About the realm fhe walks her dreadful round,
When Night with fable wings o'erfpreads the
ground;
Devours young babes before their parents eyes,
And feeds and thrives on public miferies.
But gen'rous rage the bold Chorobus warms, Chorobus, fam'd for virtue, as for arms. 715 Some few like him, inspir'd with martial flame, Thought a fhort life well loft for endless fame. Thefe, where two ways in equal parts divide, The direful monster from afar defcry'd; Two bleeding babes depending at her fide; 720 Whofe panting vitals, warm with life, fhe draws, And in their hearts embrues her cruel claws. The youths furround her with extended spears; But brave Chorobus in the front appears, Deep in her breaft he plung'd his fhining fword, And hell's dire monster back to hell reftor'd.
Hæc tam dira lues nocturno fquallida paffu
Illabi thalamis, animifque a stripe recentes
Abripere altricum gremiis, morfuque cruento
Devefci, et multum patrio pinguefcere luctu.
Haud tulit armorum præftans animique Choro-
bus;
Seque ultro lectis juvenum, qui robore primi
Famam pofthabita faciles extendere vita,
Obtulit. illa novas ibat populata penates
Portarum in bivio. lateri quo corpora parvum
Dependent, et jam unca manus vitalibus hæret,
Ferratique ungues tenero fub corde tepefcunt.
Obvius huic latus omne virum ftipante corona,
It juvenis, ferrumque ingens fub pectore diro 725
Condidit; atque imas animæ mucrone corufco
Th' Inachians view the flain with vaft furprise,
Her twisting volumes and her rolling eyes,
Her fpotted breaft, and gaping womb embru'd
With livid poifon, and our childrens blood. 730
The crowd in ftupid wonder fix'd appear,
Pale ev'n in joy, nor yet forget to fear.
Some with vaft beams the fqualid corpfe engage,
And weary all the wild efforts of
rage.
The birds obfcene, that nightly flock'd to tafte,
With hollow ftretches fled the dire repaft;
And rav'nous dogs, allur'd by fcented blood,
And ftarving wolves, ran howling to the wood.
But fir'd with rage, from cleft Parnaffus' brow
Avenging Phoebus bent his deadly bow,
And hiffing flew the feather'd fates below:
Scrutatus latebras, tandem fua monftra profundo
Reddit habere Jovi. juvat ire, et visere juxta
Liventes in morte oculos, uterique nefandam
Proluviem, et craffo fquallentia pectora tabo.
Qua noftræ cecidere animæ. ftupet Inacha pubes,
Magnaque poft lachrymas etiamnum gaudia pal-
lent.
Hi trabibus duris, folatia vana dolori,
Proterere exanimes artus, afprofque molares
Deculcare genis; nequit iram explere poteftas.
Illam et nocturno circum ftridore volantes
Impaftæ fugiftis aves, rabidamque canum vim,.
Oraque ficca ferunt trepidorum inhiaffe luporum.
Sævior in miferos fatis ultricis ademptæ
Delius infurgit, fummaque biverticis umbra 740
Parnaffi refidens, arcu crudelis iniquo
Peftifera arma jacit, campofque, et celfa Cyclopum
A night of fultry clouds involv'd around
The tow'rs, the fields, and the devoted ground:
And now a thousand lives together fled;
Death with his fithe cut off the fatal thread,
And a whole province in his triumph led.
But Phoebus, afk'd why noxious fires appear,
And raging Sirius blafts the fickly year;
Demands their lives by whom his monster fell,
And dooms a dreadful facrifice to hell.
Blefs'd be thy duft, and let eternal fame
Attend thy manes, and preserve thy name,
Undaunted hero! who, divinely brave,
In fuch a caufe difdain'd thy life to fave;
But view'd the fhrine with a fuperior look,
And its upbraided godhead thus befpoke:
With piety, the foul's fecureft guard,
And confcious virtue, ftill its own reward,
Tecta, fuperjecto nebularum incendit amicu.
