Which, when the skies are clear, is feen below,
And mortals by the name of milky know.

The ground-work is of stars; through which the road
Lies open to the thunderer's abode.

The Gods of greater nations dwell around,
And, on the right and left the palace bound;
The commons where they can; the nobler fort,
With winding-doors wide open, front the court.
This place, as far as earth with heaven may vie,
I dare to call the Louvre of the sky.
When all were plac'd, in seats distinctly known,
And he their father had affum'd the throne,
Upon his ivory fceptre firft he leant,

Then fhook his head that fhook the firmament:
Air, earth, and feas, obey'd th' almighty nod;
And, with a general fear, confefs'd the God.
At length with indignation, thus he broke
His awful filence, and the powers bespoke :
I was not more concern'd in that debate
Of empire, when our univerfal state
Was put to hazard, and the giant race
Our captive fkies were ready to embrace :
For, though the foe was fierce, the feeds of all
Rebellion fprung from one original;
Now wherefoever ambient waters glide,
All are corrupt, and all must be destroy'd.
Let me this holy proteftation make:
By hell and hell's inviolable lake,

I try'd whatever in the God-head lay,
But gangren'd members must be lopt away,
Before the nobler parts are tainted to decay.

}

There

There dwells below a race of Demi-gods,
Of nymphs in waters, and of fawns in woods:
Who, though not worthy yet in heaven to live,
Let them at leaft enjoy that earth we give.
Can these be thought fecurely lodg'd below,
When I myself, who no fuperior know,
I, who have heaven and earth at my command,
Have been attempted by Lycaon's hand?

At this a murmur through the fynod went,
And with one voice they vote his punishment.
Thus, when confpiring traitors dar'd to doom
The fall of Cæfar, and in him of Rome,
The nations trembled with a pious fear;
All anxious for their earthly thunderer:
Nor was their care, O Cæfar, lefs efteem'd
By thee, than that of heaven for Jove was deem'd:
Who with his hand, and voice, did first restrain
Their murmurs, then refum'd his speech again.
The Gods to filence were compos'd, and fate
With reverence due to his fuperior state.
Cancel your pious cares; already he
Has paid his debt to justice, and to me.
Yet what his crimes, and what my judgments were,
Remains for me thus briefly to declare.
The clamours of this vile degenerate age,
The cries of orphans, and th' oppreffor's rage,
Had reach'd the ftars; I will defcend, faid I,
In hope to prove this loud complaint a lie.
Difguis'd in human fhape, I travell'd round
The world, and more than what I heard, I found.

O'er Mænalus I took my steepy way,

By caverns infamous for beafts of prey :
Then crofs'd Cyllene, and the piny shade,
More infamous by curft Lycaon made:

Dark night had covered heaven and earth, before
I enter'd his unhofpitable door.

Juft at my entrance, I display'd the fign
That somewhat was approaching of divine.
The proftrate people pray; the tyrant grins ;
And, adding prophanation to his sins,
I'll try, faid he, and if a God appear,
Το prove his deity fhall coft him dear.

'Twas late; the graceless wretch my death prepares,
When I should foundly fleep, oppreft with cares:
This dire experiment he chofe, to prove

If I were mortal, or undoubted Jove :
But firft he had refolv'd to taste my power:
Not long before, but in a luckless hour,
Some legates fent from the Molossian state,
Were on a peaceful errand come to treat :
Of these he murders one, he boils the flesh,
And lays the mangled morfels in a dish :
Some part he roafts; then ferves it up fo dreft,
And bids me welcome to this human feaft.
Mov'd with difdain, the table I o'erturn'd;
And with avenging flames the palace burn'd.
The tyrant, in a fright, for fhelter gains

The neighbouring fields, and fcours along the plains.
Howling he fled, and fain he would have spoke,

But human voice his brutal tongue forfcok.

X 2

About

About his lips the gather'd foam he churns,
And, breathing slaughter, still with rage he burns,
But on the bleating flock his fury turns.

His mantle, now his hide, with rugged hairs
Cleaves to his back; a famish'd face he bears;
His arms defcend, his fhoulders fink away,
To multiply his legs for chace of prey.
He grows a wolf, his hoarinefs remains,
And the fame rage in other members reigns.
His
eyes still sparkle in a narrower space,

His jaws retain the grin and violence of his face.
This was a fingle ruin, but not one
Deferves fo juft a punishment alone.
Mankind 's a monfter, and th' ungodly times,
Confederate into guilt, are fworn to crimes.
All are alike involv'd in ill, and all
Muft by the fame relentless fury fall.
Thus ended he; the greater Gods affent,
By clamours urging his fevere intent;
The lefs fill up the cry for punishment.
Yet ftill with pity they remember man ;
And mourn as much as heavenly fpirits can.
They afk, when those were loft of human birth,
What he would do with all his wafte of earth?
If his difpeopled world he would refign
To beasts, a mute, and more ignoble line?
Neglected altars must no longer smoke,
If none were left to worship and invoke.
To whom the father of the Gods reply'd :
Lay that unneceffary fear afide :
Mine be the care new people to provide.

}

}

I will from wondrous principles ordain

A race unlike the first, and try my skill again.
Already had he tofs'd the flaming brand,
And roll'd the thunder in his fpacious hand;
Preparing to discharge on feas and land:
But fopt, for fear, thus violently driven,
The fparks fhould catch his axle-tree of heaven.
Remembering, in the Fates, a time, when fire
Should to the battlements of heaven afpire,
And all his blazing worlds above should burn,
And all th' inferior globe to cinders turn.
His dire artillery thus dismiss'd, he bent
His thoughts to fome fecurer punishment :
Concludes to pour a watery deluge down;
And, what he durft not burn, refolves to drown.

}

The northern breath, that freezes floods, he binds With all the race of cloud-difpelling winds : The South he loos'd, who night and horror brings; And fogs are fhaken from his flaggy wings. From his divided beard two ftreams he pours ; His head and rheumy eyes diftil in showers. With rain his robe and heavy mantle flow : And lazy mifts are lowering on his brow, Still as he swept along, with his clench'd fift, He fqueez'd the clouds; th' imprison'd clouds refist : The fkies, from pole to pole, with peals refound; And showers inlarg'd come pouring on the ground. Then, clad in colours of a various die, Junonian Iris breeds a new fupply,