While the, diffus'd like thy own Brightness, reigns,
And rules Mankind with univerfal Sway.
Confenting Nations in her Praise agree,

I join with them, but want her Mercy more;
For tho' alike we wonder and adore,

Yet none can love like me.

Nature, when first she took me from the Womb,
Thus fmiling deftin'd all my Days to come;
Scepters, the faid, I give to other Hands,
Thy Wreaths of Empire are Francelia's Bands;
My darling Son, and most distinguish'd Care,
For thee this double Portion I prepare,

Thou, glorious thou, Francelia's Chains fhalt wear.
And from this early moment to thy Grave

}

Be greater far than Kings, for thou'st Francelia's Slave.

The Story of Ants chang'd to Men: From the Seventh Book of Ovid's Metamorpholes.

By Mr. STONESTREET.

A Dreadful Plague from angry Juno came,

To fcourge the Land that bore her Rival's Name;

Before her fatal Anger was reveal'd,

And teeming Malice lay as yet conceal'd;
All Remedies we try, all Med'cines ufe,
Which Nature cou'd fupply, or Art produce;

Th' unconquer'd Foe derides the vain Design,

And Art and Nature foil'd declare the Cause Divine.
At first we only felt th' oppreffive weight
Of gloomy Clouds, then teeming with our Fate,
And lab'ring to discharge unactive Heat:
But ere four Moons alternate Changes knew,
With deadly Blafts the fatal South-wind blew,
Infected all the Air, and poison'd as it flew.

м

Our Fountains too a dire Infection yield,
For Crowds of Vipers creep along the Field,
And with polluted Gore, and baneful Steams,
Taint all the Lakes, and venom all the Streams.
The young Disease with milder force began,
And rag'd on Birds and Beasts, excufing Man.
The lab'ring Oxen fall before the Plow,
Th' unhappy Plow-men ftare, and wonder how:
The tabid Sheep, with fickly Bleatings, pines;
Its Wool decreafing, as it Strength declines:
The Warlike Steed, by inward Foes compell'd,
Neglects his Honours, and deferts the Field,
Unnerv'd and languid feeks a bafe Retreat,
And at the Manger groans, but wifh'd a nobler Fate:
The Stags forget their Speed, the Boars their Rage,
Nor can the Bears the ftronger Herds engage:
A gen'ral Faintnefs does invade 'em all,

And in the Woods and Fields promiscuously they fall.
The Air receives the Stench, and (strange to say)
The rav'nous Birds and Beafts avoid the Prey :
Th' offenfive Bodies rot upon the Ground,
And spread the dire Contagion all around.

But now the Plague, grown to a larger size,
Riots on Man, and fcorns a meaner Prize.
Inteftine Heats begin the Civil War,

And Flufhings firft the latent Flame declare,
And Breath infpir'd, which feem'd like fiery Air.
Their black dry Tongues are fwell'd, and scarce can

move,

And short thick Sighs from panting Lungs are drove;
They gape for Air, with flatt'ring Hopes t'abate
Their raging Flames, but that augments their Heat;
No Bed, no Cov'ring can the Wretches bear,
But on the Ground, expos'd to open Air,
They lye, and hope to find a pleafing coolness there.
The fuff'ring Earth, with that Oppreffion curft,
Returns the Heat which they imparted first.

In vain Physicians would bestow their Aid,
Vain all their Art, and useless all their Trade;
And they, ev'n they, who fleeting Life recall,
Feel the fame Pow'rs, and undiftinguish'd fall.
If any proves fo daring to attend

His fick Companion, or his darling Friend,
Th' Officious Wretch fucks in contagious Breath,
And with his Friend does fympathize in Death.

And now the Care and Hopes of Life are paft,
They please their Fancies, and indulge their Taft;
At Brooks and Streams, regardless of their Shame,
Each Sex, promifcuous, ftrives to quench their Flames
Nor do they strive in vain to quench it there,
For Thirft and Life at once extinguish'd are.
Thus in the Brooks the dying Bodies fink,
But heedlefs ftill the rafh Survivers drink. -
So much uneafie Down the Wretches hate,
They fly their Beds to ftruggle with their Fate;
But if decaying Strength forbids to rife,
The Victim crawls and rolls 'till on the Ground he lies..
Each fhuns his Bed, as each wou'd fhun his Tomb,
And thinks th' Infection only lodg'd at home.

