That SATURN's Sons receiv'd the three-fold Empire
Of Heav'n, of Ocean, and deep Hell beneath,
As the dark Urn and Chance of Lot determin'd,
Old Poets mention, fabling. Things of Moment
Well nigh equivalent and neighb'ring Value
By Lot are parted: But high Heav'n, Thy Share,
In equal Balance laid 'gainft Sea or Hell,
Flings up the adverfe Scale, and fhuns Proportion.
Wherefore not Chance, but Pow'r, above Thy Brethren
Exalted Thee, their King. When Thy great Will
Commands Thy Chariot forth; impetuous Strength,
And fiery Swiftness wing the rapid Wheels,
Inceffant; high the Eagle flies before Thee.
And oh! as I and mine confult Thy Augur,
Grant the glad Omen; let Thy Fav'rite rise
Propitious, ever foaring from the Right.
Thou to the leffer Gods haft well affign'd
Their proper Shares of Pow'r; Thy own, great Jove,
Boundless and univerfal. Those who labor
The sweaty Forge, who edge the crooked Scythe,
Bend ftubborn Steel, and harden gleening Armor,
Acknowledge VULCAN's Aid. The early Hunter
Bleffes DIANA's Hand, who leads Him fafe
O'er hanging Cliffs; who fpreads his Net fuccessful,
And guides the Arrow through the Panther's Heart.
The Soldier from fuccessful Camps returning,
With Laurel wreath'd, and rich with hostile Spoil,
Severs the Bull to MARS. The skilful Bard,
Striking the THRACIAN Harp, invokes APOLLO,
To make his Hero and Himfeif Immortal.
Thofe, mighty JOVE, mean time, Thy glorious Care, Who model Nations, publish Laws, anounce
Or Life or Death, and found or change the Empire.
Man owns the Pow'r of Kings; and Kings of JovE.
And as their Actions tend fubordinate
To what Thy Will defigns, Thou giv'st the Means
Proportion'd to the Work; Thou fee'ft impartial,
How They thofe Means imploy. Each Monarch rules
His different Realm, accountable to Thee,
Great Ruler of the World: Thefe only have
To speak and be obey'd; to Those are giv'n
Affiftant Days to ripen the Defign;
To fome whole Months; revolving Years to fome:
Others, ill-fated are condemn'd to toil
Their tedious Life, and mourn their Purpose blasted
With fruitless Act, and Impotence of Council.
Hail! greatest Son of SATURN, wife Difpofer
Of ev'ry Good: Thy Praife what Man yet born
Has fung? or who that may be born fhall fing?
Again, and often hail! indulge our Prayer,
Great Father! grant us Virtue, grant us Wealth :
For without Virtue, Wealth to Man avails not;
And Virtue without Wealth exerts lefs Pow'r,
And lefs diffufes Good. Then grant us, Gracious,
Virtue and Wealth; for both are of Thy Gift.
The Second HYMN of
CALLIMACHUS
AH! how the Laurel, great APOLLO's Tree,
And all the Cavern fhakes! far off, far off,
The Man that is unhallow'd: For the God,
The God approaches. Hark! He knocks; the Gates
Feel the glad Impulse: and the fever'd Bars
Submiffive clink against their brazen Portals.
Why do the DELIAN Palms incline their Boughs,
Self mov'd: and hov'ring Swans, their Throats releas'd
From native Silence, carol Sounds harmonious?
Begin, young Men, the Hymn: let all your Harps
Break their inglorious Silence; and the Dance,
In myftic Numbers trod, explain the Music.
But firft by ardent Pray'r, and clear Lustration
Purge the contagious Spots of Human Weakness:
Impure no Mortal can behold APOLLO.
So may Ye flourish, favor'd by the God,
In Youth with happy Nuptials, and in Age
With filver Hairs, and fair Descent of Children;
So lay Foundations for afpiring Cities,
And bless your fpreading Colonies Encreafe.
Pay facred Rev'rence to APOLLO's Song;
Left wrathful the far-shooting God emitt
His fatal Arrows. Silent Nature stands;
And Seas fubfide, obedient to the Sound
Of Ió, IO PEAN! nor dares THETIS
Longer bewail Her lov'd A CHILLES' Death:
For PHOEBUS was his Foe. Nor muft fad NIOBE
In fruitless Sorrow perfevere, or weep
Ev❜n thro' the PHRYGIAN Marble. Haplefs Mother!
Whose Fondness cou'd compare her Mortal Off-spring
To those which fair LATONA bore to JovE.
Io! again repeat Ye, Io PEAN!
Against the Deity 'tis hard to ftrive.
He that refifts the Power of PTOLEMY,
Refifts the Pow'r of Heav'n: for Pow'r from Heav'n
Derives; and Monarchs rule by Gods appointed.
Recite APOLLO's Praife, 'till Night draws on,
The Ditty ftill unfinish'd; and the Day
Unequal to the Godhead's Attributes
Various, and Matter copious of your Songs.
Sublime at Jove's right Hand APOLLO fits,
And thence diftributes Honor, gracious King,
And Theme of Verse perpetual. From his Robe
Flows Light ineffable: His Harp, his Quiver,
And LICTIAN Bow are Gold: With golden Sandals
His Feet are fhod; how rich! how beautiful!
Beneath his Steps the yellow Min'ral rises;
And Earth reveals her Treasures. Youth and Beauty
Eternal deck his Cheek: from his fair Head
Perfumes diftill their Sweets; and chearful HEALTH,
His dutious Handmaid, thro' the Air improv'd,
With lavish Hand diffufes Scents Ambrofial.
The Spear-man's Arm by Thee, great God, directed,
Sends forth a certain Wound. The Laurel'd Bard,
Infpir'd by Thee, compofes Verfe Immortal.
Taught by thy Art Divine, the fage Physician
Eludes the Urn; and chains, or exiles Death.
Thee NOMIAN We adore; for that from Heav'n
Defcending, Thou on fair AMPHRYS US' Banks
Did'ft guard ADMETUS' Herds. Sithence the Cow
Produc'd an ampler Store of Milk; the She-Goat
Not without Pain dragg'd her diftended Udder;
And Ewes, that erft brought forth but single Lambs,
Now dropp'd their Two-fold Burdens. Bleft the Cattle,
On which APOLLO caft his fav'ring Eye!
But, PHOEBUS, Thou to Man beneficent, Delight'ft in building Cities. Bright DIANA, Kind Sifter to thy infant-Deity
New-wean'd, and juft arifing from the Cradle,
Brought hunted wild Goats-Heads, and branching Antlers
Of Stags, The Fruit and Honor of her Toil.
These with discerning Hand Thou knew'ft to range,
(Young as Thou waft) and in the well-fram'd Models,
With Emblematic Skill, and mystic Order,
Thou fhew'dft, where Towers or Battlements fhould rife;
Where Gates fhould open; or where Walls fhould compass:
While from thy childish Paftime Man receiv'd
The future Strength, and Ornament of Nations.
BATTUS, our great Progenitor, now touch'd
The LYBIAN Strand; when the foreboding Crow
Flew on the Right before the People, marking
The Country deftin'd the aufpicious Seat
|