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This faid, he fighing gasp'd, and gasping dy’d.
His death the young Lychopinax efpy'd,

As on the flow'ry brink he pafs'd the day,
Bafk'd in the beams, and loiter'd life away.

Loud fhrieks the Moufe, his fhrieks the shores repeat;
The nibbling nation learn their heroe's fate:
Grief, difmal grief enfues; deep murmurs found,
And fhriller fury fills the deafen'd ground.
From lodge to lodge the facred Heralds run,
To fix their council with the rifing fun;
Where great Troxartas crown'd in glory reigns,
And winds his length'ning court beneath the plains;
Pfycarpax' father, father now no more!

For poor Pfycarpax lies remote from shore ;
Supine he lies! the filent waters stand,
And no kind billow wafts the dead to land!

BOOK H.

WHEN rofy-finger'd morn had ting'd the clouds,

Around their Monarch-Mouse the nation crouds;

Slow rofe the fov'reign, heav'd his anxious breaft,
And thus, the council fill'd with rage, addrest.

For loft Pfycarpax much my foul endures,
"Tis mine the private grief, the public, yours.
Three warlike fons adorn'd my nuptial bed,
Three fons, alas! before their father dead!

Our eldest perish'd by the rav'ning Cat,

As near my court the Prince unheedful fate.
Our next, an engine fraught with danger drew,
The portal gap'd, the bait was hung in view,
Dire Arts affift the Trap, the Fates decoy,
And men unpitying kill'd my gallant Boy!
The laft, his Country's hope, his Parent's pride,
Plung'd in the lake by Phyfignathus dy'd.
Roufe all the war, my friends! avenge the deed,
And bleed that Monarch, and his nation bleed.
His words in ev'ry breaft infpir'd alarms,
And careful Mars fupply'd their hoft with arms.
In verdant hulls defpoil'd of all their beans,
The bufkin'd warriors ftalk'd along the plains:
Quills aptly bound, their bracing corfelet made,
Fac'd with the plunder of a cat they flay'd:
The lamp's round bofs affords their ample shield;
Large fhells of nuts their cov'ring helmet yield;
And o'er the region, with reflected rays,
Tall groves of needles for their lances blaze.
Dreadful in arms the marching Mice appear;
The wond'ring Frogs perceive the tumult near,
Forfake the waters, thick'ning form a ring,
And afk, and hearken, whence the noises fpring.
When near the croud, disclos'd to public view,
The valiant chief Embafichytros drew:
The facred herald's fcepter grac'd his hand,
And thus his words expreft his king's command.

G

Ye Frogs! the Mice, with vengeance fir'd, advance,
And deck'd in armour shake the shining lance:
Their hapless Prince by Phyfignathus slain,
Extends incumbent on the watry plain.

Then arm your host, the doubtful battle try;
Lead forth thofe Frogs that have the foul to die.

The chief retires, the crowd the challenge hear,
And proudly-fwelling yet perplex'd appear:
Much they refent, yet much their Monarch blame,
Who rifing, spoke to clear his tainted fame.

O friends, I never forc'd the Moufe to death, Nor faw the gafpings of his latest breath, He, vain of youth, our art of fwimming try'd, And vent'rous, in the lake the wanton dy'd. To vengeance now by falfe appearance led, They point their anger at my guiltless head, But wage the rifing war by deep device, And turn its fury on the crafty Mice. Your King directs the way; my thoughts elate With hopes of conqueft, form defigns of fate. Where high the banks their verdant furface heave, And the steep fides confine the sleeping wave, There, near the margin, clad in armour bright, Sustain the first impetuous fhocks of fight: Then, where the dancing feather joins the crest, Let each brave Frog his obvious Mouse arrest; Each strongly grafping, headlong plunge a foe, "Till countless circles whirl the lake below;

Down fink the Mice in yielding waters drown'd;
Loud flash the waters; and the shores refound:
The Frogs triumphant tread the conquer'd plain,
And raise their glorious trophies of the flain.

He spoke no more: his prudent scheme imparts
Redoubling ardour to the boldeft hearts.
Green was the fuit his arming heroes chofe,
Around their legs the greaves of mallows close,
Green were the beets about their shoulders laid,
And green the colewort, which the target made.
Form'd of the vary'd fhells the waters yield,
Their gloffy helmets glift'ned o'er the field:
And tap'ring fea-reeds for the polifh'd fpear,
With upright order pierc'd the ambient air.
Thus drefs'd for war, they take th' appointed height,
Poize the long arms, and urge the promis'd fight.
But now, where Jove's irradiate spires arise,
With ftars furrounded in aetherial skies,
(A folemn council call'd) the brazen gates
Unbar; the Gods affume their golden feats:
The fire fuperior leans, and points to show
What wondrous combats mortals wage below:
How strong, how large, the num'rous heroes stride!
What length of lance they shake with warlike pride!
What eager fire, their rapid march reveals!
So the fierce Centaurs ravag'd o'er the dales;
And fo confirm'd, the daring Titans rose,
Heap'd hills on hills, and bid the Gods be foes.

This feen, the pow'r his facred visage rears,
He cafts a pitying fmile on worldly cares,
And asks what heav'nly guardians take the lift,
Or who the Mice, or who the Frogs affift?

Then thus to Pallas. If my daughter's mind
Have join'd the Mice, why stays she still behind?
Drawn forth by fav'ry steams they wind their way,
And fure attendance round thine altar pay,
Where while the victims gratify their taste,
They fport to please the Goddess of the feast.

Thus fpake the ruler of the fpacious fkies; But thus, refolv'd, the blue-ey'd maid replies. In vain. my Father! all their dangers plead, To fuch, thy Pallas never grants her aid. My flow'ry wreaths they petulantly spoil, And rob my chrystal lamps of feeding oil. (Ills following ills !) but what afflicts me more, My veil, that idle race profanely tore. The web was curious, wrought with art divine; Relentless wretches! all the work was mine! Along the loom the purple warp I fpread, Caft the light shoot, and croft the filver thread; In this their teeth a thousand breaches tear, The thousand breaches fkilful hands repair, For which vile earthly dunns thy daughter grieve, (The Gods, that use no coin, have none to give, And learning's Goddess never lefs can owe, Neglected learning gains no wealth below.)

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