Imatges de pàgina
PDF
EPUB

Rais'd with Succefs, the Dolphin fwiftly ran ;
(For they can conquer who believe they can:)
Both urge their Oars, and Fortune both supplies,
And both perhaps had fhar'd an equal Prize;
But old Portunus, with his Breadth of Hand,
Pufh'd on, and fped the Scylla to the Land :
Swift as a Shaft or winged Wind fhe flies,
And darting to the Port, obtains the Prize.

Dryd. Virg

So the Boat's brawny Crew the Current ftem,
And, flow advancing, ftruggle with the Stream;
But if they flack their Hands, or cease to ftrive,
Then down the Flood with headlong Hafte they drive.
RUMOUR.

Rumour is a Pipe:

Blown by Surmifes, Jealoufies, Conjectures;

And of fo eafy and fo plain a Stop,

That the blind Monster with uncounted Heads,
The ftill difcordant wav'ring Multitude,

Can play upon't.

RUNAWAY.

(Virg.

Dryd.

Shak, Hen.4. p. 3.

Difguis'd in all the Masks of Night,
We left our Champion on his Flight:
In equal Fear of Night and Day:
He never was in greater Need,
Nor lefs Capacity of Speed:
Difabled both in Man and Beast,
To fly, and run away his Best ;
To keep th'Enemy and Fear
From equal falling on his Rear.
And tho' with Kicks and Bangs he ply'd
The farther and the nearer Side;
As Seamen ride with all their Force,
And tug as if they row'd the Horfe;
And when the Hackney fails moft swift,
Believe they lag or run adrift:
So tho' he pofted e'er fo faft,
His Fear was greater than his Hafte.
For Fear, tho' fleeter than the Wind,
Believes 'tis always left behind.

But timely Running's no fmall Part
Of Condu&t in the martial Art.
But that fome glorious Feats atchieve,
As Citizens by Breaking thrive.

It faves th'Expence of Time and Pains,
And dang'rous beating out of Brains:

For they that fly may fight again,
Which he can never do that's flain.

Had;

And

And they who run from th'Enemy,
Engage them equally to fly;

And when the Fight's become a Chace,
They win the Day that win the Race.
SACRIFICES. See Necromancer:
We Heav'n it felf to bribe,

Do recompence with Death their Creatures Toil,
Then call the Blefs'd above to share the Spoil:
The fairest Victim must the Pow'rs appease;
So fatal 'tis fometimes too much to please!
A purple Fillet his broad Brows adoras,

With flow'ry Garlands crown'd, and gilded Horns
He hears the murd'rous Pray'r the Prieft prefers,
But understands not 'tis his Doom he hears;
Beholds the Meal betwixt his Temples caft,
(The Fruit and Product of his Labours past)
And in the Water views perhaps the Knife
Uplifted, to deprive him of his Life;
Then broken up alive, his Entrails fees,
Torn out for Priefts t'infpe&t the Gods Decrees.
So when fome brawny Sacrificer knocks,

Before an Altar led, an offer'd Ox,

His Eye-balls rooted out are thrown to Ground,
His Nose dismantled in his Mouth is found,

Hud.

Dryd. Ovid.

His Jaws, Cheeks, Front, one undiftinguish'd Wound.

They next with fober Grace,

Their Gifts around the well-built Altar place:

Then wash'd, and took the Cakes; while Chryfes ftood
With Hands up-lifted, and invok'd his God."
And when the folemn Rites of Pray'r were past,
Their falted Cakes on crackling Flames they caft:
Then turning back, the Sacrifice they fped,
The fatted Oxen flew, and flea'd the Dead;
Chopt off their nervous Thighs, and next prepar'd
T'involve the Lean in Cauls, and mend with Lard.
Sweetbreads and Collops were with Skewers prick'd
About the Sides, imbibing what they deck'd.
The Priest with holy Hands was seen to tine
The cloven Wood, and pour the ruddy Wine.
The first Libations to the Gods they pour,
And then with Songs indulge the genial Hour,
Holy Debauch! till Day to Night they bring,
With Songs and Peans to the bowyer King.

With perfect Hetacombs the God they grac'd,
Whofe offer'd Entrails in the Main were caft.
Black Bulls and bearded Goats on Altars lie,
And Clouds of fav'ry Stench involve the Sky.

(Ovid. Dryd.

Dryd. Hom.

Dryd. Hem.

A chofen Ewe of two Years old they pay
To Ceres, Bacchus, and the God of Day:
The beauteous Queen before her Altar ftands,
And holds the golden Goblet in her Hands:
A milk-white Heifar fhe with Flow'rs adorns,
And pours the ruddy Wine betwixt her Horns,
And while the Priefts with Pray'r the Gods invoke,
She feeds their Altars with Sabaan Smoke.
With hourly Care the Sacrifice renews,
And anxiously the panting Entrails views.

He pour'd to Bacchus on the hallow'd Ground
Two Bowls of sparkling Wine, of Milk two more,
And two from offer'd Bulls of purple Gore:
With Rofes then the Sepulchre he ftrow'd.
Five Sheep according to the Rites he flew,
As many Swine, and Steers of fable Hue:
New gen'rous Wine he from the Goblets pour'd,
And call'd his Father's Ghoft, from Hell reftor'd.
The glad Attendants in long Order come,
Off'ring their Gifts at great Anchifes Tomb:
Some add more Oxen, fome divide the Spoil,
Some place the Chargers on the graffy Soil,
Some blow the Fires, and offer'd Intrails broil.
Hafte the Sacrifice;

Dryd. Virg.

Dryd. Virg..

Sev'n Bullocks, yet unyok'd, for Phabus chufe,

And for Diana fev'n unfpotted Ewes.

