What I tranfact with others, or alone,
Beware to learn; nor press too near the throne.
To whom the Goddefs with the charming eyes,
What haft thou faid, O tyrant of the skies!
When did I fearch the fecrets of thy reign,
Though privileg'd to know, but privileg'd in vain ?
But well thou do'ft, to hide from common fight
Thy close intrigues, too bad to bear the light.
Nor doubt I, but the filver-footed dame,
Tripping from fea, on such an errand came,
To grace her iffue, at the Grecians' cost,
And for one peevish man destroy an host.
To whom the Thunderer made this ftern reply;
My hou hold curfe, my lawful plague, the spy
Of Jove's defigns, his other fquinting eye!
Why this vain prying, and for what avail ?
Jove will be mafter ftill, and Juno fail.
Should thy fufpicious thoughts divine aright,
Thou but becom'ft more odious to my fight,
For this attempt: uneafy life to me,
Still watch'd, and importun'd, but worfe for thee.
Curb that impetuous tongue, before too late
The Gods behold, and tremble at thy fate.
Pitying, but daring not, in thy defence,
To lift a hand against Omnipotence,
This heard, th' imperious Queen fate mute with fear: Nor further durft incenfe the gloomy Thunderer.
Silence was in the court at this rebuke:
Nor could the Gods, abafh'd, fuftain their fovereign's
The limping Smith observ'd the sadden'd_feast,
And hopping here and there, (himself a jest)
Put in his word, that neither might offend;
To Jove obfequious, yet his mother's friend.
What end in heaven will be of civil war,
If Gods of pleasure will for mortals jar?
Such difcord but difturbs our jovial feast;
One grain of bad, embitters all the best.
Mother, though wife yourself, my counsel weigh;
'Tis much unfafe my fire to difobey.
Not only you provoke him to your cost,
But mirth is marr'd, and the good chear is loft.
Tempt not his heavy hand; for he has power
To throw you headlong, from his heavenly tower.
But one fubmiffive word, which you let fall,
Will make him in good-humour with us all.
He faid no more; but crown'd a bowl, unbid:
The laughing nectar overlook'd the lid :
Then put it to her hand; and thus pursued,
This curfed quarrel be no more renew'd.
Be, as becomes a wife, obedient still;
Though griev'd, yet fubject to her husband's will.
I would not fee you beaten; yet, afraid
Of Jove's fuperior force, I dare not aid.
Too well I know him, since that hapless hour
When I and all the Gods employ'd our power
To break your bonds: me by the heel he drew,
And o'er heaven's battlements with fury threw.
All day I fell my flight at morn begun,
And ended not but with the fetting fun.
Pitch'd on my head, at length the Lemnian ground Receiv'd my batter'd fkull, the Sinthians heal'd my wound.
At Vulcan's homely mirth his mother smil'd, And smiling took the cup the clown had fill'd. The reconciler-bowl went round the board, Which empty'd, the rude fkinker still restor’d. Loud fits of laughter feiz'd the guests, to fee The limping God fo deft at his new ministry. The feaft continued till declining light:
They drank, they laugh'd, they lov'd, and then 'twas night.
Nor wanted tuneful harp, nor vocal quire;
The Mufes fung; Apollo touch'd the lyre.
Drunken at lait, and drowsy they depart,
Each to his houfe; adorn'd with labour'd art
Of the lame architect: the thundering God
Ev'n he withdrew to reft, and had his load.
His swimming head to needful sleep apply'd ;
And Juno lay unheeded by his fide.
From the Sixth Book of the ILIAD.
THE ARGUMENT.
Hector, returning from the field of battle, to visit Helen his fifter-in-law, and his brother Paris, who had fought unfuccefsfully hand in hand with Menelaus, from thence goes to his own palace to fee his wife Andromache, and bis infant fon Afyanax. The defcription of that interview is the fubject of this tranflation.
THUS having faid, brave Hector went to fee
His virtuous wife, the fair Andromache,
He found her not at home; for he was gone,
Attended by her maid and infant fon,
To climb the steepy tower of Ilion:
From whence, with heavy heart, he might furvey
The bloody bufinefs of the dreadful day.
Her mournful eyes the caft around the plain,
And fought the lord of her defires in vain.
But he, who thought his peopled palace bare,
When the, his only comfort, was not there,
Stood in the gate, and ask'd of every one,
Which way he took, and whither she was gone;
If to the court, or, with his mother's train,
In long proceffion to Minerva's fane?
The fervants anfwer'd, Neither to the court,
Where Priam's fons and daughters did refort,
Nor to the temple was the gone, to move
With prayers the blue-ey'd progeny of Jove;
But, more folicitous for him alone,
Than all their fafety, to the tower was gone,
There to survey the labours of the field,
Where the Greeks conquer, and the Trojans yield;
Swiftly fhe pafs'd, with fear and fury wild;
The nurse went lagging after with the child.
This heard, the noble Hector made no stay ;
Th' admiring throng divide, to give him way;
He pafs'd through every street, by which he came,
And at the gate he met the mournful dame.
His wife beheld him, and with eager pace
Flew to his arms, to meet a dear embrace:
His wife, who brought in dower Cilicia's crown,
And, in herself, a greater dower alone :
Aetion's heir, who on the woody plain
Of Hippoplacus did in Thebe reign.
Breathlefs fhe flew, with joy and paffion wild ;
The nurfe came lagging after with her child.
The royal babe upon her breaft was laid;
Who, like the morning ftar, his beams difplay'd.
Scamandrius was his name, which Hector gave,
From that fair flood which Ilion's wall did lave:
But him Aftyanax the Trojans call,
From his great father, who defends the wall.
Hector beheld him with a filent fmile :
His tender wife ftood weeping by the while:
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