O

ON HIS DREAM.

NE Night, as on a purple Bed

I lean'd my Wine-enraptur❜d Head;

Methought, with Nymphs as fair as Day,

I swiftly ran in am'rous Play;

Whilft lovely Youths, whofe Charms outvy'd

The foft Lyaus' blooming Pride,

5

With

Now urge my Speed, and now that Speed reftrain,
Afham'd to ftop, and loth to turn again.

Men, Beafts, and Birds, lie hush'd in downy Peace,
And faithful Dogs their clam'rous Watchings.ceafe.
I, only I, to endless Cares betray'd,

Pursue thee, cruel Love! of Reft afraid.

VER. 1. One Night, as on a purple Bed.] Vigenerus, in his Notes on the Picture of Themistocles in Philoftratus, tells us, that the 'Antopove was a fort of Purple more beautiful than the common.

C 5

Lorgepierre.

VER. 12.

!

Δακέθυμα μοι λέγοντες,
Διὰ τὰς καλὰς ἐκείνας.
Ἐθέλοντα δ ̓ αὖ φιλῆσαι
Φύγον ἐξ ὕπνο με πάνες.
ΜεμονωμγύΘ. δ' ὁ τλήμων
Πάλιν ἤθελον καθεύδειν.

10

ΩΔΗ

VER. 12. And with and figh to leep again.] Anacrcon would fleep again, to recover the Pleasure he had loft by waking from his Dream; the Gallantry of which Mr. Longepierre remarks, proceeded from the Gaiety of his waking Thoughts; for, as Petronius affures us,

Somnia qua mentes ludunt volitantibus umbris,
Non delubra Deum, nec ab æthere numina mittunt ;
Sed fibi quifque facit. Nam cùm proftrata fopore
Urget membra quies, & mens fine pondere ludit:
Quidquid luce fuit, tenebris agit. Oppida bello
Qui quatit, & flammis miserandas fævit in urbes &
Tela videt, verfafque acies, & funera Regum,
Atque exundantes perfufo fanguine campos.
Qui caufas orare folent; legefque forumque,
Et pavido cernunt inclufum corde tribunal.
Condit avarus opes, defoffumque invenit aurum.
Venator faltus canibus quatit. Eripit undis,
Aut premit everfam periturus navita puppim.
Scribit amatori meretrix. Dat adultera munus.

Et

With jealous Eyes my Tranfports view'd,
And with reproachful Taunts purfu'd.

But whilft I ftrove to feize a Kifs,
Th'enchanting Vision fled my Blifs!
Alone it left me to complain,
And wifh, and figh to fleep again.

10

ODE

Et canis in fomnis leporis veftigia latrat.
In noctis fpatio miferorum vulnera durant.

Th'illufive Dreams which on the Mind attend,
Nor Shrines infpire, nor from the Gods defcend;
Each forms his own. When Nature fleeping lies,
Thefe Mimicks of th'unburthen'd Fancy rife.
What most affects the Day, at Night returns:
Thus he who shakes proud States, and Cities burns,
Sees Show'rs of Darts, forc'd Lines, diforder'd Wings,
Fields drown'd in Blood, and Obfequies of Kings.
The Lawyer dreams of Terms, and double Fees,
And trembles when he long Vacation fees.
The Mifer hides his Wealth, new Treasure finds.
Thro' echoing Woods his Horn the Huntsman winds.
The Sailor's Dream a Shipwrack's Chance describes.
The Whore writes Billet-doux : Th'Adultress Bribes.
The op'ning Dog the tim'rous Hare pursues :
And Mifery, in Sleep, its Pain renews.

* It

Ω Δ Η Θ'.

Εἰς πριςεράν.

ΓΡασμίη Πέλεια,

Πόθεν, πόθεν πέτασας

Πόθεν μύρων τοσέτων,

Ἐπ' ἠέρΘ. θέεσα,

πνέεις τε και ψεκάζεις;

5

Τίς

* It was a Custom amongst the Ancients, when they fet out on long Journies, to take tame Pidgeons with them; and when they were defirous of fending back any News, with more than ordinary Expedition, they let one of them fly with a Letter ty'd about its Neck; for the poor Bird would make no Stop in its Return to its Neft and young Ones. Those who are converfant with Eastern Voyages, need no Information that the fame Practice is ftill retain'd by the Turks, and in moft Parts ef Barbary. Other Birds were fometimes employ'd in this Office, as well as Pidgeons, as appears from Alian. Hift. Animal. L. 6. C. 7. His Words are these :

Ἐν τῇ Αἰγύπτῳ, τεὶ ἢ λίμνην καλυμένην Μύρι δΘ, ὅπο κροκοδείλων πόλις, κορώνης τάφο δείκνυ ται, καὶ ἢ αἰτίαν ἐκείνην Αἰγύπλιοί φασι. τῷ βασιλε της 8 Αἰγυπτίων (Μάῤῥης ἢ ἔτ ἐκαλεῖτο) ἦν κοι ρώνης θρέμμα πανήμερον, καὶ ἐπιςολῶν ὡς ἐβόλε

το

MY

And whence you wanton thro' the Air? Come, tell me whence, and where your fly, Diftilling Odours thro' the Sky!

Whofe

τὸ οἱ κομισθῆναι θετζον εκόμισεν αὐτὴ, καὶ ἦν ἀγγέ λων ὠκίση, καὶ ἀκέσασα ᾔδει ἔνθα ἰθῦναι δὲ τὸ πλε εὸν, καὶ τίνα χρὴ προςδραμεν χῶρον, καὶ ὅπε ήκεσαν ἀναπαύσασθαι. ἀνθ' ὧν ἀποθανῖσαν ὁ Μάῤῥης ἐτίμησεν αὐτὴν καὶ ςήλη καὶ τάφῳ.

"In Egypt, near the Lake Myris, where ftands the City of Crocodiles, they fhew the Tomb of a Jay, of "which the Natives relate this Hiftory: They tell you, "that this Jay was brought up by one of their Kings, "call'd Marrhes, whofe Letters it carry'd wherever he pleas'd to fend them; that when they gave it Direc"tions, it readily understood which way to turn its Flight, what Places it fhould pass over, and where to ftop. When it was dead, Marrhes honour'd it with an Epitaph, and a Tomb.

66

VER. 4. Diftilling Odours thro' the Sky.] The Greeks perfum'd their Birds, as we perfume our little Dogs.

Madam D'Acier.

VER. 7.