SECOND HYMN OF CALLIMACHUS
A! 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 hovering fwans, their throats releas'd From native filence, carol founds harmonious? Begin, young men, the hymn: let all your harps Break their inglorious filence; and the dance, In myftic numbers trod, explain the mufic. But first, by ardent prayer, and clear luftration, Purge the contagious fpots of human weakness: Impure no mortal can behold Apollo. So may ye flourish, favour'd by the God, In youth with happy nuptials; and in age With filver hair, and fair defcent of children! So lay foundations for aspiring cities, And bless your spreading colonies increase! Pay facred reverence to Apollo's fong; Left wrathful the far-fhooting God emit His fatal arrows. Silent Nature ftands ;
And feas fubfide, obedient to the found
Of lö, lö Pean! nor dares Thetis
Longer bewail her lov'd Achilles' death;
For Phœbus was his foe. Nor must fad Niobe In fruitless forrow perfevere, or weep
Ev'n through the Phrygian marble. Haplefs mother! Whofe fondness could compare her mortal offspring To thofe which fair Latona bore to Jove.
Iö! again repeat ye, Iö Pean!
Against the Deity 'tis hard to ftrive.
He, that refifts the power of Ptolemy,
Refifts the power of heaven; for power from heaven 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 fongs. Sublime at Jove's right-hand Apollo fits, And thence diftributes honour, gracious king, And theme of verfe perpetual. From his robe Flows light ineffable: his harp, his quiver, And Lictian bow, are gold: with golden fandals. His feet are fhod; how rich! how beautiful!
Beneath his steps the yellow mineral rifes,
And earth reveals her treasures. Youth and beauty Eternal deck his cheeks: from his fair head Perfumes diftill their sweets; and cheerful Health, His duteous handmaid, through the air improv'd, With lavish hand diffufes fcents ambrofial.
The fpearman'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 phyfician Eludes the urn; and chains or exiles death.
Thee, Nomian, we adore; for that, from heaven Defcending, thou on fair Amphryfus' banks Didit guard Admetus' herds. Sithence the cow Produc'd an ampler store of milk; the she-goạt Not without pain dragg'd her distended udder ; And ewes, that erft brought forth but fingle lambs, Now dropp'd their two-fold burthens. Bleft the cattle, On which Apollo caft his favouring eye!
But, Phoebus, thou to man beneficent,
Delight'ft in building cities.
Kind fifter to thy infant deity,
New-wean'd, and juft arifing from the cradle, Brought hunted wild-goats heads, and branching antlers Of tags, the fruit and honour of her toil. Thefe with difcerning hand thou knew'ft to range (Young as thou waft), and in the well-fram'd models, With emblematic skill, and myftic order,
Thou fhew'ft where towers or battlements should rife, Where gates fhould open, or where walls fhould com- pafs :
While from thy childish pastime man receiv'd The future ftrength and ornament of nations.
Battus, our great progenitor, now touch'd The Libyan ftrand; when the foreboding crow Flew on the right before the people, marking The country deftin'd the auspicious feat Of future kings, and favour of the God, Whofe oath is fure, and promise ftands eternal.
Or Boëdromian hear'ft thou pleas'd, or Clarian Phoebus, great king? for different are thy names, As thy kind hand has founded many cities, Or dealt benign thy various gifts to man. Carnean let me call thee; for my country Calls thee Carnean: the fair colony
Thrice by thy gracious guidance was transported, Ere fettled in Cyrene; there w' appointed Thy annual feafts, kind God, and blefs thy altars Smoaking with hecatombs of flaughter'd bulls, As Carnus, thy high prieft and favour'd friend, Had erit ordain'd; and with mysterious rites, Our great forefathers taught their fons to worship. Iö Carnean Phoebus! Iö Pean!
The yellow crocus there and fair narciffus Referve the honours of their winter-store, To deck thy temple; till returning spring Diffuses Nature's various pride; and flowers Innumerable, by the foft fouth-we
Open'd, and gather'd by religious hands,
Rebound their fweets from th' odoriferous pavement. Perpetual fires fhine hallow'd on thy altars, When annual the Carnean feast is held; The warlike Libyans, clad in armour, lead The dance; with clanging fwords and fhields they beat The dreadful measure in the chorus join Their women, brown but beautiful: fuch rites To thee well pleafing. Nor had yet thy votaries, From Greece tranfplanted, touch'd Cyrene's banks, K 3
And lands determin'd for their last abodes ; But wander'd through Azilis' horrid foreft Difpers'd; when from Myrtufa's craggy brow, Fond of the maid, aufpicious to the city, Which must hereafter bear her favour'd name, Thou gracious deign'ft to let the fair-one view Her typic people; thou with pleasure taught'ft her To draw the bow, to flay the thaggy lion, And ftop the spreading ruin of the plains. Happy the nymph, who, honour'd by thy paffion, Was aided by thy power! The monstrous Python Durft tempt thy wrath in vain : for dead he fell, To thy great ftrength and golden arms unequal. Iö! while thy unerring hand elanc'd Another, and another dart; the people Joyfully repeated Iö! Iö Pean!
Elance the dart, Apollo: for the safety
And health of man, gracious thy mother bore thee. Envy, thy latest foe, suggested thus:
Like thee I am a power immortal; therefore To thee dare fpeak. How canft thou favour partial Those poets who write little? Vaft and great Is what I love: the far-extended ocean To a small rivulet I prefer. Apollo
Spurn'd Envy with his foot; and thus the God: Dæmon, the head-long current of Euphrates, Affyrian river, copious runs, but muddy; And carries forward with his ftupid force Polluting dirt; his torrent ftill augmenting, His wave ftill more defil'd: mean while the nymphs
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