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THE

FIRST BOOK

OF

STATIUS HIS THE BAIS.

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Tranflated in the Year MDCC III.

ARGUMENT.

EDIPUS King of Thebes having by mistake flain his father Laius, and married his mother Jocafla, 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 oppofes, but to no effect; and Mercury is fent on a meffage to the fhades, to the ghost of Laius, 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. A

draftus

draftus entertains them, having received an oracle from Apollo, that his daughters fhould be married to a boar and a lion, which he understands to be meant of thefe ftrangers 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 guests, the loves of Phoebus and Plamathe, and the story of Chorcebus. He inquires, 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 needs not apologize for his choice of this piece, which was made almoft in bis childhood. But finding the version better than he expected, he gave it fome correction a few years afterwards.

THE

F

THE

THEBAIS OF STATIUS.

BOOK THE FIRST.

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

My ravish'd breaft, and all the Muse 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 fpacious fea?
How with the ferpent's teeth he fow'd the foil,
And reap'd an iron harveft of his toil?
Or how from joining ftones the city fprung,
While to his harp divine Amphion fung?

F

P. STATII THEBAIDOS.

LIBRE PRIMUS.

5

10

RATERNAS acies, alternaque regna profanis Decertata odiis, fontefque evolvere Thebas, Pierius menti calor incidit. Unde jubetis Ire, Dea? gentifne canam primordia diræ ? Sidonios raptus, et inexorabile pactum

Legis Agenorea? fcrutantemque æquora Cadmum? Longa retro feries, trepidum fi Martis operti Agricolam infandis condentem prælia fulcis Expediam, penitufque fequar quo carmine muris Jufferit Amphion Tyrios accedere montes:

ΙΟ

Or

15

Or fhall I Juno's hate to Thebes refound,
Whose 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 disasters trace
The long confufions of his guilty race:
Nor yet attempt to stretch thy bolder wing,
And mighty Cæfar's conqu'ring eagles fing;
How twice he tam'd proud Ifter's rapid flood, 25
While Dacian mountains ftream'd with barb'rous

blood;

20

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Twice taught the Rhine beneath his laws to roll,
And ftretch'd his empire to the frozen pole,
Or long before, with early valour strove,

In youthful arms t' affert the cause of Jove. 30

Unde graves iræ cognata in monia Baccho;
Quod fævæ Junonis opus; cui fumpferit arcum
Infelix Athamas, cur non expaverit ingens
Ionium, focio cafura Palamone mater.
Atque adeo jam nunc gemitus, et profpera Cadmi

20

Præteriiffe finam: limes mihi carminis efto
Oedipodæ confufa domus: quando Itala nondum
Signa, nec Arctoos aufim fperare triumphos,
Bifque jugo Rhenum, bis adactum legibus Istrum,
Et conjurato dejectos vertice Dacos:
Aut defenfa prius vix pubefcentibus annis
Bella Jovis. Tuque o Latiæ decus addite famæ,
Quem nova maturi fubeuntem exorsa parentis

And

And thou, great heir of all thy father's fame,
Increase of glory to the Latian name!
Oh blefs thy Rome with an eternal reign,
Nor let defiring worlds entreat in vain.

34

40

What tho' the ftars contract their heav'nly space,
And crowd their fhining ranks to yield thee place;
Though all the kies, ambitious of thy fway,
Confpire to court thee from our world away;
Though Phoebus longs to mix his rays with thine,
And in thy glorics more ferenely fhine;
Though Jove himself no lefs content would be,
Το part his throne and share his heav'n with thee:
Yet ftay, great Cefar! and vouchfafe to reign.
O'er the wide earth, and o'er the wat'ry main;
Refign to Jove his empire of the fkies,
And people Heav'n with Roman deities.

45

The time will come, when a diviner flame Shall warm my breast to fing of Cæfar's fame: Mean while permit, that my preluding Mufe In Theban wars an humbler theme may chufe: : 50

Æternum fibi Roma cupit: licet arctior omnes
Limes agat ftellas, et te plaga lucida cœli
Pleiadum, Boreæque, et hiulci fulminis expers 35
Sollicitet; licet ignipedum frenator equorum
Ipfe tuis alte radiantem crinibus arcum
Imprimat, aut magni cedat tibi Jupiter æqua
Parte poli; maneas hominum contentus habenis,
Undarum terræque potens, et fidera dones.
Tempus erit, cum Pierio tua fortior œstro
Facta canam: nunc tendo chelyn; fatis arma referre
Aonia, et geminis fceptrum exitiale tyrannis,
Nec furiis poft fata modum, flammafque rebelles

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