Yet furious still, Parthenopaus flies; Him step by step impatient Idas plies, And pants aloud, with vengeance in his eyes; Now hanging o'er, his hov'ing shade is seen, That lengthens still, and floats along the green: And sudden now, by unperceiv'd degrees Full on his neck he blows the sultry breeze. Next Phædimus and aged Dymes past Along the circus, Alcon came the last. As the fair offspring of the sylvan Grace With matchless swiftness speeds along the race, His golden tresses wav'd in curls, behind Flow loosely down, and dance upon the wind: (These from a child with pious hopes he bore, Sacred to her who treads the Delian shore 4; What time from Thebe's distant plains he came Renown'd for conquests of immortal fame: Too fondly pious! in a Theban uru Son must thou sleep, ah, never to return!) These vengeful Idas saw with ardent eyes: Resolv'd by force or fraud t'obtain the prize; Sudden he stretch'd his impious arm, and drew Supine on earth the stripling, as he flew : First two Achaians round the labour came, With ardent Phlegyas, candidates for fame: An Acarnanian next accepts the toil, And three brave chieftains from Ephyre's soil, With numbers more-but eager of renown, Sudden Hippomedon flings thund'ring down A disk of double weight; amaz'd they stand; The vast orb rings, and shakes the trembling land. [nown'd, "Warriors" (he cries) "in fighting fields reWhose arms must strike Thebe's bulwarks to the ground: On tasks like these your mighty prowess try :" Then starting reach'd the goal, and claim'd the Boastful he spoke, and whirl'd it up the sky. prize. Arms! arms aloud th' Arcadian nation cries: Amaz'd each chief the wond'rous cast admires, And conscious of th' event betimes retires. Pisaan Phlegyas only keeps the field, With great Menestheus, yet untaught to yield: Brave warriors each, too noble to disgrace By one mean act the glories of their race. The rest inglorious leave the listed ground, And tremble to survey th' enormous round. First Phlegyas rose the mighty toil to try: Dumb was each voice, attentive ev'ry eye; He rolls the quoit in dust with prudent care, And poises oft, and marks its course in air. Ev'n from a child, (where old Alpheus leads His mazy stream through Pisa's lowly meads) Not only when with mighty chiefs he strove At sacred games to please Olympian Jove : "Cease, gen'rous youths! once more your Thus with full force the massy weight he threw fortunes try, In sep'rate paths, each starting from the eye." I nurs'd these curls of long-descending hair: Rapid he shot along, half pois'd in air: Soon sought Adrastus, and his right requir'd. VOL. XVI. ♦ Diana. Far o'er the stream, half shaded, as it flew. Fond of his art and strength in days of yore, Well-pleas'd he stands, and waits th' event once more. Loud shout the Greeks, and dwell on Phlegyas' praise. Hippomedon with scorn the chief surveys. But fortune soon his mighty hopes withstood, Next, sage Menestheus stands prepared to Intent of mind he marks its airy way, Slow rose Hippomedon, and e'er he rose Forth-springing with the cast. Aloft it sung So Polyphemus, more than mortal strong, Hurl'd a huge rock to crush th' Ulyssean throng: Blind as he was, the vengeful weight he threw, The vessel trembled, and the waters flew. Soon good Adrastus rises, to repay A tiger's skin, the paws o'erwrought with gold. (A boon so just Hippomedon might give:) So spake the chief. Half-trembling with amaze, Him Capaneus survey'd with scornful eyes, Insults his years, and claims a nobler prize. Provok❜d, he turns to fight. Each warrior stands At full extent, and lifts his iron hands. [round, Well-temper'd casques their hardy brows surTo break at least the fury of the wound. This towr'd like Tytius on the Stygian shore, When the fierce vultures cease to drink his gore: So high in air his spreading shoulders rise, So swell his muscles, and so flame his eyes; That at his side in blooming youth appears, Yet promis'd wonders from maturer years: The favours of the crowd alike succeed On either side: none wish'd the chiefs to bleed. Low'ring at first they met, nor silence broke, Each lifts his arm, and only aims the stroke. Soine moments thus they gaz'd in wild surprise, A hasty fury sparkled in their eyes; Now conscious fear succeeds. The chiefs essay save: Still blindly drives where fury leads the way, Full on his front he deals a mortal wound: So foams the lion, monarch of the plain, wound. Fast and more fast his lifted arms he throws Around his head, and doubles blows on blows. Part waste in air, part on the cæstus fall With mighty force; his foe returns 'em all. Still seems to fear him with dissembling eyes, Yet still persists, and combats, while he flies. Panting they reel; the youth retreats more slow, The weary giant scarcely aims a blow, They sink at once-so sailors on the main Who long have toil'd through adverse waves in vain, [more, All drop their hands. The signal sounds once Again they start, and stretch the lab'ring oar. Thus rose the chiefs, with recollected might As rising from th' inglorious plain contends event. Loud shout the Greeks: the shore and forest rings. Then thus in haste exclaims the king of kings (As from the ground the furious Argive rose, And vow'd, and aim'd intolerable blows): "Seize him, ye chiefs, his bloody hands restrain, Give all the palm, but lead him from the plain. Haste, see, he raves! ah, tear him from my eyes, He lives, he