110

But, to th' amazement of the list'ning throngs,
Th' unvary'd soothing strain awhile prolongs.
Meantime the fiend, embolden'd by success,
And pleas'd to view the Grecian host's distress,
Thinks nothing done, till, fir'd with mutual rage,
The rival kings in impious fight engage;
And lest, unaided, her attempts should fail,
When force coinbin'd might easily prevail,
Megæra partner of her toils she makes,
And summons to the charge her kindred snakes.
For this a passage with her Stygian blade
In a lone valley for her voice she made;
And mutters words, that shook the depth of Hell,
And rous'd the fury from her gloomy cell:
Then a loud-hissing horned snake she rears,
Conspicuous midst the matted tuft of hairs:
Earth groans disparting at the dreadful sound,
Olympus trembles, and the deeps rebound; 100
While, wak'd to sudden wrath, th' ethereal sire
Demands his bolts, and threats the world with fire.
Her comrade at the distant summons shook,
As near her parent's side her stand she took;
While Capaneus harangues th' assembled ghosts,
And loud applauses rend the Stygian coasts.
Swift from the baleful regions of the dead
Th' ascending monster bar'd her horrid head.
The shades rejoice: the circling clouds give way,
And Hell exults with unexpected day.
Her sister flew to meet her, swift as wind;
And thus unfolds the purpose of her mind.
"Thus far our father's harsh commands I've borne,
Alone on Earth, expos'd to mortals' scorn,
While you, exempt from war and hostile rage,
The pliant ghosts with gentle sway assuage.
Nor are my hopes deceiv'd, or lábours vain:
Witness this crimson stream, and reeking plain;
To me dread Pluto owes the num'rous shades,
That swarm in Styx, and the Lethæan glades. 120
These are my triumphs, this the dire success
Acquir'd by toils, and purchas'd with distress.
Let Mars command the fates of either host;
'Tis not of vulgar deaths alone 1 boast:
Ye saw (for sure his figure must command
Your notice, as he stalk'd along the strand)
A martial chief, whose terrour-breathing face
And hands black streams of lukewarm gore disgrace.
Inspir'd by me, on human flesh he fed,
And with his teeth defac'd the victor's head.
Ye heard (for Nature felt the thunder-shock,
That might have riv'd an adamantine rock)
When Jove in all his terrours sate array'd,
And summon'd all the godhead to his aid,
To wreak his vengeance on a son of Earth:
I smil'd, for such a scene provok'd my mirth.
But now (for ever unreserv'd and free
I trust the secrets of my soul to thee)
My hands refuse the blunted torch to rear,
And the tir'd serpents loath this upper air. 140

130

97. Then a] The cerastes has horns like a m's, and a very small body. It was probably from this description Milton took the hint of the following verses.

But on they roll'd in heaps, and up the trees Climbing, sat thicker than the suaky locks That curl'd Megæra. Par. Lost, b. 10. v. 558. 113. Thus] One cannot sufficiently admire the fire, spirit, and propriety of this oration, and with what art the character of the fury Tisiphone is supported.

169

170

And with her artful conduct turn the scale,
Or Edipus, whose importuniug pray'r
Experience tells us oft has urg'd to spare.
Oft is he seen from converse to retire,
In secret weep, and act again the sire.
For this my bold excursion I postpone
To Thebes, despairing to succeed alone.
Then let the banish'd prince your cares engage,
Lest leugth of time o'ercome his less'ning rage.
But most beware, lest mild Adrastus sway
His youthful mind, and interrupt the fray."
Their parts assign'd, the sister-furies sped
Each diff'rent ways, as their engagements led.
As when two winds from adverse quarters try
With equal lungs their titles to the sky,
Beneath the blast the waves and woods resound,
And one mis-shapen waste deforms the ground;
The mourning hinds their various loss deplore,
Yet thank that lot which kept them safe on shore.
When Jove, enthron'd in open air, survey'd
The day polluted with a double shade,
While murky spots obscur'd the louring skies
And Phoebus, sternly to the gods he cries:
"We saw the furies impious combat wage,
And brook'd, while moderation check'd their rage:
Though one to fight unequal durst aspire, 181
And fell the victim of celestial ire.
But deeds approach, as yet on Earth unknown,
For which the tears of ages can't atone.
O turn your eyes, nor let the gods survey
The fatal horrours of this guilty day.
Sufficient was the specimen, I ween,
When Sol, disgusted at the rites obscene
Of impious Tantalus, recall'd his light;
And now again ye mourn a sudden night.
Great as the crime appears, at Mercy's pray'r
The tenants both of Heav'n and Earth I spare.
But Heav'n forbid, Astræa's chaster eye,
Or the fair Twins, such hellish acts descry."

