ار Gifts that alone from Nature's bounty flow, Oft too abroad she cafts a friendly eye, The labouring hinds with pleasure fee it flow, grow, O generous ufe of power! O virtuous pride! Ne'er may the means be to fuch fouls deny'd, Exccutors of Heaven's all bounteous will, Who well the great First-giver's ends fulfil, Who from fuperior heights ftill looking down On glittering heaps, which scarce they think their own, Despise the empty show of useless state, Now paufe awhile, my mufe, and then renew The pleafing task, and take a fecond view A train of virtues yet undrawn appear; Here just economy, ftrict prudence there; Near liberality they ever ftand; * This guides her judgment, that directs her hand. But wherefore starts the painter-mufe, and why, Forbear, rash mufe! nor longer now commend, Lest whom thou would'st describe, thou should'st offend, And in her breast a painful glowing raise, THE ECSTACY. AN ODE. "Me vero primùm dulces ante omnia musæ "Accipiant, cœlique vias et fidera monftrent.” VIRG. Advertisement. It may be proper to acquaint the reader that the following poem was begun on the model of a Latin ode of Cafimire, intitulede Rebus Humanis Exceffus, from which it is plain that Cowley likewife took the firft hint of his ode called the Ecstacy. The former part, therefore, is chiefly an imitation of that ode, though with confiderable variations, and the addition of the whole second stanza, except the first three lines: but the plan itself feeming capable of a farther improvement, the latter part, which attempts a short view of the heavens according to the modern philofophy, is entirely original, and not founded on any thing in the Latin author. Here new-built towns, aspiring high, Afcend, with lofty turrets crown'd; There others fall, and mouldering lie, Obfcure, or only by their ruins found, Palmyra's far-extended waste I fpy, (Once Tadmor, ancient in renown) Her marble heaps, by the wild Arab shown, Still load with useless pomp the ground. But where is lordly Babylon? where now Lifts the to heaven her giant braw? Where does the wealth of Nineveh abound? Or where's the pride of Afric's fhore? Is Rome's great șival then no more ? In Rome herself behold th' extremes of fate, Her ancient greatness funk, her modern boasted ftate! See her luxurious palaces arife, With broken arches mixt between! And here what fplendid domes poffefs the kies! Their walls o'ergrown with moss display; [fcene. Rear up their rooflefs heads to form the various 111. Around the space of earth I turn my eye; But where's the region free from woe? Where shall the mufe one little spot defcry The feat of happiness below? Here peace would all its joys difpenfe, But, flaves to arbitrary power, I view distinct the mingled war! Hand to hand, and breast to preaft. Lur'd with the hope of human blood, She hangs upon the wing, uncertain where to fly, But licks her drowthy jaws, and waits the promis'd food. And bury fpacious towns beneath their sweeping tide. [found. Dash'd with the fudden flood the vaulted temples Waves roll'd on waves, deep burying deep, lift high A watery monument, in which profound Swell o'er thy digues, oppos'd in vain, Thus fire, and air, and earth, and main, A never-ceafing fight maintain, While man on every fide is fure to lofe; And fate has furnish'd out the stage of life With war, misfortune, and with ftrife; [woes. Till death the curtain drops, and fhuts the fcene of VII. But why do I delay my flight? Or on fuch gloomy objects gaze? I go to realms ferene with ever-living light. Hafte, clouds and whirlwinds, hafte a raptur'd bard to raise; Mount me fublime along the fhining way, Where planets, in pure ftreams of æther driv'n, Swim through the blue expanse of heav'n. And lo! th' obfequious clouds and winds obey! And lo again the nations downwards fly, And wide-ftretch'd kingdoms perish from my eye. Heaven! what bright vifions now arife! What opening worlds my ravish'd fense surprise! I pafs cerulean gulfs, and now behold New folid globes their weight, felf-balanc'd, bear, Unprop'd amidst the fluid air, And all, around the central fun, in circling eddies roll'd. Unequal in their course see they advance, And form the planetary dance! Here the pale moon, whom the fame laws ordain T'obey the earth, and rule the main ; Here spots no more in fhadowy streaks appear; But lakes instead, and groves of trees, The wondering mufe tranfported fees, And their tall heads difcover'd mountains rear. And now once more I downward caft my fight, When lo! the earth a larger moon, displays Far off, amidft the heavens, her filver face, And to her fifter moon by turns gives light! Her feas are shadowy fpots, her land a milky white. His rays reverted hence the fire withdraws, 1x. And now far off through the blue vacant borne, I reach at last the milky road, Once thought to lead to Jove's fupreme abode, Where stars, profufe in heaps, heaven's glittering heights adorn. Loft in each other's neighbouring rays, [blaze. They undiftinguith'd fhine in one promifcuous So thick the lucid gems are ftrown, As if th' Almighty builder here Laid up his ftores for many a fphere In deftin'd worlds, as yet unknown. Hither the nightly- wakeful fwain, That guards his folds upon the plain, Oft turns his gazing eyes, Yet marks no ftars, but o'er his head Beholds the streamy twilight fpread, Like diftant morning in the skies; And wonders from what fource its dawning fplendors rife. And lead me on through all th' unbeaten wilds of As when the Sibyl did Rome's father guide Safe through the downward roads of night, And in Elyfium bleft his fight With views till then to mortal eyes deny'd. Here let me, thy companion, ftray From orb to orb, and now behold Unnumber'd funs, all feas of molten gold; And trace each comet's wandering way, And now defcry light's fountain-head, And