Dryd. Virg

Thick Clouds of rouling Smoke involve the Skies,

And Fat of Entrails on the Altar fries.

Drgd. Virg.

The Victim Beafts are flain before the Fire ;

Dryd. Virg.

The trembling Entrails from their Bodies torn,
Are to the fatten'd Flames in Chargers born.

SAILIN G. See Paradife.

Our Anchors weigh'd, and Topfails loos'd, a Gale Sprung up, and fwell'd the Womb of ev'ry Sail;

Old Ocean, pleas'd, our bounding Veffels laves,

Which with fharp Keels cut through the foaming Waves. Blac
The Wind fuffic'd the Sail;

The bellying Canvas ftrutted with the Gale;
The Waves indignant roar with furly Pride,
And prefs against the Sides, and beaten off divide.
They cut the foamy Way.

Ent'ring with chearful Shouts the watry Reign,
And ploughing frothy Furrows on the Main.

The houling Sailors all their Anchors weigh'd, And the tall Ships their fpacious Wings difplay'd: They fpoom'd away before the fhoving Wind, And left retreating Cliffs and Rocks behind.

Dryd. Hem.

Dryd. Virg.

Blac They

They ftretch their Canvas, and they ply their Oars,
All Hands aloft, for Creet, for Greet, they cry,
And swiftly through the foamy Billows fly.

Now Seas and Skies their Profpe&t only bound,
An empty Space above, a floating Field around.
There rofe a gentle Breeze,

That curl'd the Smoothness of the glaffy Seas:
The rifing Winds a ruffling Gale afford,
And call the merry Mariners aboard.

They flip their Haulfers.

Fresh Gales arife; with equal Strokes they vie,

Dryd. Virg.

Dryd. Virg.

And brush the buxom Seas, and o'er the Billows fly. Dryd. Virg. The threaden Sails,

Born with th'invifible and creeping Wind,

Draw the huge Bottom thro' the furrow'd Seas,

Breafting the lofty Surge.

The floating Caftles dance upon the Tide,

And on its foamy Ridge triumphant ride.

Shak. Hen. S

Stand to your Tackle, Mates, and ftretch your Oats, Contract your fwelling Sails, and luff to Wind.

Now fhift your Sails.

Tack to the Larboard, and ftand off to Sea:

Veer Starboard Sea and Land.

Before the Wind

They skud amain, and make the Port affign'd.

Their Anchors dropt, his Crew the Veffel moor;

· Blac.

Dryd. Virg.

They turn their Heads to Sea, their Sterns to Shore. Dryd. Virg.

Sure he who firft the Paffage try'd,

In harden'd Oak his Heart did hide,
And Ribs of Iron arm'd his Side:
Or his at least in hollow Wood,
Who tempted firft the briny Flood;
Nor fear'd the Winds contending Roár,
Nor Billows beating on the Shore;
Nor Hyades, portending Rain,
Nor all the Tyrants of the Main.
What Form of Death could him affright,
Who unconcern'd with stedfaft Sight,
Cou'd view the Surges Mountain-steep,
And Monsters rouling in the Deep?
Could through the Ranks of Ruin go,
With Storms above, and Rocks below?
In vain did Nature's wife Command
Divide the Waters from the Land,
If daring Ships, and Men prophane,
Invade th'inviolable Main,

Th'eternal Fences over-leap,

Dd 4

}

And

And pass at Will the boundless Deep.
No Toil no Hardships can reftrain
Ambitious Man inur'd to Pain;
The more confin'd, the more he tries,
And at forbidden Quarry flies.

A Fleet under Sail.

The wanton Zephyrs with the Pendants play,
Which loofe in Air their waving Pride difplay.
The Streamers gay Defiance fpread on high,
At once adorn and terrify the Sky.

Th'unweildy Ships were on the Billows toft,
And all the Blafts the Winds could blow engrofs'd.
The longest breath'd, and the most vig'rous Gales,
Are all employ'd to fwell the fpacious Sails :
The lofty Firs, which pregnant Canvas wear,
Bear thro' the floating Clouds the floating War.
Oaks which by Land did fierceft Winds difdain,
Become obedient to them on the Main. ` .
The lab'ring Gales with Pain the Navy fhove,
And o'er the Billows heave the bounding Grove.
Stript of their Boughs the naked Pines advance,
And to the Mufick of the Trumpet dance.
They pafs in long Proceffion o'er the Deep,
And with their Flags contiguous Æther fweep.
Their gilded Sides and Sterns improve the Day,
And with augmented Glory Heav'n repay.
His Rays recoil'd fo bright, th'aftonifh'd Sun
Started, unmindful that they were his own.
SALMONEUS.

Salmoneus fuff'ring cruel Pains I found,
For emulating Jove; the ratling Sound
Of mimick Thunder, and the glitt'ring Blaze
Of pointed Lightning, and their forked Rays:
Thro' Els and the Grecian Towns he flew,
Th'audacious Wretch four fiery Courfers drew:
He wav'd a Torch aloft, and madly vain,
Sought godlike Worship from a fervile Train:
Ambitious Fool! with horny Hoofs to pafs
O'er hollow Arches of refounding Brafs;
To rival Thunder in its rapid Course,
And imitate inimitable Force.

But he, the King of Heav'n, obfcure on high,

Bar'd his right Arm, and lanching from the Sky

His writhe bolt, not fhaking empty Smoak,

Dryd. Her

Blac.

Down to the deep Abyfs the flaming Felon ftrook. Dryd. Virg.

SCANDAL.

There is a Luft in Man, no Charm can tame,

Of loudly publishing his Neighbour's Shame:

On

« AnteriorContinua »