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590

Oh thou who freeft me from my doubtful state,
Long loft and wilder'd in the maze of fate!
Be prefent ftill, oh Goddefs! in our aid;
Proceed, and firm thofe omens thou haft made.
We to thy name our annual rites will pay,
And on thy altars facrifices lay;
The fable flock fhall fall beneath the Aroke,
And fill thy temples with a grateful fmoke.
Hail, faithful Tripos! hail, ye dark abodes
Of awful Phoebus: I confefs the gods!

595

Thus, feiz'd with facred fear, the monarch pray'd;

Then to his inner court the guests convey'd;
Where yet this fumes from dying fparks arife,
And dull yet white upon each altar lies,
The relics of a former facrince.

600

The king once more the folemn rites requires,
And bids renew the feafts, and wake the files.

Infundat Titan agiles animantibus ortus,
Tu mihi pe plexis que itain ciroribus ultro
Advehis alma fidem, veterifque exordia fati
Detegis. affitias operi, tai que omina tumes! 590
Semper honoratam dinenfis orbibus auni

595

Te domus ilta colui : nigri tibi, Diva, litabunt
Electa cervice greges, lustraliaque exta
Laste novo peitulus edet Vulcarios ignis.
Salve, prifca fides tripodum, obfcurique receffus;
'Deprendi, Fortuna, does. hic fatus; et ambos
Innectens manibus, tecta ulterioris ad aulæ
Pregreditur. canis etiamnum altaribus ignes, 600
Sopitum cinerem, et tepidi libamina facri
Servabant; adolere focos, epulafque recentes

605

His train obey, while all the courts around
With noify care and various tumult found.
Embroider'd purple clothes the golden beds;
This flave the floor, and that the table fpreads;
A third difpels the darkness of the night,
And fills depending lamps with beams of li ht;
Here loaves in canifters are pil'd on high, 611
And there in flames the flaughter'd victims fly.
Sublime in regal ftate Adraftus fhone,

Stretch'd on rich carpets on his ivory throne;
A lofty couch receives each princely gueft; 615
Around, at awful diftance, wait the reft.

And now the king, his royal fealt to grace,
Aceftis calls, the guardian of his race,

Who first their youth in arts of virtue train'd, And their ripe years in modeft grace maintain'd.

605

610

Inftaurare jubet. dictis parere miniftri
Certatim accelerant. vario ftrepit icta tumultu
Regia: pars oftro tenues, auioque fonantes
Emunire toros, altofque inferre tapetas;
Pars teretes levare manu, ac difponere mensas?
Aft alii tenebras et opacam vincere noctem
Aggrelli, tendunt auratis vincula lychnis.
His labor inferto torrere exanguia ferro
Vifcera cafarum pecudum : his, cumulare caniftris
Perdomitam faxo Cererem. latatur Adraftus
Obfequio fervere domum. jamque ipfe fuperbis
Fulgebat ftratis, folioque eiultus eburno.
Parte alia juvenes ficcati vulnera lymphis
Difcumbunt: fimul ora notis fœdata tuentur,
Inque vicem ignofcunt. tunc rex longævus Acefter
(Naturam hæc altrix, eadem et fidiffima cuftos

C 2

615

Then

625

Then foftly whisper'd in her faithful ear,
And bade his daughters at the rites appear.
When from the close apartments of the night,
The royal nymphs approach divinely bright;
Such was Diana's, fuch Minerva's face;
Nor fhine their beauties with fuperior grace,
But that in thefe a milder charm endears,
And lefs of terror in their looks appears.
As on the heroes first they caft their eyes,
O'er their fair cheeks the glowing blushes rise,
Their downcaft locks a decent shame confeft,
Then on their father's rev'rend features reft.
The banquet done, the monrach gives the fign.
To fill the goblet high with fparkling wine,
Which Danaus us'd in facred rites of old, 635
With fculpture grac'd, and rough with rifing gold.

