THE

PROGRESS of POESY.

A PINDARIC OD E.

Φωνᾶνα συνελοῖσιν· ἐς

Δὲ τὸ σῶν ἑρμηνέων χαλίζει.

PINDAR, Olymp. II.

D 2

ADVERTISEMENT.

When the Author first published this and the fol

lowing Ode, he was advised, even by his Friends,

to fubjoin some few explanatory Notes; but had too much respect for the understanding of his Readers to take that liberty.

Pindar styles his own poetry with its mufical accompanyments, Αἰοληὶς μολπής Αιόλιδες χορδα, Αἰολίδων τοναὶ εὐλῶν. olian fong, olian ftrings, the breath of the Æolian flute. D 3

The

The laughing flowers, that round them blow,

Drink life and fragrance as they flow.

Now the rich ftream of mufic winds along,

Deep, majestic, smooth, and strong,

Thro' verdant vales, and Ceres' golden reign:

Now rowling down the steep amain,

Headlong, impetuous, see it pour :

The rocks, and nodding groves rebellow to the roar.

The subject and fimile, as ufual with Pindar, are united. The various fources of poetry, which gives life and luftre to all it touches, are here defcribed; its quiet majestic progrefs enriching every subject (otherwife dry and barren) with a pomp of diction and luxuriant harmony of numbers; and its more rapid and irresistible course, when fwoln and hurried away by the conflict of tumultuous paffions.

I. 2.

İ. 2.

i Oh! Sovereign of the willing foul,

Parent of sweet and folemn-breathing airs,

Enchanting fhell! the fullen Cares,

And frantic Paffions, hear thy foft controul,

On Thracia's hills the Lord of War

Has curb'd the fury of his car,

And drop'd his thirsty lance at thy command.

* Perching on the fcept'red hand

i

Power of harmony to calm the turbulent fallies of the foul. The thoughts are borrowed from the firft Pythian of Pindar.

k

Ode.

This is a weak imitation of fome incomparable lines in the fame