Raternas acies, alternaque regna profanis
Decertata odiis, fontefque evolvere Thebas, Pierius menti calor incidit. Unde jubetis Ire, Deae? gentifne canam primordia dirae ? Sidonios raptus, et inexorabile pactum
Legis Agenoreae? fcrutantemque aequora Cadmum?
Longa retro feries, trepidum fi Martis operti
Agricolam infandis condentem praelia fulcis
Expediam, penitufque fequar quo carmine muris
Jufferit Amphion Tyrios accedere montes :
Unde graves irae cognata in moenia Baccho
Quod faevae Junonis opus; cui fumpferit arcum
Raternal rage, the guilty Thebes' alarms,
Th'alternate reign destroy'd by impious arms,
Demand our fong; a facred fury fires
My ravish'd breaft, and all the Mufe inspires.
O Goddess, fay, shall I deduce my rhimes
From the dire nation in its early times,
Europa's rape, Agenor's ftern decree,
And Cadmus fearching round the spacious fea?
How with the ferpent's teeth he fow'd the foil,
And reap'd an iron harvest of his toil?
Or how from joining ftones the city fprung,
While to his harp divine Amphion fung?
Or fhall I Juno's hate to Thebes refound,
Whofe fatal rage th' unhappy Monarch found?
Infelix Athamas, cur non expaverit ingens
Ionium, focio cafura Palaemone mater.
Atque adeo jam nunc gemitus, et profpera Cadmi
Praeteriiffe finam: limes mihi carminis efto
Oedipodae confufa domus: quando Itala nondum
Signa, nec Arcoos aufim fperare triumphos,
Bifque jugo Rhenum, bis adactum legibus Iftrum,
Et conjurato dejectos vertice Dacos:
Aut defenfa prius vix pubefcentibus annis
Bella Jovis. Tuque o Latiae decus addite famae,
Quem nova maturi fubeuntem exorfa parentis
Aeternum fibi Roma cupit: licet arctior omnes
Limes agat ftellas, et te plaga lucida coeli
Pleïadum, Boreaeque, et hiulci fulminis expers 35
Sollicitet; licet ignipedum frenator equorum
Ipfe tuis alte radiantem crinibus arcum
Imprimat, aut magni ccdat tibi Jupiter aequa
O'er the wide fields the furious mother flew,
And while her arms a second hope contain,
Sprung from the rocks and plung'd into the main.
But wave whate'er to Cadmus may belong,
And fix, O Mufe! the barrier of thy fong
At Oedipus from his disasters trace
The long confufions of his guilty race:
Nor yet attempt to stretch thy bolder wing,
And mighty Cæfar's conqu'ring eagles fing;
How twice he tam'd proud lfter's rapid flood,
While Dacian mountains ftream'd with barb'rous
Twice taught the Rhine beneath his laws to roll,
And stretch'd his empire to the frozen Pole,
Or long before, with early valour ftrove,
In youthful arms t'affert the caufe of Jove.
And Thou, great Heir of all thy father's fame,
Encrease of glory to the Latian name!
O bless thy Rome with an eternal reign,
Nor let defiring worlds entreat in vain.
What tho' the stars contract their heav'nly space, 35
And croud their shining ranks to yield the place;
Tho' all the flies, ambitious of thy fway,
Confpire to court thee from our world away;
Tho' Phœbus longs to mix his rays with thine
And in thy glories more ferenely fhine;
Tho' Jove himself no lefs content would be
To part his throne and share his heav'n with thee;
Parte poli; maneas hominum contentus habenis,
Undarum terraeque potens, et fidera dones.
Tempus erit, cum Pierio tua fortior ceftro
Facta canam: nunc tendo chelyn. fatis arma referre
Aonia, et geminis fceptrum exitiale tyrannis,
Nec furiis poft fata modum, flammafque rebelles
Seditione rogi, tumulifque carentia regum
Funera, et egestas alternis mortibus urbes;
Caerula cum rubuit Lernaeo fanguine Dirce,
Et Thetis arentes affuetum ftringere ripas,
Horruit ingenti venientem Ifmenon acervo.
Quem prius heroum Clio dabis? immodicum irae Tydea? laurigeri fubitos an vatis hiatus ? Urget et hoftilem propellens caedibus amnem Turbidus Hippomedon, plorandaque bella protervi Arcados, atque alio Capaneus horrore canendus.
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