190

152. And choose the standards] The meaning of this is, choose whether you will inspirit Eteecles or Polynices to the combat.

169. As when] The winds perhaps have been the subject of more comparisons than any one thing in nature. Homer, Virgil, and the greatest geniuses of ancient and modern times abound in them, out of which the following comes nearest our author's.

Adversi rupto ceu quondam turbine venti Configunt, Zephyrusque Notusque et lætus eo's Eurus equis: stridunt sylva: sævitque tridenti Spumeus, atque imo Nereus ciet æquora fuada

a. b. 2.

Amid the crowd she stands, and wafts his vows
From Jove to Proserpine's tremendous spouse.
"O thou, from whom (though envying Argos boast
Saturnia's presence on her favour'd coast)
We sprung, a race of origin divine,
What time, a votary to Cupid's shrine,
Great Jove was seen in less than human shape,
Our orgies interrupted by the rape,
Whilst on thy back the cheated fair one rode,
Unconscious of th' embraces of a god;
Nor only then (if we may credit fame)
Wert thou enamour'd of a Theban dame!
At length our walls have prov'd thy grateful sense
Of ancient services: as in defence

310

820

Of thy own Heav'n the vengeful thunders roll'd,
Such as our sires with horrour heard of old.
Accept these off'rings then, thy mercies claim,
Nor let in vain the votive altars flame.
Let these suffice. Our best endeavours prove
A trivial recompense for heav'nly love.
To Bacchus and Alcides we resign
This office, where 'tis theirs alone to shine."
He paus'd; when bursting forth with sable glare,
The flames invade his diadem and hair.
The victim then, uninjur'd by the wound,
With bloody foam distain'd the sacred ground,
At the bright altar aim'd a furious stroke,
And thro' th' opposing crowd impetuous broke. 550
Forth from the fane the pale attendants spring,
And the sage augur scarce consoles the king.
At length he issues orders to renew

The rites, and screens his fears from public view.
Thus Hercules, when first he felt the pains
Of the slow poison raging in his veins,
Patient awhile his part at th' altar bore:
Then, as his anguish grew at ev'ry pore,

313. Nor only then] The lady here hinted at is Semele, to whom he alludes in the following

verse:

Such as our sires with horrour heard of old. 325. When bursting] This ominous incident seems taken from Virgil, who says in his seventh Eneid,

Præterea castis adolet dum altaria tædis,
Et juxta genitorem astat Lavinia virgo:
Visa, nefas, longis comprendere crinibus ignem,
Atque omnem ornatum flammâ crepitante cremari,
Regalesque accensa comas, accensa coronam
Insignem gemmis: tum fumida lumine fulvo
Involvi, ac totis Vulcanum spargere tectis. V. 71.

335. Thus Hercules] I believe most of my readers are acquainted with the history of this affair and therefore shall make no apology for referring those who are not to Seneca, who has written a play on this subject, entitled Hercules

:

Etaeus.

