The Trojan Ships transformed to Sea-nymphs 144

The Deification of Æneas

The Line of the Latian Kings

The Story of Vertumnus and Pomona

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THE

GOLDEN VERSES OF PYTHAGORAS.

I

TRANSLATED FROM THE GREEK.

TO THE READER.

HOPE the reader will forgive the liberty I have taken in tranflating these Verfes fomewhat at large, without which it would have been almost impoffible to have given any kind of turn in English poetry to fo dry a fubject. The sense of the Author is, I hope, no where mistaken; and if there feems in fome places to be fome additions in the English verses to the Greek text, they are only fuch as may be justified from Hierocles's Commentary, and delivered by him as the larger and explained sense of the Author's short precept. I have in fome few places ventured to differ from the learned Mr. Dacier's French interpretation, as those that shall give themselves the trouble of a strict comparison will find. How far I am in the right, is left to the reader to determine.

IRST to the gods thy humble homage pay;

FIRST

The greatest this, and first of laws obey: Perform thy vows, obferve thy plighted troth, And let religion bind thee to thy oath. The heroes next demand thy juft regard, Renown'd on earth, and to the stars preferr'd, To light and endless life, their virtue's fure reward. Due rights perform and honours to the dead,

To every wife, to every pious shade.

With lowly duty to thy parents bow,
And grace and favour to thy kindred shew:
For what concerns the reft of human kind,
Choose out the man to virtue beft inclin'd;
Him to thy arms receive, him to thy bofom bind.
Poffeft of fuch a friend, preferve him ftill;

Nor thwart his counsels with thy ftubborn will;
Pliant to all his admonitions prove,

And yield to all his offices of love:

Him from thy heart, fo true, so justly dear,
Let no rash word nor light offences tear.
Bear all thou canft, ftill with his failings ftrive,
And to the utmost still, and ftill forgive;
For ftrong neceffity alone explores
The fecret vigour of our latent powers,
Rouzes and urges on the lazy heart,
Force, to itself unknown before, t'exert.
By use thy stronger appetites affwage,

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Thy gluttony, thy floth, thy luft, thy rage:
From each dishoneft act of shame forbear;
Of others, and thyfelf, alike beware.

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Let reverence of thyfelf thy thoughts control,

And guard the facred temple of thy foul.
Let juftice o'er thy word and deed prefide,
And reafon ev❜n thy meanest actions guide:
For know that death is man's appointed doom,
Know that the day of great account will come,
When thy past life fhall ftrictly be survey'd,
Each word, each deed, be in the balance laid,
And all the good and all the ill most justly be repaid.

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