Receiv'd her Ifis to divine abodes, 1140 And rank'd her dogs deform'd with Roman gods; Yet now, at least, oh let him now return, On fuch occafions, to difturb the dead: 1145 Oh! would commanding Rome my hand employ, 1150 Perhaps, when flames their dreadful ravage make, The gods, in mercy to us, fhall command 1155 } 1165 Or 1170 Or if the merchants drawn by hopes of gain, Thy grave shall the vain pageantry despise, And worship where the bury'd thunder lies. 1180 1185 Perhaps fate wills, in honour to thy fame, No marble fhall record thy mighty name. So may thy duft, ere long, be worn away, And all remembrance of thy wrongs decay: Perhaps a better age fhall come, when none Shall think thee ever laid beneath this stone; When Ægypt's boast of Pompey's tomb fhall prove As unbeliev'd a tale, as Crete relates of Jove. 1190 LUCAN'S LUCAN'S PHARSALIA. воок IX. THE ARGUMENT. The poet having ended the foregoing book with the death of Pompey, begins this with his Apotheofis; from thence, after a fhort account of Cato's gathering up the relicks of the battle of Pharfalia, and tranfporting them to Cyrene in Africa, he goes on to defcribe Cornelia's paffion upon the death of her husband. Amongst other things, the informs his fon Sextus of his father's laft commands, to continue the war in defence of the commonwealth. Sextus fets fail for Cato's camp, where he meets his elder brother Cn. Pompeius, and acquaints him with the fate of their father. Upon this occafion the poet describes the rage of the elder Pompey, and the diforders that happened in the camp, both which Cato appeafes. To prevent any future inconvenience of this kind, he refolves to put them upon action, and in order to that to join with Juba. After a defcription of the Syrts, and their dangerous paffage by them, follows Cato's fpeech to encourage the foldiers to march through the deferts of Libya; then an account of Libya, the deferts, and their march. In the middle of which is a beautiful digreffion concerning the temple of Jupiter-Ammon, with Labienus's perfuafion to Cato to enquire of the oracle concerning the event of the war, and Cato's famous anfwer. From thence, after a warm elogy upon Cato, the author goes on to the account of the original of ferpents in Afric; and this, with the defcription of the various kinds, and the feveral deaths of B b the the foldiers by them, is perhaps the most poetical part of this whole work. At Leptis he leaves Cato, and returns to Cæfar, whom he brings into Egypt, after having fhewn him the ruins of Troy, and from thence taken an occafion to speak well of poetry in general, and himself in particular. Cæfar, upon his arrival on the coaft of Egypt, is met by an ambassador from Ptolemy with Pompey's head. He receives the prefent (according to Lucan) with a feigned abhorrence, and concludes the book with tears, and a feeming grief for the misfortune of fo great a man. N OR in the dying embers of its pile great foul upon the banks of Nile, But, active and impatient of delay, Shot from the mouldering heap, and upwards urg'd its way. Far in thofe azure regions of the air Which border on the rolling ftarry sphere, ΤΟ There Pompey's soul, adorn`d with heavenly light, 16 Soon fhone among the reft, and as the reft was bright. New to the bleft abode, with wonder fill'd, The stars and moving planets he beheld; 5 Then Then looking down on the fun's feeble ray, And cruel Cæfar's tents; he fix'd at last There brooding o'er his country's wrongs he fate, 25 30 40 There mournful Rome might ftill her Pompey find, 35 of war. B b 2 45 Nor |