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To Mr. DRYDEN, upon his Translation of the Third Book of VIRGIL'S GEORGICKS.

A PINDARIC ODE.

By Mr. JOHN DENNIS.

WHILE mounting with expanded wings

The Mantuan fwan unbounded heaven explores,

While with feraphic founds he towering fings,
Till to divinity he foars :

Mankind ftands wondering at his flight,
Charm'd with his musick, and his height:
Which both transcend our praise.
Nay Gods incline their ravish'd ears,
And tune their own harmonious fpheres,
To his melodious lays.

Thou, Dryden, canft his notes recite
In modern numbers, which exprefs
Their mufick, and their utmost might:
Thou, wondrous poet, with fuccefs
Canft emulate his flight.

II.

Sometimes of humble rural things,

Thy Mufe, which keeps great Maro ftill in fight,
In middle air with varied numbers fings;
And fometimes her fonorous flight

To heaven fublimely wings.

But first takes time with majefty to rife,
Then, without pride, divinely great,
She mounts her native skies;
And, Goddefs like, retains her state
When down again the flies.

Com

Commands, which judgment gives, fhe ftill obeys,
Both to deprefs her flight, and raise.

Thus Mercury from heaven descends,
And to this under world his journey bends,

When Jove his dread commands has given :
But, ftill, defcending, dignity maintains,
As much a God upon our humble plains,
As when he, towering, re-afcends to heaven.

III.

But when thy Goddess takes her flight, With so much majesty, to such a height, As can alone fuffice to prove,

That the defcends from mighty Jove :

Gods! how thy thoughts then rife, and foar, and shine! Immortal spirit animates each line;

Each with bright flame that fires our fouls is crown'd, Each has magnificence of found,

And harmony divine.

Thus the first orbs, in their high rounds,
With fhining pomp advance;

And to their own coeleftial founds

Majestically dance.

On, with eternal fymphony, they roll,

Each turn'd in its harmonious course,

And each inform'd by the prodigious force
Of an empyreal foul.

CON

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