Illum indulgentem tenebris, imaeque receffu
Sedis, inaspectos coelo, radiifque penates
Servantem, tamen affiduis circumvolat alis
Saeva dies animi, fcelerumque in pectore Dirae.
Tunc vacuos orbes, crudum ac miferabile vitae
Supplicium, oftentat coelo, manibufque cruentis.
Pulfat inane folum, faevaque ita voce precatur:
Dî fontes animas, anguftaque Tartara poenis
Qui regitis, tuque umbrifero Styx livida fundo,
Quam video, multumque mihi confueta vocari
Annue Tifiphone, perverfaqué vota fecunda.
Si bene quid merui, fi me de matre cadentem
Fovisti gremio, et trajectum vulnere plantas
Firmafti: fi ftagna petî Cyrrhaea bicorni
Interfufa jugo, poffem cum degere falfo
Contentus Polybo, trifidaeque in Phocidos arce
Longaevum implicui regem, fecuique trementis
Ora fenis, dum quaero patrem : fi Sphyngos iniquae
Callidus ambages, te praemonftrante, refolvi:
Si dulces furias, et lamentabile matris
133But while he dwells where not a cheerful ray Can pierce the darkness, and abhors the day The clear reflecting mind prefents his fin In frightful views, and makes it day within ; Returning thoughts in endless circles roll, And thousand furies haunt his guilty foul, The wretch then lifted to th' unpitying skies
Those empty orbs from whence he tore his eyes, Whose wounds, yet fresh, with bloody hands he ftrook,
While from his breast these dreadful accents broke.
Ye Gods, that o'er the gloomy regions reign,
Where guilty spirits feel eternal pain;
Thou, fable Styx! whofe livid ftreams are roll'd
Thro' dreary coafts, which I tho' blind behold;
Tifiphone, that oft haft heard my pray❜r,
Affift, if Oedipus deferve thy care!
If you receiv'd me from Jocafta's womb,
And nurs'd the hope of mischiefs yet to come:
If leaving Polybus, I took my way
To Cyrrha's temple, on that fatal day,
When by the fon the trembling father dy'd,
Where the three roads the Phocian fields divide:
If I the Sphynx's riddles durft explain,
Taught by thyfelf to win the promis'd reign:
If wretched I, by baleful Furies led,
With monftrous mixture ftain'd my mother's bed,
Connubium gavifus inî: noctemque nefandam
Saepe tuli, natofque tibi (scis ipfa) paravi:
Mox avidus poenae digitis cedentibus ultro
Incubui, miferaque oculos in matre reliqui :
Exaudi, fi digna precor, quaeque ipfa furenti
Subjiceres: orbum vifu regnifque parentem
Non regere,
aut dictis moerentem flectere adorti
Quos genui, quocunque toro: quin ecce fuperbi
(Pro dolor) et noftro jamdudum funere reges,
Infultant tenebris, gemitufque odere paternos.
Hifne etiam funeftus ego? et videt ifta deorum
Ignavus genitor? tu faltem debita vindex
Huc ades, et totos in poenam ordire nepotes.
Indue quod madidum tabo diadema cruentis
Unguibus arripui, votifque inftincta paternis
I media in fratres, generis confortia ferro
Diffiliant: da Tartarei regina barathri
Quod cupiam vidiffe nefas. nec tarda fequetur
Mens juvenum, modo digna veni, mea pignora nofces.
For hell and thee begot an impious brood,
And with full luft those horrid joys renew'd;
Then felf-condemn'd to fades of endless night,
Forc'd from thefe orbs the bleeding balls of fight; 100
Oh hear, and aid the vengeance I require,
If worthy thee, and what thou might'st inspire!
My fons their old, unhappy fire despise,
Spoil'd of his kingdom, and depriv'd of eyes;
Guideless I wander, unregarded mourn,
While these exalt their fceptres o'er my urn;
These fons, ye Gods! who with flagitious pride,
Infult my darkness, and my groans deride.
Art thou a Father, unregarding Jove!
And fleeps thy thunder in the realms above?
Thou Fury, then, fome lafting curfe entail,
Which o'er their childrens children shall prevail :
Place on their heads that crown diftain'd with gore,
Which these dire hands from my flain father tore;
Go, and a parent's heavy curfes bear;
Break all the bonds of nature, and prepare
Their kindred fouls to mutual hate and war.
Give them to dare, what I might wish to see
Blind as I am, fome glorious villany!
Soon fhalt thou find, if thou but arm their hands,
Their ready guilt preventing thy commands:
Could't thou fome great, proportion'd mischief frame,
They'd prove the father from whofe loins they came.
Talia jactanti crudelis Diva feveros
Advertit vultus; inamoenum forte fedebat:
Cocyton juxta, refolutaque vertice crines,
Lambere fulfureas permiferat anguibus undas.
Ilicet igne Jovis, lapfifque citatior aftris
Triftibus exiliit ripis. difcedit inane
Vulgus, et occurfus dominae pavet; illa per umbras
Et caligantes animarum examine campos,
Taenariae limen petit irremeabile portae,
Senfit adeffe dies: piceo nox obvia nimbo
Lucentes turbavit equos, procul arduus Atlas
Horruit, et dubia coelum cervice remifit.
Arripit extemplo Maleae de valle refurgens
Notum iter ad Thebas; neque enim velocior ullas
Itque reditque vias, cognataque Tartara mavult,
Centum illi ftantes umbrabant ora ceraftae,
Turba minor diri capitis: fedet intus abactis
Ferrea lux oculis, qualis per nubila Phoebes
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