Nor in th' Athenian Chieftains as before
1075
The Thirst of Vengeance glows; their Threats are o’er,
And, unoppos'd, their Courage dies away.
Thus, when the yielding Woods decline the Fray,
The Winds grow placid; and the Waves fubfide,
If no firm Shore repells the briny Tide.
But as the Son of Egeus high difplay'd
The Spear of Marathonian Oak, whose Shade
O'erhangs the Foe, whilft dreadful to the Sight,
Its steely Point emits a beamy Light.
His Foes pale Horror urges from behind,.
And wings them with the Fleetness of the Wind.
As when from Hamus Mars impells his Car,
And scatters Havock from the Wheels of War,
Οἷος 5 βροτολοιγός "Αρης πόλεμον δε μέτεισι,
Τῷ ἢ φόβο φίλο ἥιος ἅμα κρατερὸς καὶ ἀπαρθὴς
Εασετο, ὃς ἐφόβησε ταλάφρονά περ πολεμικήν.
Virgil has enlarg'd on this Simile, and thrown in feveral beautiful
Images. Æneid, Book the 12. V. 331.
Qualis apud gelidi cum flumina concitus Hebri
Sanguineus Mavors clypeo increpat, atque furentes
Bella movens immittit Equos: illi æquore aperto
Ante Notos Zephyrumque volant: gemit ultima pulfu
Thraca pedum: circumque atræ Formidinis ora,
Iræque, Infidiæque, Dei comitatus, aguntur.
Silius Italicus has likewise imitated it in his Punic War, Book 1.
Quantus Biftoniis latê Gradivus in oris
Belligero rapitur curru, telumque corufcans
Titanum quo pulfa cohors, flagrantia bella
Cornipedum afflatu domat, et ftridoribus axis
Before him Carnage, Rout, Disorder fly,
His Harbingers, and all or kill or die.
But Thefeus fcorns to ftain with vulgar Gore
His Sword, The flying Herd he passes o'er,
To weaker Hands fuch eafy Conquests yields,
And fcours, in quest of nobler Game, the Fields.
Thus Dogs and Wolves invade the ready Prey, 1095
While the more gen'rous Lion fstalks away.
Yet Thamirus and bold Olenius too,~
Prefuming to contend in Arms, he flew;
This, as he lifts a Stone, in Act to throw,
That, as he fits his Arrow to his Bow.
Then fell three Sons of Alceus fide by Side,
Whilst in their Strength united they confide.
Pierc'd by three Spears: firft, wounded in his Breast,
Rafh Phileus fought the Shades of endless Rest,
Next, the Lance piercing thro' the Shoulder-Joint,
Japix dies, laft Helops bit the Point..
Now Hamon in his Car he fought: his Blade,
Wav'd round, in Air a dazling Circle made:
But he retires. The Spear with whizzing Sound
Two Chiefs transfix'd with one continu'd Wound,
And aim'd a third, but th' Axle-tree withstood, i11
And lodg❜d the Dart, deep-buried in the Wood,
But Creon only thro' the Ranks of Fight
He feeks, and challenges to prove his Might:
The Tyrant in the Van, tho' far apart,
He foon efpies, whilft ufing ev'ry Art,
To dare th' Attack he reincites his Band,
And makes the laft Effort: him, by Command-
V. 1118. Him by Command Our Author feems to have taken this
Circumstance from Virgil's Æneid, Lib. 12. Verse 758.
Of Thefeus, his retiring Troops refign
To his own Valour, and the Pow'rs divine.
The King recalls them, but, when he descry'd
Himself alike abhorr'd by either Side,
Bold with Despair, his utmost Rage collects,
And thus to Thefeus his Difcourfe directs.
Think not, thou comeft here a War to wage
With Amazons, or wreak thy female Rage
On female Foes.
Thou meet'ft with manly Arms,
Chiefs old in War, and nurs'd amidst Alarms;
Beneath whofe Might Hippomedon was flain,
And Capaneus, and Tydeus prefs'd the Plain.
What Phrenzy prompts thee thus to tempt thy Fate?
See, in whose Cause thou kindleft the Debate!
He spoke, and at the Foe a Javelin flings,
Faint on the Surface of the Shield it rings.
But Thefeus, fmiling at the feeble Blow
Shakes his enormous Lance, in Act to throw,
But, ere he lets th' impatient Weapon fly,
In thund'ring Accents makes this stern Reply.
