University of Virginia Library

An honest Mind, to Virtue's Precepts true,
Contemns the Fury of a lawless Crew:
Firm as a Rock he to his Purpose stands,
And thinks a Tyrant's Frowns as weak as his Commands.
Him loudest Storms can't from his Centre move,
He braves th' Almighty Thunder ev'n of Jove.
If all the Heav'nly Orbs, confus'dly hurl'd,
Should dash in pieces, and should crush the World,
Undaunted he the mighty Crash would hear,
Nor in his Breast admit a Thought of Fear.

Pollux and wand'ring Hercules of old,
Were by such Acts among the Gods enroll'd.
Augustus thus the shining Pow'rs possess'd,
By all th' immortal Deities caress'd;
He shares with them in their etherial Feasts,
And quaffs bright Nectar with the Heav'nly Guests.
This was the Path the striking Tygres trod,
Dragging the Car that bore their jolly God,
Who fix'd in Heav'n his Crown and his Abode.
Romulus by Mars through this blest Path was shown,
And scap'd the Woes of gloomy Acheron.
In Virtues rugged Road he took his way,
And gain'd the Mansions of eternal Day;
For him, ev'n Juno's self pronounc'd a Word
Grateful to all th' Ethereal Council-Board.

O Ilion, Ilion! I with transport view
The Fall of all thy wicked perjur'd Crew:
Pallas and I have born a rankling Grudge
To that curst Shepherd, that incestuous Judge;
Nay, ev'n Laomedon his Gods betray'd,
And basely broke the solemn Oath he made.
But now the painted Strumpet and her Guest
No more are in their Pomp and Jewels drest;
No more is Hector licens'd to destroy,
To slay the Greeks, and save his perjur'd Troy.
Priam is now become an empty Ghost,
Doom'd with his House to tread the burning Coast.
The God of Battel now has ceas'd to roar,
And I, the Queen of Heav'n, pursue my Hate no more.
I now the Trojan Priestess Son will give
Back to his warlike Sire, and let him live
In lucid Bow'rs, and give him leave to use
Ambrosia, and the Nectars Heav'nly Juice;
To be enroll'd in these serene Abodes,
And wear the easie Order of the Gods.
In this blest State I grant him to remain,
While Troy from Rome's divided by the Main;
While savage Beasts insult the Trojan Tombs,
And in their Caves unlade their pregnant Wombs.
Let th' exil'd Trojans reign in ev'ry Land,
And let the Capitol triumphant stand,
And all the tributary World command.
Let awful Rome, with sev'n refulgent Heads,
Still keep her Conquests o'er the vanquish'd Medes.
With conqu'ring Terrour let her Arms extend
Her mighty Name to Shores without an end;
Where Mid-land Seas divide the fruitful Soil
From Europe to the swelling Waves of Nile.
Let 'em be greater by despising Gold,
Than digging it from forth its native Mold,
To be the wicked Instrument of Ill.
Let Sword and Ruin ev'ry Country fill,
That strives to stop the Progress of her Arms,
Not only those that sultry Sirius warms;
But where the Fields in endless Winter lie,
Whose Frosts and Snows the Sun's bright Rays defie.
But yet on this Condition I decree
The Warlike Romans happy Destiny;
That when they universal Rule enjoy,
They not presume to raise their antient Troy:
For then all ugly Omens shall return,
And Troy be built, but once again to burn;
Ev'n I my self a second War will move,
Ev'n I, the Sister and the Wife of Jove.
If Phœbus Harp should thrice erect a Wall
And all of Brass, yet thrice the Work should fall,
Sack'd by my Fav'rite Greeks; and thrice again
The Trojan Wives should drag a Captive Chain,
And mourn their Children, and their Husbands slain.

But whither wouldst thou, soaring Muse, aspire
To tell the Counsels of the Heav'nly Choir?
Alas! thou canst not strain thy weakly strings,
To sing in humble Notes such mighty things:
No more the Secrets of the Gods relate,
Thy Tongue's too feeble for a Task so great.