"Never had man explor'd the iron ore,

"Mark'd out the trench or rais'd the lofty tow'r,75 "Ne'er had the steed in harness fought the plain, "Or fleets encounter'd on th' unstable main, "Were life, were breath, with fame to be compar'd, "Or peace to glorious liberty preferr'd.

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By guilty oaths the hoftile army bound

80

"Holds faft its impious faith and ftands its ground: "Are you perfidious who espouse the laws, "And traitors only in a righteous caufe? "Oh fhame! in vain thro' nations far and wide "Thou call'ft the crowding monarchs to thy fide 85 "Fall'n Pompey! while thy legions here betray

66

Thy cheap-bought life and treat thy fame away." He ended fierce: the foldier's rage returns, His blood flies upward and his bofom burns.

90

So haply tam'd the tiger bears his bands, Lefs grimly growls, and licks his keeper's hands; But if by chance he tastes forbidden gore He yells amain and makes his dungeon roar; He glares, he foams, he aims a defp'rate bound, And his pale mafter flies the dangʼrous ground. 95 Now deeds are done which man might charge aright On ftubborn Fate or undiscerning Night, Had not their guilt the lawless soldiers known, And made the whole malignity their own.

The beds, the plent'ous tables, float with gore, 100 And breafts are ftabb'd that were embrac'd before.

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Pity a while their hands from flaughter kept,

Inward they groan'd, and as they drew they wept; But ev'ry blow their wav'ring rage affures,

In murder hardens and to blood inures:

105

Crowds charge on crowds, nor friends their friends But fires by fons and fons by fathers die. [defcry, Black monftrous rage! each with victorious cries Drags his flain friend before the gen❜ral's eyes, Exults in guilt that throws the only fhame

On Pompey's cause, and blots the Roman name. 115

DEDICATION.

WHEN I first entered upon this translation I was ambitious of dedicating it to the late Earl of Halifax; but being prevented from doing myself that honour by the unspeakable lofs which our country hath fuftained in the death of that extraordinary perfon, I hope I hall not be blamed for prefuming to make a Dedication of it to his memory. The greatness of his name will justify a practice altogether uncommon, and may gain favour towards a work which (if it had deferved his patronage) is perhaps the only one infcribed to his Lordship that will escape being rewarded by him.

'I might have one advantage from fuch a Dedication, that nothing I could fay in it would be fufpeЯed of flattery: befides that the world would take a pleafure in hearing those things faid of this great man now he is dead, which he himself would have been offended at when living. But though I am fenfible fo amiable and exalted a character would be very acceptable to the publick were I able to draw it in its full extent, I fhould be cenfured very deservedly fhould I venture upon an undertaking to which I am by no means equal.

His confummate knowledge in all kinds of buffness, his winning eloquence in publick assemblies, his active zeal for the good of his country, aud the share

he had in conveying the supreme power to an illuftrious family famous for being friends to mankind, are fubjects easy to be enlarged upon, but incapable of being exhausted. The nature of the following performance more directly leads me to lament the miffortune which hath befallen the learned world by the death of fo generous and univerfal a patron.

He rested not in a barren admiration of the polite arts, wherein he himself was so great a master, but was acted by that humanity they naturally inspire, which gave rife to many excellent writers who have caft a light upon the age in which he lived, and will diftinguish it to pofterity. It is well known that very few celebrated pieces have been published for several years but what were either promoted by his encouragement, or fupported by his approbation, or recompenfed by his bounty: and if the fucceffion of men who excel in moft of the refined arts fhould not continue, though some may impute it to a decay of genius in our countrymen, thofe who are acquainted with his Lordship's character will know more juftly how to account for it.

The cause of liberty will receive no small advantage in future times when it fhall be observed that the Earl of Halifax was one of the patriots who were at the head of it, and that most of those who were eminent in the feveral parts of polite or useful learning

were by his influence and example engaged in the fame intereft.

I hope therefore the publick will excufe my ambition for thus intruding into the number of those applauded men who have paid him this kind of homage, especially fince I am also prompted to it by gratitude for the protection with which he had begun to honour me, and do it at a time when he cannot fuffer by the importunity of my acknowledgments.t

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