Reft equal happy both; and all who prove
The bitter sweets and pleafing pains of love.
Now dam the ditches, and the floods reftrain:
Their moisture has already drench'd the plain.

170

THE

The Poet celebrates the birth-day of Salonius, the fon of Pollio, born in the consulship of his father, after the taking of Solonæ, a city in Dalmatia. Many of the verses are translated from one of the Sibyls, who prophefied of our Saviour's birth.

SICILIAN Mufe, begin a loftier strain !

Though lowly shrubs and trees that shade the plain, Delight not all; Sicilian Mufe, prepare

To make the vocal woods deferve a conful's care.
The last great age, foretold by facred rhymes,
Renews its finish'd courfe; Saturnian times
Roll round again, and mighty years, begun
From their firft orb, in radiant circles run.
The base degenerate iron offspring ends ;
A golden progeny from heaven defcends;

D 4

5

O chafte

O chafte Lucina, fpeed the mother's pains;
And hafte the glorious birth; thy own Apollo reigns!
The lovely boy, with his aufpicious face!
Shall Pollio's confulfhip and triumph grace;
Majestic months set out with him to their appointed

race.

The father banish'd virtue fhall restore,

15

And crimes fhall threat the guilty world no more.
The fon fhall lead the life of gods, and be
By gods and heroes seen, and gods and heroes fee.
The jarring nations he in peace shall bind,

And with paternal virtues rule mankind.
Unbidden earth fhall wreathing ivy bring
And fragrant herbs (the promises of fpring),
As her firft offerings to her infant king.

20

The goats, with ftrutting dugs, fhall homeward

fpeed,

And lowing herds fecure from lions feed.

His cradle fhall with rifing flowers be crown'd;
The ferpent's brood fhall die: the facred ground
Shall weeds and poisonous plants refuse to bear,
Each common bush shall Syrian roses wear.
But when heroic verfe his youth shall raise,
And form it to hereditary praise,
Unlabour'd harvests fhall the fields adorn,

25

30

And clufter'd grapes fhall blush on every thorn.
The knotted oaks fhall showers of honey weep,
And through the matted grafs the liquid gold fhall

35

creep.

Yet,

Yet, of old fraud fome footsteps fhall remain,
The merchant ftill fhall plough the deep for gain:
Great cities fhall with walls be compafs'd round;
And fharpen'd fhares fhall vex the fruitful ground, 40
Another Typhis fhall new feas explore,

Another Argos land the chiefs upon th' Iberian fhore.
Another Helen other wars create,

And great Achilles urge the Trojan fate.

But when to ripen'd manhood he shall grow,

45

The greedy failor fhall the feas forego;

No keel shall cut the waves for foreign ware;
For every foil fhall every product bear.

The labouring hind his oxen shall disjoin,

No plough fhall hurt the glebe, no pruning-hook

the vine,

50

Nor wool fhall in diffembled colours fhine;

But the luxurious father of the fold,

With native purple, or unborrow'd gold,

Beneath his pompous fleece fhall proudly sweat;
And under Tyrian robes the lamb shall bleat.
The Fates, when they this happy web have spun,
Shall blefs the facred clue, and bid it smoothly run.
Mature in years, to ready honours move,

55

O of celeftial feed! O fofter fon of Jove!
See, labouring Nature calls thee to fuftain

60

The nodding frame of heaven, and earth, and main
See, to their bafe reftor'd, earth, feas, and air,
And joyful ages from behind, in crowding ranks ap-

pear,

To

To fing thy praife, would heaven my breath pro

long,

Infufing fpirits worthy fuch a fong;

65

Not Thracian Orpheus should tranfcend my lays,
Nor Linus, crown'd with never-fading bays;
Though each his heavenly parent should inspire;
The Muse instruct the voice, and Phœbus tune the
lyre..

Should Pan contend in verfe, and thou my theme,
Arcadian judges should their God condemn.

Begin, aufpicious boy, to caft about

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Thy infant eyes, and, with a smile, thy mother fingle

out;

Thy mother well deferves that short delight,

75

The naufeous qualms of ten long months and travel to

requite.

Then smile; the frowning infant's doom is read,
No god fhall crown the board, nor goddess blefs the

bed.

THE