"Stretch'd on the ground, and open to the fky,
"You must be oft awake at midmost night,
"Chill penury and cold must be despis'd;

Inviolably too you must adhere

"To Juftice, and in all you enterprise

"Muft think each action by the Gods is feen.
"You firft, whene'er your country's danger calls,
"Must seize your arms, first scale the hostile tow'rs,
"And neither fwords nor bribes must stop your way.
"In recompence for thefe heroic deeds,
"No purple vesture from the Tyrian loom,
"No coftly unguents to perfume your hair,
"Shall be my dow'r: I'll give you to subdue
"That enemy, who with inceffant wars
"Exhaufts your empire, till at length you lay,
"When Carthage' tow'rs are humbl'd in the duft,
"Your glorious laurel in the lap of Jove."

So VIRTUE in celeftial raptures spoke,
And to her int'reft won the ftripling's foul;
Fir'd with the great examples fhe produc'd,
And by his smiles confenting to her voice.
PLEASURE, incens'd to fee herself defpis'd,
And all her proffer'd boons, exclaim'd aloud:
Repuls'd, no longer I vouchsafe to stay;
"Ere long my reign, my blissful reign arrives,
"When Romans, into emulation.fir'd,

"Shall strive who beft fhall my commands obey;

"Who with the brightest honours deck my brows."

She said, and fhaking her ambrofial curls,

Back to the skies on agil pinions flew.

Full of th' advices VIRTUE gave, the youth.
Feels all his bofom pant with great designs,

Inflam'd with VIRTUE's charms, and VIRTUE's dow'r,
And to the fenate inftantly repairs,

Where

Where unfolicited he afks to lead

The Roman legions, and commence the war *.

• Has, lauri refidens juvenis viridante fub umbra,
Edibus extremis volvebat pectore curas:
Cum fubito affiftunt, dextra lævaque per auras
Allapfæ, haud paullum mortali major imago,
Hinc virtus, illinc virtuti inimica voluptas.
Altera Achæmenium fpirabat vertice odorem,
Ambrofias diffufa comas, & vefte refulgens,
Oftrum qua fulvo Tyrium fuffuderat auro:
Fronte decor quæfitus acu, lascivaque crebras
Ancipiti motu jaciebant lumina flammas.
Alterius difpar habitus, frons hirta, nec unquam
Compofita mutata coma: ftans vultus, & ore
Inceffuque viro propior, lætique pudoris,
Celfa humeros niveæ fulgebat ftamine palla.
Occupat inde prior, promiffis fifa, voluptas.

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Quis furor hic, non digne puer, confumere bello "Florem ævi? Cannæne tibi, graviorque palude "Mæonius Stygia lacus exceffere, Padufque ? 66 Quem tandem ad finem bellando fata laceffes? "Tune etiam tentare paras Atlantica regna,

Sidoniafque domos? moneo, certare periclis "Define, & armifonæ caput objectare procellæ. "Ni fugis hos ritus, virtus te fæva jubebit "Per medias volitare acies, mediofque per ignes. "Hæc patrem patruumque tuos, hæc prodiga Paullum, "Hæc Decios ftygias Erebi detrufit ad undas: "Dum cineri titulum, memorandaque nomina buftis "Prætendit, nec fenfuræ, quid gefferit, umbræ. "At fi me comitere, puer, non limite duro "Jam tibi decurrit conceffi temporis ætas. "Haud unquam trepidos abrumpet buccina fomnos "Non glaciem Aretoam, non experiere furentis "Ardorem Cancri, nec menfas fæpe cruento "Gramine compofitas; aberunt fitis afpera, & hauftus "Sub galea pulvis, partique timore labores: "Sed current albufque dies, horæque ferenæ ;

"Et

"Et molli dabitur victu fperare fenectam.
"Quantas ipfe Deus lætos generavit in ufus
"Res homini, plenaque dedit bona gaudia dextra!
Atque idem, exemplar lenis mortalibus ævi,

66

Imperturbata placidus tenet otia mente.

“ Illa ego fum, Anchisæ Venerem Simoentis ad undas
Quæ junxi, generis vobis unde editus auctor.
"Illa ego fum, verti Superûm quæ fæpe parentem
"Nunc avis in formam, nunc torvi in cornua tauri.
❝ Huc adverte aures. Currit mortalibus ævum,
« Nec nafci bis poffe datur: fugit hora, rapitque
"Tartareus torrens ; ac fecum ferre sub umbras,
« Si qua animo placuere, negat. Quis luce fuprema
“Dimiffiffe meas sero non ingemit horas ?”

