THE ARGUMENT.

JU

UPITER angered at the Delays of the Grecian Army, fends Mercury to Mars to command him to forward the War. The Temple of that Deity is defcribed. Then follows Adraftus's Speech over the Sepulchre of Archemorus. Mars, by Means of Terror, incites the Grecians to resume their March to Thebes. Bacchus intercedes for his native City with Jupiter, who pacifies him with Promifes of a Refpite. The Theban Troops and Auxiliaries are drawn out to Battle. Phorbas gives an Account of the Commanders of them to Antigone, who afcends one of the Towers for that Purpose. Eteocles barrangues his Army. The Greeks are terrified with several Omens in their Route to Thebes. Jocasta with her two Daughters ventures into the Enemies Camp, in Order to bring about a Reconciliation between the two Brothers, which she bad effected, had not the Greeks killed two Tigers belonging to Bacchus. Hoftilities commencing, Several of Note are flain on both Sides. Amphiaraus, after a great Slaughter of the Enemy, is fwallowed up by an Earthquake, with an Account of which Prodigy the Book ends.

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NDIGNANT now, th' etherial King furvey'd
The Theban War by fun'ral Games delay'd,
And shook his Head, beneath the moving God
From Pole to Pole the ftarry Regions nod,
And Atlas, with unwonted Weight oppreft,
To the great Author of the Shock addrest
His juft Complaint.To Maia's winged Son
In awful Tone th' Almighty thus begun.
Cyllenius, mount the Winds and speed thy Flight
With swift Descent from Heav'ns imperial Height. 10
To where in Air the Thracian Domes arise,
And fair Calyfto binds the northern Skies,

v. I. Indignant now] Statius has here manifefted his Belief of one fupreme almighty Being, whom he introduces with a Dignity and Superiority fuiting his Character and Nature. There is a Noblenefs in this Defcription, that would not have difgraced Virgil himfelf; and the ftupendous Effects of the Nod are finely imagined. But after all, he feems more defirous of making this Deity formidable than amiable. He is juft, but his Juftice is not tempered with Mercy. We find him the Author of all the Blood shed between the two Nations; he liftens to the Imprecations of Oedipus and thinking Mars too dilatory, fends Mercury to him a second Time to rouse him to Battle by Dint of Threats.

LS

On

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On Clouds and Dews celeftial feeds her Beams,

And fhuns old Ocean's interdicted Streams:

And, whether Mars, upon his Spear reclin❜d,
Refpires from Toil, or wroth with human Kind,
Pursues the War near Hebrus' freezing Flood,
And wantons in a Sea of kindred Blood,
To him our Wrath in our own Terms express,
Nor, cautious of offending, aught suppress:
Long fince he was enjoin'd by my Commands
To range in Arms the Greek and Theban Bands,
And kindle Discord on th' Inachian Shore,
And where the thund'ring Waves of Malea roar.
See! fun'ral Rites th' Argolic Youth detain
Just on the Confines of their own Domain.
They act like Conquerors, fuch Shouts arise
At Intervals between the Sacrifice.

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O Mars! is this a Sample of thy Rage?
See! in far other Contests they engage:
Oebalian Gantlets clash, and with a Bound
The rifing Quoits aloft in Air refound.
But, if the cruel Horrors of the Fight

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Are still his Joy, and give his Soul Delight,

Let him, averfe to Covenant and Truce,

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With Fire and Sword the guiltlefs Town reduce

To Ruins, flaughter in the Act of Pray'r,

Exhauft the World, and lay Creation bare.

But now perverse, and heedless of his Sire,
He quits the 'Strife, and moderates his Ire.
Yet let him speedily our Will obey,

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And urge the Grecian Warriors to the Fray;

Elfe (not to treat him worfe) I change his Kind,

And break the favage Nature of his Mind:

His Sword and Courfers else he must restore;
And claim the Right of kindred Blood no more.
Tritonia will fuffice to the Command,

And all befides fhall as Spectators stand.

