His naked bofom redden'd with the blow,
In fuch a blush as purple clusters show,
Ere yet the fun's autumnal heats refine
The fprightly juice, and mellow it to wine.
The glowing beauties of his breast he spies,
And with a new redoubled paffion dies.
As wax diffolves, as ice begins to run,
And trickle into drops before the sun,
So melts the youth, and languishes away:
His beauty withers, and his limbs decay,
And none of those attractive charms remain,
To which the flighted Echo fued in vain.
She faw him in his prefent mifery,
Whom, spite of all her wrongs, the griev'd to fee.
She anfwer'd fadly to the lover's moan,

Sigh'd back his fighs, and groan'd to every groan ;
"Ah youth! belov'd in vain," Narciffus cries;
"Ah youth! belov'd in vain," the nymph replies.
"Farewel," fays he : the parting found scarce fell
From his faint lips, but she reply'd, "Farewel."
Then on th' unwholfome earth he gasping lies,
Till death fhuts up thofe felf-admiring eyes.
To the cold fhades his flitting ghost retires,
And in the Stygian waves ittelf admires.
For him the Naiads and the Dryads mourn,
Whom the fad Echo answers in her turn:
And now the fifter-nymphs prepare his urn;
When, looking for his corpfe, they only found
A rising stalk with yellow bloffoms crown'd.

}

THE

THE STORY OF PENTHEUS.

THIS fad event gave blind Tiresias fame,
Through Greece eftablish'd in a prophet's name.
Th' unhallow'd Pentheus only durst deride
The cheated people, and their eyelefs guide.
To whom the prophet in his fury said,
Shaking the hoary honours of his head;

"'Twere well, prefumptuous man, 'twere well for thee
"If thou wert eyelefs too, and blind, like me :
"For the time comes, nay, 'tis already here,
"When the young god's folemnities appear;
"Which if thou doft not with just rites adorn,
"Thy impious carcafe, into pieces torn,
"Shall ftrew the woods, and hang on every thorn.
"Then, then, remember what I now foretel,
"And own the blind Tirefias faw too well."
Still Pentheus fcorns him, and derides his skill;
But time did all the prophet's threats fulfil.
For now through proftrate Greece young Bacchus rode,
Whilft howling matrons celebrate the god,

All ranks and fexes to his Orgies ran,

To mingle in the pomps, and fill the train. When Pentheus thus his wicked rage exprefs'd; "What madness, Thebans, has your foul poflefs'd? "Can hollow timbrels, can a drunken fhout, "And the lewd clamours of a beastly rout, "Thus quell your courage? Can the weak alarm "Of womens yell those stubborn fouls difarm,

"Whom nor the fword nor trumpet e'er could fright, "Nor the loud din and horror of a fight?

"And you, our fires, who left your old abodes,
"And fix'd in foreign earth your country gods;
"Will you without a stroke your city yield,
"And poorly quit an undisputed field?

"But you, whofe youth and vigour should inspire
"Heroic warmth, and kindle martial fire,
"Whom burnish'd arms and crested helmets grace,
"Not flowery garlands and a painted face;
"Remember him to whom you stand ally'd:
"The ferpent for his well of waters dy'd.
"He fought the strong; do you his courage show,
"And gain a conqueft o'er a feeble foe.

"If Thebes must fall, oh might the fates afford "A nobler doom, from famine, fire, or fword! "Then might the Thebans perish with renown: "But now a beardlefs victor facks the town; "Whom nor the prancing fteed, nor ponderous fhield, "Nor the hack'd helmet, nor the dufty field, "But the foft joys of luxury and ease, "The purple vefts, and flowery garland please. "Stand then afide, I'll make the counterfeit "Renounce his godhead, and confess the cheat. "Acrifius from the Grecian walls repell'd

"This boafted power; why then fhould Pentheus yield?
"Go quickly, drag th' audacious boy to me;
I'll try the force of his divinity."

Thus did th' audacious wretch those rites profane ;
His friends diffuace th' audacious wretch in vain;

In vain his grandfire urg'd him to give o'er

His impious threats; the wretch but raves the more.
So have I feen a river gently glide,

In a smooth course, and inoffensive tide;
But if with dams its current we restrain,
It bears down all, and foams along the plain.
But now his fervants came befmear'd with blood,
Sent by their haughty prince to feize the god;
The god they found not in the frantic throng,
But dragg'd a zealous votary along.

THE MARINERS TRANSFORMED TO

DOLPHINS.

HIM Pentheus view'd with fury in his look, And fcarce withheld his hands, while thus he spoke: "Vile flave whom speedy vengeance shall purfue, "And terrify thy base feditious crew :

"Thy country, and thy parentage reveal,

"And, why thou join'it in these mad orgies, tell.” The captive views him with undaunted eyes, And, arm'd with inward innocence, replies: "From high Meonia's rocky shores I came, "Of poor defcent, Acœtes is my name: "My fire was meanly born; no oxen plough'd “His fruitful fields, nor in his pastures low'd. "His whole eftate within the waters lay; "With lines and hooks he caught the finny prey; "His art was all his livelihood; which he "Thus with his dying lips bequeath'd to me :

MA

"In streams, my boy, and rivers, take thy chance; "There swims, faid he, thy whole inheritance. "Long did I live on this poor legacy,

"Till, tir'd with rocks, and my own native sky,
"To arts of navigation I inclin'd;

"Obferv'd the turns and changes of the wind:
"Learn'd the fit havens, and began to note
"The stormy Hyades, the rainy Goat,
"The bright Taygete, and the fhining Bears,
"With all the failor's catalogue of stars.

"Once, as by chance for Delos I defign'd,
"My veffel, driv'n by a ftrong gust of wind,
"Moor'd in a Chian creek: afhore I went,
"And all the following night in Chios spent.
"When morning rofe, I fent my mates to bring

Supplies of water from a neighbouring spring, "Whilft I the motion of the winds explor'd; "Then fummon'd-in my crew, and went aboard. Opheltes heard my fummons, and with joy "Brought to the fhore a foft and lovely boy, "With more than female fweetnefs in his look, "Whom ftraggling in the neighbouring fields he took. "With fumes of wine the little captive glows, "And nods with fleep, and ftaggers as he goes. "I view'd him nicely, and began to trace "Each heavenly feature, each immortal grace,. “And faw divinity in all his face.

"I know not who, faid I, this god should be; "But that he is a god I plainly fee:

"And thou, whoe'er thou art, excufe the force

}

"Thefe men have us'd, and oh befriend our course!

"Pray