Poftquam conticuit, finifque eft addita dictis, Tum Virtus: "Quafnamque juvenem florentibus, inquit, "Pellicis in fraudes annis, vitæque tenebras, "Cui ratio & magnæ cœleftia femina mentis "Munere funt conceffa Deûm? mortalibus alti "Quantum cœlicolæ, tantumdem animalibus ifti “Præcellunt cunctis: tribuit namque ipfa minore "Hos terris natura Deo; fed fœdere certo "Degeneres tenebris animas damnavit avernis. "At quis ætherei fervatur feminis ortus

"Cœli porta patet. Referam quid cuncta domantem "Amphitryoniaden? Quid, cui, poft feras & Indos "Captivo Liber cum figna referret ab Euro, "Caucaseæ curfum duxere per oppida Tigres? "Quid fufpiratos magno in difcrimine Nautis "Ledæos referam fratres, veftrumque Quirinum? "Nonne vides, hominum ut celfos ad fidera vultus "Suftulerit Deus, ac fublimia finxerit ora? "Cum pecudes, volucrumque genus, forma fque ferarum, Segnem atque obfcænam paffim ftraviffet in alvum.

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"Ad laudes genitum, capiat fi munera Divûm

"Felix, ad laudes hominum genus. Huc, age, paullum

Afpice, nec longe repetam, modo Roma minanti

"Impar Fidenæ, contentaque crefcere afylo,

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Quo fefe extulerit dextris; idem afpice, late "Florentes quondam luxus quas verterit urbes. Ꮓ

Quippe

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Quippe nec ira Deûm tantum, nec tela, nec hoftes, Quantum fola noces animis illapfa voluptas. Ebrietas tibi fida comes, tibi luxus, & atris "Circa te femper volitans infamia pennis: "Mecum honor, ac laudes, & læto gloria vultu, "Et decus, ac niveis victòria concolor alis. "Me cinctus lauro producit ad aftra triumphus.. "Cafta mihi domus, & celfo stant colle Penates: "Ardua faxofo perducit semita clivo.

"Afper principio, nec enim mihi fallere mos eft,

86

Profequitur labor. Annitendum intrare volenti; "Nec bona cenfendum, quæ fors infida dediffe,

་་

Atque eadem rapuiffe valet. Mox celfus ab alto "Infra te cernes hominum genus. Omnia contra Experienda manent, quam fpondet blanda voluptas. "Stramine projectus duro patiere fub aftris "Infomnes noctes, frigufque famemque domabis. Idem juftitiæ cultor, quæcumque capeffes, "Teftes factorum ftare arbitrabere Divos. "Tunc, quoties patriæ rerumque pericula pofcent "Arma feres primus: primus te in mœnia tolles "Hoftica: nec ferro mentem vincêre, nec auro. "Hinc tibi non Tyrio vitiatas murice vestes, "Nec donum deforme viro fragrantis Amomi; "Sed dabo, qui veftrum fævo nunc Marte fatigat Imperium fuperare manu, laurumque fuperbam "In gremio Jovis excifis deponere Pœnis."

Quæ poftquam cecinit facrato pectore virtus, Exemplis lætum vultuqne audita probantem Convertit juvenem : fed enim indignata voluptas Non tenuit voces. "Nil vos jam demoror ultra, "Exclamat. Venient, venient, mea tempora quondam, "Cum docilis noftris magno certamine Roma "Serviet imperiis, & honos mihi habebitur uni,” Sic quaffans caput in nubes fe fuftulit atras. At juvenis, plenus monitis, ingentia corde Molitur, juffæque calet virtutis amore. Ardua roftra petit, nullo fera bella volente, Et gravia ancipitis depofcit munera Martis.

SILIUS ITALICUS Punic. lib. xv. ver. 18.

OVID has in like manner turned Envy into a perfon, and thus describes the habitation, temper, and employment of the fiend.

MINERVA Wings her way to Envy's seat,
Besmear'd with clotted gore. A cave profound
Her habitation, where no chearing beam,
Nor foft Etefian breezes ever come,
But unrelenting cold, and raylefs night
In everlasting horrors there refide.
Soon as the Goddess at the place arriv'd,

She stood before the gates, whose rusty bolts
Entrance debarr'd, and fmote them with her fpear.
The doors flew open, when within she saw
Envy on vipers feeding, whence new strength,
New rage her vices gain: MINERva turn'd
Her eyes away, and fick'ned at the fight.
Slowly the fiend arose, and, from her mouth
Dropping her ferpents half-devour'd, fhe trail'd
With tardy steps her meagre corps along.
Soon as the faw the heav'nly vifitant,
Radiant in arms and lineaments divine,
Deep from her breast she heav'd an heavy figh:
Pale was her count'nance, ghaftly was her form,
Afkance she threw her eye; an iron rust
Canker'd her vip'rous teeth; her heart was gall;
And a sharp venom blifter'd all her tongue.
Except at misery she never fmil'd;

Her ever-wakeful eyes enjoy no reft;

Griev'd at fuccefs, fhe inly pines away;

Tho' while fhe others wounds, fhe wounds herself, Her own eternal curfe. PALLAS abhorr'd

The hag, but yet in brief her mind reveal'd:

"With your whole plague infeft the inmoft pow'rs