rises, the Laconian dics!" He said. Hippomedon, and Tydeus rose ! Scarce both their hands restrain his mighty blows. [give: Then thus they spoke. "The prize is thine, for'Tis double fame to bid the vanquish'd live ; A friend, and our ally"-he storms the more, Rejects the prize, and thus devoutly swore: "By all this blood, at present my disgrace, These hands shall crush that more than female face; [plain"These hands shall dash him headlong to the To Pollux then he weeps, but weeps in vain. He said. By force they turn'd his steps away. Stubborn he still persists, nor yields the day. Far off in secret, the Laconian host Smile at his fury, and their hero boast. Mean while with conscious virtue Tydeus Renown and praise inflame his heart by turns:` Besides him, tow'ring, huge Agylleus rose, Low Tydeus was. What Nature there deny'd, Soon as their shining limbs are bath'd in oil, Down rush the heroes to the wrestling toil. Deform'd with dust (their arms at distance spread) Each on his shoulder half reclines his head. Now bending 'till he almost touch'd the plain, Tydeus the giant heav'd, but heav'd in vain. The mountain-cypress thus, that firmly stood From age to age, the empress of the wood, By some strong whirlwind's sudden blast declin'd, Bends arching down, and nods before the wind: The deep roots tremble till the gust blows o'er, And then she rises, stately as before. So vast Agylleus scarcely mov'd below, And all appears an undistinguish'd wound. tent. Not half so bloody, or with half such rage, Two furious monarchs of the herd engage. Apart the inilk-white heifer views the fight, And waits to crown the victor with delight. Their chests they gore, the mighty shock resounds; [wounds. Love swells their hate, and heals the gaping So shaggy bears in strict embraces roll, And from each corse squeeze forth th' unwilling soul. Thus Tydens storm'd; nor heats nor toils asswage His furious strength, or mitigate his rage. Short of their reach, his hands the blow deny. (High o'er him hung) down rush the ruins round, Nought boots resistance now. Agylleus makes One more essay. That moment Tydeus takes, And rears him high. The mingling shouts arise, And loud applause runs rattling thro' the skies. So Hercules, who long had toil'd in vain, Heav'd huge Antheus from the Lybian plain; Erect in air th' expiring savage hung, Nor touch'd the kindred earth, from whence he sprung. Long Tydeus held him thus. At length he found The point of time, and hurl'd him to the ground Side-long-Himself upon the giant lies, Prone o'er th' inglorious dust, Agylleus quakeş Half-dead: his shame alone resistance makes: Then rose at last, and stagg'ring thro' the. throng, Slowly he trail'd his feeble legs along. When Tydeus thus. (His nobler hand sustain'd The palm, his left the warlike gifts he gain'd:) "What though my blood o'erflow'd yon guilty [round; ground, When singly arm'd, whole numbers press'd me Others in arms their manly limbs enclose; Thenthus Adrastus. "Gen'rous youths give o'er; Howe'er in sign of conquest and renown, Him too the chiefs with kind persuasions pray cause Proceeds, unseen, from Heav'n's eternal laws. Each reasons, as his wayward thoughts decree; NOTES UPON THE SIXTH THEBAID OF STATIUS. NOTE 1. Mr. Dryden, in his excellent preface to the Eneid, takes occasion to quarrel with Statius, and calls the present, book an ill-timed, and injudicious episode. I wonder so severe a remark could pass from that gentleman, who was an admirer of our author even to superstition. I own I can scarce forgive myself, to contradict so great a poet, and so good a critic; talium enim virorum ut admiratio maxima, ita censura difficilis. However the present case may admit of very alleviating circumstances. It may be replied in general, that the design of this book was to give a respite to the main action, introducing a mournful, but pleasing variation from terrour to pity. It is also highly probable, that Statius had an eye to the funeral obsequies of Polydore, and Anchises, mentioned in the 3d and 5th books of Virgil. We may also look upon them as a prelude, opening the mind by degrees to receive the miseries and horrour of a future war. This is intimated in some measure by the derivation of the word Archemorus. a fine opportunity of remarking upon chief of Besides the reasons above mentioned, we have the heroes who must make a figure hereafter; this is represented to the eye in a lively sketch that distributes to each person his proper lights, with great advantage. It must certainly be an infinite pleasure to peruse the most ancient piece of history now extant, excepting that in holy scripture. This remark must be understood of the action of the Thebaid only, which Statius, without question, faithfully recited from the most authentic chronicles in his own age. The action of the Iliad and Odyssey happened several years after. This is evident from Homer's own words. Agamemnon, in the 4th Iliad, recites with great transport the expedition of Tydeus: and Ulysses mentions the story of Jocasta (or Epicaste, as he calls her) in a very particular manner. It is in his descent to Hell, Odyssey the eleventh: Αλλ' ὁ μεν ἐν Θήβῃ πολυηράτω ἄλια πάχων 3. The antiquity of the Thebaid may be considered also in another view. As the poet was obliged to conform the manners of his heroes to the time of action, we in justice ought not to be so much shock'd with those insults over the dead which run through all the battles. This softens a little the barbarity of Tydeus, who expired gnawing the head of his enemy; and the impiety of Capaneus, who was thunderstruck while he blasphemed Jupiter. Whoever reads the books of Joshua and Judges will find about those times the same savage spirit of insolence and fiertè. of the Nemeæan games. 