Give me fome flip of this moft blifsful tree,
And in my garden planted shall it be.

400

Then how two wives their lord's deftruction prove Thro' hatred one, and one thro' too much love; That for her husband mix'd a pois'nous draught, And this for luft an am'rous philtre bought : The nimble juice foon feiz'd his giddy head, Frantic at night, and in the morning dead.

405

How fome with fwords their fleeping lords have flain, And fome have hammer'd nails into their brain, And some have drench'd them with a deadly potion; All this he read, and read with great devotion.

410

Long time I heard, and fwell'd, and blush'd, and

frown'd;

But when no end of these vile tales I found,
When still he read, and laugh'd, and read again,
And half the night was thus confum❜d in vain;
Provok'd to vengeance, three large leaves I tore 415
And with one buffet fell'd him on the floor.
With that my husband in a fury rofe,

And down he fettled me with hearty blows.
I groan'd, and lay extended on my fide;

Oh! thou haft flain me for my wealth (I cry'd) 420
Yet I forgive thee-take my last embrace —
He wept, kind foul! and stoop'd to kiss my face;
I took him fuch a box as turn'd him blue,
Then figh'd and cry'd, Adieu, my dear, adieu !

425

But after many a hearty ftruggle past,
I condefcended to be pleas'd at last.
Soon as he said, My mistress and my wife,
Do what you lift, the term of all your life:
I took to heart the merits of the cause,
And flood content to rule by wholesome laws;
Receiv'd the reins of abfolute command,
With all the government of house and land,
And empire o'er his tongue, and o'er his hand.
As for the volume that revil'd the dames,

430

'Twas torn to fragments, and condemn'd to flames.435 Now heav'n on all my husbands gone, bestow Pleasures above, for tortures felt below:

That reft they wish'd for, grant them in the grave,
And bless thofe fouls my conduct help'd to fave!

THEBAIS of STATIUS.

BOOK I

ARGUMENT.

EDIPUS King of Thebes having by mistake flain his father Laius, and marry'd his mother Jo cafta; put out his own eyes, and refign'd the realm to his fons, Eteocles and Polynices. Being neglected by them, he makes his prayer to the fury Tifiphone, to fow debate betwixt the brothers. They agree at laft to reign fingly, each a year by turns, and the firft lo tis obtain'd by Eteocles. Jupiter, in a council of the Gods, declares his refolution of punishing the Thebans, and Argives alfo, by means of a marriage betwixt Polynices and one of the daughters of Adraftus King of Argos. Juno opposes, but to no effect; and Mercury is fent on a meflage to the fhades, to the ghoft of Laius, who is to appear to Eteocles, and provoke him to break the agreement, Polynices in the mean time departs from Thebes by night, is overtaken by a ftorm, and arrives at Argos; where he meets with Tydeus, who had fled from Calydon, having kill'd his brother. Adraftus entertains them, having receiv'd an oracle from Apollo that his daughters fhould be marry'd to a Boar and a Lion, which he understands to be meant of thefe ftrangers by whom the hides of those beafts were worn, and who arriv'd at the time when he kept an annual feast in honour of that God. The rife of this folemnity he relates to his guefts, the loves of Phoebus and Pfamathe, and the ftory of Choraebus. He enquires, and is made acquainted with their defcent and quality: The facrifice is renew'd, and the book concludes with a Hymn to Apollo.

But

The Tranflator hopes he needs not apologize for his Choice of this piece, which was made almoft in his Childhood. finding the Verfion better than he expected, he gave it fome Correction a few years afterwards.

P. STATII

THE BAI DOS

LIBER PRIMUS.

FRate

Raternas acies, alternaque regna profanis
Decertata odiis, fontesque evolvere Thebas,
Pierius menti calor incidit. Unde jubetis
Ire, Deae gentifne canam primordia dirae ?
Sidonios raptus, et inexorabile pactum

Legis Agenoreae? fcrutantemque aequora Cadmum ?
Longa retro feries, trepidum fi Martis operti

Agricolam infandis condentem praelia fulcis
Expediam, penitufque fequar quo carmine muris
Jufferit Amphion Tyrios accedere montes.
Unde graves irae cognata in moenia Baccho,
Quod faevae Junonis opus: cui fumpferit arcum
Infelix Athamas, cur non expaverit ingens

Ionium, focio cafura Palaemone mater.

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