Nor fhall, I truft, the matrons holy train
And reverend elders, feek the Gods in vain.
This faid, with ample ftrides the hero paft;
The shield's large orb behind his fhoulder caft,
His neck o'erfhading, to his ancle hung;
And as he march'd, the brazen buckler rung.
Now paus'd the battle (godlike Hector gone)
When daring Glaucus and great Tydeus' fon
Between both armies met: the chiefs from far
Obferv'd each other, and had mark'd for war.
Near as they drew, Tydides thus began :
What art thou, boldeft of the race of man?
Our eyes, till now, that afpect ne'er beheld,
Where fame is reap'd amid th' embattled field;
Yet far before the troops thou dar'st appear,
And meet a lance the fierceft heroes fear.
Unhappy they, and born of luckless fires,
Who tempt our fury when Minerva fires!
But if from heaven, celeftial, thou descend ;
Know, with Immortals we no more contend.
Not long Lycurgus view'd the golden light,
That daring man who mix'd with Gods in fight.
Bacchus, and Bacchus' votaries, he drove,
With brandish'd fteel from Nyffa's facred grove :
Their confecrated fpears lay fcatter'd round,
With curling vines and twisted ivy bound;
While Bacchus headlong fought the briny flood,
And Thetis' arm receiv'd the trembling God
Nor fail'd the crime th' immortals' wrath to move,
(Th' immortals bleft with endless ease above)
Depriv'd of fight by their avenging doom,
Chearless he breath'd, and wander'd in the gloom :
Then funk unpity'd to the dire abodes,
A wretch accurst, and hated by the Gods!
I brave not heaven: but if the fruits of earth
Sustain thy life, and human be thy birth;
Bold as thou art, too prodigal of breath,
Approach, and enter the dark gates of death.
What, or from whence I am, or who my fire,
(Reply'd the chief) can Tydeus' fon enquire?
Like leaves on trees the race of man is found,
Now green in youth, now withering on the ground;
Another race the following spring supplies;
They fall fucceffive, and fucceffive rife:
So generations in their courfe decay;
So flourish thefe, when those are past away.
But if thou still perfift to fearch my birth,
Then hear a tale that fills the spacious earth.
A city stands on Argos' utmost bound,
(Argos the fair for warlike steeds renown'd)
Eolian Sifyphus, with wisdom blest,
In ancient time the happy walls poffeft,
Then call'd Ephyre: Glaucus was his fon
Great Glaucus, father of Bellerophon,
Who o'er the fons of men in beauty shin'd,
Lov'd for that valour which preserves mankind.
Then mighty Prætus Argos' fceptres fway'd,
Whose hard command Bellerophon obey'd,
With direful jealoufy the monarch rag'd,
And the brave prince in numerous toils engag'd. 200
For him Antæa burn'd with lawless flame,
And ftrove to tempt him from the paths of fame :
In vain she tempted the relentless youth,
Endued with wifdom, facred fear, and truth.
Fir'd at his fcorn the queen to Prætus filed,
And begg'd revenge for her infulted bed:
Incens'd he heard, refolving on his fate;
But hofpitable laws restrain'd his hate:
To Lycia the devoted youth he fent,
With tablets feal'd, that told his dire intent.
Now, bleft by every power who guards the good,
The chief arriv'd at Xanthus' filver flood:
There Lycia's monarch paid him honours due,
Nine days he feasted, and nine bulls he flew.
But when the tenth bright morning orient glow'd, 215
The faithful youth his monarch's mandate fhow'd:
The fatal tablets, till that inftant feal'd,
The deathful fecret to the king reveal'd,
First, dire Chimera's conqueft was enjoin'd:
A mingled monster, of no mortal kind;
Behind, a dragon's fiery tail was spread;
A goat's rough body bore a lion's head;
Her pitchy noftrils flaky flames expire;
Her gaping throat emits infernal fire.
This peft he flaughter'd (for he read the skies, 225. And trusted Heaven's informing prodigies)
Then met in arms the Solymæan crew,
(Fierceft of men) and those the warriour slew.
Next the bold Amazon's whole force defy'd ;
And conquer'd ftill, for Heaven was on his fide.
Nor ended here his toils: his Lycian foes At his return, a treacherous ambush rose, With level'd spears along the winding fhore;
There fell they breathless, and return'd no more. At length the monarch with repentant grief Confefs'd the God's, and God-descended chief; His daughter gave, the stranger to detain, With half the honours of his ample reign: The Lycians grant a chofen space of ground, With woods, with vineyards, and with harvefts crown'd. There long the chief his happy lot poffefs'd. With two brave fons and one fair daughter blefs'd; (Fair ev'n in heavenly eyes; her fruitful love Crown'd with Sarpedon's birth th' embrace of Jove) But when at last, distracted in his mind, Forfook by heaven, forfaking human kind, Wide o'er th' Aleian field he chose to stray,
A long, forlorn, uncomfortable way!
Woes heap'd on woes confum'd his wafted heart;
His beauteous daughter fell by Phoebe's dart ;
His eldeft-born by raging Mars was flain,,
In combat on the Solymoean plain..
Hippolochus furviv'd; from him. I came,
The honour'd author of my birth and name ;
by his decree I fought the Trojan town,
By his inftructions learn to win renown,
To ftand the first in worth as in command,
To add new honours to my native land,
Before my eyes my mighty fires to place,,
And emulate the glories of our race.
He fpoke, and tranfport fill'd Tydides' heart;
In earth the generous warriour fix'd his dart,
Then friendly, thus, the Lycian prince addrest :
Welcome, my brave hereditary guest !
Thus ever let us meet, with kind embrace,
Nor ftain the facred friendship of our race.
Know, chief, our grandfires have been guests of old;
Oeneus the ftrong, Bellerophon the bold:
Our ancient feat his honour'd prefence grac'd,
Where twenty days in genial rites he pass'd.
The parting heroes mutual presents left;
A golden goblet was thy grandfire's gift;
Oeneus a belt of matchlefs work bestow'd,
That rich with Tyrian dye refulgent glow'd.
(This from his pledge I learn'd, which safely stor'd
Among my treasures, ftill adorns my board :
For Tydeus left me young, when Thebè's wall
Beheld the fons of Greece untimely fall.)
Mindful of this, in friendship let us join ;
If Heaven our fteps to foreign lands incline,
My gueft in Argos thou, and I in Lycia thine.
Enough of Trojans to this lance shall yield,
In the full harvest of yon ample field;
Enough of Greeks fhall dye thy fpear with gore;
But thou and Diomed be foes no more.
Now change we arms, and prove to either hoft
We guard the friendship of the line we boast.
Thus having faid, the gallant chiefs alight, Their hands they join, their mutual faith they plight; Brave Glaucus then each narrow thought refign'd, (Jove warm'd his bosom and enlarg'd his mind:
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