Nor too much Drought burns up the thirty

Meads,

But kindly each to each fucceeds.
Among the Herds no dire Contagions reign,

Nor Rots deftroy the fleecy Train.
Hither the Colchian Sorcerefs never ftray'd,
Nor Argo her bold Chiefs convey'd ;
This Land the Tyrian Sailors never knew,
3 Nor fage Ulyffes' toilfome Crew.
This, for the Virtuous, Jove referv'd of old,
Changing the Times to Brafs from Gold;
To Iron now, whence, as the Gods infpire,
Your Bard thus warns you to retire.

NOTE S.

When the Civil War broke out between Antony and Auguftus in the Year of Rome 722, Rome was filled with Diforders and Diffentions; fome of the Citizens preparing to take the Part of Antony, and others that of Augufus. Horace, who was a Witnefs of this Divifion, and who knew by Experience the Ills that might attend it, expreffes his Concern in this Ode, and endeavours to convince his Countrymen, that their Rage againit each other does not fpring from the Ambition or Avarice of their Chiefs, but (as he had before told them in Ode 7) from the Anger of the Gods, who are determined to revenge the Murder of Remus; and that, while they continued to inhabit a City, whofe Walls were cemented with Blood, they must not expect an End to their Miferies: That therefore they have no Choice left, but to feek fome happier Climate, in Imitation of the Phoceans, who, to avoid the Scourge of War, freely quitted their own Country. It was indeed this Hiftory which fuggefted to Horace the firft Idea of this Ode, in which he gives a beautiful Description of the Fortunate Islands, to fhow, in a more lively Manner, by this Contrail, the defperate State of Rome and Italy.

Scaliger

Scaliger thinks, that the Defign of it is ridiculous and impertinent. Strange that this profound Critic thould imagine, that Horace ferioufly intended to perfuade 300,000 Romans to quit their own Country, and fail to the Canary Islands! It is rather to be confidered as a jeu d'efprit, a wanton Sally of Imagination, in which youthful Poets often indulge themselves.

This Ode was written in the Year of Rome 723, Horace being then in his 34th Year.

1 Altera jam teritur bellis civilibus ætas.] Horace divides the Civil Wars into two ras. The fit comprifes all the Civil Wars that afflicted Italy, from Marius and Sylla to the Death of Gafar; and the fecond from the Death of Cafar to the Defeat of Antony,

2 Nec fera cæruled domuit Germania pube] He calls the Germans cæruleam pubems, blue-eyed Youth, on account of their yellow Hair and blue Eyes. Thus Tacitus, Truces et cærulei oculi, rutilæ comæ, magna corpora.

3 Laboriofa nec cobors Uhfei] Horace here excludes the Companions of Ulyffes from the Happy Idlands, becaufe they were wicked, and entirely given up to their Paffions; on which account he (peaks thus of them, in the fecond Epiftle of his firft Book:

Sirenum voces et Circes pocula nofti,

Que fi cum fociis fiultus cupidufque bibiffet,
Sub domina meretrice fuiffet turpis et excors;
Vixiffet canis immundus, vel amica luto fus.

4 Ut inquinavit ære tempus aureum.] The Brazen Ace did not immediately follow the Golden one: The Silver Age intervened. But, as that bore a great Refemblance to the former, Horace here blends them together.

A

O DE XVII.

To CANIDIA.

T length thy powerful Arts I own,
But Oh! by gloomy Pluto's Throne,
By chafte Diana's dreadful Sway,
And Spells, which falling Stars obey,
Let me no more thy Vengeance feel,
But backward roll thy magic Wheel!
To Pity Telephus inclin'd,

I

By Prayers, ev'n ftern Achilles' Mind,
Though Troops against him he had leď,
And launch'd his Javelin at his Head:
And though the flaughtering Hector lay
Condemn'd to Dogs and Birds of Prey,
Yet with due Pomp the Trojan Dames
Beheld his Coarfe in funeral Flames
Involv'd, when Priam, at the Fleet,
Had bath'd with Tears Achilles' Feet.
The wife Ulyffes' 3 bristly Train,

By Circe's Will, from Swine again

To Men were chang'd; 4 refum'd the Grace
Of godlike Reafon, Speech, and Face.
To Sailors and to Pedlars dear,

Ah! why, Canidia, thus fevere

On Me? Behold, my youthful Boaft
Is fled, and all my Colour loft.

Thy

Thy magic Oyl has on my Head
5 The Snow of Age untimely shed.
Day chafes Night, and Night the Day,
But no Relief to Me convey;

For, lab'ring in the Pangs of Death,
I pant in vain, and heave for Breath.
Thy powerful Charms ('tis now confeft)
Can tear the Head, and fire the Breast.
What would't thou more? O Land and Sea!
Alcides never burnt like Me,

When fmear'd with Nes' putrid Gore;

Nor flaming Etna

rages more.

O thou fell Shop of Poifons dire,

?

Me wilt thou fcorch with Colchian Fire,
"Till my dry Afhes round are cast,
The Sport of every baneful Blast ?
Declare, what Ranfom fhall I pay
Speak; and thy Slave will ftrait obey.
Shall then, to expiate my Guilt,
A hundred Heifers Blood be fpilt?
Or fhall I thy unfpotted Fame
Upon the lying Harp proclaim ?
Chafte and untainted thou fhalt rife'
A golden Star, and deck the Skies.
Who injur'd Helen, could affwage
By Force of Prayer her Brothers Rage ;;
For when their Mercy he implor'd,
They to the Bard his Sight reftor❜d.
Thou too (whom nothing can controul)
Reftore to Senfe my frantic Soul !

6

No Offspring of th' adulterous Bed
Art thou; nor wont abroad to fpread
The poor Man's Duft, deny'd a Tomb:
With timely Iffue teems thy Womb;
Never did Blood thy Confcience stain;
Pure are thy Hands, thy Heart humane.

NOTES.

Canidia had probably fatirized our Poet in fome lämbics, which have not been tranfmitted to us. But in this Ode, while he feems to implore her Mercy, he retorts upon her with the more Severity. See Ode V. of this Book, and Sat. VIII. of B. I.

Telephus.] A King of Myfia, who attempting to ob fruct the March of the Grecians against Troy, was dangerously wounded by Achilles, and afterwards healed by the Ruft of the fame Spear that gave the Wound, or, as fome fuppofe, with a certain Herb difcovered by Achilles. 2 See Ode X. B. L.

3 Setofa duris exuere pellibus.] After Circe had tranf formed the Companions of Ulyffes into Swine, Wher prevailed upon her by his Prayers to reftore them to their former Shape. Horace fays that they appeared more young and beautiful than before. This Story is related at large in the tenth Book of the Odyssey.

4 Tunc mens et fonus

Relatus. Horace, by faying that their Understanding returned to the Companions of Ulyffes, deviates from Homer, who tells us that, though they were changed into Swine, they ftill preferved their Understanding. They had, fays he, the Grunting, the Form, and the Briftles of Swine; but their Understanding was as clear as before. On which Account, Homer adds, that they wept, when Circe had fo transformed them; which they could not have done, had they not retained their Reason.

5 Tuis capillus albus eft odoribus.] Horace's Iair was early white, as he tells us in the laft Epiftle of his firft Book. He here pleafantly afcribes this Effect to the

Drugs