Attentive to the wife, the great of foul,
And dignify thy mind. Thrice glorious days,
Aufpicious to the Mufes! then rever'd,
Then hallow'd was the fount, or fecret fhade,
Or open mountain, or whatever scene
The poet chofe to tune th' ennobling rhime
Melodious; ev❜n the rugged fons of war,
Ev'n the rude hinds rever'd the Poet's name:
But now-another age, alas! is ours-
Yet will the Muse a little longer foar,
Unless the clouds of care weigh down her wing,
Since nature's ftores are fhut with cruel hand,
And each aggrieves his brother; fince in vain
The thirfty pilgrim at the fountain afks
Th' o'erflowing wave-Enough-the plaint difdain.
See'ft thou fane? ev'n now inceffant time' yon Sweeps her low mould'ring marbles to the duft; And Phœbus' temple, nodding with its woods Threatens huge ruin o'er the small rotund. 'Twas there beneath a fig-tree's umbrage broad, Th' aftonish'd fwains with rev'rend awe beheld Thee, O Quirinus, and thy brother-twin, Preffing the teat within a monster's grasp Sportive; while oft the gaunt and rugged wolf Turn'd her ftretch'd neck and form'd your tender limbs : So taught of Jove, ev'n the fell favage fed
→ The temple of Romulus and Remus under mount Palatin.
Your facred infancies, your virtues, toils,
The conquests, glories, of th' Aufonian state,
Wrapp'd in their fecret feeds. Each kindred foul,
Robust and ftout, ye grapple to your hearts,
And little Rome appears. Her cots arise,
Green twigs of ofier weave the flender walls,
Green rushes spread the roofs; and here and there
Opens beneath the rock the gloomy cave.
Elate with joy Etrufcan Tiber views
Her fpreading scenes enamelling his waves,
Her huts and hollow dells, and flocks and herds,
And gath'ring fwains; and rolls his yellow car
To Neptune's court with more majestick train.
Her speedy growth alarm'd the states around.
Jealous, yet foon by wond'rous virtue won,
They fink into her bofom. From the plough
Rofe her dictators; fought, o'ercame, return'd,
Yes, to the plough return'd, and hail'd their peers;
For then no private pomp, no houshold state,
The publick only fwell'd the gen'rous breaft.
Who has not heard the Fabian heroes fung?
Dentatus' scars, or Mutius' flaming hand ?.
How Manlius fav'd the Capitol? the choice
Of fteady Regulus? As yet they stood,
Simple of life; as yet feducing wealth
Was unexplor'd, and fhame of poverty
Yet unimagin'd-Shine not all the fields
With various fruitage? murmur not the brooks
Along the flow'ry vallies? They, content,
Feasted at nature's hand, indelicate,
Blithe, in their eafy tafte; and only fought
To know their duties; that their only strife,
Their gen'rous ftrife, and greatly to perform.
They through all shapes of peril and of pain,
Intent on honour, dar'd in thickest death
To fnatch the glorious deed. Nor Trebia quell'd,
Nor Thrafymene, nor Cannæ's bloody field,
Their dauntless courage; ftorming Hannibal
In vain the thunder of the battle roll'd,
The thunder of the battle they return'd
Back on his Punick fhores; 'till Carthage fell,
And danger fled afar. The city gleam'd
With precious spoils: alas profperity!
Ah baneful state! yet ebb'd not all their strength
In foft luxurious pleafures; proud defire
Of boundless sway, and fev'rish thirst of gold,
Rous'd them again to battle. Beauteous Greece,
Torn from her joys, in vain with languid arm
Half rais'd her rusty shield; nor could avail
The fword of Dacia, nor the Parthian dart;
Nor
yet the car of that fam'd British chief,
Which seven brave years beneath the doubtful wing
Of vict'ry, dreadful roll'd its griding wheels
Over the bloody war: the Roman arms
Triumph'd, 'till Fame was filent of their foes.
And now the world unrivall'd they enjoy'd
In proud fecurity: the crested helm,
The plated greave and corfelet hung unbrac'd;
Nor clank'd their arms, the fpear and founding fhield,
But on the glitt❜ring trophy to the wind.
Diffolv'd in ease and soft delights they lie,
"Till ev'ry fun annoys, and ev'ry wind
Has chilling force, and ev'ry rain offends :
For now the frame no more is girt with strength
Masculine, nor in luftiness of heart
Laughs at the winter ftorm, and fummer beam,
Superior to their rage: enfeebling vice
Withers each nerve, and opens every pore
To painful feeling: flow'ry bow'rs they seek
(As æther prompts, as the fick sense approves)
Or cool Nymphean grots; or tepid baths
(Taught by the foft Ionians) they, along
The lawny vale, of ev'ry beauteous ftone,
Pile in the rofeat air with fond expence :
Through filver channels glide the vagrant waves,
And fall on filver beds crystalline down,
Melodious murmuring; while luxury
Over their naked limbs, with wanton hand,
Sheds rofes, odours, sheds unheeded bane.
Swift is the flight of wealth; unnumber'd wants, Brood of volupt'oufnefs, cry out aloud
Neceffity, and feek the fplendid bribe.
The citron board, the bowl emboss'd with gems,
And tender foliage wildly wreath'd around
Of feeming ivy, by that artful hand,
Corinthian Thericles; whate'er is known
Of rareft acquifition; Tyrian garbs,
Neptunian Albion's high teftaceous food,
And flavour'd Chian wines with incense fum'd
To shake Patrician thirst: for these, their rights
In the vile streets they prostitute to fale;
Their ancient rights, their dignities, their laws,
Their native glorious freedom. Is there none,
Is there no villain, that will bind the neck
Stretch'd to the yoke? they come; the market throngs.
But who has most by fraud or force amass'd?
Who moft can charm corruption with his doles ?
He be the monarch of the ftate; and lo!
Didius, vile usʼrer, through the crowd he mounts,
Beneath his feet the Roman eagle cow'rs,
And the red arrows fill his grasp uncouth.
O Britons, O my countrymen, beware,
Gird, gird your hearts; the Romans once were free,
Were brave, were virtuous.-Tyranny howe'er
Deign'd to walk forth awhile in pageant state,
And with licentious pleasures fed the rout,
The thoughtless many: to the wanton found
Of fifes and drums they danc'd, or in the shade
Sung Cæfar, great and terrible in war,
Immortal Cæfar! lo, a God, a God,
• Didius Julianus, who bought the empire.
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