5. The youthful sailors thus with early care 'Tis worth while here to take notice of Statius's similies in general. They are sometimes proper, but not often: a common fault with most young authors, who can reject nothing; though himself with a metaphor. I am apt to think a more judicious writer at the same time would either suppress the thought, or at most content similies must seldom be used, except they convey to the mind some very pleasing, or strong piece of painting. For all similies are descrip tions (or pictures) whose only beauty proceeds | from an excellence in the imagery. In these cases, painting must always be consulted. He mixes with the bleating lambs his cries; Another oversight in Statius is want of rity in the circumstances: but this is owing to the irregularity of his genius, which was above insisting upon particulars, and gave only some bold strokes of likeness. If a translator can leave out such similies (or other passages) in Statius as are not proper, without violating the context or if he can supply any of their defects in a very short compass, I think he ought. Though these liberties are not to be taken with more correct writers. 6. I scarce ever met with a more incoherent passage than this, in any author. The sense is fine, Swift from mankind the Pow'r of slumbers and easily apprehended by the context: the flew. v. 31. This place is not translated exactly to the letter, nor indeed would our language bear it. The original is extremely poetical, and correspondent to the best paintings in those times: -cornu fugiebat somnus inani. For Somnus (or sleep) was represented as a deity pouring dews out of a horn, over the temples of the sleeping person. Statius alludes to this in another passage, upon the same occasion; -cornu perfuderat omui. This remark I owe to Lactantius, who has given us the only tolerable comment upon Statius. Care has been taken to read him entirely over, though to little purpose. His notes are learned, short, and clear, but seldom poetical. Most of them are like the old Scholia upon Homer, explaining one word by another. He is full of apostrophes and exclamations, yet gives no reasons. Such as, exquisitè dictum! pictum egregiè! &c. 7. words are obscure to a fault, and the transition too sudden and violent: Namque illi & pharetras, brevioraque tela Festinus voti pater, insontesque sagittas. Spes avidæ, must certainly be spoken of the mother, or else credula has nothing to agree with. In short, it must never be defended, but by one of these two excuses, either that Statius left his poem unfinished, or that the verse immediately preceding, is now lost. It might mean perhaps no more than this, "thus too was the unhappy mother deceived! with what care-&c." This consideration clears the sense, and solves all objections at once. However 'tis a mere conjecture, and may be truer to the author's reputation,than his first meaning. All grave readers will reject this as a whimsical young man's notion; nor do I lay any stress upon it. To show I can be serious on occasion, I shall just refer them to Virgil's third Georgic, where will be found a transition from horses to cows, as obscure almost as this in Statius. Mean while Adrastus bears the friendly part, And with kind words consoles, &c. v. 51. Chaucer, who was perhaps the greatest poet among the moderns, has translated these verses Gronovius (without any authority) thinks we almost word for word in his Knight's Tale. I shall should read spes avidi, instead of avidæ, still make this remark once for all: as nothing parti-preserving the context, and referring credula to cularises the fine passages in Homer more than that Virgil vouchsafed to imitate them: so scarce any thing can exalt the reputation of Statius higher, than the verbal imitations of our great countryman. I prefer this to a volume of criticisms; no man would imitate what he could exceed. 8. Inwoven on the pall, young Linus lay Linus was the son of Apollo, and the nymph Psamathe. No picture could be introduced with more propriety; his death was almost exactly the same with that of Archemorus. The story is related at large by Adrastus in the first Thebaid; and admirably translated by Mr. Pope: How mean a fate, unhappy child! is thine? spes. I cannot approve of this emendation for many reasons; we at once lose half the beauty. Besides, the repetition of in nomen would be tau tology, if it did not refer to another person: nor can urgere vestes be so properly applied to the father. Whoever reads this positive Dutchman's preface to Ammianus Marcellinus, will never think him to be a man of sense, or candour. 10. Stretch'd o'er the ground the tow'ring oaks were seen, &c. v. 108. This description is inimitably beautiful, and I might spend a whole page in admirations. 'Twere easy also, by drawing parallel places, (a common, but unfair practice) to prefer Statius to all the ancients, and moderns. Most of the poets have exercised their genius upon this occasion; particularly Ovid in the 10th book of his Metamorphosis: |