The crowds increasing, and his friends distress'd, Himself by warring multitudes oppress'd;

'Since thus unequally you fight, 'tis time,'

6

He cried, to punish your presumptuous crime; Beware, my friends; his friends were soon prepar'd,

Their sight averting, high the head he rear'd,
And Gorgon on his foes severely star'd.

Vain shift!' says Thescelus, with aspect bold,
Thee, and thy bugbear monster, I behold
With scorn; he lifts his arm, but ere he threw
The dart, the hero to a statue grew.

In the same posture still the marble stands,
And holds the warrior's weapons in its hands.
Amphyx, whom yet this wonder can't alarm,
Heaves at Lyncides' breast his impious arm;
But, while thus daringly he presses on,
His weapon and his arm are turn'd to stone.
Next Nileus, he who vainly said he ow'd
His origin to Nile's prolific flood;

Who on his shield seven silver rivers bore,
His birth to witness by the arms he wore;
Full of his sev'n-fold father, thus express'd
His boast to Perseus, and his pride confess'd :
'See whence we sprung; let this thy comfort be
In thy sure death, that thou didst die by me!'
While yet he spoke, the dying accents hung
In sounds imperfect on his marble tongue;
Though chang'd to stone, his lips he seem'd to
[speech.
And through the' insensate rock would force a
This Eryx saw, but seeing wou'd not own;
"The mischief by yourselves,' he cries, is done:
"Tis your cold courage turns your hearts to stone.

stretch,

Come, follow me; fall on the stripling boy,
Kill him, and you his magic arms detroy.'
Then rushing on, his arm to strike he rear'd,
And marbled o'er his varied frame appear'd.

These for affronting Pallas were chastis'd,
And justly met the death they had despis'd.
But brave Aconteus, Perseus' friend, by chance
Look'd back, and met the Gorgon's fatal glance:
A statue now become, he ghastly stares,
And still the foe to mortal combat dares.
Astyages the living likeness knew,

On the dead stone with vengeful fury flew ;
But impotent his rage, the jarring blade
No print upon the solid marble made :
Again, as with redoubled might he struck,
Himself astonish'd in the quarry stuck.

The vulgar deaths 'twere tedious to rehearse,
And fates below the dignity of verse;

Their safety in their flight two hundred found,
Two hundred by Medusa's head were ston'd.
Fierce Phineus now repents the wrongful fight,
And views his varied friends, a dreadful sight!
He knows their faces, for their help he sues,
And thinks, not hearing him, that they refuse:
By name he begs their succour one by one,
Then doubts their life, and feels the friendly stone.
Struck with remorse, and conscious of his pride,
Convict of sin he turn'd his eyes aside;

With suppliant mien to Perseus thus he prays:
'Hence with the head, as far as winds and seas
Can bear thee; hence, O quit the Cephen shore,
And never curse us with Medusa more,
That horrid head, which stiffens into stone
Those impious men who, daring death, look on.

I warr'd not with thee out of hate or strife,
My honest cause was to defend my wife,

First pledg'd to me; what crime cou'd I suppose,
To arm my friends, and vindicate my spouse?
But vain, too late I see, was our design;
Mine was the title, but the merit thine.
Contending made me guilty, I confess,
But penitence should make that guilt the less:
"Twas thine to conquer by Minerva's pow'r ;
Favour'd of Heav'n, thy mercy I implore!
For life I sue, the rest to thee I yield;
In pity from my sight remove the shield.'

He suing said; nor durst revert his eyes
On the grim head, and Perseus thus replies:
'Coward, what is in me to grant, I will;
Nor blood, unworthy of my valour, spill:
Fear not to perish by my vengeful sword,
From that secure; 'tis all the Fates afford.
Where I now see thee, thou shalt still be seen,
A lasting monument to please our queen ;
There still shall thy betroth'd behold her spouse,
And find bis image in her father's house.'
This said; where Phineus turn'd to shun the shield,
Full in his face the staring head he held;
As here and there he strove to turn aside,
The wonder wrought, the man was petrified:
All marble was his frame, his humid eyes
Drop'd tears, which hung upon the stones like ice.
In suppliant posture, with uplifted hands,
And fearful look, the guilty statue stands.

Hence Perseus to his native city hies, Victorious, and rewarded with his prize. Conquest, o'er Prætus the usurper, won, He reinstates his grandsire in the throne.

Prætus, his brother dispossess'd by might,
His realm enjoy'd, and still detain'd his right:
But Perseus pull'd the haughty tyrant down,
And to the rightful king restor❜d the throne.
Weak was the' usurper, as his cause was wrong:
Where Gorgon's head appears, what arms are strong?
When Perseus to his host the monster held,
They soon were statues, and their king expell'd.
Thence to Seriphus with the head he sails,
Whose prince his story treats as idle tales :
Lord of a little isle, he scorns to seem
Too credulous, but laughs at that and him.
Yet did he not so much suspect the truth,
As out of pride or envy hate the youth.
The Argive prince, at his contempt enrag'd,
To force his faith by fatal proof engag'd: [takes,
'Friends, shut your eyes,' he cries: his shield he
And to the king expos'd Medusa's snakes.
The monarch felt the power he would not own,
And stood convict of folly in the stone.

MINERVA'S INTERVIEW WITH THE MUSES.
Thus far Minerva was content to rove
With Perseus, offspring of her father Jove:
Now hid in clouds, Seriphus she forsook,
And to the Theban towers her journey took;
Cythnos and Gyaros, lying to the right,
She pass'd unheeded in her eager flight;
And choosing first on Helicon to rest,

The Virgin Muses in these words address'd:

Me, the strange tidings of a new-found spring,

Ye learned sisters, to this mountain bring.
If all be true that Fame's wide rumours tell,
'Twas Pegasus discover'd first your well;

Whose piercing hoof gave the soft earth a blow,
Which broke the surface where these waters flow.
I saw that horse by miracle obtain

Life, from the blood of dire Medusa slain;
And now this equal prodigy to view,
From distant isles to fam'd Boeotia flew.'

The muse Urania said, 'Whatever cause
So great a goddess to this mansion draws;
Our shades are happy with so bright a guest,
You, Queen, are welcome, and we Muses bless'd.
What Fame has publish'd of our spring is true,
Thanks for our spring to Pegasus are due.'
Then with becoming courtesy she led

The curious stranger to their fountain's head;
Who long survey'd with wonder and delight
Their sacred water, charming to the sight;
Their ancient groves, dark grottos, shady bow'rs,
And smiling plains adorn'd with various flow'rs:
"O happy Muses!' she with rapture cried,
'Who, safe from cares, on this fair hill reside;
Bless'd in your seat, and free yourselves to please
With joys of study, and with glorious ease.'

THE FATE OF PYRENEUS.

Then one replies: "O goddess, fit to guide Our humble works, and in our choir preside; Who sure would wisely to these fields repair, To taste our pleasures, and our labours share; Were not your virtue, and superior mind, To higher arts and nobler deeds inclin'd; Justly you praise our works, and pleasing seat, Which all might envy in this soft retreat, Were we secur'd from dangers, and from harms; But maids are frighten'd with the least alarms,