The pitchy planks their crackling prey become;
The painted sterns, and rowers seats consume.

65 There, hulks half.burnt fink in the inain ; and here, Arms on the waves and drowning men appear.

Nor thus suffic'd, the flames from thence aspire, And seize the buildings with contagious fire. Swift o'er the roofs by winds increas'd, they fly; 655 So shooting meteors blaze along the sky, And lead their wandering course with fudden glare, By fulphurous atoms fed in fields of thinnest air.

665

}

Affrighted crouds the growing ruin view; To save the city from the siege they flew, , 660 When Cæfar, wont the lucky hour to chuse Of sudden chance in war, and wisely use, Loft not in Rothful rest the favouring night, But shipp'd his men, and sudden took his flight. Pharos he seiz'd, an island heretofore, When prophet Proteus Ægypt's fceptre bore, Now by a chain of moles contiguous to the shore. Here Cæsar's arms a double use obtain ; Hence from the straiten'd foe he bars the main, While to his friends th' important harbour lies 670 A safe retreat, and open to supplies. Nor longer now the doom suspended stands, Which Justice on Pothinus' guilt demands. Yet not as guilt, unmatch'd like his, requires, Not by the thameful cross, or torturing fires, 675 Nor torn by ravenous beasts, the howling wretch expires.

The

The sword dishonour'd did his head divide,
And by a fate like Rome's best son he dy’d.
Arsinoe now, by well-concerted snares
Scap'd from the palace, to the foe repairs ;

680
The trusty Ganymede affifts her flight.
Then o'er the camp the claim'd a sovereign's right;
Her brother absent, she assumes the sword,
And frees the tyrant from his houshold lord;
By her just hand Achillas meets his fate,

685
Rebel accurs'd! in blood and mischief great!
Another victim, Pompey, to thy shade;
But think not yet the full atonement made,
Though Ægypt's king, though all the royal line
Should fall, thy murmuring ghost would ftill repine;
Still unreveng'd thy murder would remain,
Till Cæsar's purple life the senate's swords Mall stain.

695

Nor does the swelling tempeft yet subside,
The chief remov'd that did its fury guide,
To the same charge bold Ganymede succeeds,
Prosperous awhile in many hardy deeds.
So long th' event of war in balance lay,
So great the dangers of that doubtful day,
That Cæfar from that day alone might claim
Immortal wreaths, and all the warrior's fame.

700

Now while to quit the straiten d mole he strove,
And to the vacant thips the fight remove,
War's utmost terrors press on every side;
Before the strand besieging navies ride ;

Behind,

X 4

705

Behind, the troops advance. No way is seen
T'escape, or scarce a glorious death to win.
No room with Naughter'd foes to strew the plain,
And bravely fall amidst a pile of Nain.
A captive to the place he now appears,
Doubtful if death should move his hope, or fears. 710
In this distress a sudden thought inspir’d
His hardy breast, by great examples fir'd;
Bold Scæva's action he to mind recalls,
And glory won near fam'd Dyrrachium's walls;
Where, whild his men a doubtful fight maintain, 715
And Pompey trove the batter'd works to gain,
Amidst a field of foes, that hemm’d him round,
Alone the brave Centurion kept his ground.

** Here the original poem breaks off abruptly, having been left unfinished by the author.

CON

C ο Ν Τ Ε Ν Τ S
CON T E N T S

56

Anacreon, Ode IJI.
The Story of Pyramus and Thisbe
The Triumph of Love
The Picture

58

63

65

A Letter to a Friend in the Country

Horace, Book I. Ode XXII.

Book II. Ode XVI.