Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

Which by the fpurning heels difpers'd around
The bed, besprinkles and bedews the ground.
Then Lamyrus with Lamus, and the young
Serranus, who with gaming did prolong

The night: oppreft with wine and flumber lay
The beauteous Youth, and dreamt of lucky Play;
More lucky, had it been protracted till the day.
The famifh'd Lion thus with hunger bold,
O'er-leaps the fences of the nightly fold,
The peaceful Flock devours, and tears, and draws ;
Wrapt up in filent fear, they lie and pant beneath
Nor with lefs rage Euryalus imploys

[his paws.

The vengeful Sword, nor fewer foes deftroys ;
But on th' ignoble Crowd his fury flew ;
Which Fadus, Hebefus, and Rhatus flew,
With Abaris: in fleep the reft did fall;
But Rhatus waking, and obferving all,
Behind a mighty Jar he flunk for fear;

The fharp edg'd Iron found and reach'd him there:
Full as he role he plung'd it in his fide;
The cruel Sword return'd in crimson dy'd.
The wound a blended ftream of wine and blood
Pours out; the purple Soul comes floating in the flood,
Now where Meffapus quarter'd they arrive ;
The fires were fainting there, and juft alive;
The warlike Horfes ty'd in order fed ;
Nifus the difcipline obferv'd, and faid,
Our eagerness of blood may both betray:
Behold the doubtful glimmering of the day,
Foe to these nightly thefts: No more, my friend,
Here let our glutted Execution end;

A Lane through flaughter'd Bodies we have made:
The bold Euryalus, though loath, obey'd:
Rich Arms and Arras which they fcatter'd find,
And Plate, a precious load they leave behind.
Yet fond of gaudy Spoils, the Boy would stay
To make the proud Caparifons his prey,
Which deck'd a neighb’ring Steed.

[ocr errors]

Nor did his Eyes lefs longingly behold
The Girdle ftudded o'er with Nails of Gold,
Which Rhamnes wore: This Present long ago
On Remulus did Cadicus beftow,

And abfent join'd in hofpitable Ties.
He dying to his Heir bequeath'd the prize:
'Till by the conquering Rutuli oppreft
He fell, and they the glorious gift poffeft.
These gaudy spoils Euryalus now bears;
And vainly on his brawny Shoulders wears:
Meffapus Helm he found amongst the dead,
Garnish'd with plumes, and fitted to his head.
They leave the Camp and take the fafeft road 3
Mean time a Squadron of their foes abroad,
Three hundred Horfe with Bucklers arm'd, they fpy'd,
Whom Volfcens by the King's command did guide.
To Turnus thefe were from the City fent,

hade}

And to perform their Meffage fought his Tent.
Approaching near their utmoft lines they draw;
When bending tow'rds the left, their Captain faw
The faithful pair; for through the doubtful shade
His glitt❜ring Helm Euryalus betray'd;
On which the Moon with full reflection play'd.
'Tis not for nought (cry'd Volfcens from the crowd)
These Men go there; then rais'd his voice aloud:
Stand, ftand! why thus in Arms? And whither bent?
From whence, to whom, and on what errand fent?
Silent they make away; and hafte their flight
To neighb'ring Woods; and truft themselves to night.
The fpeedy horfemen fpur their Steeds, to get
'Twixt them and home; and every path befet,
And all the windings of the well known Wood;
Black was the Brake, and thick with Oak it ftood,
With Fern all horrid, and perplexing Thorn,
Where tracks of Bears had fcarce a paffage worn.
The darkness of the shades, his heavy prey,
And fear, mif-led the younger from his way:
But Nifus hit the turns with happier hafte,
Who now, unknowing, had the danger past,

And Alban Lakes from Alba's name fo call'd;
Where King Latinus then his Oxen stall'd.
'Till turning at the length he ftood his ground,
And vainly caft his longing eyes around
For his loft friend!