Ille fimul fugiens, Rutulos fimul increpat omnes,
Nomine quemque vocans; notumque efflagitat enfem.
Eneas mortem contra præfenfque minatur
Exitium, fi quifquam adeat; terretque trementes
Excifurum urbem minitans:
v. 1125. Think not,] Numanus in the 9th Book of the Æneid
infults the Trojans in almost the fame Strain.
Quis Deus Italiam, quæ vos dementia adegit?
Non hic Atrida: nec fandi fictor Ulyffes:
Creon however, in the Heat of his Paffion, tranfgreffes the Bounds
of Truth, and very ungratefully forgets his Deliverer, in attri-
buting the Death of Capaneus to a mortal Hand.
Ye Grecian Shades, to whom Aegides fends
This Sacrifice, prepare the vengeful Fiends
For his Reception, and unbar the Domes
Of Tartarus: He comes, the Tyrant comes.
He faid, with Force difmifs'd, the quiv'ring Dart
Pervades the Skies, and lights, where near his Heart -
The flender Chains, well-wrought of ductile Gold,
The Cuirass, arm'd with many a Plate infold.
The Blood spins upward from a thousand Holes:
He finks, and, doubting where to fix them, rolls
His Eyes around. The Victor stands beside
To spoil his Arms, and thus infulting cry'd.
Now wilt thou rev'rence Justice, nor disdain
To grant Interment to the Grecians flain?
Go, meet the Vengeance, thy Demerits claim,
Secure howe'er of the laft fun'ral Flame.
v. 1151. Now wilt thou rev'rence Justice] It may be worth while
to compare the Conduct of Thefeus with that of Achilles on a fimi-
lar Occafion. The former, we fee, when Creon was just dying,
only upbraids him of his Cruelty in a gentle Manner, and with
great Humanity promises him, he fhall not want the funeral-
Rites, which he deny'd to others. Whilft the latter, as it were to
fharpen and embitter the Agonies of Death, with the utmost Fe-
rocity threatens Hector, that no Motives fhall ever prevail with
him to fuffer his Body to be buried. Here Homer has outrag'd
Nature, and not reprefented his Hero, as a Man, but a Monster.
And yet Mr. Pope, in the Preface to his Verfion, after having
prais'd his Author's Talent for drawing Characters, and his Leffons
of Morality, remarks of Statius's Heroes, that an Air of Impe-
tuofity runs through them all; the fame horrid and favage Cou-
rage appears in his Capaneus, Tydeus and Hippomedon. They have
a Parity of Character (fays he) which makes them feem Brothers
of one Family. This Obfervation may fuffice to fhew the
Reader, to what Lengths a Predilection for his Author will carry.
a Translator.
With pious Tumult now both Hofts embrace, 1155
Join Hand in Hand, and mingle Face with Face.
Peace and a League the Sons of Thebes request;
And, hailing Thefeus by the Name of Gueft,
Court him to march his Army to the Town,
And use the royal Mansion as his own.
The Chief affents. The Theban Dames rejoice,
And greet
his Entrance with applauding Voice.
Thus did the Banks of Ganges once refound
The Victor's Praise, with Wreaths of Vine-leaves crown'd.
Now from the Summit of the fronting Hill,
Whose fhady Groves o'erhang the facred Rill
Of Dirce, the Pelafgian Dames defcend,
And with fhrill Shouts the vaulted Ether rend.
Thus, when the frantic Choir of Matrons join
With hideous Yell the jolly God of Wine
They rage and foam, as if they had decreed
To do, or late had done fome flagrant Deed.
Far other Tears gufh forth, the Tears of Joy,
And various Objects their Purfuit employ.
To Thefeus thefe, to Creon thofe repair,
Whilft others make the Dead their earliest Care.
Scarce could I dignify their Woes in Verfe,
And all the Pomp in equal Strains rehearse,
Should gentle Phabus fortify my Lungs,
And give Locution from a hundred Tongues. 1180
v. 1179. Should gentle Phoebus] Our Author has imitated this
from Homer, Book 2d, Verfe 488.
Πληθὺν δ ̓ ἐκ ἂν ἐγὼ μυθήσομαι, ἐδ ̓ ὀνομλύω,
Οὐδ ̓ ἔ μοι δέκα με γλώσσας, δέκα ἢ τοματα δεν
Φωνὴ δ' ἄρρηκτα, χάλκεον δὲ μοι ἦτορ ενείη.
δ ̓
Nor is he fingular in his Imitation.
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