The Works, In Verse and Prose, of Leonard Welsted ... Now First Collected. With Historical Notes, And Biographical Memoirs of the Author, by John Nichols |
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The Deification of Julius Cæsar.
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 | The Works, In Verse and Prose, of Leonard Welsted |  |
The Deification of Julius Cæsar.
But Æsculapius was a foreign power:
In his own city Cæsar we adore:
Him Arms and Arts alike renown'd beheld,
In peace conspicuous, dreadful in the field;
His rapid conquests, and swift finish'd wars,
The Hero justly fix'd among the stars;
Yet is his progeny his greatest fame:
The Son immortal makes the Father's name.
The sea-girt Britons, by his courage tam'd,
For their high rocky cliffs and fierceness fam'd;
His dreadful navies, which victorious rode
O'er Nile's affrighted waves and seven-sourc'd flood;
Numidia, and the spacious realms regain'd,
Where Cinyphis or flows, or Juba reign'd;
The powers of titled Mithridates broke,
And Pontus added to the Roman yoke;
Triumphal shows decreed, for conquests won,
For conquests which the triumphs still outshone;
These are great deeds; yet less, than to have given
The world a Lord, in whom, propitious Heaven,
When you decreed the sovereign rule to place,
You bless'd with lavish bounty human race.
In his own city Cæsar we adore:
Him Arms and Arts alike renown'd beheld,
In peace conspicuous, dreadful in the field;
His rapid conquests, and swift finish'd wars,
The Hero justly fix'd among the stars;
104
The Son immortal makes the Father's name.
The sea-girt Britons, by his courage tam'd,
For their high rocky cliffs and fierceness fam'd;
His dreadful navies, which victorious rode
O'er Nile's affrighted waves and seven-sourc'd flood;
Numidia, and the spacious realms regain'd,
Where Cinyphis or flows, or Juba reign'd;
The powers of titled Mithridates broke,
And Pontus added to the Roman yoke;
Triumphal shows decreed, for conquests won,
For conquests which the triumphs still outshone;
These are great deeds; yet less, than to have given
The world a Lord, in whom, propitious Heaven,
When you decreed the sovereign rule to place,
You bless'd with lavish bounty human race.
Now lest so great a Prince might seem to rise
Of mortal stem, his Sire must reach the skies;
The beauteous Goddess, that Æneas bore,
Foresaw it, and foreseeing did deplore;
For well she knew her Hero's fate was nigh,
Devoted by conspiring arms to die.
Trembling, and pale, to every God, she cry'd,
“Behold, what deep and subtle arts are try'd,
“To end the last, the only branch that springs
“From my Iulus, and the Dardan kings!
“How bent they are! how desperate to destroy
“All that is left me of unhappy Troy!
“Am I alone by Fate ordain'd to know
“Uninterrupted care, and endless woe?
“Now from Tydides' spear I feel the wound:
“Now Ilium's towers the hostile flames surround:
“Troy laid in dust, my exil'd son I mourn,
“Through angry seas, and raging billows borne;
“O'er the wide deep his wandering course he bends;
“Now to the sullen shades of Styx descends,
“With Turnus driven at last fierce wars to wage,
“Or rather with unpitying Juno's rage.
“But why record I now my ancient woes?
“Sense of past ills in present fears I lose;
“On me their points the impious daggers throw;
“Forbid it, Gods, repel the direful blow:
“If by curs'd weapons Numa's priest expires,
“No longer shall ye burn, ye vestal fires.”
Of mortal stem, his Sire must reach the skies;
The beauteous Goddess, that Æneas bore,
Foresaw it, and foreseeing did deplore;
For well she knew her Hero's fate was nigh,
Devoted by conspiring arms to die.
Trembling, and pale, to every God, she cry'd,
“Behold, what deep and subtle arts are try'd,
“To end the last, the only branch that springs
“From my Iulus, and the Dardan kings!
“How bent they are! how desperate to destroy
“All that is left me of unhappy Troy!
“Am I alone by Fate ordain'd to know
“Uninterrupted care, and endless woe?
“Now from Tydides' spear I feel the wound:
“Now Ilium's towers the hostile flames surround:
“Troy laid in dust, my exil'd son I mourn,
“Through angry seas, and raging billows borne;
“O'er the wide deep his wandering course he bends;
“Now to the sullen shades of Styx descends,
“With Turnus driven at last fierce wars to wage,
“Or rather with unpitying Juno's rage.
