Medulla Poetarum Romanorum Or, the Most Beautiful and Instructive Passages of the Roman Poets. Being a Collection, (Disposed under proper Heads,) Of such Descriptions, Allusions, Comparisons, Characters, and Sentiments, as may best serve to shew the Religion, Learning, Politicks, Arts, Customs, Opinions, Manners, and Circumstances of the Antients. With Translations of the same in English Verse. By Mr. Henry Baker |
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Furies.
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 | Medulla Poetarum Romanorum |  |
Furies.
See Hell. Tissiphone.
Two Pests there are, the Diræ call'd: Whom NightAt the same Birth with black Megæra bore,
Tartarian Fury: with such twisting Spires
Of Serpents bound, and added noisy Wings.
These at the Throne of Jove and in the Court
Of Heav'n's dread Monarch wait, to strike with Fear
Unhappy Mortals: When the King of Gods
Sits meditating vengeful Death, or Plagues:
Or terrifies the guilty World with War.—
She from the Sister Diræ's black Abodes,
And Shades Nocturnal, fierce Alecto calls,
That baleful Fury, who delights in War,
In Rage, and Treachery, and noxious Crimes.
Ev'n Pluto and her Sisters hate the Fiend:
Such horrid Shapes the hellish Monster takes,
And teems with such Variety of Snakes.—
—She to Alecto cries,
Thou canst agreeing Brothers rouse to War,
Engender Hate in Families, and toss
Within their Walls thy Whips, and fun'ral Brands:
Thou hast a thousand Forms, a thousand Arts
Of Mischief: Ransack all thy fertile Breast:
Confound their Measures of concerted Peace:
Sow deep the Seeds of Discord: Let the Youth
At once desire, demand, and snatch their Arms.—
Infected with Gorgonian poys'nous Blood,
The Fiend to Latium, and the lofty Walls
Of King Latinus, swift directs her Flight,
And silent at the Queen's Apartment waits.
The Fiend to Latium, and the lofty Walls
411
And silent at the Queen's Apartment waits.
—To Her
The Fury from her grisly Tresses flings
One of her Snakes, and to her inmost Breast
Dispatches him; That, by the Monster urg'd
To Madness, all the Court she might embroil.
The bloated Serpent, sliding 'twixt her Robes
And smooth sleek Bosom, rolls without a Touch,
And, unperceiv'd, his vip'rous Breath inspires:
Hangs, as a Chain of Gold, about her Neck:
As a long twining Fillet, interweaves
Her Hair: and slipp'ry wanders o'er her Limbs.
While the first Plague, the pois'nous Juice beneath
Sliding, invades her Senses, and with Fire
Her Vitals blends; nor has as yet the Flame
Seiz'd all her Soul, more softly she complains,
And with a Mother's wonted Fondness speaks.
The Fury from her grisly Tresses flings
One of her Snakes, and to her inmost Breast
Dispatches him; That, by the Monster urg'd
To Madness, all the Court she might embroil.
The bloated Serpent, sliding 'twixt her Robes
And smooth sleek Bosom, rolls without a Touch,
And, unperceiv'd, his vip'rous Breath inspires:
Hangs, as a Chain of Gold, about her Neck:
As a long twining Fillet, interweaves
Her Hair: and slipp'ry wanders o'er her Limbs.
While the first Plague, the pois'nous Juice beneath
Sliding, invades her Senses, and with Fire
Her Vitals blends; nor has as yet the Flame
Seiz'd all her Soul, more softly she complains,
And with a Mother's wonted Fondness speaks.
But when thro' all her Blood the snaky Plague
Had spread itself, and her whole Mind possess'd;
Then stung, unhappy, by the Monster dire,
O'er the vast City, with unbounded Rage,
She roves distracted. Like a whirling Top,
Urg'd by the twisted Thong, which Boys, intent
Upon their Sport, the empty Cloisters round,
In a wide Circuit exercise: the Wood,
Driv'n by the Scourge, in Spiral Eddies flies:
The stripling Throng in Ignorance admires
The Spinning Box: the Lashes give it Life.
Acted with such Rapidity she runs
Thro' the mid City, and the madding Crouds.
Then, fiercely rolling round her fiery Orbs,
Had spread itself, and her whole Mind possess'd;
Then stung, unhappy, by the Monster dire,
O'er the vast City, with unbounded Rage,
She roves distracted. Like a whirling Top,
Urg'd by the twisted Thong, which Boys, intent
Upon their Sport, the empty Cloisters round,
In a wide Circuit exercise: the Wood,
Driv'n by the Scourge, in Spiral Eddies flies:
The stripling Throng in Ignorance admires
The Spinning Box: the Lashes give it Life.
Acted with such Rapidity she runs
Thro' the mid City, and the madding Crouds.
Dreadful Alecto on her Hair erect
Uprears two Serpents, clangs her sounding Whip,
And rapid Thus with hideous Accents speaks.
See! from th' Infernal Sisters Seats I come:
War in my Hand, and Death I bear.—
So saying, to the Youth she hurls a Brand:
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Fixes beneath his Breast. With Horror rous'd
He starts from Sleep: o'er all his Body Sweat
Bedews his shudd'ring Limbs: For Arms he raves,
Distracted: Arms, upon his Bed, demands,
And o'er the Palace: madding with the Love
Of Battles, and the barb'rous Rage of War.
As when, with mighty Noise, the sputt'ring Flame
Of Wood, surrounds the boiling Cauldron's Sides,
The dancing Liquor bubbles with the Heat:
It's aqueous Fury roars, and smokes within,
Exuberant, and foaming: Nor does now
The Water's bounding Tide itself contain:
The pitchy Vapour flying mounts in Air.—
| Medulla Poetarum Romanorum | |