Ah! wretch, he cry'd, where have I left behind,
Where shall I hope th' unhappy Youth to find!
Or what way take! Again he ventures back,
And treads the Mazes of his former track,
Thro' the wild wood: at last he hears the Noise
Of trampling Horfes, and the riders voice.
The Sound approach'd, and fuddenly he view'd
His Foes inclofing, and his Friend purfu'd,
Forelaid, and taken, while he ftrove in vain
The Covert of the neighb'ring Wood to gain.
What should he next attempt, what arms employ
With fruitless force to free the Captive Boy!
Or tempt unequal numbers with the Sword;
And die by him whom living he ador'd?
Refolv'd on death his dreadful Spear he hook,
And casting to the Moon a mournful look,
Fair Queen, faid he, who doft in woods delight,
And Grace of Stars, the Goddefs of the Night;
Be prefent, and direct my Dart aright,
If e'er my pious Father for my fake,
Did on thy Altars grateful offerings make,
Or I increas'd them with fuccefsful toils;
And hung thy Sacred Roof with favage Spoils,
Through the brown fhadows guide my flying Spear
To reach this Troop: Then poizing from his ear
The quiv'ring Weapon with full force he threw
Through the divided fhades the deadly Javelin flew
On Sulmo's back it splits: the double dart
Drove deeper onward, and transfixt his heart.
He ftaggers round, his eye-balls rowl in death;
And with fhort Sobbs, he gafps away his breath.
All stand amaz'd; a fecond Javelin Aies

From his ftretch'd arm, and hiffes through the Skies ♪

The Lance through Tagus Temples forc'd its ways. And in his brain-pan warmly buried lay.

[fpair,

Fierce Volfcens foams with rage; and gazing round,
Defery'd no Author of the fatal wound,
Nor where to fix revenge: But thou, he cries,
Shalt pay for both; and at the Pris'ner fliès,
With his drawn Sword: Then, ftruck with deep de-
The fatal fight the Lover could not bear;
But from his Covert rufht in open view;
And fent his voice before him as he flew ;
Me, me, employ your Sword on me alone:
The crime confefs'd; the fact was all my own.
He neither could nor durft, the guiltless Youth,
Ye Moon and Stars bear witnefs to the Truth;
His only fault, if that be to offend,

Was too much loving his unhappy friend.
Too late, alas, he speaks;

The Sword, which unrelenting fury guides,
Driv❜n with full force had pierc'd his tender fides ;
Down fell the beauteous Youth, the gaping wound
Gush'd out a Crimson ftream and ftain'd the ground;
His nodding neck reclines on his white breaft,
Like a fair Flow'r, in furrow'd Fields oppreft,
By the keen Share: or Poppy on the plain,
Whofe heavy head is overcharg❜d with rain.
Disdain, despair, and deadly vengeance vow'd,
Drove Nifus headlong on the Hoftile Crowd
Volfcens he feeks, at him alone he bends;
Born back, and push'd by his furrounding friends,
He ftill prefs'd on; and kept him still in fight;
Then whirl'd aloft his Sword with all his might;
Th' unerring Weapon flew; and wing'd with death,
Enter'd his gaping Mouth, and ftop'd his breath.
Dying he flew and ftagg'ring on the plain,
Sought for the Body of his Lover flain:
Then quietly on his dear Breaft he fell;
Content in death to be reveng'd fo well,
O happy pair! for if my verfe can give
Eternity; your fame fhall ever live;

:

Fix'd as the Capitol's Foundation lies,

And spread where-e'er the Roman Eagle flies.

Theocrit. Idyllium the 18th.

The Epithalamium of HELEN and MENELAUS.

By Mr. Dryden..

welve Spartan Virgins, noble, young, and fair;

And to the pompous Palace did resort,
Where Menelaus kept his Royal Court.

flowing

There hand in hand a comely Quire they led ;
To fing a bleffing to his Nuptial Bed,

With curious Needles wrought, and painted flowers bespread.

Jove's beauteous Daughter now his Bride muft be,
And fove himself was lefs a God than he:

For this their artful hands inftruct the Lute to found,
Their feet affift their hands,and justly beat the ground.
This was their fong: Why happy Bridegroom, why
E'er yet the Stars are kindled in the Sky,
E'er twilight fhades, or Evening dews are shed,
Why doft thou steal so soon away to Bed!
Has Somnus brush'd thy Eye-lids with his Rod,
Or do thy Legs refuse to bear their Load,
With flowing bowls of a more generous God?
If gentle flumber on thy Temples creep,
(But naughty Man thou doft not mean to fleep)
Betake thee to thy Bed thou drowzy Drone, :
Sleep by thy felf, and leave thy. Bride alone:
Go, leave her with her Maiden Mates to play
At fports more harmless, 'till the break of day:

« AnteriorContinuar »