The Works of the English Poets: Gay

Heaven's thundering monarch fits with aweful grace,
And dread omnipotence imprints his face :
There Neptune ftood, difdainfully he frown'd,
And with his trident fmote the trembling ground;
The parting rocks a fpacious chafm difclose,
From whence a fiery, prancing fteed arose;
And on that useful gift he founds his claim,
Το grace the city with his honour'd name.
See her own figure next with martial air,
A fhining helmet decks her flowing hair;

115

Her thoughtful breast her well-pois'd fhield defends,
And her bare arm a glittering fpear extends,

With which she wounds the plain; from thence arofe
A fpreading tree; green olives load the boughs.

The powers her gift behold with wondering eyes, 120
And to the Goddess give the rightful prize.

Such mercy checks her wrath, that, to diffuade
By others fate the too prefumptuous maid,
With miniatures the fills each corner space,

To curb her pride, and fave her from difgrace.
Hamus and Rhodopé in this the wrought,
The beauteous colours fpoke her lively thought;
With arrogance and fierce ambition fir'd,
They to the facred names of gods afpir'd ;
To mountains chang'd, their lofty heads arise,
And lofe their leffening fummits in the skies.

In that, in all the ftrength of art was feen
The wretched fate of the Pygmæan queen;
Juno, enrag'd, refents th' audacious aim,

125

130

In that voracious shape she still appears,
And plagues her people with perpetual wars.

240

In this, Antigoné for beauty ftrove
With the bright confort of imperial Jove:
Juno, incens'd, her royal power difplay'd,
And to a bird converts the haughty maid.
Laomedon his daughter's fate bewails,
Nor his, nor Ilion's fervent prayer prevails,
But on her lovely skin white feathers rise;
Chang'd to a clamorous ftork, she mounts the skies. 145
In the remaining orb, the heavenly maid
The tale of childlefs Cynaras difplay'd,
A settled anguish in his look appears,

And from his bloodshot eyes flow streams of rears;
On the cold ground, no more a father, thrown,
He for his daughters clafp'd the polifh'd stone.
And, when he fought to hold their wonted charms,
The temple's steps deceiv'd his eager arms.
Wreaths of green olive round the border twine,
And her own tree inclofes the defign.

Arachne paints th' amours of mighty Jove,
How in a bull the God difguis'd his love;
A real bull seems in the piece to roar,
And real billows breaking on the shore :

150

155

In fair Europa's face appears furprize,

To the retreating land she turns her eyes,

And icems to call her maids, who wondering flood,

And with their tears increas'd the briny flood;

Her trembling feet the by contraction faves

From the rude infult of the rifing wares.

160

16:

Hete

Here amorous Jove diffolving Læda trod,
And in the vigorous fwan conceal'd the god.
Love lends him now an eagle's new difguife,
Beneath his fluttering wings Afteria lies,
Th' enlivening colours here with force exprefs'd
How Jove the fair Antiope carefs'd.

In a strong fatyr's muscled form he came
Inftilling love tranfports the glowing dame,
And lufty twins reward his nervous flame.
Here how he footh'd the bright Alcmena's love,
Who for Amphitryon took th' impoftor Jove,
And how the God in golden fhower allur'd
The guarded nymph, in brazen walls immur'd:
How, in a fwain, Mnemofyne he charms;
How lambent flame the fair Ægina warms :
And how with various glittering hues inlaid
In ferpent's form Deöis he betray'd.

Here you, great Neptune, with a short-liv'd flame
In a young bull enjoy th' Æolian dame.
Then in Enipeus' fhape intrigues pursue:
'Tis thus th' Aloids boaft defcent from you.
Here to Bifaltis was thy love convey'd,
When a rough ram deceiv'd the yielding maid.
Ceres, kind mother of the bounteous year,

Whofe golden locks a fheafy garland bear;
And the dread dame, with hifling ferpents hung,
(From whom the Pegafæan courfer sprung)

170

}

175

180

185

190

Thee in a fnuffling ftallion's form enjoy,

Exhauft thy ftrength, and every nerve employ;

Melantho

Melantho as a dolphin you betray,
And fport in pleasures on the rolling fea;
Such juft proportion graces every part,
Nature herfelf appears improv'd by art.
Here in difguife was mighty Phoebus feen,
With clownish afpect, and a rustic mien;
Again transform'd, he 's dress'd in falcon's plumes,
And now the lion s noble fhape affumes;
Now, in a fhepherd's form, with treacherous fmiles
He Macareian life's heart beguiles.

195

200

205

Here his plump shape enamour'd Bacchus leaves,
And in the grape Erigone deceives.

There Saturn, in neighing horse, fshe wove,
And Chiron's double form rewards his love.
Feftoons of flowers, inwove with ivy, fhine,

Border the wondrous picce, and round the texture twine.
Not Pallas, nor ev'n fpleen itself, could blame,

The wondrous work of the Mæonian dame;
With grief her vaft fuccess the Goddess bore,
And of cœleftial crimes the ftory tore.
Her boxen fhuttle now, enrag'd, she took,

And thrice the proud Idmonian artist ftruck:
Th' unhappy maid, to fee her labours vain,
Grew refolute with pride, and fhame, and pain:
Around her neck a fatal noose fhe ty'd,
And fought by fudden death her guilt to hide.
Palls with pity faw the defperate deed,
And thus the virgin's milder fate decreed:
"Live, impious rival, mindful of thy crime,
"Sufpended thus to wafle thy future time,

211

215

220

Thy

"Thy punishment involves thy numerous race,

"Who for thy fault fhall fhare in thy difgrace."

Her incantation magic juices aid,

With fprinkling drops fhe bath'd the pendent maid,

And thus the charm its noxious power difplay'd.

Like leaves in autumn drop her falling hairs,

With thefe her nofe, and next her rifing ears.

Her head to the minuteft fubftance shrunk,