THE FIRST BOOK O F STATIUS HIS THE BA I S. Tranflated in the Year M.DCC.III. ARGUMEN T. OEDIPUS King of Thebes having by mistake slain his father Laius, and married his mother Jocasta; put out his own eyes, and refign'd the realm to his fons, Etheocles and Polynices. Being neglected by them, he makes his prayer to the fury Tisiphone, to fow debate betwixt the brothers. They agree at last to reign singly, each a year by turns, and the first lot is obtain❜d by Etheocles. Jupiter, in a council of the Gods, declares his refolution of punishing the Thebans, and Argives also, by means of a marriage betwixt Polynices and one of VOL. II. H the daughters of Adraftus king of Argos. Juno opposes, but to no effect; and Mercury is fent on a message to the shades, to the ghost of Laius, who is to appear to Etheocles and provoke him to break the agreement. Polynices in the mean time departs from Thebes by night, is overtaken by a storm, and arrives at Argos; where he meets with Tydeus, who had fled from Calydon, having killed his brother. Adrastus entertains them, having received an oracle from Apollo, that his daughters fhould be married to a Boar and a Lion, which he understands to be meant of these strangers, by whom the hides of thofe beafts were worn, and who arrived at the time when he kept an annual feast in honour of that God. The rife of this folemnity he relates to his guests, the loves of Phoebus and Pfamathe, and the ftory of Choraebus. He enquires, and is made acquainted with their descent and quality: The facrifice is renewed, and the book concludes with an hymn to Apollo. The Tranflator hopes he needs not apologize for his choice of this piece, which was made almost in his Childhood. But finding the Version better than he expected, be gave it fome Correction a few years afterwards. FR RATERNAL rage, the guilty Thebes alarms, My ravish'd breaft, and all the mufe infpires. Europa's rape, Agenor's ftern decree, And Cadmus fearching round the spacious fea? How twice he tam d proud Ister's rapid flood, [blood; O bless thy Rome with an eternal reign, What tho the stars contract their heav'nly space, Tho' all the skies, ambitious of thy sway, Tho' Jove himself no lefs content would be To part his throne, and fhare his heav'n with thee: Yet ftay, great Caefar and vouchsafe to reign O'er the wide earth, and o'er the wat'ry main: Resign to Jove his empire of the skies, And people heav'n with Roman deities. The time will come, when a diviner flame Shall warm my breaft to fing of Caefar's fame: Mean while permit, that my preluding Muse In Theban wars an humbler theme may chufe: Of furious hate furviving death she sings, A fatal throne to two contending Kings, And-fun'ral flames, that parting wide in air Exprefs the difcord of the fouls they bear: Of towns difpeopled, and the wand'ring ghosts Of Kings unbury'd in the wasted coafts; When Dirce's fountain blufh'd with Grecian blood, And Thetis, near Ifmenos' fwelling flood, With dread beheld the rolling furges sweep, In heaps his flaughter'd fons into the deep. What hero, Clio! wilt thou first relate? The rage of Tydeus, or the prophet's fate? Or how with hills of flain on ev'ry fide, Hippomedon repell'd the hostile tide? Or how the Youth with ev'ry grace adorn'd, Untimely fell, to be for ever mourn'd? |