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“Sense of past ills in present fears I lose;
“On me their points the impious daggers throw;
“Forbid it, Gods, repel the direful blow:
“If by curs'd weapons Numa's priest expires,
“No longer shall ye burn, ye vestal fires.”
While such complainings Cypria's grief disclose;
In each celestial breast compassion rose:
Not Gods can alter Fate's resistless will;
Yet they foretold by signs th' approaching ill.
Dreadful were heard. among the clouds, alarms
Of echoing trumpets, and of clashing arms;
The sun's pale image gave so faint a light,
That the sad earth was almost veil'd in night;
The æther's face with fiery meteors glow'd;
With storms of hail were mingled drops of blood;
A dusky hue the morning star o'erspread,
And the moon's orb was stain'd with spots of red;
In every place portentous shrieks were heard,
The fatal warnings of th' infernal bird;
In every place the marble melts to tears;
While in the groves, rever'd through length of years,
Boding and awful sounds the ear invade,
And solemn music warbles through the shade;
No victim can atone the impious age,
No sacrifice the wrathful Gods assuage;
Dire wars and civil fury threat the state;
And every omen points out Cæsar's fate:
Around each hallow'd shrine, and sacred dome,
Night-howling dogs disturb the peaceful gloom;
Their silent seats the wandering shades forsake,
And fearful tremblings the rock'd city shake.
In each celestial breast compassion rose:
Not Gods can alter Fate's resistless will;
Yet they foretold by signs th' approaching ill.
Dreadful were heard. among the clouds, alarms
Of echoing trumpets, and of clashing arms;
The sun's pale image gave so faint a light,
That the sad earth was almost veil'd in night;
The æther's face with fiery meteors glow'd;
With storms of hail were mingled drops of blood;
A dusky hue the morning star o'erspread,
And the moon's orb was stain'd with spots of red;
In every place portentous shrieks were heard,
The fatal warnings of th' infernal bird;
In every place the marble melts to tears;
While in the groves, rever'd through length of years,
Boding and awful sounds the ear invade,
And solemn music warbles through the shade;
No victim can atone the impious age,
No sacrifice the wrathful Gods assuage;
Dire wars and civil fury threat the state;
And every omen points out Cæsar's fate:
Around each hallow'd shrine, and sacred dome,
Night-howling dogs disturb the peaceful gloom;
Their silent seats the wandering shades forsake,
And fearful tremblings the rock'd city shake.
Yet could not, by these prodigies, be broke
The plotted charm, or stay'd the fatal stroke;
Their swords th' assassins in the temple draw;
Their murthering hands nor Gods nor temples awe;
This sacred place their bloody weapons stain,
And Virtue falls before the altar slain.
'Twas now fair Cypria, with her woes oppress'd,
In raging anguish smote her heavenly breast;
Wild with distracting fears, the Goddess try'd
Her Hero in th' etherial cloud to hide,
The cloud which youthful Paris did conceal,
When Menelaus urg'd the threatening steel;
The cloud, which once deceiv'd Tydides' sight,
And sav'd Æneas in th' unequal fight.
The plotted charm, or stay'd the fatal stroke;
Their swords th' assassins in the temple draw;
Their murthering hands nor Gods nor temples awe;
This sacred place their bloody weapons stain,
And Virtue falls before the altar slain.
106
In raging anguish smote her heavenly breast;
Wild with distracting fears, the Goddess try'd
Her Hero in th' etherial cloud to hide,
The cloud which youthful Paris did conceal,
When Menelaus urg'd the threatening steel;
The cloud, which once deceiv'd Tydides' sight,
And sav'd Æneas in th' unequal fight.
When Jove—“In vain, fair daughter, you assay
“To o'er-rule Destiny's unconquer'd sway:
“Your doubts to banish, enter Fate's abode;
“A privilege to heavenly powers allow'd;
“There shall you see the records grav'd, in length,
“On iron and solid brass, with mighty strength;
“Which heaven's and earth's concussion shall endure;
“Maugre all shocks, eternal and secure:
“There, on perennial adamant design'd,
“The various fortunes of your race you'll find:
“Well I have mark'd them, and will now relate
“To thee the settled laws of future Fate.
