We act in Concert with the Fates Decree:
To fall in Battel was their Destiny.

Peace is my fole Delight: who seeks it more, 295
Or fpills with fuch Reluctance human Gore?

Witness, thou confcious Pole, and starry Hall,
How oft, when mortal Crimes for Vengeance call,

I lay the ready Bolt aside, how rare

My challeng'd Thunders roar, my Lightnings glare. 300
Scarce could I to the Wrath of injur'd Mars,
And Dian, exercis'd in filvan Wars,

The Lapitha, and Calydon refign,

Tho' both had long defy'd the Rage divine.
Mine is the Lofs and Toil to re-indue
So many Souls with Life, and frame anew.
On Argos and her Peer in Guilt too late

305

I execute th' impartial Will of Fate.

To wave the Sins of Greece in ancient Times,

Thou know'ft, how prone the Thebans are to Crimes. 310
Thee to,But fince 'twas done in Days of Yore,
And we forgive, I pass the Trespass o'er.
No Joys incestuous hapless Pentheus knew,
No Brothers he begot, no Sire he flew ;
Yet still dismember'd, he refign'd his Breath,
And met an undeferv'd, untimely Death,

315

v. 303. The Lapitha and Calydon] See Book the first for an Account of Diana's Enmity to the Calydonians. The Lapitha were a People of Theffaly, inhabiting that Part of the Country that lay be tween the Mountains Pindus and Othrys. For an Account of the Combat betwixt them and the Centaurs. See Ovid's Metamorphofes, Lib. 12.

v. 313. No Joys incestuous hapless Pentheus knew.] Pentheus was torn in Pieces by the Priefteffes of Bacchus, for not attending the facred Rites of that Deity.

With better Grace thy Sorrow then had flow'd,
Nor had thy Eloquence been ill bestow'd.
Nor will the Thebans fuffer Punishment,
Tho' well deferv'd, for Crimes that I refent.
Heav'n, Earth, and Piety expell'd with Scorn,
And Nature's facred Bonds afunder torn,

And broken Faith, and e'en the Friends confpire
Their Fall.- -But thou defift to tempt our Ire,

Secure, that a long Interval remains

Ere we fulfill on Thebes, what Fate ordains.

A new Avenger in a better Age

Shall rife: firft Argos bleeds beneath our Rage.
This heard, the God his wonted Look refumes,

320

325

And with fresh Youth, and new-born Graces blooms.
Thus parch'd by fultry Suns and fouthern Gales,
The pale Rofe fades, and withers in the Vales;
But if foft Zephyr fans the glowing Day,
And tempers with his Wings the fcorching Ray,
Its Blush revives, the Buds fhine forth again,
And waft the Scent thro' Flora's fair Domain.
Mean while, their March explor'd, the Scout returns;
From whom Eteocles, aftonifh'd, learns,

That near the Confines of the Theban Sway

The Grecian Hofts advance, and speed their Way, 340

v. 331. Thus parch'd by fultry Suns] Ariofto has a Simile that very much resembles this of cur Author.

Qual fotto il più cocente ardore estivo,
Quando di ber piu defiofa è l' erba,
Il fior, ch' era vicino a reftar privo
Di tutto quell' umor, ch'in vita il ferba,
Sente l'amata pioggia, efi fa vivo;

Orlando furiofo, Canto 23. Stan. 108,

And

And all, who view the Numbers of the Foe,
To vanquish'd Thebes portend approaching Woe.
Of ev'ry Chief he foon is taught the Name,
His Birth, his Quality, and martial Fame,
The prudent King diffembles well his Fears,
And hates the Meffage, yet attentive hears :
His Hoft he now infpirits and demands
A faithful Lift of all his able Bands.

345

By Mars excited to the deathful Field,
Aonia, Phocis, and Eubœa yield

350

Their Youth: for thus the Ruler of the Skies
Decreed. Thro' all the Hoft the Signal flies.
Now rang'd for War, and fheath'd in radiant Arms,
Forth pour the Squadrons at the first Alarms,
And take the Field, which next the City lay,
Thirsting for Blood, and deftin'd for the Fray.
Before th' expected Foe was yet in Sight,

355

The Matrons climb the Walls to view the Fight; And teach, whilft to their Sons their Sires they show, Their little Hearts with early Warmth to glow.

