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Th' Inachian streams with headlong fury run, 500
And Erafinus rolls a deluge on:

The foaming Lerna fwells above its bounds,
And spreads its ancient poisons o'er the ground:
Where late was duft, now rapid torrents play,
Rush thro' the mounds, and bear the damms away:
Old limbs of trees from crackling forests torn, 506
Are whirl'd in air, and on the winds are borne:
The ftorm the dark Lycæan groves difplay'd,
And first to light expos'd the facred shade.
Th' intrepid Theban hears the burfting fky, 510
Sees yawning rocks in maffy fragments fly,
And views aftonish'd, from the hills afar,
The floods defcending, and the watʼry war;
That, driv'n by ftorms, and pouring o'er the plain,
Swept herds, and hinds, and houses to the main.
Thro' the brown horrors of the night he fled, 516
Nor knows, amaz'd, what doubtful path to tread;

Arcadiæ capita alta madent: ruit agmine facto 500
Inachus, et gelidas furgens Erafinus ad Arctos.
Pulverulenta prius. calcandaque flumina nullæ
Aggeribus tenuere moræ, ftagnoque refufa eft
Funditus, et veteri fpumavit Lerna veneno.
Frangitur omne nemus; rapiunt antiqua procellæ
Brachia fylvarum, nullifque aspecta per ævum 506
Solibus umbrofi patuere æftiva Lycæi.
Ille tamen modo faxa jugis fugientia ruptis
Miratur, modo nubigenas e montibus amnes
Aure pavens, paflimque infano turbine raptas
Paftorum pecorumque domos. non fegnius amens,
Incertufque viæ, per nigra filentia, vastum 516
Haurit iter: pulfat metus undique, et undique frater.

His brother's image to his mind appears, Inflames his heart with rage, and wings his feet with fears.

529

So fares a failor on the ftormy main, When clouds conceal Bootes' golden wain, When not a star its friendly luftre keeps, Nor trembling Cynthia glimmers on the deeps; He dreads the rocks, and fhoals, and feas, and fkies, While thunder roars, and lightning round him flies, Thus ftrove the chief, on ev'ry fide distress'd, Thus ftill his courage with his toils increas'd; With his broad fhield oppos'd, he forc'd his way Thro' thickest woods, and rous'd the beasts of prey; Till he beheld, where from Lariffa's height The shelving walls reflect a glancing light. Thither with hafte the Theban Hero flies; On this fide Lerna's pois'nous water lies, On that Profymna's grove and temple rife:

530

Ac velut hiberno deprenfus navita ponto, 520 Cui neque temo piger, neque amico fidere monftrat Luna vias, medio cœli pelagique tumultu Stat rationis inops: jam jamque aut faxa malignis. Expectat fubmerfa vadis, aut vertice acuto Spumantes fcopulos erecte incurrere prora: Talis opaca legens nemorum Cadmeius heros Accelerat, vafto metuenda umbone ferarum Excutiens ftabula, et prono virgulta refringit Pectore: dat ftimulos animo vis mœæfta timoris. Donec ob Inachiis victa caligine tectis Emicuit lucem devexa in moenia fundens

539

Lariffæus apex. illo fpe concitus omni

Evolat. hinc cellæ Junonia templa Profymna

Ha

He pafs'd the gates which then unguarded lay,
And to the regal palace bent his way;
On the cold marble, spent with toil, he lies,
And waits till pleafing flumbers feal his eyes.
Adraftus here his happy people fways,

536

Bless'd with calm peace in his declining days. 540
By both his parents of defcent divine,

Great Jove and Phoebus grac'd his noble line:
Heav'n had not crown'd his wishes with his fon,
But two fair daughters heir'd his state and throne.
To him Apollo (wondrous to relate!
But who can pierce into the depths of Fate?)
Had fung." Expect thy fons on Argos' fhore,
“A yellow lion and a briftly boar."

