}

“ Pray not for us, the nimble Dictys cry'd;

Dietys, that could the main-top-mast bestride, “ And down the ropes with active vigour slide. “ To the same purpose old Epopeus spoke, " Who over-look'd the oars, and tim'd the stroke; “ The same the pilot, and the same the rest ; “ Such impious avarice their souls postest. “ Nay, heaven forbid that I should bear away “ Within my vessel fo divine a prey, “ Said I; and stood to hinder their intent: “ When Lycabas, a wretch for murder sent “ From Tufcany, to suffer banishment, “ With his clench'd fist had struck me over-board, “ Had not my hands in falling grasp'd a cord.

“ His base confederates the fact approve ; • When Bacchus (for 'twas he) began to move,

Wak’d by the noise and clamours which they rais’d; “ And shook his drowsy limbs, and round him gaz'd: " What means this noise ? he cries; am I betray'd ? “ Ah! whither, whither must I be convey'd ? " Fear not, said Proteus, child, but tell us where “ You wish to land, and trust our friendly care, “ To Naxos then direct your course, says he; “Naxos a hospitable port shall be “ To each of you, a joyful home to me.

By every God, that rules the sea or íky, * The perjur'd villains promise to comply, “ And bid me hasten to unmoor the thip. “ With eager joy I launch into the deep ; “ And, heedless of the fraud, for Naxos stand: They whisper oft, and beckon with the hand.

« And

}

« And give me signs, all anxious for their prey,
66 To tack about, and steer another way,
66. Then let some other to my post succeed,
“ Said I, I 'm guiltless of fo foul a deed.
“ What, says Ethalion, must the ship’s whole crew
« Follow your humour, and depend on you?
" And straight himself he seated at the prore,
“ And tack'd about, and fought another shore.

“ The beauteous youth now found himself betray’d,
" And from the deck the rising waves survey'd
" And seem'd to weep, and as he wept he said ;
" And do you thus my eafy faith beguiled
66 Thus do

you
bear me to my

native ille?
• Will such a multitude of men employ
“ Their strength against a weak defenceless boy?

“ In vain did I the Godlike youth deplore, 6. The more I begg'd, they thwarted me the more. 6. And now, by all the Gods in heaven that hear “ This folemn oath, by Bacchus' self, I swear, “ The mighty miracle that did ensue, “ Although it seems beyond belief, is true. " The vefiel, fix'd and rooted in the flood, “Unmov'd by all the beating billows stood. « In vain the mariners would plough the main " With fails unfurl'd, and strike their oars in vain ; of Around their oars a twining ivy cleaves, “ And climbs the mast, and hides the cords in leaves : " The fails are cover'd with a chearful green, " And berries in the fruitful canvas seen. • Amidst the waves a sudden forest rears " Its verdant head, and a new spring appears.

" The

“ The god we now behold with open eyes ; “ A herd of spotted panthers round him lies “ In glaring forms; the grapy clusters fpread « On his fair brows, and dangle on his head. “ And whilft he frowns, and brandishes his spear,

My mates, furpriz’d with madness or with fear,

Leap'd over-board ; first perjur’d Madon found “ Rough scales and fins his stiffening fides surround : “ Ah what, cries one, has thus transform’d thy look ?

Straight his own month grew wider as he spoke : “ And now himself he views with like surprize. « Still at his oar th' induftrious Libys plies; “ But, as he plies, each busy arm shrinks in, “ And by degrees is fashion’d to a fin. “ Another, as he catches at a cord, “ Misles his arms, and, tumbling over-board, " With his broad fins and forky tail he laves “ The rising surge, and flounces in the waves, “ Thus all my crew transform’d, around the ship, “ Or dive below, or on the surface leap, “ And spout the waves, and wanton in the deep. " Full nineteen sailors did the ship convey, “ A shole of nineteen dolphins round her play. " I only in my proper shape appear,

Speechless with wonder, and half dead with fear, « Till Bacchus kindly bid me fear no more. 66 With him I landed on the Chian shore, “6 And him fall ever gratefully adore."

“ This forging Alave, says Pentheus, would prevail " O'er our just fury by a far-fetch'd tale ;

}

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“ Go, let him feel the whips, the swords, the fire,
“ And in the tortures of the rack expire.”
Th’ officious servants hurry him away,
And the poor captive in a dungeon lay.
But, whilst the whips and tortures are prepar'd,
The gates fly open, of themselves unbarr'd;
At liberty th' unfetter'd captive stands,
And Nings the loosen'd shackles from his hands.

THE DEATH OF PENTHEUS.

But Pentheus, grown more furious than before,
Resolv'd to send his messengers no more,
But went himself to the distracted throng,
Where high Cithæron echo'd with their song.
And as the fiery war-
war-horse paws

the ground,
And snorts and trembles at the trumpet's sound;
Transported thus he heard the frantic rout,
And ray'd and madden'd at the distant shout.

A spacious circuit on the hill there stood,
Level and wide, and skirted round with wood;
Here the rash Pentheus, with unhallow'd eyes,
The howling dames and mystic orgies spies.
His mother sternly view'd him where he stood,
And kindled into madness as the view'd :
Her leafy javelin at her son she cast;
And cries, “ The boar that lays our country waste !
• The boar, my sisters! aim the fatal dart,
" And strike the brindled monster to the heart.”

Pentheus astonish'd heard the dismal sound, And sees the yelling matrons gathering round;

He

He sees, and weeps at his approaching fate,
And begs for mercy, and repents, too late.
« Help, help! my aunt Autonöe, he cry’d;
“ Remember how your own Actæon dy'd.”
Deaf to his cries, the frantic matron crops
One stretch'd-out arm, the other Ino lops.
In vain does Pentheus to his mother sue,
And the raw bleeding itumps presents to view :
His mother howl'd; and, heedless of his prayer,
Her trembling hand she twisted in his hair,
“ And this, she cry'd, shall be Agave's share."
When from the neck his struggling head she tore,
And in her hands the ghastly visage bore,
With pleasure all the hideous trunk furvey;
Then pulld and tore the mangled limbs away,
As starting in the pangs of death it lay.
Soon as the wood its leafy honours casts,
Blown off and scatter'd by autumnal blasts,
With such a sudden death lay Pentheus flain,
And in a thousand pieces strow'd the plain.

By so distinguishing a judgment awd,
The Thebans tremble, and confess thę god.

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}

THE