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!
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.
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
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
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.
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
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.
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 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,
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
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
[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.
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.
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
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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