measure its defcending speed; Or learn how fun-born colours rife In rays diftinct, and in the fkies Blended in yellow radiance flow, Or ftain the fleecy cloud, or streak the watery bow; Or now diffus'd their beauteous tinctures fhed On every planet's rifing hills, and every verdant mead. ΧΙ. Thus, rais'd fublime on contemplation's wings, Fresh wonders I would ftill explore, Still the great Maker's power adore, Loft in the thought-nor ever more Return to earth, and earthly things; But here with native freedom take my flight, An inmate of the heavens, adopted into light! So for a while the royal eagle's brood In his low neft fecurely lies, Amid the darkness of the sheltering wood, Yet there with in-born vigour hopes the skies: Till fledg'd with wings full-grown, and bold to rife, The bird of heaven to heaven afpires, Soars 'midft the meteors and celeftial fires, With generous pride his humbler birth difdains, And bears the thunder through th'athereal plains. THE TENTH BOOK OF 'LUCAN'S PHARSALIA, TRANSLATED. The Argument and Connection of the Story with the foregoing Books. Pompey, flying to Egypt, after his defeat at Pharfalia, was, by the king's confent, bafely murdered by Pothinus, and his head prefented to Cæfar, as he approached the Egyptian coaft, in pursuit of his enemy. The poet having reprefented this catastrophe in the two former books; the argument of the tenth book is as follows: Cæfar lands in Egypt. He goes to Alexandria; vifits the temple, and the fepulchre of the kings, in' which Alexander the Great was buried. The poet, in a beautiful digreffion, declaims against the ambition of that monarch. Ptolemy, the young king of Egypt, meets Cæfar at his arrival, and receives him into his palace. His fifter Cleopatra, who had been kept a prifoner in Pharos, makes her escape, and privately getting admittance to Cefar, implores his protection. By his means fhe is reconciled to her brother after which the entertains Cæfar at a feaft. The fupper being ended, Cæfar requests of Achoreus, the priest, an account of the antiquities of Egypt, particularly of the river Nile. Achoreus's reply. The courfe of that river described, with an enumeration of the various opinions concerning its fpring, and the causes of its overflowing. Pothinus plots the death of Cæfar. His meffage to Achillas to invite him to join in this attempt. Achillas marches against Alexandria with an army compofed of Egyptians and Romans, and befieges Cæfar in the palace, who feizes Ptolemy as a pledge for his own fecurity. A herald, fent from the king to inquire the cause of this tumult, is flain. An attack being made, Cæfar defends himself, burns the Egyptian fhips in the harbour, and poffeffes himself of Pharos, where he puts Pothinus to death. Arfinoe, younger fifter of Ptolemy, by the aid of Ganimede, her governor, arriving in the camp, caufes Achillas to be flain. Ganimede renews the attack against Cæfar, who is blocked up in Pharos, and reduced to the greatest extremity. WHEN Conquering Cæfar follow'd to the land } He view'd the fplendid fanes with careless eyes, Difdaining what his father won before, He left his home; while fortune fmooth'd his way, Th' unconquer'd east defies our feeble powers, Now from Pelufium, where expanding wide | Italian flames, and spread the kindled fire. What triumphs had proud Alexandria feen, From that curft night this daring hope arose, [walls, The foul adulterer, reeking with the ftains 1 Him Cleopatra fought t'espouse her care; Prefuming of her charms, the mournful fair In wild disorder loos'd her lovely hair, And, with a face inviting fure relief, In tender accents thus disclos'd her grief: Great Cæfar, look! of Lagus' royal race, Let Pompey's head fuffice Pothinus' fame, Here paus'd the queen, and spoke in looks the reft; Not words alone could move his favage breast; Her eyes enforce her prayers, foft beauty pleads, And brib'd the judge; a night of guilt fucceeds, Then foon for peace th' affrighted brother fought, And with rich gifts his reconcilement brought. Affairs united thus, the court ordains A folemn feast, where joy tumultuous reigns. Here Cleopatra's genius firft was shown, And arts till then to frugal Rome unknown. The hall a temple feem'd; corrupter days Scarce to the gods would fuch a fructure raife. Rich was the fretted roof, and cover'd o'er With ponderous gold; all onyx was the floor. Nor marble plates alone the walls incas'd, Beauteous to fight, and all th' apartment grac'd; But folid pillars of thick agate ftood, And ebony fupply'd for common wood. Ivory the doors, with Indian tortoife feen Inlaid, and ftudded emerald between. The beds too fhone, profufe of gems, on high, The coverings Tyrian filk, of double dye, Embroider'd part with gold, with fcarlet part, A curious mixture of Egyptian art. And now the crowd of menial flaves appears, Of various fkin, and fize, and various years. Some fwarthy Africans with frizzled hair; Black Ethiops thefe; and thofe, like Germans, fair, With yellow locks, which, Cæfar owns, outshine In colour ev'n the natives of the Rhine; Befides th' unhappy youth by steel unmann'd, The princes took their feats; amid the rest T' enjoy a brother-spouse, and fhare his throne, O'ercharg'd with spoils which the Red Sea fupply'd, Scarce can fhe move beneath the ponderous pride, Here might be feen large oval tables wrought What earth and air, the fea and Nile afford, Delightful nard, and ever-blooming rose, Here Cæfar learns the fruitful world to drain, At length, the tumult of the banquet, o'er, When fated luxury requir'd no more, Cæfar protracts the filent hours of night, And, turning to Achorens, cloth'd in white, High on a lofty couch-Say, holy feer! Whofe hoary age thy guardian gods revere, Devoted to their rites! wilt thou relate The rife and progrefs of the Fharian state ? |