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He said: the swift-wing'd Herald fallies forth,
And to the frozen Climates of the North
Pursues his Course. Before the polar Gate
Storms, Show'rs, and yawning Winds his Coming wait
In fable Troops: then down the steepy Way
The God, distracted in his Flight, convey.
Thick on his Robe the rattling Hail descends,
And ill the fhading Hat his Ears defends.
With Horror now he cafts his Eyes around,
And views, where on a brazen Tract of Ground

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v. 57. With Horror now] Lewis Crucius in his Life of this Au-

thor, tranfcribes this Description of Mars's Temple and Palace, as

a very fine one: fine however as it is, that in Dryden's Palamon and

Arcite is not inferior, as the Reader will perceive from a Compa-

rifon.

Beneath the low'ring Brow, and on a Bent

The Temple stood of Mars armipotent:

The Frame of burnish'd Steel, that caft a Glare

From far, and feem'd to thaw the freezing Air.

A ftrait long Entry to the Temple led,

Blind with high Walls and Horror over Head:

Thence issu’d such a Blast, and hollow Roar,

As threaten'd from the Hinge to heave the Door:

In through that Door a northern Light there fhone;

T'was all it had, for Windows there were none.

The Gate was Adamant, eternal Frame !

Which hew'd by Mars himself, from Indian Quarries came,

The Labour of a God; and all along

Tough Iron-Plates were clench'd to make it ftrong.

A Tun about was ev'ry Pillar there:

A polish'd Mirror fhone not half so clear.

There faw I, how the fecret Felon wrought,

And Treason lab'ring in the Traitor's Thought;

And Midwife Time the ripen'd Plot to Murder brought,

There

Beneath the fronting Height of Emus ftood
The Fane of Mars, encompafs'd by a Wood.

There the red Anger dar'd the pallid Fear;
Next flood Hypocrify with holy Leer:
Soft fmiling, and demurely looking down,
But hid the Dagger underneath the Gown:
Th' affaffinating Wife, the Houfhold Fiend,
And far the black eft there, the Traytor-Friend.
On t'other Side there ftood Destruction bare;
Unpunish'd Rapine, and a Waste of War.
Contest with sharpen'd Knives in Cloisters drawn,
And all with Blood befpread the holy Lawn.
Loud Menaces were heard, and foul Difgrace,
And bawling Infamy in Language base;

Till Sense was loft in Sound, and Silence fled the Place.
The Slayer of himself yet faw I there,

The Gore, congeal'd, was clotted in his Hair:

With Eyes half clos'd and gaping Mouth he lay,

And grim, as when he breath'd his fullen Soul away.
In Midft of all the Dome, Misfortune fate,

And gloomy Discontent and fell Debate.
And Madness laughing in his ireful Mood,

And arm'd Complaint on Theft, and Cries of Blood.
There was the murder'd Corpfe, in Covert laid,
And violent Death in thoufand Shapes difplay'd:
The City to the Soldiers' Rage refign'd:
Succefslefs Wars, and Poverty behind:

Ships burnt in Fight, or forc'd on rocky Shores,
And the rafh Hunter ftrangled by the Boars:
The new-born Babe by Nurses overlaid;

And the Cook caught within the raging Fire he made.
All Ills of Mars his Nature, Flame and Steel,
The gasping Charioteer beneath the Wheel
Of his own Car; the ruin'd House that falls,
And intercepts her Lord betwixt the Walls:
The whole Divifion that to Mars pertains,
All Trades of Death that deal in Steel for Gains.
Were there, the Butcher, Armourer and Smith,
Who forges fharpen'd Faulchions, or the Scythe.
The fcarlet Conqueft on a Tow'r was plac'd,
With Shouts, and Soldiers Acclamations grac❜d:
A pointed Sword hung threat'ning o'er his Head,
Suftain'd but by a flender Twine of Thread.
. There faw I Mars's Ides, the Capitol,
The Seer in vain foretelling Cefar's Fall;

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