“He, Goddess, for whose death the Fates you blame,
“Has finish'd his determin'd course with fame:
“To thee 'tis given, at length, that he shall shine
“Among the Gods, and grace the worship'd shrine:
“His Son to all his greatness shall be heir,
“And worthily succeed to empire's care:
“Ourself will lead his wars, resolv'd to aid
“The brave avenger of his Father's shade:
“To him its freedom Mutina shall owe,
“And Decius his auspicious conduct know:
“His dreadful powers shall shake Pharsalia's plain,
“And drench in gore Philippi's fields again:
“A mighty Leader, in Sicilia's flood,
“Great Pompey's warlike Son, shall be subdued:
“Ægypt's soft Queen, adorn'd with fatal charms,
“Shall mourn her Soldier's unsuccessful arms:
“Too late shall find, her swelling hopes were vain,
“And know, that Rome o'er Memphis still must reign:
“What name I Afric or Nile's hidden head?
“Far as both oceans roll, his power shall spread:
“All the known earth to him shall homage pay,
“And the seas own his universal sway:
“When cruel war no more disturbs mankind;
“To civil studies shall he bend his mind,
“With equal justice guardian laws ordain,
“And by his great example vice restrain:
“Where will his bounty or his goodness end?
“To times unborn his generous views extend;
“The virtues of his Heir our praise engage,
“And promise blessings to the coming age:
“Late shall he in his kindred orbs be plac'd,
“With Pylian years, and crowded honours grac'd.
“Meantime, your Hero's fleeting spirit bear,
“Fresh from his wounds, and change it to a star:
“So shall great Julius rites divine assume,
“And from the skies eternal smile on Rome.”
“To o'er-rule Destiny's unconquer'd sway:
“Your doubts to banish, enter Fate's abode;
“A privilege to heavenly powers allow'd;
“There shall you see the records grav'd, in length,
“On iron and solid brass, with mighty strength;
“Which heaven's and earth's concussion shall endure;
“Maugre all shocks, eternal and secure:
“There, on perennial adamant design'd,
“The various fortunes of your race you'll find:
“Well I have mark'd them, and will now relate
“To thee the settled laws of future Fate.
“He, Goddess, for whose death the Fates you blame,
“Has finish'd his determin'd course with fame:
“To thee 'tis given, at length, that he shall shine
“Among the Gods, and grace the worship'd shrine:
“His Son to all his greatness shall be heir,
“And worthily succeed to empire's care:
“Ourself will lead his wars, resolv'd to aid
“The brave avenger of his Father's shade:
“To him its freedom Mutina shall owe,
“And Decius his auspicious conduct know:
“His dreadful powers shall shake Pharsalia's plain,
“And drench in gore Philippi's fields again:
“A mighty Leader, in Sicilia's flood,
“Great Pompey's warlike Son, shall be subdued:
“Ægypt's soft Queen, adorn'd with fatal charms,
“Shall mourn her Soldier's unsuccessful arms:
“Too late shall find, her swelling hopes were vain,
“And know, that Rome o'er Memphis still must reign:
107
“Far as both oceans roll, his power shall spread:
“All the known earth to him shall homage pay,
“And the seas own his universal sway:
“When cruel war no more disturbs mankind;
“To civil studies shall he bend his mind,
“With equal justice guardian laws ordain,
“And by his great example vice restrain:
“Where will his bounty or his goodness end?
“To times unborn his generous views extend;
“The virtues of his Heir our praise engage,
“And promise blessings to the coming age:
“Late shall he in his kindred orbs be plac'd,
“With Pylian years, and crowded honours grac'd.
“Meantime, your Hero's fleeting spirit bear,
“Fresh from his wounds, and change it to a star:
“So shall great Julius rites divine assume,
“And from the skies eternal smile on Rome.”
This spoke, the Goddess to the Senate flew:
Where, her fair form conceal'd from mortal view,
Her Cæsar's heavenly part she made her care,
Nor left the recent soul to waste to air;
But bore it upwards to its native skies:
Glowing with new-born fires she saw it rise;
Forth springing from her bosom up it flew,
And, kindling as it soar'd, a comet grew;
Above the lunar sphere it took its flight,
And shot behind it a long trail of light.
Where, her fair form conceal'd from mortal view,
Her Cæsar's heavenly part she made her care,
Nor left the recent soul to waste to air;
But bore it upwards to its native skies:
Glowing with new-born fires she saw it rise;
Forth springing from her bosom up it flew,
And, kindling as it soar'd, a comet grew;
Above the lunar sphere it took its flight,
And shot behind it a long trail of light.
| The Works, In Verse and Prose, of Leonard Welsted | |