340

530

Gave vent to groans that pierc'd the pitying skies, And wildly left th' unfinish'd sacrifice. Whilst anxious cares perplex his tortur'd mind, Young Epytus (his porter's charge assign'd To substitutes less swift of foot) drew near, And, panting, thus salutes the royal ear. "O wave these rites, ye solemnize in vain; Nor let such cares withhold you from the plain. When groves of hostile spears beset our gates, Our fate depends on action, not debates. Thy foe, O monarch, thunders at the walls; And thee to combat, thee alone he calls." His comrades turn away, and while he speaks, Sighs heave each breast, and tears bedew their His army vent their murmurs to the skies; [checks. At length in agony of grief he cries, "Say, why was guiltless Capaneus destroy'd? Here rather be thy bolts, O Jove, employ'd." In the king's breast now fear and anger wage A short-liv'd war, but soon are lost in rage. Thus when the victor-bull hears from afar His exil'd rival hast ning to the war, He stalks, exulting in collected might, Foams with excess of rage, and hopes the fight: His heels the sand, his goring horns provoke The passive air with many a well-aim'd stroke; While the fair herd, with anxious horrour mute, | Expect the issue of the stern dispute.

360

945. O wave these rites] From the begining of this speech to the close of the book there is a constant succession of all the graces of poetry. The pleasing and terrible, the sublime and the pathetic, are here worked up to perfection, and shown in their proper colours. They not only force the reader's attention, but admiration. The distress is here wound up to its highest pitch, and the characters of Eteocles, Polynices, Antigoo. and Edipus, admirably supported. The reader will, I hope, excuse this and other sallies of en thusiasm, as it is but natural for a translator to have some predilection for his author, whic may sometimes transport a young critic too far. It is hoped however that men of taste will acknowledge that Statius in this book deserves a high degree of praise and admiration.

$59. Thus when, &c.] The reader may ecapare this with the following simile from Tasso, Non altramente il tauro, ove l' irriti Geloso amor con stimuli pungenti, Horribilmente mugge, e co' muggiti Gli spirti in se risveglia, e l' ire ardenti, E' corno aguzza ai tronchi, e par, ch' inviti Con vani colpi alla battaglia i venti, Sparge co'l piè l' arena, e'l suo rivale Da lunge sfida à guerra aspra, e mortale. Gierus. c. 7. st. 55.

480

"Say, whence this rage, and why so soon again
The warring furies quit their nether reign?
Was it so slight two adverse hosts to lead,
And fight by proxy on th' ensanguin'd mead,
That nothing but a duel can appease
Your mutual wrath, nor less than murder please?
Where will the victor have recourse for rest?
Say, will he court it on this slighted breast?
Thrice happy spouse in this thy gloomy state!
O had these eyes but shar'd an equal fate!
And must I see?-Ah! whither dost thou turn
Those eyes that with revengeful fury burn?
What mean these symptoms of a tortur'd breast,
Harsh-grinding teeth, and murmurs half-supprest?
Hop'st thou to see thy mother overcome?
First thou must try these odious arms at home.
I'll stop thee in the threshold of the gate,
And, while I can, oppose the fell debate.
First thou shalt pierce, in fulness of thy rage,
These breasts, that fed thee in thy tender age; 490
While hurried on by thee, the furious horse
Spurns my hoar head, and tramples on my corse.
Why dost thou thus repel me with thy shield?
Forbear, and to my just entreaties yield.
No honours to the furies have I paid,
Nor against thee invok'd infernal aid.
'Tis not stern Edipus, thy vengeful sire,
Thy bliss, thy welfare only I desire.

I ask thee but to halt awhile, and weigh
The guilt and dangers of th' intended fray.
What tho' thy brother summons thee to fight,
Presuming on imaginary might?

