P. STATII THEBAIDOS LIBER PRIMU S. L Raternas acies, alternaque regna profanis T' Decertata odiis, fontesque evolvere Thebas, Pierius menti calor incidit. Unde jubetis Ire, Deae ? gentisne canam primordia dirae ? Sidonios raptus, et inexorabile pactum Legis Agenoreae ? scrutantemque aequora Cad mum? Longa retro series, trepidum fi Martis operti Agricolam infandis condentem praelia sulcis 10 Expediam, penitusque sequar quo carmine muris Jufferit Amphion Tyrios accedere montes ; LŘaternal rage the guilty Thebes alarms, T Th’alternate reign destroy'd by impious arms, Unde graves irae cognata in moenia Baccho,, Or shall I Juno's hate to Thebes resound, Whose fatal rage th' unhappy Monarch fourid ? The fire against the son his arrows drew, 15 O’er the wide fields the furious mother flew, And while her arms a second hope contain, Sprung from the rocks and plung’d into the maino But wave whate'er to Cadmus may belong, And fix, O Muse! the barrier of thy song 20 At Oedipus---from his disasters trace The long confusions of his guilty race : Nor yet attempt to stretch thy bolder wing, And mighty Cæsar's conqu’ring eagles fing; How twice he tam'd proud Ister's rapid flood, 25 While Dacian mountains stream'd with barb'rous blood; Twice taught the Rhine beneath his laws to roll, And stretch'd his empire to the frozen Pole, Or long before, with early valour strove, In youthful arms t'assert the cause of Jove. 30 And Thou, great Heir of all thy father's fame, Encrease of glory to the Latiani name, Oh! bless thy Rome with an eternal reign, Nor let defiring worlds entreat in vain. 34 What tho’ the stars contract their heav'nly space, And croud their shining ranks to yield thee place; Sollicitet ; licet ignipedum frenatur equorum |