This Pfaumis, whom on Alpheus' fhore
With unabating speed

The harness'd mules to conquest bore,
This gift to thee decreed;

Thee, Camarina, whofe well-peopled towers
Thy Pfaumis render'd great in fame,
When to the twelve Olympian powers
He fed with victims the triumphal flame.
When, the double altars round,
Slaughter'd Bulls beftrew'd the ground;
When, on five selected days,
Jove furvey'd the list of praise;
While along the dusty courfe

Pfaumis urg'd his straining horse,
Or beneath the focial yoke

Made the well-match'd courfers smoke;
Or around th' Elean goal

Taught his mule-drawn car to roll.

Then did the victor dedicate his fame To thee, and bade the herald's voice proclaim Thy new-establish'd walls, and Acron's honour'd name.

ANTIS TROPH E.

But now return'd from where the pleasant feat
Once of Oenomaus and Pelops ftood,'

Thee, Civick Pallas, and thy chafte retreat,
He bids me fing, and fair Oanus' flood,

And Camarina's fleeping wave,

And thofe fequefter'd fhores,

Through which the thirsty town to lave
:Smooth flow the watery stores

Of fishy Hipparis, profoundeft ftream,
Adown whofe wood-envelop'd tide
The folid pile and lofty beam,
Materials for the future palace, glide.
Thus, by war's rude tempefts torn,
Plung'd in mifery and scorn,
Once again, with power array'd,
Camarina lifts her head,

Gayly brightening in the blaze,
Pfaumis, of thy hard-earn'd praise.
Trouble, care, expence, attend
Him who labours to ascend

Where, approaching to the skies,

Virtue holds. the facred prize,

That tempts him to atchieve the dangerous deed : But, if his well-concerted toils fucceed, His country's just applause shall be his glorious meed.

E.P O D E.

O Jove! protector of mankind!

O cloud-enthroned king of gods!

Who, on the Chronian mount reclin'd,

With honour crown'ft the wide-ftream'd floods

Of Alpheus, and the folemn gloom

Of Ida's cave! to thee-I come

Thy

Thy fuppliant, to foft Lydian reeds,
Sweet breathing forth tuneful
my
prayer,
That, grac'd with noble, valiant deeds,
This ftate may prove thy guardian care;
And thou, on whofe victorious brow
Olympia bound the facred bough,
Thou whom Neptunian steeds delight,

With age, contcnt, and quiet crown'd,
Calm may'st thou fink to endless night,

Thy children, Pfaumis, weeping round.

And fince the gods have given thee fame and wealth,
Join'd with that prime of earthly treasures, health,
Enjoy the bleffings they' to man affign,

Nor fondly figh for happiness divine.

THE SEVENTH OLYMPICK ODE.

This Ode is infcribed to Diagoras, the son of Damagetus of Rhodes, who in the Seventy-ninth Olym piad, obtained the victory in the exercise of the cæftus. This Ode was in fuch esteem among the ancients, that it was deposited in a temple of Minerva, written in letters of gold.

A : R G U M E N т.

THE Poet begins this noble fong of triumph with a fimile, by which he endeavours to fhew his great efteem for those who obtain.the victory in the Olympick and other games; as alfo the value of the prefent, that he makes them upon that occasion; à prefent always acceptable, because fame and praife is that which delights all mortals; wherefore the Mufe, fays he, is perpetually looking about for proper objects to bestow it upon; and feeing the great actions of Diagoras, takes up a refolution of celebrating him, the Isle of Rhodes his country, and his father Damagetus (according to the form obferved by the herald in proclaiming the conquerors); Damagetus, and confequently Diagoras, being defcended from Tlepalemus, who led over a colony of Grecians from Argos to Rhodes, where he fettled, and obtained the dominion of that ifland. From Tlepolemus, therefore, Pindar declares he will deduce his fong; which he addreffes to all the Rhodians in com

COM

mon with Diagoras, who were descended from Tlepolemus, or from those Grecians that came over with him; that is, almost all the people of Rhodes, who indeed are as much (if not more) interested in the greatest part of this Ode, as Diagoras the conqueror. Pindar accordingly relates the occafion of Tlepolemus's coming to Rhodes, which he tells was in obedience to an oracle, that commanded him to feek out that ifland; which, instead of telling us its name, Pindar, in a more poetical manner, characterizes by relating of it fome legendary stories (if I may fo fpeak) that were peculiar to the Ile of Rhodes; fuch as the Golden Shower, and the occafion of Apollo's chufing that ifland for himself; both which ftories he relates at large with fuch a fame of Poetry, as fhews his imagination to have been extremely heated and elevated with his fubjects. Neither does he feem to cool in the fhort account that he gives, in the next place, of the paffion of Apollo for the Nymph Rhodos, from whom the island received its name, and from whom were defcended its..original inhabitants (whom juft before the Poet therefore called the fons of Apollo): and particularly the three brothers, Camirus, Lindus, and Jalyfus; who divided that country into three kingdoms, and built the three principal cities which retained their names. In this island Tlepolemus (fays the Poet, returning to the story of that hero) found reft, and a period to all his misfortunes, and at length grew into fuch efteem with the Rhodians, that they worshiped him as a God, appointing

facri