Labuntur dulces animæ: Mors fila fororum
Enfe metit, captamque tenens fert manibus urbem.
Quærenti quæ caufa duci, quis ab æthere lævus
Ignis, et in totum regnaret Sirius annum,
Idem autor Pæan rurfus jubet ire cruento
Inferias monflro juvenes, qui cæde potiti.
Fortunate animi, longumque in fæcula digne
Promeriture diem! non tu pia degener arma
Occulis, aut certæ trepidas occurrere morti.
Cominus ora ferens, Cyrrhai in limine templi 755
Conftitit, et facras ita vocibus afperat iras:
Non miffus, Thymbræe, tuos fupplexve penates
Advenio mea me pietas, et confcia virtus
Has
egere vias: ego fum qui cade fubegi,
Willing I come, unknowing how to fear;
Nor fhalt thou, Phœbus, find a fuppliant here.
Thy monster's death to me was ow'd alone, 761
And 'tis a deed too glorious to disown.
Behold him here, for whom, so many days,
Impervious clouds conceal'd thy fullen rays;
For whom, as man no longer claim'd thy care,
Such numbers fell by peftilential air!
But if th' abandon'd race of human kind
From gods above, no more compassion find;
If fuch inclemency in heav'n can dwell,
Yet why muft unoffending Argos feel
The vengeance due to this unlucky steel?
On me, on me, let all thy fury fall,
Nor err from me, fince I deferve it all;
Unless our defert cities please thy fight,
Our fun'ral flames reflect a grateful light.
Discharge thy fhafts, this ready bofom rend,
And to the shades a ghost triumphant send;
Phoebe, tuum mortale nefas; quem nubibus artis
Et fquallente die, nigra quem tabe finiftri 761
Quæris, inique poli. quod fi monftra effera magnis
Cara adeo Superis, jacturaque vilior orbis,
766
Mors hominum, et fævo tanta inclementia cœlo eft;
Quid meruere Argi? me, me, divum optime, folum
Objeciffe caput fatis præftabit. an illud
Lene magis cordi, quod defolata domorum
Tecta vides? ignique datis cultoribus omnis
Lucet ager? fed quid fando tua tela manufque
Demoror? expectant matres, fupremaque fundunt
Vota mihi. fatis eft: merui, ne parcere velles.
Proinde move pharetras, arcufque intende fonoros,
Infignemque animam leto demitte: fed illum
But for my country let my fate atone,
Be mine the vengeance, as the crime my own.
Merit distress'd, impartial Heav'n relieves :
Unwelcome life relenting Phoebus gives;
For not the vengeful pow'r, that glow'd with
With fuch amazing virtue durft engage.
The clouds difpers'd, Apollo's wrath expir'd,
And from the wond'ring God th' unwilling youth
Thence we these altars in his temple raife,
And offer annual honours, feafts, and praise;
Thefe folemn feafts propitious Phoebus please:
Thefe honours, ftill renew'd, his ancient wrath
appease.
789 But fay, illuftrious gueft, (adjoin'd the King), What name you bear, from what high race you
The noble Tydeus ftands confefs'd, and known Our neighbour prince, and heir of Calydon.
Pallidus Inachiis qui defuper imminet Argis,
Dum morior, depelle globum. Fors æqua merentes
Refpicit. ardentem, tenuit reverentia cædis
Latoiden, triflemque viro fubmiffus honorem
Largitur vitæ, noftro mala nubila cœlo.
Diffugiunt. at tu ftupefacti a limine Phobi
Exoratus abis. inde hrc ftata facra quotannis
Solemnes recolunt epula, Phoebeiaque placat
Templa novatus honos; has forte invifitis aras.
Vos quæ progenies? quanquam Calydonius Oeneus
Et Parthaoniæ (dudum fi certus ad autes 791
Clamor iit) tibi jura domus; tu pande quis Argos
Advenias? quando hæc variis fermonibus hora eft.
VOL. II.
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