The Greeks, reftor'd, the grateful notes prolong; 620 Apollo liftens, and approves the song. 'Twas night; the chiefs beside their vessel lie, Till rofy morn had purpled o'er the sky: : Then launch, and hoist the mast; indulgent gales, In his black thoughts revenge and slaughter roll, 625 630 635 Twelve days were past, and now the dawning light. The Gods had fummon'd to th' Olympian height: Jove first afcending from the watery bowers, Leads the long order of æthereal powers. When like the morning mist in early day, Rofe from the flood the Daughter of the Sea; 645 And to the feats divine her flight addrest. There, far apart, and high above the reft, The Thunderer fat; where old Olympus fhrouds Suppliant 655 Suppliant the Goddess stood: one hand she plac'd 650 660 Still grafp'd his knees, and urg'd the dear request :665 She faid, and fighing thus the God replies, 670 Who rolls the thunder o'er the vaulted skies? What hast thou afk'd? Ah why should Jove engage In foreign contefts, and domeftic rage, The Gods complaints, and Juno's fierce alarms, While I, too partial, aid the Trojan arms? 675 With jealous eyes thy clofe access survey; The The nod that ratifies the will divine, The faithful, fix'd, irrevocable fign; 680 This feals thy fuit, and this fufills thy vows- High heaven with trembling the dread fignal took, Swift to the feas profound the Goddess flies, 685 Jove to his ftarry manfion in the skies. The shining fynod of th' immortals wait 690 The coming God, and from their thrones of ftate Arifing filent, wrapt in holy fear, Before the majefty of heaven appear, Trembling they stand, while Jove affumes the throne, All, but the God's imperious queen alone : 695 Late had the view'd the filver-footed dame, Who now partakes the fecrets of the skies? In vain the partner of imperial state. 700 What favourite Goddefs then thofe cares divides, To this the Thunderer: Seek not thou to find The facred counfels of almighty mind : 705 Involv'd in darkness lies the great decree, Nor can the depths of fate be pierc'd by thee. What fits thy knowledge, thou the first shalt know But But thou, nor they, shall search the thoughts that roll 710 Deep in the clofe recesses of my foul. Full on the fire the Goddess of the fkies Roll'd the large orbs of her majestic eyes, And thus return'd: Auftere Saturnius, fay From whence this wrath, or who controls thy fway? 715 Thy boundless will, for me remains, in force, And all thy councils take the deftin'd course. But 'tis for Greece I fear: for late was feen In clofe confult the Silver-footed Queen. Jove to his Thetis nothing could deny, Nor was the fignal vain that shook the sky. What fatal favour has the Goddess won, To grace her fierce, inexorable fon? Perhaps in Grecian blood to drench the plain, And glut his vengeance with my people fiain. Then thus the God: Oh reftlefs fate of pride, That strives to learn what Heaven refolves to hide; Vain is the fearch, presumptuous and abhorr'd, 720 725 Anxious to thee, and odious to thy lord. Let this fuffice; th' immutable decree 730 No force can shake: what is, that ought to be. Goddess fubmit, nor dare our will withstand, In vain refifts th' omnipotence of Jove. 735 The Thunderer fpoke, nor durft the Queen reply: A reverend horror filenc'd all the sky. The feaft difturb'd, with forrow Vulcan faw His Mother menac'd, and the Gods in awe; Peace Peace at his heart, and pleasure his defign, Left, rouz'd to rage, he shake the bleft abodes, Thus Vulcan spoke; and rifing with a bound What God fo daring in your aid to move, 740 745 750 755 Or lift his hand against the force of Jove? Once in your cause I felt his matchless might, 760 Hurl'd headlong downward from th' etherial height; Toft all the day in rapid circles round; Nor till the fun defcended, touch'd the ground: The Sinthians rais'd me on the Lemnian coaft. 765 |