Cocytus hears the plaintive theme,
And refluent turns his pitying ftream;
Three-headed Cerberus, by fate
Pofted at Pluto's iron gate,
Low-crouching rolls his haggard eyes
Ecftatic, and foregoes his prize:
With ears erect at hell's wide doors
Lies lift'ning as the fongfter foars;
Thus mufic charm'd the realms beneath,
And beauty triumph'd over death.

The bard, whom night's pale regent bore
In fecret on the Athenian fhore,
Mufcus, felt the facred flame,
And burnt for the fair Theban dame

Antiope, whom mighty Love
Made pregnant by imperial Jove;
The poet plied his amorous itrain,
Prefs'd the fond fair, nor prefs'd in vain,
For Ceres, who the veil undrew,
That tcreen'd her myfteries from his view,
Propitious this kind truth reveal'd,
That woman clofe befieg'd will yield.

Old Hefied too his native fhade
Made vocal to th' Aferean maid;
The bard his heav'n-directed lore
Forfook, and hymn'd the Gods no more:
Soft love fick ditties now he fung,
Love touch'd his harp, love tun'd his tongue
Silent his Heliconian lyre,

And love put out religion's fire.

Homer, of all paft bards the prime,
And wonder of all future time,
And touch'd with pureft fire his breaft,
Whom Jove with wit fublimely bleft,
From gods and heroes turn'd away
To waible the domeftic lay,
And wand'ring to the defart ifle,
On whofe parch'd fands no feafons fimile,
In diftant Ithaca was feen

Chaunting the fuit-repelling Queen.

Mimnermus tun'd his am'rous lay,
When time had turn'd his temples gray;
Love revell'd in his aged veins,
Soft was his lyre and fweet his ftrains;
Frequenter of the wanton feaft,
Nanno his theme, and youth his guest.

Antimachus with tender art
Pour'd forth the forrows of his heart;
In her Dardanian grave he laid
Chryfeis his beloved maid;
And thence returning fad befide
Pactolus' melancholy tide,

To Colophon the minftrel came,
Still fighing forth the mournful name,