Sed fi praecipitant miferum cognofcere curae, Cadmus origo patrum, tellus Mavortia Thebae, Et genetrix Jocafta mihi. tum motus Adraftus Hofpitiis (agnovit enim) quid nota recondis? Scimus, ait; nec fic averfum fama Mycenis Volvit iter. regnum, et furias, oculofque pudentes Novit, et Arctoïs fi quis de folibus horret,
Quique bibit Gangen, aut nigrum occafibus intrat Oceanum, et fi quos incerto littore Syrtes Deftituunt: ne perge queri, cafufque priorum
Annumerare tibi. noftro quoque fanguine multum
Erravit pietas; nec culpa nepotibus obftat.
Tu modo diffimilis rebus mereare fecundis
Excufare tuos. Sed jam temone fupino
Languet Hyperboreae glacialis portitor urfae.
Fundite vina focis, fervatoremque parentum
Latoïden votis iterumque iterumque canamus.
Yet if propitious to a wretch unknown,
You feek to fhare in forrows not your own;
Know then, from Cadmus I derive my race,
Jocafta's fon, and Thebes my native place.
To whom the King (who felt his gen'rous breaft
Touch'd with concern for his unhappy gueft)
Replies:-Ah why forbears the fon to name
His wretched father, known too well by fame!
Fame, that delights around the world to ftray, 810
Scorns not to take our Argos in her way.
Ev'n those who dwell where funs at distance roll,
In northern wilds, and freeze beneath the pole;
And those who tread the burning Libyan lands,
The faithlefs Syrtes, and the moving fands;
Who view the western fea's extremeft bounds,
Or drink of Ganges in their eaftern grounds;
All these the woes of Oedipus have known,
Your fates, your furies, and your haunted town.
If on the fons the parents crimes descend,
What Prince from those his lineage can defend?
Be this thy comfort, that 'tis thine t'efface
With virtuous acts thy ancestor's disgrace,
And be thyfelf the honour of thy race.
But fee! the stars begin to steal away,
And shine more faintly at approaching day.
Now pour the wine, and in your tuneful lays
Once more refound the great Apollo's praise.
VOL. II.
Phoebe parens, feu te Lyciae Pataraea nivofis Exercent dumeta jugis, feu rore pudico 830
Caftaliae flavos amor eft tibi mergere crines;
Seu Trojam Thymbraeus habes, ubi fama volen-
Ingratis Phrygios humeris fubiiffe molares:
Seu juvat Aegaeum feriens Latonius umbrâ
Cynthus, et affiduam pelago non quaerere Delon:
Tela tibi, longeque feros lentandus in hoftes
Arcus, et aetherii dono ceffere parentes
Aeternum florere genas. tu doctus iniquas
Parcarum praenôffe minas, fatumque quod ultra eft,
Et fummo placitura Jovi. quis letifer annus, 840
Bella quibus populis, mutent quae fceptra cometae.
Tu Phryga fubmittis citharae. tu matris honori
Terrigenam Tityon Stygiis extendis arenis.
Te viridis Python, Thebanaque mater ovantem
Horruit in pharetris. ultrix tibi torva Megaera 850
Jejunum Phlegyam fubter cava faxa jacentem
Aeterno premit accubitu, dapibufque profanis
Inftimulat: fed mifta famem faftidia vincunt.
Adfis o, memor hofpitii, Junoniaque arva
Oh father Phoebus! whether Lycia's coaft And fnowy mountains, thy bright prefence boast; Whether to fweet Caftalia thou repair,
And bathe in filver dews thy yellow hair;
Or pleas'd to find fair Delos float no more,
Delight in Cynthus, and the fhady fhore;
Or chufe thy feat in Ilion's proud abodes,
The fhining ftructures rais'd by lab'ring Gods:
By thee the bow and mortal shafts are born;
Eternal charms thy blooming youth adorn:
Skill'd in the laws of fecret fate above,
And the dark counfels of almighty Jove,
"Tis thine the feeds of future war to know,
The change of Sceptres, and impending woe;
When direful meteors fpread thro' glowing air
Long trails of light, and shake their blazing hair.
Thy rage the Phrygian felt, who durst aspire
T'excel the mufic of thy heav'nly lyre;
Thy fhafts aveng'd lewd Tityus' guilty flame,
Th' immortal victim of my mother's fame;
Thy hand flew Python, and the dame who loft
Her num'rous off-spring for a fatal boast.
In Phlegyas' doom thy just revenge appears,
Condemn'd to furies and eternal fears;
He views his food, but dreads, with lifted eye,
The mouldring rock that trembles from on high.
Propitious hear our pray'r, O Pow'r divine! 855 And on thy hofpitable Argos fhine,
Dexter ames; feu te rofeum Titana vocari Gentis Achaemeniae ritu, feu praeftat Ofirin Frugiferum, feu Perfei fub rupibus antri Indignata fequi torquentem cornua Mithram.
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