629

Lecta facrum jufte Veneri occultare pudorem)
Imperat acciri, tacitaque immurmurat aure.
Nec mora præceptis; cum protinus utraque virgo
Arcano egreffe thalamo (mirabile vifu)
Pallados armifonæ, pharetratæque ora Dianæ. 625
Aqua ferunt, terrore minus. nova deinde pudori
Vifa virum facies: pariter, pallorque, ruborque
Purpureas haufere genas: oculique verentes
Ad fanctum rediere patrem. Poftquam ordine
menfæ

Victa fames, fignis perfectam auroque nitentem
Iafides pateram famulos ex more popofcit,
Qua Danaus libare deis feniorque Phoroneus 635
Affueti. tenet hæc operum cælata figuras :
Aureus anguicomam præfecto Gorgona collo

Here

Here to the clouds victorious Perfeus flies,
Medusa seems to move her languid eyes,
And ev'n in gold, turns paler as the dies.
There from the chace Jove's tow'ring eagle bears,
On golden wings, the Phrygian to the ftars: 641
Still as he rifes in th' ethereal height,
His native mountains leffen to his fight;
While all his fad companions upward gaze,
Fix'd on the glorious fcene in wild amaze;
And the fwift hounds, affrighted as he flies,
Run to the shade, and bark against the skies.
This golden bowl with gen'rous juice was
crown'd,

645

650

The firft libations fprinkled on the ground,
By turns on each celeftial pow'r they call;
With Phoebus' name refounds the vaulted hall..
The courtly train, the firangers, and the reft,
Crown'd with chafte laurel, and with garlands dreft,
While with rich gums the fuming altars blaze,
Salute the god in num'rous hymns of praife: 655

640

Ales habet. jam jamque vagas (ita vifus) in auras
Exilit: illa graves oculos, languentiaque ora
Pene movet, vivoque etiam pallefcit in auro.
Hinc Phrygius fulvis venator tollitur alis:
Gargara defidunt furgenti, et Troja recedit.
Stant molti comites, fruitraque fonantia laxant
Ora canes, umbramque petunt, et nubila latrant.
Hanc undante mero fundens, vocat ordine

cunctos

[ad aras Coelicolas: Phoebum ante alios, Phoebum omnis Laude ciet comitum, famulumque, evincta pudica Fronde, manus: cui fefta dies, largoque refecti Thute vaporatis lucent altaribus ignes.

€ 3

6:5 Then

Then thus the King: Perhaps, my noble guests, Thefe honour'd altars, and these annual feafts To bright Apollo's awful name defign'd, Unknown, with wonder may perplex your mind. Great was the caufe; our old folemnities From no bind zeal or fond tradition rise; But fav'd from death, our Argives yearly pay Thefe grateful honours to the god of Day.

660

When by a thousand darts the Python flain With orbs unroll'd lay cov'ring all the plain, 665 (Transfix'd as o'er Caftalia's ftreams he hung, And fuck'd new poifons with his triple tongue), To Argos' realms the victor god resorts, And enters old Crotopus' humble courts. This rural prince one only daughter blefs'd, 67 That all the charms of blooming youth poffefs'd; Tair was her face, and fpotlefs was her mind, Where filial love with virgin fweetnefs join'd.

Forfitan, o juvenes, quæ funt ea facra, quibufque Præcipuum caufis Phœbi obteftemur honorem, Rex ait, exquirunt animi. non infcia fuafit Relligio: magnis exercita cladibus olim

660

Plebs Argiva litant: animos advertite, pandam:
Poftquam coerulei finuofa volumina monftri,
Terrigenam Pythona, deus feptem orbibus atris
Amplexum Delphos, fquamifque annofa terentem
Robora; Caftaliis dum fontibus ore trifulco 666
Fufus hiat, nigro fitiens alimenta veneno,
Perculit, abfumptis numerofa in vulnera telis,
Cyrrhæique dedit centum per jugera campi
Vix tandem explicitum; nova deinde piacula cædi
Perquirens, noftri tecta haud opulenta Crotopi
Attigit. huic primis, et pubem ineuntibus annis, 676
Miro decore pio, fervabat nata penates
Happy!

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