A Miscellany of Poems consisting of Original Poems, Translations, Pastorals in the Cumberland Dialect, Familiar Epistles, Fables, Songs, and Epigrams, by the late Reverend Josiah Relph ... With a Preface and a Glossary |
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The BATTLE of the GIANTS.
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 | A Miscellany of Poems |  |
The BATTLE of the GIANTS.
A Fragment from Claudian.
Tellus of old, urged by a double cause,
Jove's happy empire, and the Titans' woes,
Brought forth in Tartarus an horrid brood;
Then Phlægra opened, of her offspring proud,
To bring the Monster-armies up to light,
And daring meet the heavenly Powers in fight.
Jove's happy empire, and the Titans' woes,
Brought forth in Tartarus an horrid brood;
Then Phlægra opened, of her offspring proud,
To bring the Monster-armies up to light,
And daring meet the heavenly Powers in fight.
A noise ensues—boistrous the rebel rout
Intent on execrable crimes rush out.
With giant strides majestically stalk
Clinch their big fists and Heaven to arms provoke.
Intent on execrable crimes rush out.
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Clinch their big fists and Heaven to arms provoke.
Pale wax the stars, deprived of wonted fire
Apollo's horses terrifyed retire,
And the Bear starteled at so strange a sight,
To seas forbid before precipitates her flight.
Apollo's horses terrifyed retire,
And the Bear starteled at so strange a sight,
To seas forbid before precipitates her flight.
Then thus her issue chears the mother vain,
My sons of Tyrant-Gods the future bane,
Far as your view can stretch, this fight secures;
Yours be the victory, and the world is yours.
Tellus's force give Jove at length to feel;
Must she thus humble to each upstart kneel?
Why did Cybele a superiour bear,
And why of honour mine so small a share?
What heavy pressures do I not sustain?
What means are wanting to procure my pain?
Here on the mount must poor Prometheus stay,
His vitals doomed an everlasting prey:
There Atlas groans beneath the pond'rous spheres,
While iceicles depend around his ears.
Why shou'd I Tityus name whose growing heart
Matter administers for endless smart?
My sons of Tyrant-Gods the future bane,
Far as your view can stretch, this fight secures;
Yours be the victory, and the world is yours.
Tellus's force give Jove at length to feel;
Must she thus humble to each upstart kneel?
Why did Cybele a superiour bear,
And why of honour mine so small a share?
What heavy pressures do I not sustain?
What means are wanting to procure my pain?
Here on the mount must poor Prometheus stay,
His vitals doomed an everlasting prey:
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While iceicles depend around his ears.
Why shou'd I Tityus name whose growing heart
Matter administers for endless smart?
But you at length avenge my wrongs in fight,
Rescue the Titans and a parent's right:
You want not fatal instruments of war;
Mountains and rocks, your mother's members tear;
Herself an instrument will gladly be,
To prove the downfall of this tyranny.
Undaunted then my dear avengers rise
And humble yon proud turrets of the skies.
How rich the spoils!—Typhaeus must prepare,
To launch the thunder and the scepter bear;
Encelladus must o'er the sea præside;
Aurora's chariot let some other guide;
While thou Porphyrion, shalt thy temples grace
With Delphic wreaths and take Apollo's place.
Rescue the Titans and a parent's right:
You want not fatal instruments of war;
Mountains and rocks, your mother's members tear;
Herself an instrument will gladly be,
To prove the downfall of this tyranny.
Undaunted then my dear avengers rise
And humble yon proud turrets of the skies.
How rich the spoils!—Typhaeus must prepare,
To launch the thunder and the scepter bear;
Encelladus must o'er the sea præside;
Aurora's chariot let some other guide;
While thou Porphyrion, shalt thy temples grace
With Delphic wreaths and take Apollo's place.
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Thus soothed the dame her sons with idle dreams
To them all heaven above at mercy seems,
And Neptune draged indignant from his streams
This thinks he makes the potent Mars his prey,
That robs poor captive Phœbus of his ray.
With Cytherea one his fancy warms,
Another clasps Diana in his arms,
Or vows to violate the chast Minerva's charms.
To them all heaven above at mercy seems,
And Neptune draged indignant from his streams
This thinks he makes the potent Mars his prey,
That robs poor captive Phœbus of his ray.
With Cytherea one his fancy warms,
Another clasps Diana in his arms,
Or vows to violate the chast Minerva's charms.
Mean while th' immortal Powers convene above,
From streams and lakes sollicitous they move;
The very distant Manes bring their aid;
Queen Proserpine forsakes the stygian shade,
And Pluto monarch of the silent night
Directs his horses to the realms of light:
His horses wildly wonder at the day,
And while they panting strain up the steep way,
Thick clouds of darkness round their nostrils play.
From streams and lakes sollicitous they move;
The very distant Manes bring their aid;
Queen Proserpine forsakes the stygian shade,
And Pluto monarch of the silent night
Directs his horses to the realms of light:
His horses wildly wonder at the day,
And while they panting strain up the steep way,
Thick clouds of darkness round their nostrils play.
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As when a town dreads some vast engine's power,
All flock promiscuous to defend the tower:
Just so the Gods of every station ran,
To guard the throne of Jove, who thus began;
All flock promiscuous to defend the tower:
Just so the Gods of every station ran,
To guard the throne of Jove, who thus began;
Immortal Powers, above the reach of fate
(And well ye merit that immortal state)
See Terra's new born sons a numerous train,
Advance to terminate the heavenly reign;
But give her pride those sons extinct to mourn,
And into trouble all her transport turn.
(And well ye merit that immortal state)
See Terra's new born sons a numerous train,
Advance to terminate the heavenly reign;
But give her pride those sons extinct to mourn,
And into trouble all her transport turn.
