Loft in each other's neighbouring rays,

They undiftinguish'd shine in one promifcuous blaze.
So thick the lucid gems are frown,
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 freamy twilight fpread,

Like diftant morning in the skies;

And wonders from what fource its dawning fplendors rife.

X.

But lo!-what's this I fee appear?

It seems far off a pointed flame;

From earth wards too the fhining meteor came.
How fwift it climbs th' aerial space!

And now it traverfes each sphere,

And feems fome living guest, familiar to the place. 'Tis he-as I approach more near

The great Columbus of the fkies I know!
'Tis Newton's foul, that daily travels here
In fearch of knowledge for mankind below.
Oftay, thou happy spirit, stay,

And lead me on through all th' unbeaten wilds of day;
As when the Sibyl did Rome's father guide
Safe through the downward roads of night,
And in Elysium bleft his fight

With views till then to mortal eyes deny'd.

Here

Here let me, thy companion, stray,

From orb to orb, and now behold
Unnumber'd funs, all feas of molten gold;
And trace each comet's wandering way,
And now descry Light's fountain-head,
And measure its descending speed;
Or learn how fun-born colours rife
In rays distinct, and in the skies
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 rising hills, and every verdant mead.

XI.

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 coeleftial fires,
With generous pride his humbler birth disdains,
And bears the thunder through th' ætherial plains.

THE

THE ARGUMENT AND CONNECTION OF THE STORY WITH THE FOREGOING BOOKS.

Pompey, flying to Ægypt, after his defeat at Pharfa

lia, was by the king's confent basely murdered by Pothinus, and his head prefented to Cæfar, as he approached the Ægyptian coaft, in pursuit of his enemy. The poet having reprefented this cataftrophe in the two former books; the argument of the ten:h 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 efcape, and privately getting admittance to Cæfar, implores his protection. By his means he is reconciled to her brother; after which the entertains Cæfar at a feast.

The

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 course 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 message to Achillas to invite him to join in this attempt. Achillas marches against Alexandria with an army composed of Ægyptians and Romans, and besieges Cæfar in the palace, who feizes Ptolemy as a pledge for his own fecurity. A herald, fent from the king to enquire the cause of this tumult, is flain. An attack being made, Cæfar defends himself, burns the Ægyptian fhips in the harbour, and poffèfles himfelf 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.

W

HEN conquering Cæfar follow'd to the land Ilis rival's head, and trod the barbarous ftrand, His fortune ftrove with guilty Egypt's fate In doubtful fight, and this the dire debate; Shall Roman arms great Lagus' realm enthrall ? Or fhall the victor, like the vanquish'd, fall By Ægypt's fword? Pompey, thy ghoft withstood Th' impending blow, and fav'd the general's blood,

5

Left

Left Rome, too happy after lofs of thee,

Should rule the Nile, herself from bondage free. 10

Secure, and with this barbarous pledge content,
To Alexandria now the conqueror went.
The croud that faw his entry, while, before,
Advancing guards the rods of empire bore,

In murmur'd founds their jealous rage difclos'd, 15
At Roman rites and foreign law impos'd.
Obferving Cæfar foon his error spy'd,
That not for him his mighty rival dy'd,

Yet fmooth'd his brow, all marks of fear fupprefs'd,
And hid his cares, deep bury'd in his breast.

Then with intrepid mien he took his way,

The city walls and temples to furvey,

Works which thy ancient power, great Macedon, difplay,

20

415

25

He view'd the fplendid fanes with careless eyes,
Shrines rich with gold and facred myfteries,
Nor fix'd his fight, but, eager in his pace,
Defcends the vault, which holds the royal race,
Philip's mad fon, the profperous robber, bound
In Fate's eternal chains, here fleeps profound,
Whom death forbad his rapines to purfue,
And in the world's revenge the monfter flew.
His impious bones, which, through each climate toft,

30

The sport of winds, or in the ocean loft,
Had met a jufter fate, this tomb obtain❜d,

And facred, to that kingdom's end, remain'd.

35

O!