Virgâ percussit jussu Cyllenius illum :
Ecce, citò currit flumen vitale per artus,
Atque colore genae roseo pinguntur; ocelli
Nunc fulgore micant; gaudetque decore recepto
Protesilaus. Fit qualis quantusque nitebat,
Tempore quo Trojam tendit, nuptamque reliquit.
Haud secus ac foliis, hyberno tempore, nuda
Attollit quercus deformia brachia coelo ;
Sed primo veris reditu protrudit opacos
Ramos, et foliis vestitur ovatque superbè.
Tunc Maiâ genitus nebulam circumdedit atram,
Sublatumque virum rapuit, perque aethera vexit.
Astitit Argivus sponsae, quae fessa dolore
Tandem carpebat somnum, lectoque jacebat.
Sparguntur flavi per candida colla capilli,
Et pallor malis insidit; lumina pulchra
Torpor habet flenti; lacrymaeque per ora tepescunt,
Alba velut radiant in campis lilia rore.
Ille diu speciem miratur ; denique labris,
Oscula, raptus amore, premit; subitòque relinquit 45
Somnus eam; surgit lecto; fert lumina circum
Obstupuitque videns; exclamat, “Fallor, an ipsum
Aspicio sponsum ? an mentem vaga somnia ludunt?
Protesilaus ad haec; "non," inquit, "fallit imago
Vana animum, conjux ego sum." Nec plura locutus, 50
Brachia circumdat collo, et complectitur ulnis.
Ut primùm potuit, sic Laodamia profatur ;
"Quae nobis, conjux, fortuna secunda reduxit?
Tempestasne rates Argivas aspera quassit?
An Danai victi liquerunt moenia Trojae ?
Cur moestus gemitus imo de pectore ducis ?
Quae tibi contigerint mihi jam, precor, omnia narres."
"Nec me tempestas repulit, nec moenia Trojae
Liquerunt Danai, sed nunc a sedibus atris
Tartarei regis venio. Nam primus Achivûm
In Phrygiam insilui terram, coelestibus a me
Contemptis monitis, et poenas sanguine solvi."—
Exponit sponsae sic omnes ordine casus ;
Laodamia stupet, versatque in pectore multa.
Cum sermone fugit tempus, spatioque peracto,
Nunc adigunt juvenem Plutonis jussa redire.
“ Heu !” inquit," conjux, tibi distrahor; aspera fata
Me revocant, et”—Vox fugit et vanescit in auras
Ille leves subitò. Furit illa ensemque prehendens,
Quem casu reperit, "Te, te duce, mucro fidelis,"
Inquit, “adibo maritum. Et tu depelle timorem
Mortis, Amor! campi virides, coelumque valete.
Laodamia virum virtute aequabit amatum.”-
Haec ubi dicta dedit, ferrum sub pectus adegit:
Consequitur sanguis calidus, viresque relinquunt ;
Procumbit moriens, et ad umbras vita recedit.
A SACRED ECLOGUE, IN IMITATION OF VIRGIL'S POLLIO.
YE nymphs of Solyma! begin the song:
To heavenly themes sublimer strains belong.
The mossy fountains and the sylvan shades,
The dreams of Pindus and the Aonian maids,
Delight no more-O Thou my voice inspire
Who touch'd Isaiah's hallow'd lips with fire!
Rapt into future times, the bard begun :
A Virgin shall conceive, a Virgin bear a son!
From Jesse's root behold a branch arise,
Whose sacred flower with fragrance fills the skies:
The æthereal spirit o'er its leaves shall move,
And on its top descends the mystic dove.
Ye heavens! from high the dewy nectar pour,
And in soft silence shed the kindly shower!
The sick and weak the healing plant shall aid,
From storm a shelter, and from heat a shade.
All crimes shall cease, and ancient frauds shall fail;
Returning justice lift aloft her scale;
Peace o'er the world her olive wand extend,
And white-rob'd innocence from heaven descend.
Swift fly the years, and rise the expected morn!
Oh spring to light, auspicious Babe, be born!
See, nature hastes her earliest wreaths to bring,
With all the incense of the breathing spring:
See lofty Lebanon his head advance,
See nodding forests on the mountains dance:
TOLLITE, VOS, Nymphae Solymae, jam tollite carmen : Majores numeros coelestia carmina poscunt. Muscosi fontes, densaeque umbracula sylvae, Castalidumque cohors, et sacri somnia Pindi, Non placeant nobis. Tu coeptis annue nostris, Esaiae vocem qui afflâsti numine sanctam ! Incepit raptus ventura per aeva Poeta : Natum concipiet gignetque sacerrima virgo ! Ramulus ecce novus surgit de stemmate Jesses, Cui flos ambrosio coelum perfundit odore : Spiritus aethereus ramum frondesque movebit, Desuper atque sedet, coelo demissa columba. Nectar roratum, vos, Numina, fundite ab alto, Et placidè terris nunc imbrem spargite blandum. Aegros infirmosque salubris planta juvabit, Portum praebebit nimbis, tegmenque calore. Crimina desistent, et fraus antiqua recedet; Aequalem tollet rediens Astraea stateram ; Pax orbi vasto ramum praetendet olivae, Atque Pudor niveus coelo descendet ab alto. Praecipites volitent anni, et lux surgat amata ! Nascere, cara Dei soboles, nunc accipe vitam! En virides properat natura afferre coronas, Fragrantis cuncto veris suffimine dulces; Cedrifer en Libanus caput altum tollit ad astra, Et luci saltant nutantes montibus altis ;
See spicy clouds from lowly Saron rise,
And Carmel's flowery top perfumes the skies!
Hark! a glad voice the lonely desert cheers;
Prepare the way! A God, a God appears!
A God, a God! the vocal hills reply,
The rocks proclaim th' approaching Deity.
Lo, earth receives him from the bending skies!
Sink down, ye mountains; and ye vallies, rise!
With heads declin'd, ye cedars, homage pay,
Be smooth, ye rocks; ye rapid floods, give way!
The Saviour comes! by ancient bards foretold:
Hear him, ye deaf; and all ye blind, behold!
He from thick films shall purge the visual ray,
And on the sightless eye-ball pour the day:
'Tis he th' obstructed paths of sound shall clear,
And bid new music charm th' unfolding ear:
The dumb shall sing, the lame his crutch forego,
And leap exulting, like the bounding roe.
No sigh, no murmur, the wide world shall hear,
From every face he wipes off every tear.
In adamantine chains shall death be bound,
And hell's grim tyrant feel the eternal wound.
As the good shepherd tends his fleecy care,
Seeks freshest pasture, and the purest air;
Explores the lost, the wandering sheep directs,
By day o'ersees them, and by night protects;
The tender lambs he raises in his arms,
Feeds from his hand, and in his bosom warms;
Thus shall mankind his guadian care engage,
The promised father of the future age.
No more shall nation against nation rise,
Nor ardent warriors meet with hateful eyes,
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