The Senior-Princefs on a Turret stood,

Veil'd from the public Eye. A fable Hood

360

v. 361. The Senior-Princess] Statius has also imitated Homer in many Places; and he feems particularly to have had an Eye to Helen's informing the old Men on the Walls of Troy, as he is there described in the Iliad, of the Character of the feveral Princes in the Grecian Camp; for in the seventh Book, Antigone, Sifter to Eteocles and Polynices appears standing on a Tower, attended by an old Officer who had been Laius's Armour-bearer; who, at her Defire, gives an Account of the Allies that came to affift the Thebans. Though fome Circumstances are altered, it is very easy to imagine he took his Plan from the Iliad. Nor will any one condemn this Conduct of his, fuch Imitations being not only very allowable, but commendable, when made with Art, and happily and fitly introduced.

Lewis Crucius.

Lactantius

From the keen Air her tender Cheeks defends:
Phorbas alone of all her Train attends,

The Squire of Laius, whilft at Thebes he reign'd, 365
And in the royal Service ftill retain'd.

Him fair Antigone with kind Demand
Thus queftions. May we hope to make a Stand
Against our Enemies, fince all the States
Of Greece defcend to Fight, as Fame relates.
I pray thee, firft inform me of the Name
Of our Confed'rates, and what Rank they claim?
For well I fee what Armour Creon wears,
What are the Standards our Menaceus bears,

370

And how fierce Hæmon tow'rs above the reft,

325

A brazen Sphinx well-imag'd on his Crest.
Thus fpake the Fair unknowing. He replies:

Yon Chief, whofe warlike Figure ftrikes your Eyes,. Is Dryas. From Tanagra's Hill he leads

A thoufand Archers, train'd to warlike Deeds.

380

The great Orion's Offspring he: behold

The Bolt and Trident, rudely form'd in Gold'

Upon his Shield.-Nor do his Acts difgrace

Th' untainted Honours of his godlike Race.
From him, ye Gods, avert th'invet'rate Ire
Of ftern Diana, fatal to his Sire!

385

Lactantius obferves, that in this Account of the Generals who took Part with Thebes, and the Provinces they commanded, our Author has adhered pretty clofe to Homer's Catalogue, fo far as regards the Geography, and Epithets of Places.-Mr. Pope ftrengthens this Remark. See Iliad, Lib. 2.

v. 386. Fatal to his Sire] The fabulous Account of this Hero is as follows.-Pelafgus, a pious Worshipper of the Gods hofpitably entertained Jupiter, Neptune, and Mercury, for which Favour they' they promised to grant him whatsoever he wished. Therefore, as he had no Iffue, he requested, that they would grant him a Son. The Gods promifed they would; and piffing on the Hide of an Ox that

he

Ocalea, Medeon, Nyfa ftock'd with Groves,
And Thisbe, fam'd for Cytherea's Doves,
March to the Fight beneath his royal Care,
And to his Banner, unconftrain'd, repair.
Next comes Eurymedon: the Weapons born
By Faun, his ruftic Sire, one Hand adorn,

390

A Creft of Pine-leaves trembles on his Head:
The favage Race his maffy Javelin dread,
Nor lefs is his Defert in Arms, I ween;

395

With him Erythra, rich in Flocks, is feen,
Who Scolos, and the Coafts of Hyle till,
Who Eteonos, rough with many a Hill,
And Schanos, Atalanta's Birth-place, hold,
In Manners haughty, as in Combat bold.
The Lance of Ash Pellean, and the Shield,
Impenetrable by the Dart they wield.

See, with what Clamours the Neptunian Throng,
The Natives of Oncheftus, pour along!

400

he had juft facrificed to them, ordered him to dig a Hole for it in the Earth, and take it out at the End of nine Months. He did fo, and found on it the Child, whom he afterwards named Orion, from Oupov, which fignifies Urine. When Orion grew up to Man's Estate, he attempted to ravish Diana, who, imploring the Affiftance of the Earth, was delivered by a Scorpion, that ftung the Ravisher to Death. Others fay, that he was flain by the Shafts of that Goddess, as Horace.

Virgineâ domitus sagittâ.

v. 399. Atalanta's Birth-place] There were two Ladies of this Name; one an Arcadian Queen, the Mother of Parthenopeus, and the other (who is here meant) of Scyros. She was overcome in a Foot-Race by Hippomanes, who threw in her Way three golden Apples, which Venus had given him for that Purpose.

v. 401. The Lance of Afb Pellæan] Lucan mentions this Sort of Weapon, and particularifes it, as well as our Author, by the Name of Sariffa.

Primi Pelleas arcu fregere Sariffas.

Whom