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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Gyant's War.
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 | Medulla Poetarum Romanorum |  |
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Gyant's War.
—The Rebel Brethren rise,
In desp'rate League combin'd, to storm the Skies:
On Pelion, thrice, to heave they all essay'd
Ossa, and thrice on Ossa's tow'ring Head
To roll Olympus up with all its Shade.
Thrice hurl'd th' Omnipotent his Thunder round,
And dash'd the pil'd up Mountains to the Ground.—
In desp'rate League combin'd, to storm the Skies:
On Pelion, thrice, to heave they all essay'd
Ossa, and thrice on Ossa's tow'ring Head
To roll Olympus up with all its Shade.
Thrice hurl'd th' Omnipotent his Thunder round,
And dash'd the pil'd up Mountains to the Ground.—
—Ægeon, when with Heav'n he strove,
Stood opposite in Arms to mighty Jove:
Mov'd all his hundred Hands, provok'd the War,
Defy'd the forky Lightning from afar.
At fifty Mouths his flaming Breath expires,
And Flash for Flash returns, and Fires for Fires:
In his Right Hand as many Swords he wields,
And takes the Thunder on as many Shields.—
Stood opposite in Arms to mighty Jove:
Mov'd all his hundred Hands, provok'd the War,
Defy'd the forky Lightning from afar.
At fifty Mouths his flaming Breath expires,
And Flash for Flash returns, and Fires for Fires:
In his Right Hand as many Swords he wields,
And takes the Thunder on as many Shields.—
Nor in less Danger were the Realms above:
To seize the Throne of Jove the Gyants move:
Hills pil'd on Hills, on Mountains Mountains lie,
And form their mad Approaches to the Sky.
Then He, th' Almighty Father, with a Frown,
Hurl'd the red Bolt, and smote Olympus down:
The Structure totter'd at the mighty Stroke,
And Ossa's lofty Top from Pelion broke:
They too, who durst attempt to storm the Sky,
Struck down, with all their ruin'd Mountains, lie.—
To seize the Throne of Jove the Gyants move:
Hills pil'd on Hills, on Mountains Mountains lie,
And form their mad Approaches to the Sky.
Then He, th' Almighty Father, with a Frown,
Hurl'd the red Bolt, and smote Olympus down:
The Structure totter'd at the mighty Stroke,
And Ossa's lofty Top from Pelion broke:
They too, who durst attempt to storm the Sky,
Struck down, with all their ruin'd Mountains, lie.—
She sings, from Earth's dark Womb how Typhon rose,
And struck with mortal Fear his heav'nly Foes.
How the Gods fled to Egypt's slimy Soil,
And hid their Heads beneath the Banks of Nile:
How Typhon, from the conquer'd Skies, pursu'd
Their routed Godheads to the seven-mouth'd Flood:
Forc'd ev'ry God, his Fury to escape,
Some beastly Form to take, or earthly Shape.
Jove, (so she sung,) was chang'd into a Ram,
From whence the Horns of Lybian Ammon came:
Bacchus a Goat, Apollo was a Crow,
Phœbe a Cat, the Wife of Jove a Cow,
Whose Hue was whiter than the falling Snow.
Venus a Fish became, and Mercury
Conceal'd within an Ibis' Form did lie.—
And struck with mortal Fear his heav'nly Foes.
How the Gods fled to Egypt's slimy Soil,
And hid their Heads beneath the Banks of Nile:
How Typhon, from the conquer'd Skies, pursu'd
Their routed Godheads to the seven-mouth'd Flood:
Forc'd ev'ry God, his Fury to escape,
Some beastly Form to take, or earthly Shape.
Jove, (so she sung,) was chang'd into a Ram,
From whence the Horns of Lybian Ammon came:
461
Phœbe a Cat, the Wife of Jove a Cow,
Whose Hue was whiter than the falling Snow.
Venus a Fish became, and Mercury
Conceal'd within an Ibis' Form did lie.—
Huge limb'd Typhœus, whose gigantic Pride
Attack'd the Skies, and ev'ry God defy'd,
Now, with Sicilia's dreadful Weight opprest,
Moves, but with mighty Pains, his heaving Breast:
He struggles oft, and oft attempts to rise,
But on his right Arm vast Pelorus lies:
On's left Pachinus: Lilibæum's spread
O'er his huge Thighs, and Ætna keeps his Head.
On his broad Back he there extended lies,
And vomits Flames and Ashes to the Skies.
Oft, with strong Throws the Monster strives t' abate
His Load of Towns, and the vast Mountain's Weight:
Then the Earth shakes.—
Attack'd the Skies, and ev'ry God defy'd,
Now, with Sicilia's dreadful Weight opprest,
Moves, but with mighty Pains, his heaving Breast:
He struggles oft, and oft attempts to rise,
But on his right Arm vast Pelorus lies:
On's left Pachinus: Lilibæum's spread
O'er his huge Thighs, and Ætna keeps his Head.
On his broad Back he there extended lies,
And vomits Flames and Ashes to the Skies.
Oft, with strong Throws the Monster strives t' abate
His Load of Towns, and the vast Mountain's Weight:
Then the Earth shakes.—
Sprung from the Earth, and Heaven's most furious Foes,
To storm the Skies when mighty Gyants rose,
And proudly sought the Gods that durst oppose:
Jove doubted his own Power, as from a-far,
He view'd the dreadful Order of the War:
When Nature's Frame inverted he beheld,
That Earth rose upward, and that All rebell'd:
That Hills on Hills up-rais'd their threat'ning Head,
And frighted Stars approaching Mountains fled:
When impious Armies, at a monstrous Birth,
Broke thro' the Bowels of the teeming Earth,
Tremendous Race! with disagreeing Forms,
Of all that's horrid mixt.—
To storm the Skies when mighty Gyants rose,
And proudly sought the Gods that durst oppose:
Jove doubted his own Power, as from a-far,
He view'd the dreadful Order of the War:
When Nature's Frame inverted he beheld,
That Earth rose upward, and that All rebell'd:
That Hills on Hills up-rais'd their threat'ning Head,
And frighted Stars approaching Mountains fled:
When impious Armies, at a monstrous Birth,
Broke thro' the Bowels of the teeming Earth,
Tremendous Race! with disagreeing Forms,
Of all that's horrid mixt.—
Typho the Earth produc'd, what Time she strove
To conquer Heaven, and shake the Throne of Jove:
When the fierce Gyants, to their Mother Earth
In Bigness equal, at a wondrous Birth
Burst from her Womb.—But Thunder stop'd their Course,
And tumbling Mountains overwhelm'd their Force.
Typhœus fell: Earth was too weak to save,
And War and He lay bury'd in one Grave.—
To conquer Heaven, and shake the Throne of Jove:
When the fierce Gyants, to their Mother Earth
In Bigness equal, at a wondrous Birth
Burst from her Womb.—But Thunder stop'd their Course,
And tumbling Mountains overwhelm'd their Force.
Typhœus fell: Earth was too weak to save,
And War and He lay bury'd in one Grave.—
| Medulla Poetarum Romanorum | |