And his own Cradle: This (with pious Care
Plac'd on his Back) he cuts the buxome Air,
Seeks the Sun's City, and his facred Church,
And decently lays down his Burden in the Porch.
A Wonder more amazing wou'd we find?
Th' Hyana fhows it, of a double kind,
Varying the Sexes in alternate Years,
In one begets, and in another bears.
The thin Camelion fed with Air, receives
The Colour of the Thing to which he cleaves.
India when conquer'd, on the conqu❜ring God
For planted Vines the fharp-ey'd Lynx bestow'd,
Whofe Urine, fhed before it touches Earth,
Congeals in Air, and gives to Gems their Birth.
So Coral foft, and white in Ocean's Bed,
Comes harden'd up in Air, and glows with Red.
All changing Species fhould my Song recite; Before I ceas'd, wou'd change the Day to Night. Nations and Empires flourish, and decay, By turns command, and in their turns obey; Time foftens hardy People, Time again Hardens to War a foft, unwarlike Train.
Thus Troy for ten long Years her Foes withstood, And daily bleeding bore th' expence of Blood: Now for thick Streets it fhows an empty Space, Or only fill'd with Tombs of her own perish'd Race,
Her felf becomes the Sepulcher of what the was.
Mycene, Sparta, Thebes of mighty Fame,
Are vanish'd out of Subftance into Name.
And Dardan Rome that just begins to rife,
On Tiber's Banks, in time fhall mate the Skies;
Widening her Bounds, and working on her way;
Ev'n now the meditates Imperial Sway:
Yet this is change, but the by changing thrives,
Like Moons new-born, and in her Cradle strives
To fill her Infant-Horns; an Hour fhall come
When the round World shall be contain'd in Rome.
For thus old Saws foretel, and Helenus
Anchifes' drooping Son enliven'd thus;
When Ilium now was in a finking State;
And he was doubtful of his future Fate:
O Goddess born, with thy hard Fortune strive,
Troy never can be loft, and thou alive.
ThyPaffage thou shalt free through Fire and Sword,
And Troy in Foreign Lands fhall be reftor'd.
In happier Fields a rifing Town I see,
Greater than what e'er was, or is, or e'er fhall be
And Heav'n yet owes the World a Race deriv'd from Thee.
Sages and Chiefs, of other Lineage born,
The City shall extend, extended shall adorn;
But from Iulus he muft draw his Breath,
By whom thy Rome fhall rule the conquer'd Earth:
Whom Heav'n will lend Mankind onEarth to reign,
And late require the precious Pledge again,
This Helenus to great Æneas told,
Which I retain, e'er fince in other Mould
My Soul was cloath'd; and now rejoyce to view
My Country Walls rebuilt, and Troy reviv'd anew,
Rais'd by the Fall: Decreed by Loss to Gain ;
Enflav'd but to be free, and conquer'd but to reign.
'Tis time my hard mouth'd Courfers to controul,
Apt to run Riot, and tranfgrefs the Goal:
And therefore I conclude, Whatever lies,
In Earth, or flits in Air, or fills the Skies,
All fuffer Change, and we, that are of Soul I
And Body mix'd, are Members of the whole.
Then when our Sires, or Grandfires, fhall forfake
The Forms of Men, and brutal Figures take,
Thus hous'd, fecurely let their Spirits reft,
Nor violate thy Father in the Beast.
Thy Friend, thy Brother, any of thy Kin,
If none of thefe, yet there's a Man within:
O fpare to make a Thyeftaan Meal,
T'inclose his Body, and his Soul expel.
Ill Customs by degrees to Habits rise, Ill Habits foon become exalted Vice: What more Advance can Mortals make in Sin So near Perfection, who with Blood begin? Deaf to the Calf that lies beneath the Knife, Looks up, and from her Butcher begs her Life: Deaf to the harmless Kid, that ere he dies All Methods to procure thy Mercy tries, And imitates in vain thy Childrens Cries.
Where will he stop, who feeds with Houfhold Bread,
Then eats the Poultry which before he fed ?
Let plough thy Steers; that when they lofe their
Breath,
ToNature,not to thee, they may impute their Death.
Let Goats for Food their loaded Udders lend,
And Sheep from Winter-cold thy Sides defend;
But neither Sprindges, Nets, nor Snares employ,
And be no more Ingenious to destroy.
Free as in Air, let Birds on Earth remain,
Nor let infidious Glue their Wings constrain;
Nor opening Hounds the trembling Stag affright,
Nor purple Feathers intercept his Flight:
Nor Hooks conceal'd in Baits for Fish prepare,
Nor Lines to heave 'em twinkling up in Air.
Take not away the Life you cannot give:
For all Things have an equal Right to live.
Kill noxious Creatures, where 'tis Sin to fave;
This only juft Prerogative we have:
But nourish Life with vegetable Food,
And shun the facrilegious Taste of Blood.
Thefe Precepts by the Samian Sage were taught, Which Godlike Numa to the Sabines brought, And thence transferr'd to Rome, by Gift his own: A willing People, and an offer'd Throne.
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