OEDIPUS King of Thebes, having by mistake flain his fatherLaïus, and married his mother Jocafta, put out his own eyes, and refigned the realm to his fons, Eteocles and Polynices. Being neglected by them, he makes his prayer to the fury Tifiphone, to fow debate betwixt the brothers. They agree at laft to reign fingly, each a year by turns, and the first lot is obtained by Eteocles. Jupiter, in a council of the Gods, declares his refolution of punishing the Thebans, and Argives alfo, by means of a marriage betwixt Polynices and one of the daughters of Adraftus King of Argos. Juno opposes, but to no effect; and Mercury is fent on a meffage to the Shades, to the ghoff of Laïus, who is to appear to Eteocles, and provoke him to break the agreement. Polynices in the mean time departs from Thebes by night, is overtaken by a ftorm, and arrives at Argos; where he meets with Tydeus, who had fled from Calydon, having killed his brother. Adraftus entertains them, having received an oracle from Apollo, that his daughters should be married to a Boar and a Lion, which he underftands to be meant of these strangers, by whom the hides of those beasts were worn, and who arrived at the time when he kept an annual feast in honour of that God. The rife of this folemnity he relates to his guefts, the loves of Phebus and Pfamathe, and the ftory of Chorabus. He enquires, and is made acquainted with their defcent and quality. The facrifice is renewed, and the book concludes with a Hymn to Apollo.

The Tranflator hopes he need not apologise for his choice of this Piece, which was made almoft in his Childhood; but, finding the Verfion better than he expected, he gave it fome Correction a few years afterwards.

THE

FIRST BOOK

O F

S T A T I U S

F

HI-S

THE BAI S.

RATERNAL rage, the guilty Thebes alarms, The alternate reign deftroy'd by impious arms, Demand our fong; a facred fury fires

My ravish'd breaft, and all the Mufe inspires.
O Goddefs, fay, fhall I deduce my rhymes
'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 soil,
And reap'd an iron harvest of his toil ?

5

10 Or

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?
Longo retro feries, trepidum fi Martis operti

Agricolam infandis condentem praelia fulcis

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15

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?
The fire against the fon his arrows drew,
O'er the wide fields the furious mother flew,
And while her arms a fecond 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 difafters trace
The long confufions of his guilty race:
Nor yet attempt to ftretch thy bolder wing,
And mighty Cæfar's conquering eagles fing;
How twice he tam'd proud Ifter's rapid flood,
While Dacian mountains ftream'd with barbarous blood;
Twice taught the Rhine beneath his laws to roll,
And stretch'd his empire to the frozen Pole:

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
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 Arctoos aufim fperare triumphos,
Bifque jugo Rhenum, bis adactum legibus Iftrum,

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25

Or

20

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,
Increase of glory to the Latian name!

O bless thy Rome with an eternal reign,
Nor let defiring worlds entreat in vain.

30

What though the ftars contract their heavenly space, 35
And croud their fhining ranks to yield thee place;
Though all the skies, ambitious of thy sway,
Confpire to court thee from our world away;
Though Phoebus longs to mix his rays with thine,
And in thy glories more ferenely fhine;
Though Jove himself no lefs content would be
Το part
his throne, and share his heaven with thee;
Yet ftay, great Cæfar! and vouchsafe to reign

O'er the wide earth, and o'er the watery main;

40

Refign

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
Sollicitet; licet ignipedum fraenator equorum
Ipfe tuis alte radiantem crinibus arcum

Imprimat, aut magni cedat tibi Jupiter aequa
Parte poli; maneas hominum contentus habenis,

35.

Refign to Jove his empire of the skies,

And people heaven with Roman deities.

The time will come, when a diviner flame

Shall warm my breast to fing of Cæfar's fame:
Meanwhile permit, that my preluding Mufe
In Theban wars an humbler theme may chufe:
Of furious hate furviving death, fhe fings,
A fatal throne to two contending Kings,
And funeral flames, that parting wide in air
Express the difcord of the feuls they bear:
Of towns difpeopled, and the wandering ghofts
Of Kings unbury'd in the wasted coafts;
When Dirce's fountain blufh'd with Grecian blood,
And Thetis, near Ifmenos' fwelling flood,
With dread beheld the rolling ferges fweep,
In heaps, his flaughter'd fons into the deep.
What Hero, Clio! wilt thou first relate?
The rage of Tydeus, or the Prophet's fate?

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50

55

60

Or

Undarum terraeque potens, et fidera dones.
Tempus erit, cum Pierio tua fortior oeftro

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.

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55