And strong Alcides in the fpinster's robe,
May celebrate, applauded. But with you,
O Naiads, far from that unhallow'd rout,
Must dwell the man whoe'er to praised themes
Invokes the immortal Muse. The immortal Muse
To your calm habitations, to the cave

k

Corycian or the Delphic mount', will guide

His footsteps and with your unfullied streams
His lips will bathe: whether the eternal lore
Of Themis, or the majesty of Jove,

To mortals he reveal; or teach his lyre
The unenvied guerdon of the patriot's toils,
In thofe unfading islands of the blest,
Where Sacred bards abide.

Hail, honour'd Nymphs;

The cave Corycian.] Of this cave Paufanias, in his Tenth Book, gives the following description: " Between Delphi and the eminences "of Parnaffus, is a road to the grotto of Corycium, which has its "name from the nymph Corycia, and is by far the most remark"able which I have feen. One may walk a great way into it without "a torch. It is of a confiderable height, and hath feveral springs "within it; and yet a much greater quantity of water diftills from the "fhell and roof, fo as to be continually dropping on the ground. The 66 people round Parnaffus hold it sacred to the Corycian nymphs and to "Pan."

1 Delphic mount.] Delphi, the feat and oracle of Apollo, had a mountainous and rocky fituation on the skirts of Parnaffus.

m

Thrice hail. For you the Cyrenaïc " shell,
Behold, I touch, revering. To my fongs
Be present ye with favourable feet,

And all profaner audience far remove.

m Cyrenaïc.] Cyrene was the native country of Callimachus, whose hymns are the most remarkable example of that mythological paffion which is affumed in the preceding poem, and have always afforded particular pleasure to the author of it, by reafon of the mysterious folemnity with which they affect the mind. On this account he was induced to attempt somewhat in the fame manner; folely by way of exercise : the manner itself being now almost intirely abandoned in poetry. And as the meer genealogy, or the personal adventures of heathen gods, could have been but little interesting to a modern reader; it was therefore thought proper to select some convenient part of the history of nature, and to employ these ancient divinities as it is probable they were first employed; to wit, in perfonifying natural causes, and in representing the mutual agreement or oppofition of the corporeal and moral powers of the world: which hath been accounted the very highest office of poetry.

ODE

O D E

TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE

FRANCIS EARL OF HUNTINGDON.

MDCCXLVII.

BY THE SAME.

I. I.

HE wife and great of every clime,

TH

Through all the spacious walks of Time,
Where'er the Muse her power display'd,

With joy have listen'd and obey'd.
For, taught of heaven, the facred Nine
Perfuafive numbers, forms divine,

To mortal fenfe impart :

They beft the foul with glory fire;

They noblest counfels, boldest deeds infpire;

And high o'er Fortune's rage inthrone the fixed heart.

I. 2.

Nor lefs prevailing is their charm,
The vengeful bosom to disarın;
To melt the proud with human woe,
And prompt unwilling fears to flow.
Can wealth a power like this afford?
Can Cromwell's art, or Marlborough's sword,
An equal empire claim?

No, HASTINGS, Thou my words wilt own: Thy breast the gifts of every Mufe hath known; Nor fhall the giver's love difgrace thy noble name. I. 3.

The Mufe's aweful art,

And the fair function of the poet's tongue, Ne'er fhalt thou blush to honour; to affert From all that foorned vice or flavish fear hath fung. Nor fhall the blandifhment of Tufcan ftrings Warbling at will in pleasure's myrtle bower; Nor fhall the bafer notes to Celtic kings. By lying minstrels paid in evil hour;

Move Thee to spurn the heavenly Mufe's reign. A different ftrain,

And other Themes,

From her prophetic fhades and hallow'd streams (Thou well canft witness) meet the purged ear: Such, as when Greece to her immortal fhell Rejoicing liften'd, godlike founds to hear;

To hear the sweet inftructress tell

(While men and heroes throng'd around)
How life its nobleft ufe may find,
How beft for freedom be refign'd;

And how, by glory, virtue fhall be crown'd,

II. I.

Such was the Chian father's strain
To many a kind domestic train,
Whose pious hearth, and genial bowl,
Had cheer'd the reverend pilgrim's foul :
When, every hospitable rite

With equal bounty to requité,

He ftruck his magic ftrings;

And pour'd fpontaneous numbers forth,

And seiz'd their ears with tales of ancient worth, And fill'd their musing hearts with vast heroic things, II. 2.

Now oft, where happy fpirits dwell,

Where yet he tunes his charming shell,
Oft near him, with applauding hands,
The genius of his country stands.
To listening gods he makes him known,
That man divine, by whom were fown

The feeds of Græcian fame:

Who first the race with freedom fir'd;

From whom Lycurgus Sparta's fons infpir'd b; From whom Plataan palms and Cyprian trophies came.

• Homer.

b Lycurgus the Lacedæmonian law-giver brought into Greece from Afia Minor the first complete copy of Homer's works.-At Platea