545

This long revolv'd in his paternal breaft,
Sat heavy on his heart, and broke his reft;

550

Lavus habet, hinc Herculeo fignata vapore
Lernæi ftagna atra vadi, tandemque reclufis
Infertur portis. actutum regia cernit
Vestibula. hic artus imbri ventoque regentes
Projicit, ignotæque acclinis poftibus aulæ
Invitat tenues ad dura cubilia fomnos.

535

Rex ibi tranquilla medio de limite vitæ In fenium vergens populos Adraftus habebat, 540 Dives avis, et utroque Jovem de fanguine ducens. Hic fexus melioris inops, fed prole virebat Fœminea, gemino natarum pignore fultus. Cui Phoebus generos (monftrum exitiabile dictu! Mox adaperta fides) ævo ducente canebat 545 Setigerumque fuem, et fulvum adventare leonem. Hæc volvens non, tu ipfe pater, non, docte futuri

This

This, great Amphiaraus, lay hid from thee,
Tho' kill'd in fate, and dark futurity.
The father's care and prophet's art were vain,
For thus did the predicting god ordain.

555

Lo hapless Tydeus, whofe ill-fated hand Had flain his brother, leaves his native land, And, feiz'd with horror, in the shades of night, Thro' the thick deferts headlong urg'd his flight: Now by the fury of the tempeft driv'n,

He feeks a fhelter from th' inclement Heav'n, 560 Till, led by Fate, the Theban's steps he treads, And to fair Argos' open court fucceeds.

When thus the chiefs from diff'rent lands refort
T' Adraftus' realms, and hospitable court;
The King furveys his guests with curious eyes,
And views their arms and habit with furprise. 566
A lion's yellow fkin the Theban wears,

Horrid his mane, and rough with curling hairs;
Such once employ'd Alcides' youthful toils,
Ere yet adorn'd with Nemea's dreadful spoils.

Amphiarae, vides; etenim vetat autor Apollo. 552
Tantum in corde fedens ægrefcit cura parentis.
Ecce autem antiquam fato Calydona relinquens
Olenius Tydeus (fraterni fanguinis illum 556
Confcius horror agit) eadem fub nocte fopora
Luftra terit, fimilefque Notos dequeftus & imbres,
Infufam tergo glaciem, et liquentia nimbis
Ora, comafque gerens, fubit uno tegmine, cujus
Fufus humo gelida, partem prior hofpes habebat.--
Hic primum luftrare oculis, cultufque virorum
Telaque magna vacat, tergo videt hujus inanem
Impexis utrinque jubis horrere leonem,

A.

A boar's ftiff hide, of Calydonian breed,
Oenides' manly fhoulders overspread:
Oblique his tufks, erect his briftles stood,
Alive, the pride and terror of the wood.

570

576

Struck with the fight, and fix'd in deep amaze, The King th' accomplish'd Oracle furveys, Reveres Apollo's vocal caves, and owns The guiding godhead, and his future fons. O'er all his bofom fecret tranfports reign, And a glad horror fhoots thro' ev'ry vein, To heav'n he lifts his hands, erects his fight, And thus invokes the filent Queen of night.

580

Goddefs of fhades, beneath whofe gloomy reign.
Yon fpangled arch glows with the ftarry train:
You who the cares of heav'n and earth allay,
Till nature quicken'd by th' infpiring ray 586
Wakes to new vigour with the rifing day:

Illius in fpeciem, quem per Theumefia Tempe
Amphitryoniades fractum juvenilibus armis
Ante Cleonai veftitur prælia monftri.
Terribiles contra fetis, ac dente recurvo
Tydea per latos humeros ambire laborant

570

Exuvia, Calydonis honos. ftupet omine tanto 575

Defixus fenior, divina oracula Phobi

580

Agnofcens, monitufque datos vocalibus antris.
Obtutu gelida ora premit, lætufque per artus
Horror iit, fenfit manifefto numine ductos
Affore, quos nexis ambagibus augur Apollo
Portendi generos, vultu fallente ferarum,
Ediderat, tunc fic tendens ad fidera palmas:
Nox, que terrarum cœlique amplexa labores
Ignea multivago tranfmittis fidera lapfu,
Indulgens reparare animum, dum proximus ægris
VOL. II.

C

58;

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