my vow,
Bleffing, with a bounteous hand,

The rich hereditary land

E PODE I. Measures 10.

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25

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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Gather

Gathering ftrength

Through the length

Of profperous times, forbid thofe deeds to laft: 40 Such force has (weet-healing joy

The feftering fmart of evils to destroy,

STROPHE

When felicity is fent

II. Measures 16.

Down by the will fupreme with full content:
Thy daughters, Cadmus, they

Greatly wretched here below,

Blefs'd evermore, this mighty truth display.

No weight of grief,

But, whelm'd in pleafures, finds relief,

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Sunk in the fweet abyss.

Thou, Semele, with hair a-flow,

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;

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Thee thy fon holds ever dear,

Thy fon with the ivy-wreath'd fpear.

ANTISTROPHE II. Meafures 16.

Beauteous Ino, we are told,

With the fea-daughters dwells of Nereus old,

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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 pleasures, now of pains,

Which hidden fate to men ordains:

E PODE II. Measures 10.

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

Of heaven-fprung happiness,

Does, ceafing in another turn of time to blefs,

Distribute 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,

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8.

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The scion, kept alive

To raise th' Adrastian house again :

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From

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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 praise;

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 courfes, 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; such affluence
Does glorious opportunities difpenfe,
Giving depth of thought to find

Purfuits which please a noble mind,

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E PODE III. Measures 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

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