Erynnis faw 't, and made in her own feed The innocent Parricide to bleed; She flew his wrathful fons with mutual blows: But better things did then fucceed, And brave Therfander, in amends for what was past, arofe. Brave Therfander was by none, In war, or warlike sports, out-done. Loud Olympus happy thee, Ifthmus and Nemæa does twice happy fee; By not being all thine own; And thofe kind pious glories do deface Greatnefs of mind and fortune too. In the noble chace of fame; This without that is blind, that without this is lame. Nor is fair Virtue's picture feen aright But in Fortune's golden light. Riches alone are of uncertain date, And on fhort man long cannot wait; The virtuous make of them the best, And put them out to Fame for interest i With With a frail good they wifely buy The folid purchase of eternity: They, whilft life's air they breathe, confider well, and. know Th' account they must hereafter give below; By the just decrees of Jove, Unrelenting torments prove, The heavy neceffary effects of voluntary faults. Whilft in the lands of unexhausted light, Nor aught to labour owe For food, that whilft it nourishes does decay, And in the lamp of life confumes away. Thrice had these men through mortal bodies past, Did thrice the trial undergo, Till all their little drofs was purg'd at last, The furnace had no more to do. Then in rich Saturn's peaceful state Were they for facred treasures plac'd, The Mufe-difcovered world of Iflands Fortunate. Soft-footed winds with tuneful voices there Dance through the perfum'd air: There There filver rivers through enamel'd meadows glide, Which by the bleft are gathered For bracelets to the arm, and garlands to the head. Dipt now his foul in Stygian lake, Which did from thence a divine hardness take, That does from passion and from vice invulnerable make. To Theron, Mufe! bring back thy wandering fong, How, noble archer! do thy wanton arrows fly Thy founding quiver can ne'er emptied be : Wallows Wallows in wealth, and runs a turning maze, That no vulgar eye can trace. Art, instead of mounting high, About her humble food does hovering fly; Like the ignoble crow, rapine and noise does love ; Defeats the ftrong, o'ertakes the flying prey, His foaring wings among the clouds.. Leave, wanton Mufe! thy roving flight; And Theron be the White. And, lest the name of verse should give Malicious men pretext to misbelieve, By the Caftalian waters fwear (A facred oath no poets dare To take in vain, No more than Gods do that of Styx prophane), A better man, or greater-foul'd, was born; No man near him fhould be poor; Swear, that none e'er had fuch a graceful art Fortune's free gifts as freely to impart, With an unenvious hand, and an unbounded heart, But But in this thankless world the givers Left men fhould think we owe. Such monsters, Theron! has thy virtue found: Thy fecure honour cannot wound; THE |