Brachia fylvarum, nullifque afpecta per aevum Solibus umbrofi patuere aestiva Lycaei.
Ille tamen modo faxa jugis fugientia ruptis 510 Miratur, modo nubigenas e montibus amnes Aure pavens, paffimque infano turbine raptas Paftorum pecorumque domos. non fegnius amens, Incertufque viae, per nigra filentia, vastum Haurit iter: pulfat metus undique, et undique fra
Ac velut hiberno deprenfus navita ponto, 520 Cui neque temo piger, neque amico fidere monftrat
Luna vias, medio coeli pelagique tumultu
Stat rationis inops : jam jamque aut faxa malignis Expectat submersa vadis, aut vertice acuto Spumantes fcopulos erectae incurrere prorae : Talis opaca legens nemorum Cadmeïus heros Accelerat, vafto metuenda umbone ferarum Excutiens ftabula, et prono virgulta refringit Pectore: dat ftimulos animo vis moefta timoris. Donec ab Inachiis victa caligine tectis
Emicuit lucem devexa in moenia fundens
Lariffaeus apex. illò fpe concitus omni
The ftorm the dark Lycæan groves difplay'd,
And first to light expos'd the facred shade.
Th' intrepid Theban hears the bursting sky, 510
Sees yawning rocks in maffy fragments fly,
And views aftonish'd, from the hills afar,
The floods defcending, and the wat'ry war,
That, driv'n by storms and pouring o'er the plain,
Swept herds, and hinds, and houses to the main.
Thro' the brown horrors of the night he fled,516
Nor knows, amaz'd, what doubtful path to tread;
His brother's image to his mind appears,
Inflames his heart with rage, and wings his feet
with fears.
So fares a failor on the stormy main,
When clouds conceal Boötes' golden wain,
When not a star its friendly luftre keeps,
Nor trembling Cynthia glimmers on the deeps;
He dreads the rocks, and fhoals, and feas, and fkies,
While thunder roars, and light'ning round him
Thus ftrove the chief, on ev'ry fide diftrefs'd, Thus ftill his courage, with his toils encreas'd; With his broad fhield oppos'd, he forc'd his way Thro' thickest woods, and rous'd the beasts of prey. Till he beheld, where from Larissa's height 530 The shelving walls reflect a glancing light:
Evolat. hinc celfae Junonia templa Profymnae
Laevus habet, hinc Herculeo fignata vapore 535
Lernaei stagna atra vadi. tandemque reclufis
Infertur portis. actutum regia cernit
Vestibula. hic artus įmbri, ventoque rigentes
Projicit, ignotaeque acclinis poftibus aulae
Invitat tenues ad dura cubilia fomnos.
Rex ibi tranquillae medio de limite vitae
In fenium vergens populos Adrastus habebat, 540
Dives avis, et utroque Jovem de fanguine ducens,
Hic fexûs melioris inops, fed prole virebat
Foeminea, gemino natarum pignore fultus.
Cui Phoebus generos (monftrum exitiabile dictu!
Mox adaperta fides) aevo ducente canebat
Setigerumque fuem, et fulvum adventare leonem,
Haec volvens, non, ipfe pater, non docte futuri 559
Amphiaraë, vides; etenim vetat autor Apollo.
Tantum in corde fedens aegrefcit cura parentis,
Thither with hafte the Theban hero flies;
On this fide Lerna's pois'nous water lies,
On that Profymna's grove and temple rife:
He pafs'd the gates which then unguarded lay,
And to the regal palace bent his way;
On the cold marble, spent with toil, he lies,
And waits till pleafing flumbers feal his eyes.
Adraftus here his happy people sways,
Bleft with calm peace in his declining days, 540
By both his parents of descent divine,
Great Jove and Phœbus grac'd his noble line : Heav'n had not crown'd his wishes with a fon, But two fair daughters heir'd his state and throne To him Apollo (wond'rous to relate !
545 But who can pierce into the depths of fate ?) Had fung---" Expect thy fons on Argos' shore, A yellow lion and a bristly boar."
This long revolv'd in his paternal breast,
Sate heavy on his heart, and broke his reft; 550
This, great Amphiaraus, lay hid from thee,
Tho' skill'd in fate, and dark futurity.
The father's care and prophet's art were vain,
For thus did the predicting God ordain.
Ecce autem antiquam fato Calydona relinquens
Olenius Tydeus (fraterni fanguinis illum
Confcius horror agit) eadem sub nocte sopora
Luftra terit, fimilefque Notos dequestus et imbres,
Infufam tergo glaciem, et liquentia nimbis 559
Ora, comafque gerens, fubit uno tegmine, cujus
Fufus humo gelida, partem prior hofpes habebat.--
Hic primum luftrare oculis, cultufque virorum
Telaque magna vacat, tergo videt hujus inanem
Impexis utrinque jubis horrere leonem,
Illius in fpeciem, quem per Theumefia Tempe
Amphitryoniades fractum juvenilibus armis 570
Ante Cleonaei veftitur praelia monftri.
Terribiles contra fetis, ac dente recurvo
Tydea per latos humeros ambire laborant
Exuviae, Calydonis honos. ftupet omine tanto
Defixus fenior, divina oracula Phoebi
Agnofcens, monitufque datos vocalibus antris.
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