To fing, with what a Bound and placid Smile
Evadne leap'd upon the fun'ral Pile,
And, folding in her Arms her Husband's Corse,
Explor❜d the Traces of the Lightning's Force;
How his fair Spouse with Kiffes ftamps the Face 1185
Of cruel Tydeus, clasp'd in her Embrace;
Or to her Sifter with fast-streaming Eyes
Argia tells the former Night's Emprize;
With what loud Shrieks th' Arcadian Queen demands
Her Son, bewail'd by all his fubject Bands,
Her Son, whofe Beauty fled not with his Breath;
Her Son, efteem'd in Life, and wept in Death,
For fuch a mighty Tafk the new Supplies
Of some inspiring God would scarce fuffice.
Non, mihi fi linguæ centum fint, oraque centum,
Ferrea Vox, omnes fcelerum comprendere formas,
Omnia pœnarum percurrere nomina poffum.
Virg. Æn. L. 6.
Tafso has also borrow'd the Thought, Jerusalem deliver'd it. Can.9.
Non io, fecento bocche, e lingue cento
Aveffi, e ferrea Lena, e ferrea voce,
Narrar potrei quel numero, che spento
Ne' primi afsalti hâ quel drappel feroce.
1182. Evadne leap'd upon the fun'ral Pile] This Heroine threw
herself upon the Pile of her Husband Capaneus, and was burnt with
him. There are equal Inftances of Affection amongst the eastern
Nations of our Time, and Montainge acquaints us, that it is a
Custom in fome Parts of India, whenever their Prince dies, to burn
his most beloved Concubine on the fame Pile with him.
v. 1191. Her Son] This Repetition of the Hero's Name three
times leaves a great Impreffion of him on the Mind of the Reader,
and is so very beautiful, that I thought myself oblig'd to preserve
it in the Translation. Homer has one equally delicate.
Νερεὺς δ ̓ αὖ Σύμηθεν ἄγεν τρᾶς νῆας εἶσας,
Νιρεὺς ̓Αγλαίης Θ, χαροποιό τ' ἄνακτος,
Νιρεύς, ὃς κάλλιςος ἀνὴρ ὑπὸ Ἴλιον ἦλθε
My Ship, long toft upon the Seas, 1195
Requires a Port, and Interval of Eafe.
O Thebaid, dear Object of my Toil,
For twelve long Years purfu'd by Midnight Oil!
Wilt thou furvive thy Author, and be read,
His Lamp of Life extinct, his Spirit fled?
For thee already Fame has pav'd the Way
To future Praise, and cherishes thy Lay.
Taste stamps thee current, marks thee for her own,
And makes thy few Deferts, and Beauties known
To gen'rous Cæfar, whilft the ftudious Youth
From thy chafte Page imbibes the moral Truth
With Fiction temper'd. Claim thy proper Bays,
Nor emulate the greater Æneid's Praise;
At awful Distance follow, and adore
Its facred Footsteps: thus, the Tempeft o'er,
Through Envy's Cloud distinguish'd, thou fhalt shine,
And after me enjoy a Name divine.
1197. O Thebaid] The Poet in this Address very artfully takes
his Leave of the Reader, and at the fame time fings his own Pa-
negyric, which he has done in a decent modeft Manner, and paid
a genteel Compliment to the Author of the Æneid. In this Self-
Notice he has the Authority of Pindar, Lucretius, Ovid and Lucan,
who have all given him Precedents.
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