Here one, with fainting Steps, does flowly creep O'er Heaps of Dead, and ftraight augments a Heap; Another, while his Strength and Tongue prevail'd, Bewails his Friend, and falls himself bewail'd: This with imploring Looks furveys the Skies, The laft dear Office of his clofing Eyes, But finds the Heav'ns implacable, and dies.

}

What now, ah! what employ'd my troubled Mind? But only hopes my Subjects Fate to find. What place foe'er my weeping Eyes furvey, There in lamented Heaps the Vulgar lay; As Acorns fcatter when the Winds prevail, Or mellow Fruits from fhaken Branches fall.

You fee that Dome which rears its Front fo high Tis facred to the Monarch of the Sky;

How many there, with unregarded Tears,
And fruitless Vows, fent up fuccefslefs Pray'rs?
There Fathers for expiring Sons implor'd,
And there the Wife bewail'd her gafping Lord;
With Pious Off'rings they'd appease the Skies,
But they, ere yet th' attoning Vapours rise,
Before the Altars fall, themselves a Sacrifice :
They fall, while yet their Hands the Gums contain,
The Gums furviving, but their Offrers flain.

?

The deftin'd Ox, with holy Garlands Crown'd,
Prevents the Blow, and feels an unexpected Wound:
When I my self invok'd the Pow'r Divine,
To drive this fatal Peft from Me and Mine;
When now the Prieft with Hands uplifted ftood,
Prepar'd to ftrike, and shed the facred Blood,
The Gods themselves the mortal Stroke bestow,
The Victim falls, but They impart the Blow :
Scarce was the Knife with the pale Purple ftain'd,
And no Prefages cou'd be then obtain'd
From putrid Entrails, where th' Infection reign'd.
Death ftalk'd around with fuch refiftless fway,
The Temples of the Gods his Force obey,
And Suppliants feel his Stroke while yet they pray.
Go now, faid he, your Deities implore

For fruitless Aid, for I defie their Pow'r.
Then with a curft malicious Joy furvey'd

The very Altars, ftain'd with Trophies of the Dead.
The rest grown mad, and frantick with Despair,
Urge their own Fate, and so prevent the Fear.
Strange madness that, when Death purfu'd so fast,
T'anticipate the Blow with impious hafte.

No decent Honour to their Urns are paid,
Nor could the Graves receive the num'rous Dead;
For or they lay unbury'd on the Ground,
Or unadorn'd a needy Fun'ral found:

All Rev'rence paft, the fainting Wretches fight
For Fun'ral Piles which were anothers Right.

Unmourn'd they fall, for who furviv'd to mourn?

And Sires and Mothers unlamented burn:

Parents and Sons sustain an equal Fate,

And wand'ring Ghosts their kindred Shadows meet.
The Dead a larger fpace of Ground require,
Nor are the Trees fufficient for the Fire.

Defparing under Grief's oppreffive weight,
And funk by these tempeftuous Blasts of Fate,
O fove, faid I, if common Fame fays true,
If e're gina gave thofe Joys to you,
If e're you lay enclos'd in her Embrace,
Fond of her Charms and eager to poffefs;
O Father, if you do not yet disclaim
Paternal Care, nor yet difown the Name;
Grant my Petitions, and with speed reftore
My Subjects num'rous as they were before,
Or make me Partner of the Fate they bore.
I fpoke, and glorious Lightning fhone around,
And ratling Thunder gave a profp'rous sound ;
So let it be, and may these Omens prove
A Pledge, faid I, of your returning Love.

By chance a rev'rend Oak was near the Place,
Sacred to Jove, and of Dodona's Race,
Where frugal Ants laid up their Winter Meat,
Whofe little Bodies bear a mighty Weight:
We faw them march along, and hide their store,
And much admir'd their Number, and their Pow'r ;
Admir'd at first, but after envy'd more.
Full of Amazement, thus to Jove I.pray'd,
O grant, fince thus my Subjects are decay'd,
As many Subjects to supply the Dead.

}

I pray'd, and ftrange Convulfions mov'd the Oak,
Which murmur'd, tho' by ambient Winds unhook :
My trembling Hands, and ftiff erected Hair,
Expreft all Tokens of uncommon Fear;
Yet both the Earth and facred Oak 1 kist,
And fearce cou'd hope, yet ftill I hop'd the beft;
For Wretches, whatfoc'er the Fates divine,
Expound all Omens to their own Defign.

But now 'twas Night, when ev'n Distraction wears A pleasing Look, and Dreams beguile our Cares.