But after many a hearty ftruggle past,
I condefcended to be pleas'd at last.

Soon as he faid, My mistress and my wife,
Do what you lift, the term of all your life:
I took to heart the merits of the cause,

425

And stood content to rule by wholesome laws; 430
Receiv'd the reins of abfolute command,

With all the government of house and land,
And empire o'er his tongue, and o'er his hand.
As for the volume that revil'd the dames,

'Twas torn to fragments and condemn'd to flames. 435 Now heav'n on all my hufbands gone, beftow Pleasures above, for tortures felt below:

That reft they wifh'd for, grant them in the grave,

And blefs thofe fouls my conduct help'd to fave!

THEBAIS of STATIUS.

BOOK I.,

ARGUMENT.

EDIPUS King of Thebes having by mistake nain his father Laius, and marry'd his mother Jocafta, put out his own eyes, and refign'd his realm to his fons, Eteocles and Polynices. Being neglected by them, he makes his prayer to the Fury Tifiphone, to fow debate betwixt the brothers. They agree at laft to reign fingly, each a year by turns, and the first lot is obtained by Eteocles. Jupiter, in a council of the Gods, declares his refolution of punishing the Thebans, and Argives alfo, by means of a marriage betwixt Polynices and one of the daughters of Adraftus king of Argos. Juno oppofes, but to no effect; and Mercury is fent on a meffage to the fhades, to the ghost of Laius, who is to appear to Eteocles, and provoke him to break the agreement. Polynices in the mean time departs from Thebes by night, is overtaken by a ftorm, and arrives at Argos; where he meets with Tydeus, who had fled from Calydon, having kill'd his brother. Adraftus entertains them, having receiv'd an oracle from Apollo that his daughters fhould be marry'd to a Boar and a Lion, which he underftands to be meant of these strangers, by whom the hides of those beasts were worn, and who arriv'd at the time when he kept an annual feast in honour of that God. The rife of this folemnity he relates to his guefts, the loves of Phoebus and Pfamathe, and the ftory of Chorobus. He enquires, and is made acquainted with their defcent and quality: The facrifice is renew'd, and the book concludes with a Hymn to Apollo.

The Tranflator hopes he needs not apologize for his Choice of this piece, which was made almoft in his Childhood. But finding the Verfion better than be expected, he gave it fome Correction a few years afterwards.

P. STATI I

THE BAIDOS

LIBER PRIMUS.

Raternas acies, alternaque regna profanis

Fraternas

Decertata odiis, fontefque evolvere Thebas,

Pierius menti calor incidit. Unde jubetis
Ire, Deae? gentifne canam primordia dirae?
Sidonics raptus, et inexorabile pactum

Legis Agenorcae? fcrutantemque aequora Cadmum?
Longa retro feries, trepidum fi Martis operti
Agricolam infandis condentem praelia fulcis
Expediem, penitufque fequar quo carmine muris
Jufferit Amphion Tyrios accedere montes :
Unde graves irae cognata in moenia Baccho,
Quod faevae Junonis opus; cui fumpferit arcum
Infelix Athamas, cur non expaverit ingens
Ionium, focio cafura Palaemone mater.

THE

THE BAIS

OF

STATIUS.

BOOK the FIRST.

Tranflated in the Year м DCC III.

Raternal rage, the guilty Thebes alarms,

FRaternal

Th' alternate reign deftroy'd by impious arms,
Demand our fong; a facred Fury fires
My ravish'd breaft, and all the Muse infpires.
O Goddess, fay, fhall I deduce my rhimes
From the dire nation in its early times,
Europa's rape, Agenor's ftern decree,

And Cadmus fearching round the spacious fea?
How with the ferpent's teeth he fow'd the foil,
And reap'd an Iron harveft of his toil?

5

Or how from joining ftones the city fprung,
While to his harp divine Amphion fung?
Or fhall I Juno's hate to Thebes refound,
Whofe fatal rage th' unhappy Monarch found?
The fire against the fon his arrows drew,
O'er the wide fields the furious mother flew,
And while her arms a fecond hope contain,
Sprung from the rocks and plung'd into the main.

15