FRATERNAS acies, alternaque regna profanis Decertata odiis, sontesque evolvere Thebas, Pierius menti calor incidit. Unde jubetis Ire, Dex? gentisne canam primordia diræ ? Sidonios raptus, et inexorabile pactum
Legis Agenoreæ ? scrutantemque æquora Cadmum? Longa retro series, trepidum si Martis operti Agricolam infandis condentem prælia sulcis Expediam; penitusque sequar quo carmine muris Jusserit Amphion Tyrios accedere montes: Unde graves iræ cognata in monia Baccho, Quod sævæ Junonis opus; cui sumpserit arcum Infelix Athamas, cur non expaverit ingens Ionium, socio casura Palæmone mater.
Atque adeo jam nunc gemitus, et prospera Cadmi Præteriisse sinam: limes mihi carminis esto
FRATERNAL rage, the guilty Thebes' alarms, Th' alternate reign destroy'd by impious arms, Demand our song; a sacred Fury fires
My ravish'd breast, and all the Muse inspires. O Goddess, say, shall I deduce my rhymes From the dire nation in its early times, Europa's rape, Agenor's stern decree,
And Cadmus searching round the spacious sea? How with the serpent's teeth he sow'd the soil, And reap'd an Iron harvest of his toil?
Or how from joining stones the city sprung, While to his harp divine Amphion sung? Or shall I Juno's hate to Thebes resound, Whose fatal rage th' unhappy Monarch found? The sire against the son his arrows drew, O'er the wide fields the furious mother flew, And while her arms a second hope contain, Sprung from the rocks and plung'd into the main.
But wave whate'er to Cadmus may belong,
And fix, O Muse! the barrier of thy song
Ver. 19. But wave whate'er] It is plain that Pope was not blind to the faults of Statius; many of which he points out with judgment and truth, in a letter to Mr. Cromwell, written 1708.
The first attempt of Mr. Gray in English verse was a translation from Statius, sent to Mr. West, 1736.
Juvenal was banished for commending the Agave of Statius.
Both the exordium and the conclusion of the Thebais are too violent and pompous, particularly the latter, in which he promises himself immortality from this poem.
Statius was a favourite writer with the poets of the middle ages. bloated magnificence of description, gigantic images, and pompous diction, suited their taste, and were somewhat of a piece with the romances they so much admired. They neglected the gentler and genuine graces of Virgil, which they could not relish. His pictures were too correctly and chastely drawn to take their fancies; and truth of design, elegance of expression, and the arts of composition, were not their object.-Warton.
Edipodæ confusa domus: quando Itala nondum Signa, nec Arctoos ausim sperare triumphos, Bisque jugo Rhenum, bis adactum legibus Istrum, Et conjurato dejectos vertice Dacos: Aut defensa prius vix pubescentibus annis Bella Jovis. Tuque ô Latiæ decus addite famæ, Quem nova maturi subeuntem exorsa parentis Æternum sibi Roma cupit: licet arctior omnes Limes agat stellas, et te plaga lucida cœli Pleïadum, Boreæque, et hiulci fulminis expers Sollicitet; licet ignipedum frænator equorum Ipse tuis alte radiantem crinibus arcum Imprimat, aut magni cedat tibi Jupiter æqua Parte poli: maneas hominum contentus habenis, Undarum terræque potens, et sidera dones.
Tempus erit, cum Pierio tua fortior œstro Facta canam: nunc tendo chelyn, satis arma referre Aonia, et geminis sceptrum exitiale tyrannis, Nec furiis post fata modum, flammasque rebelles Seditione rogi, tumulisque carentia regum Funera, et egestas alternis mortibus urbes; Cærula cum rubuit Lernæo sanguine Dirce,
At Edipus-from his disasters trace The long confusions of his guilty race: Nor yet attempt to stretch thy bolder wing, And mighty Cæsar's conqu'ring eagles sing;
How twice he tam'd proud Ister's rapid flood,
While Dacian mountains stream'd with barb'rous blood; Twice taught the Rhine beneath his laws to roll, And stretch'd his empire to the frozen Pole; Or long before, with early valour, strove, In youthful arms, t' assert the cause of Jove. And thou, great Heir of all thy Father's fame, Encrease of glory to the Latian name,
Oh! bless thy Rome with an eternal reign,
Nor let desiring worlds entreat in vain.
What tho' the stars contract their heav'nly space,
And croud their shining ranks to yield thee place; Tho' all the skies, ambitious of thy sway,
Conspire to court thee from our world away;
Tho' Phoebus longs to mix his rays with thine, And in thy glories more serenely shine;
Tho' Jove hinself no less content would be
To part his throne and share his heav'n with thee;
Yet stay, great Cæsar! and vouchsafe to reign
O'er the wide earth, and o'er the wat'ry main;
Resign to Jove his empire of the skies, And people heav'n with Roman deities.
The time will come, when a diviner flame Shall warm my breast to sing of Cæsar's fame: Meanwhile permit, that my preluding Muse In Theban wars an humbler theme may chuse : Of furious hate surviving death, she sings, A fatal throne to two contending Kings, And fun'ral flames that, parting wide in air, Express the discord of the souls they bear: Of towns dispeopled, and the wand'ring ghosts Of Kings unbury'd in the wasted coasts;
Et Thetis arentes assuetum stringere ripas, Horruit ingenti venientem Ismenon acervo.
Quem prius heroum Clio dabis? immodicum iræ Tydea? laurigeri subitos an vatis hiatus? Urget ut hostilem propellens cædibus amnem Turbidus Hippomedon, plorandaque bella protervi Arcados, atque alio Capaneus horrore canendus. Impia jam merita scrutatus lumina dextra Merserat æterna damnatum nocte pudorem Edipodes, longaque animam sub morte tenebat. Illum indulgentem tenebris, imæque recessu Sedis, inaspectos cœlo, radiisque penates Servantem, tamen assiduis circumvolat alis Sæva dies animi, scelerumque in pectore Diræ. Tunc vacuos orbes, crudum ac miserabile vitæ Supplicium, ostentat cœlo, manibusque cruentis Pulsat inane solum, sævaque ita voce precatur: Dî sontes animas, angustaque Tartara pœnis Qui regitis, tuque umbrifero Styx livida fundo, Quam video, multumque mihi consueta vocari Annue Tisiphone, perversaque vota secunda, Si bene quid merui, si me de matre cadentem
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