520

Reveres Apollo's vocal cures, and owes
The goveri Goticari, and his fofure fors.
O'er as his botom. karet tranfports reign,
And a gian horror fhosts through every vein.
To beaven he lifts his hands, erects his light,
And thus invokes the fuent Queen of night:

Guidcis of Ituades, beneath whole giomy reign
Yono Spanzied arch glows with the farry train :
You wi-o this cares of heaven and earth aliay,
Till nature, quicken'd by th' inspiring ray,
Wakes to new vigour with the riling day.
O thou, who freeft me from my doub:ful ftate,
Long loft and wilder'd in the maze of Fate!
Be present fill, oh Goddess! in our aid;

590
Proceed, and firm those omens thou haft made.
We to thy name our annual rites will pay,
And on thy altars facrifices lay;

The

525

*}

520

Defixus senior, divina oracula Phocbi
Agnoscens, monitusque datos vocalibus antris.
Obtutu gelida cre permit, lactusque per artus
Horror iit. fenfit manifesto numine ductos
Affore, quos nexis ambagibus augur Apollo
Portendi generos, vultu fallente ferarum,
Ediderat. tunc fic tendens ad fidera palmas :
Nox, quae terrarum coelique amplexa labores
Ignea multivago transmittis lidera laplu,
Indulgens reparare animum, dum proximus aegris
Infundat Titan agiles animantibus ortus,
Tu mihi perplexis quaelitam erroribus ultro

The fable flock fall fall beneath the stroke,
And fill thy temples with a grateful fmoke.

595 Hail, faithful Tripos ! hail, ye dark abodes Of awful Phoebus : I confess the Gods !

Thus, seiz'd with facred fear, the monarch pray'd ; Then to his inner court the guests convey'd : Where yet thin fumes from dying sparks arise, 600 And dust yet white upon each altar lies, The relics of a former sacrifice. The king once more the solemn rites requires, And bids renew the feasts, and wake the fires. His train obey, while all the courts around With noisy care and various tumult sound. Embroider'd purple clothes the golden beds ; This Nave the floor, and that the table spreads ;

A third

605

595

Advenis alma fidem, veterisque exordia fati
Detegis. assistas operi, tuaque omina firmes !
Semper honoratam dimensis orbibus anni
Te domus ista colet: nigri tibi, Diva, litabunt
Electa service greges, lustraliaque exta
Lacte nova perfusus ędet Vulcanius ignis.
Salve, prisca fides tripodum, obscurique recessus ;
Deprendi, Fortuna, deos. sic fatus ; et ambos
Innectens manibus, tecta ulterioris ad aulae
Progreditur. canis ctiamnum altaribus ignes,
Sopitum cinerem, et tepidi libamina facri
Servabant; adolere focos, epulasque recentes
Instaurare jubet. dictis parere

ministri
Certatim accelerant. yario strepit ifta tumultu

600

605

A third dispels the darkness of the night,
And fills depending lamps with beams of light;" '610
Here loaves in canisters are pil'd on high,
And there in flames the slaughter'd victims fly.
Sublime in regal state Adraftus inone,
Stretch'd on rich carpets on his ivory throne ;
A lofty couch receives each princely guest;
Around at awful distance wait the rest.

And now the king, his royal feast to grace,
Aceftis calls, the guardian of his race,
Who first their youth in arts of virtue train'd,
And their ripe years in modest grace maintain'd. 620
Then softly whisper'd in her faithful ear,
And bade his daughters at the rites appear.

When

615

Regia : pars ostro tenues, auroque sonantes
Emunire toros, altosque inferre tapetas ;
Pars teretes levare manu, ac disponere mensas :
Aft alii tenebras et opacam vincere noctem

610
Aggressi, tendunt auratis vincula lychnis.
His labor inserto torrere exanguia ferro
Viscera caesarum pecudum; his, cumulare canistris
Perdomitam faxo Cererem. laetatur Adrastus
Obfequio fervere domum. jamque ipfe fuperbis
Fulgebat stratis, folioque effultus eburno.
Parte alia juvenes ficcati vulnera lymphis
Discumbunt: fimul ora notis foedata tuentur,
Inque vicem ignoscunt, tunc rex longaevus Aceften
(Natarum haec altrix, eadem et fidiflima custos 620
Lecta sacrum justae Veneri occultare pudorem)

615

625

When, from the close apartments of the night,
The royal Nymphs approach divinely bright;
Such was Diana's, such Minerva's face;
Nor shine their beauties with superior grace,
But that in these a milder charm endears,
And less of terror in their looks appears.
As on the heroes first they cast their eyes,
O'er their fair cheeks the glowing blushes rise,
Their downcast looks a decent shame confess’d,
Then on their father's reverend features rest.

The banquet done, the monarch gives the fign
To fill the goblet high with sparkling wine,
Which Danaus us'd in sacred rites of old,

635 With sculpture grac'd, and rough with rising gold.

Here

630

625

Imperiat acciri, tacitaque immurmurat aure.
Nec mora praeceptis; cum protinus utraque virgo
Arcano egressae thalamo (mirabile visu)
Pallados armisonae, pharetrataeque ora Dianae
Aequa ferunt, terrore minus. nova deinde pudori
Visa virûm facies : pariter, pallorque, ruborque
Purpureas hausere genas : oculique verentes
Ad sanctum rediere patrem. Poftquam ordine mensae
Victa fames, signis perfectam auroque nitentem
Iasides pateram famulos ex more poposcit,
Qua Danaüs libare deis feniorque Phoroneus ;
Affueti, tenet haec operum caelata figuras :
Aureus anguicomam praefecto Gorgona collo
Ales habet. jam jamque vagas (ita visus) in auras

635

}

Here to the clouds victorious Perseus flies,
Medusa seems to move her languid eyes,
And, ev’n in gold, turns paler as the dies.
There from the chace Jove's towering eagle bears, 640
On golden wings, the Phrygian to the stars :
Still as he rises in th' etherial height,
His native mountains lessen to his fight;
While all his fad companions upward gaze,
Fix'd on the glorious scene in wild amaze;
And the swift hounds, affrighted as he flies,
Run to the shade, and bark against the skies.

This golden bowl with generous juice was crown'd,
The first libation sprinkled on the ground:
By turns on each celestial power they call ; 650
With Phoebus' name resounds the vaulted hall.
The courtly train, the strangers, and the rest,
Crown'd with chaste laurel, and with garlands dress'd,

While

645

640

Exilit: illa graves oculos, languentiaque ora
Pene movet, vivoque etiam pallefcit in auro.
Hinc Phrygius fulvis venator tollitur alis :
Gargara desidunt surgenti, et Troja recedit.
Stant moesti comites, frustraque fonantia laxant
Ora canes, umbramque petunt, et nubila latrant. 645

Hanc undante mero fundens, vocat ordine cunctos Coelicolas : Phoebum ante alios, Phoebum omnis ad

aras

Laude ciet comitum, famulûmque, evincta pudica
Fronde, manus : cui festa dies, largoque refecti