第50章

But next behold the youth of form divine, Ceasar himself, exalted in his line;Augustus, promis'd oft, and long foretold, Sent to the realm that Saturn rul'd of old;Born to restore a better age of gold.

Afric and India shall his pow'r obey;

He shall extend his propagated sway Beyond the solar year, without the starry way, Where Atlas turns the rolling heav'ns around, And his broad shoulders with their lights are crown'd.

At his foreseen approach, already quake The Caspian kingdoms and Maeotian lake:

Their seers behold the tempest from afar, And threat'ning oracles denounce the war.

Nile hears him knocking at his sev'nfold gates, And seeks his hidden spring, and fears his nephew's fates.

Nor Hercules more lands or labors knew, Not tho' the brazen-footed hind he slew, Freed Erymanthus from the foaming boar, And dipp'd his arrows in Lernaean gore;Nor Bacchus, turning from his Indian war, By tigers drawn triumphant in his car, From Nisus' top descending on the plains, With curling vines around his purple reins.

And doubt we yet thro' dangers to pursue The paths of honor, and a crown in view?

But what's the man, who from afar appears?

His head with olive crown'd, his hand a censer bears, His hoary beard and holy vestments bring His lost idea back: I know the Roman king.

He shall to peaceful Rome new laws ordain, Call'd from his mean abode a scepter to sustain.

Him Tullus next in dignity succeeds, An active prince, and prone to martial deeds.

He shall his troops for fighting fields prepare, Disus'd to toils, and triumphs of the war.

By dint of sword his crown he shall increase, And scour his armor from the rust of peace.

Whom Ancus follows, with a fawning air, But vain within, and proudly popular.

Next view the Tarquin kings, th' avenging sword Of Brutus, justly drawn, and Rome restor'd.

He first renews the rods and ax severe, And gives the consuls royal robes to wear.

His sons, who seek the tyrant to sustain, And long for arbitrary lords again, With ignominy scourg'd, in open sight, He dooms to death deserv'd, asserting public right.

Unhappy man, to break the pious laws Of nature, pleading in his children's cause!

Howeer the doubtful fact is understood, 'T is love of honor, and his country's good:

The consul, not the father, sheds the blood.

Behold Torquatus the same track pursue;

And, next, the two devoted Decii view:

The Drusian line, Camillus loaded home With standards well redeem'd, and foreign foes o'ercome The pair you see in equal armor shine, Now, friends below, in close embraces join;But, when they leave the shady realms of night, And, cloth'd in bodies, breathe your upper light, With mortal hate each other shall pursue:

What wars, what wounds, what slaughter shall ensue!

From Alpine heights the father first descends;His daughter's husband in the plain attends:

His daughter's husband arms his eastern friends.

Embrace again, my sons, be foes no more;

Nor stain your country with her children's gore!

And thou, the first, lay down thy lawless claim, Thou, of my blood, who bearist the Julian name!

Another comes, who shall in triumph ride, And to the Capitol his chariot guide, From conquer'd Corinth, rich with Grecian spoils.

And yet another, fam'd for warlike toils, On Argos shall impose the Roman laws, And on the Greeks revenge the Trojan cause;Shall drag in chains their Achillean race;Shall vindicate his ancestors' disgrace, And Pallas, for her violated place.

Great Cato there, for gravity renown'd, And conqu'ring Cossus goes with laurels crown'd.