Hisne etiam funeftus ego? et videt ista deorum
Ignavus genitor? tu faltem debita vindex
Huc ades, et totos in poenam ordire nepotes.
Indue quod madidum tabo diadema cruentis
Unguibus arripui, votifque instincta paternis
I media in fratres, generis confortia ferro
Diffiliant: da Tartarei regina barathri
Quod cupiam vidiffe nefas, nec tarda fequetur
Mens juvenum; modo digna veni, mea pignora
nofces.
Talia jactanti crudelis Diva feveros
Advertit vultus; inamoenum forte fedebat
Cocyton juxta, refolutaque vertice crines,
Lambere fulfureas permiferat anguibus undas.
Ilicet igne Jovis, lapfifque citatior aftris
Triftibus exiliit ripis, difcedit inane
Vulgus et occurfus dominae pavet; illa
Art thou a Father, unregarding Jove!
And fleeps thy thunder in the realms above?110 Thou Fury, then, fome lafting curfe entail, Which o'er their children's children shall prevail : Place on their heads that crown diftain'd with gore, Which these dire hands from my flain father tore; Go! and a parent's heavy curses bear; 115
Break all the bonds of nature, and prepare Their kindred fouls to mutual hate and war. Give them to dare, what I might wish to see Blind as I am, fome glorious villany!
Soon shalt thou find, if thou but arm their hands, Their ready guilt preventing thy commands: 121 Could'st thou fome great, proportion'd mischief frame,
They'd prove the father from whofe loins they
The Fury heard, while on Cocytus' brink Her fnakes unty'd, fulphureous waters drink; 125 But at the fummons roll'd her eyes around, And fnatch'd the starting ferpents from the ground, Not half fo fwiftly shoots along in air The gliding light'ning, or descending star. Thro' crouds of airy fhades fhe wing'd her flight,
And dark dominions of the filent night; 131
Et caligantes animarum exanime campos,
Taenariae limen petit irremeabile portae.
Senfit adeffe dies; piceo nox obvia nimbo
Lucentes turbavit equos. procul arduus Atlas
Horruit, et dubia coelum cervice remifit.
Arripit extemplo Maleae de valle refurgens 140
Notum iter ad Thebas: neque enim velocior ullas
Itque reditque vias, cognataque Tartara mavult.
Centum illi ftantes umbrabant ora ceraftae, 145
Turba minor diri capitis: fedet intus abactis
Ferrea lux oculis; qualis per nubila Phoebes
Atracea rubet arte labor: fuffufa veneno
Tenditur, ac fanie glifcit cutis: igneus atro
Qre vapor, quo longa fitis, morbique, famesque,
Et populis mors una venit. riget horrida tergo
Swift as the pafs'd the flitting ghosts withdrew,
And the pale spectres trembled at her view :
To th' iron gates of Tenarus fhe flies,
There spreads her dusky pinions to the skies. 135
The day beheld, and fick'ning at the fight,
Veil'd her fair glories in the shades of night.
Affrighted Atlas, on the distant shore,
Trembled, and shook the heav'ns and gods he bore.
Now from beneath Malea's airy height 140
Aloft she sprung, and steer'd to Thebes her flight;
With eager speed the well-known journey took,
Nor here regrets the hell she late forfook.
A hundred fnakes her gloomy visage shade,
A hundred ferpents guard her horrid head, 145
In her funk eye-balls dreadful meteors glow :
Such rays from Phoebe's bloody circle flow,
When lab'ring with ftrong charms, she shoots
from high
A fiery gleam, and reddens all the sky.
Blood ftain'd her cheeks, and from her mouth
Blue fteaming poifons, and a length of flame. From ev'ry blaft of her contagious breath Famine and drought proceed, and plagues, and
Palla et coerulei redeunt in pectore nodi.
Atropos hos, atque ipfa novat Proferpina cultus.
Tum geminas quatit illa manus: haec igne rogali
Fulgurat, haec vivo manus aëra verberat hydro.
Ut ftetit, abrupta qua plurimus arce Cithaeron
Occurrit coelo, fera fibila crine virenti
Congeminat, fignum terris, unde omnis Achaei
Ora maris late, Pelopeiaque regna refultant.
Audiit et medius coeli Parnaffus et afper 165
Eurotas, dubiamque jugo fragor impulit Oeten
In latus, et geminis vix fluctibus obftitit Ifthmos.
Ipfa fuum genitrix, curvo delphine vagantem
Arripuit frenis, gremioque Palaemona preffit.
Atque ea Cadmeo praeceps ubi limine primum
Conftitit, affuetaque infecit nube penates, 171
Protinus attoniti fratrum fub pectore motus,
Gentilefque animos fubiit furor, aegraque laetis
Invidia, atque parens odii metus: inde regendi
Saevus amor: ruptaeque vices, jurifque fecundi
VER. 173. Gentilifque animos fubit furer, feems a better reading than Gentilefque. P.
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