500

510

No friend is near his fury to restrain:
Thee all entreat, thee all entreat in vain.
Him to the fight Adrastus may persuade,
Or should he check, scarce hopes to be obey'd.
Wilt thou then leave us here absorb'd in woe,
To vent thy anger on a brother foe?"
Nor did a virgin's tender fears withhold
The fair Antigone, but fobly bold
She rush'd amidst the crowd, resolv'd to gain
The wall, whose height commands the subject plain.
Old Actor follows with unequal pace,
Enfeebled ere he reach'd the destin'd place.
Her brother she discern'd not, as afar
She saw him glitter in the pomp of war:
But when she heard him insolently loud
Discharge his darts, and thunder in the crowd,
She screams, and as about to quit the walls,
On Polynices thus aloud she calls.
"Awhile thy arms, and horrid crest resign,
And to yon tow'r thy roving eyes confine.
Know'st thou thy foes, and dost thou thus demand
Our lawful share of the supreme command?
Whate'er may be the merits of the cause,
Such conduct cannot meet with our applause.
By all the gods of Argos, (for our own
Dishonour'd and of no repute are grown)
By thy fair spouse, and all thy soul holds dear,
O calm thy passion, and a sister hear.
Of either host behold a num'rous train,
Permit not these to sue, and sue in vain.
This, only this I claim as the reward
Of my suspected love, and firm regard.

520

530

527. For our own] This is a very bitter remonstrance of his disregard to his native town, by bringing a foreign army to besiege it.

Unbind the martial terrours of thy brow,
Dismiss each frown, and give me yet to know,
That what with honest freedom I impart
Has wrought a just impression on thy heart. [won
Fame says, thy mother's suppliant groans have
Eteocles, her more obsequious son:
540
But I return repulsed, who day and night
Have wept thy exile, and bemoan'd thy flight.
By me thy haughty father was appeas'd,
E'en the stern Edipus, so rarely pleas'd.
Thy brother stands acquitted of the crime:
What tho' he reign'd beyond th' allotted time,
And broke his faith? yet he repents at last,
And wisely shuns the censure of the past.”
Still'd by these words, his rage began to cease,
And his tumultuous soul was hush'd to peace; 550
His grasp relax'd, he gently turns the reins,
And sadly silent for a while remains.
Thick-issuing groans his blunted anger show,
And tears, by nature only taught to flow.
But while he hesitates as in a trance,
Asham'd alike to linger or advance,
The gates broke down, his mother thrust aside,
Freed by the fury, thus his rival cried.
"Brother, at length I come, yet much repine
The glory of the challenge must be thine.
Yet trust me, 'twas my mother who delay'd
The wish'd for combat, and withheld my blade.
Soon shall this headless state, our native land,
Be subject to the conqueror's command."
Nor was the prince more mild in his replies:
"Now, tyrant, dost thou know thy faith?" he cries:
"Thou actest now at length a brother's part;
But come, and prove the fury of my dart.
Such covenants alone to choose remain,
These are the laws that must secure our reign."570
This answer, stern to view, the chief return'd;
For his proud heart with secret envy burn'd,
As he descry'd his brother's num'rous train,
That swarm'd around him, and half hid the plain,
The purple trappings that his steed adorn,
And studded helm, by monarchs only borne.
Though he himself no common armour bore,
Nor on his back a vulgar tunic wore ;
Th' embroidery his skilful consort (taught
Each art that Lydian damsels practise) wrought.
And now they sally to the dusty plain,
The furies follow, mingling in the train.
Like trusty squires, beside the steeds they stand,
Adjust their trappings with officious hand,

560

581

younger brother Polynices, and even to have admitted him to her embraces, Lactantius.

581. And now they sally to the] It is impossible but the whole attention of the reader must be awakened at this crisis. Nothing could be better contrived to prepossess him with a jest detestation of this impious and unnatural combat than the fiction that preludes it. The images have something in them wonderfully grand and magnificent. We hear Pluto thundering, feel the earth shaking under us, and see Mars, Pallas, and the subaltern deities of war, retiring with the utmost precipitation from so horrid a spectacle. Even, the furies themselves, who were accessory to the duel, when it is upon the point of being fought, are represented as shocked, abashed, and astonished. The circumstance of the mothers