Now was the signal given on either side,
A ratling shower the trumpet's sound supplyed;
Nature quaked for her Lord; the powerfull crew
All things into a second chaos threw:
Islands are forced up from the foaming main,
Beneath the waters skulk the rocks in vain:
Where seas late rolled is now a naked shore,
And streams now run where streams ne'er ran before.
Whirled with vast force here Octe clouds the sky,
There swings Pangaum just prepared to fly:
This Ossa from its firm foundation tears,
That Rhodope with Hebers fountain rears,
A third Olimpus to his shoulder heaves,
Enipeus down his back impetuous hurls its waves,
The earth becomes a level boundless plain,
In airy regions wild disorders reign,
And harsh ungratefull crashes shock the brain.
A ratling shower the trumpet's sound supplyed;
Nature quaked for her Lord; the powerfull crew
All things into a second chaos threw:
Islands are forced up from the foaming main,
Beneath the waters skulk the rocks in vain:
Where seas late rolled is now a naked shore,
And streams now run where streams ne'er ran before.
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There swings Pangaum just prepared to fly:
This Ossa from its firm foundation tears,
That Rhodope with Hebers fountain rears,
A third Olimpus to his shoulder heaves,
Enipeus down his back impetuous hurls its waves,
The earth becomes a level boundless plain,
In airy regions wild disorders reign,
And harsh ungratefull crashes shock the brain.
First driven with active rage the God of war
Against the horrid foe impells his car;
His shield glares dreadfull in each hostile face,
The waving plumes his glittering helmet grace:
Down comes his sword a-cross Pelorus' groin,
Just where two snakes his ugly bowels join:
With such a dexterous force he gave the wound,
Three worthless lives a worthy period found:
Triumphant o'er the yielding corpse he rode,
And spotted all his car with spouting blood.
Against the horrid foe impells his car;
His shield glares dreadfull in each hostile face,
The waving plumes his glittering helmet grace:
Down comes his sword a-cross Pelorus' groin,
Just where two snakes his ugly bowels join:
With such a dexterous force he gave the wound,
Three worthless lives a worthy period found:
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And spotted all his car with spouting blood.
Then Mimas furious at his brothers fate,
Raised up all Lemnus's unwieldy weight:
All Lemnus charged with Vulcan's forge had flown,
But Mars's spear fell heavy on his crown;
The batter'd brains his widening jaws discharge,
And every lifeless limb drops down and lies at large:
Not so the snakes, they still remain secure;
Still hiss his snakes, still scorn the Victor's power.
Raised up all Lemnus's unwieldy weight:
All Lemnus charged with Vulcan's forge had flown,
But Mars's spear fell heavy on his crown;
The batter'd brains his widening jaws discharge,
And every lifeless limb drops down and lies at large:
Not so the snakes, they still remain secure;
Still hiss his snakes, still scorn the Victor's power.
Now with a warlike grace the Warriour-maid
Steped forth; her shield the Gorgon's face display'd:
Her shield alone (sufficient arms!) she bore:
Who sees it once is doomed to see no more;
And Pallas first the fatal object saw;
His curdling blood thrô each cold vein crept slow.
What means this lazy lethargy, he cryed,
Why stand I like some marble statue tyed?
Steped forth; her shield the Gorgon's face display'd:
Her shield alone (sufficient arms!) she bore:
Who sees it once is doomed to see no more;
And Pallas first the fatal object saw;
His curdling blood thrô each cold vein crept slow.
What means this lazy lethargy, he cryed,
Why stand I like some marble statue tyed?
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But said no more—the gift of speech was gone,
His every faculty lay lost in stone;
And as Damastor sought some rock to throw,
By sad mistake he whirled him at the foe.
His every faculty lay lost in stone;
And as Damastor sought some rock to throw,
By sad mistake he whirled him at the foe.
Echion, wondring, at his brothers change,
And ignorant of it's author vows revenge
But vows in vain—the Gorgon meets his eyes
He owns Minerva's matchless force and dies.
And ignorant of it's author vows revenge
But vows in vain—the Gorgon meets his eyes
He owns Minerva's matchless force and dies.
Palleneus then advances in a rage,
With eyes averse the Goddess to ingage,
The Goddess grasps her sword and gives a blow,
The Monster falling loads the plain below;
His gazing snakes mean while congeal to stone;
Thus part by weapon falls and part by looking on.
With eyes averse the Goddess to ingage,
The Goddess grasps her sword and gives a blow,
The Monster falling loads the plain below;
His gazing snakes mean while congeal to stone;
Thus part by weapon falls and part by looking on.
But see! Porphyrion midst the deep essays
The trembling Delos from its root to raise:
Ægeus quakes; from watery caves retire
Affrighted Thetis and her hoary Sire;
Neptune's late crouded palace is become,
An empty silent, solitary dome:
The nymphs on Cynthus' summits fill the skies
With sad complaints and pity-moving cries:
(The nymphs that careful did a couch compose,
When fair Latona felt a parents throes,
That taught young Phœbus how to throw the dart,
With all the secrets of the sylvan art,)
Distressfull Delos begs her Pean's aid,
“If in my lap thy infant limbs were laid,
“O help—again I move.—[OMITTED]
The trembling Delos from its root to raise:
Ægeus quakes; from watery caves retire
Affrighted Thetis and her hoary Sire;
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An empty silent, solitary dome:
The nymphs on Cynthus' summits fill the skies
With sad complaints and pity-moving cries:
(The nymphs that careful did a couch compose,
When fair Latona felt a parents throes,
That taught young Phœbus how to throw the dart,
With all the secrets of the sylvan art,)
Distressfull Delos begs her Pean's aid,
“If in my lap thy infant limbs were laid,
“O help—again I move.—[OMITTED]
| A Miscellany of Poems | |