"I am not, as the race of boasters are,
"Nor fuch the title that in Greece I bear.
“Far be thine awe, O virgin, and require
"Of me, or utter all thy foul's defire ;
"And fince, with friendly purpofe, we are met,
"Where guilt he'er.enters, in this hallow'd feat;
"Free be thy queftions, free thine answers give,
"With foothing words, ah! seek not to deceive;
"Regard the promife to thy fifter made,
"And lend, Olend thine herbs' falubrious aid!
"Lo! I implore thee, by thy parent's love,
"By awful Hecat, by protecting Jove,
"Who takes the gueft and fuppliant to his care!
"To thee as gueft and fuppliant I repair.
"Thou only in the conflict, if in vain
"Thine aid I feek not, can'st my life fuftain.
"Such fair return as thofe that diftant live
Can beit repay, and fits thee to receive;
"Such, virgin, fhall be thine: immortal fame
"Shall grace with tributary praife thy name.
"Our bark its warlike heroes fhall reftore,
"Thy deeds refounding to their natal shore:
"Their wives and parents that expecting stand,
"And mourn their abfence on the Grecian strand,
"Grateful to thee fall bid their bleffings flow,
"By thee redeem'd from fate's impending blow.
"Nor crit in vain implor'd a virgin's aid
"Great Thefeus, refcu'd by the Cretan Maid,
"Daughter of Minos, by Pafiphae borne,
Pafiphae's Sire the god that gilds the inorn ;)
"With him, as Minos foon his wrath forbore,
"She mounts the bark, and leaves her native shore:
"Now, by the gods belov'd, her fparkling rays,
"A ftarry crown, 'midft heavenly meteors blaze.
"Nor lefs on thee fhall heav'n's high favour wait,
"That guard'ft an host of heroes from their fate:
"And well thy gentle manners may be feen
"In the mild graces of thine outward mien."
Thus as in founds of fweet applause he said,
A lovely fmile her glowing cheeks o'erfpread:
Her downcaft look befpeaks the love of praise
That round her melting heart in fecret plays.
And as at length fhe rears her glancing eyes,
Her tongue the dictates of her heart denies;
She knew not yet, tho' lab'ring oft to speak,
How firft the painful filence she should break,
But wifh'd at once, her thoughts fo closely preft,
To utter all that rufh'd upon her breaft.
Straight from her zone with bounteous hand fhe gives
The proffer'd herb, which joyful he receives;
The maid as freely had her life bestow'd,
Such charms in Jafon's radiant beauties glow'd,
Effulgent grace o'erpow'rs her dazzled fight,
And her foul melts in dreams of foft delight:
Thus on the blowing rofe diffolves away
The dew-drop, warm'd by Phœbus' orient ray.
Now on the ground abafh'd they look, and now
With fmiles that beam'd beneath their joyful brow,
From each to each the mutual glances ran;
With fault'ring voice at length the maid began.
"Learn how to thee I grant the promis'd aid, "While strict obfervance to my counfel's paid, "Soon as my fire the ferpent's teeth fhall yield, "And bids thee fow them in the martial field, "In equal parts the midnight hour divide,
Thy limbs first bath'd beneath the living tide, "Then all alone, array'd in black attire,
"Sink a round fofs, there light the facred fire;
"A female lamb th' appointed victim flay.
"Entire its carcafe on the altar lay.
"With foothing pray'rs dread Hecat's name implore,
And fragrant honey from thy goblet pour.
"The goddess straight propitiate, and retire
"With awful rev'rence from the lighted pyre;
"Nor at the tread of footsteps, nor the cry
"Of howling dogs, revert thy daring eye;
"For fo the potent charm fhould'ft thou defeat,
"Nor back with honour to thy train retreat.
"Next morn diftilling o'er each polish'd joint
"This magic unguent, all thy limbs anoint:
"Endued by this with more than manly force
"The gods thou'lt equal in thy daring courfe.
"In this alike thy fpear, thy fword, and shield
"Be dipt, to guard thee in the martial field :
"Nor earth-born hosts shall pierce thy deathlefs frame,
"Nor bulls whofe noftrils glow with living flame.
"Such for the day, nor more, my fpells retain
"Their force, do thou thine arduous task sustain.
"Take thou this further counfel, when thine hand
"Hath yok'd the bulls, and plough'd the stubborn land,
"When, as are fown the ferpent's teeth, the field
"Its deftin'd crop a giant hoft fhall yield,
"Caft 'midft their ranks a pond'rous ftone, and they,
"Like famifh'd dogs contending o'er their prey,
"Shall each with mutual wounds his comrade flay;
"Then rush impetuous on th' expiring foes,
"And the dire icene with final slaughter close.
"Success thus crowns thine arms; the golden fleece
Shall far from * Ea be convey'd to Greece;
Thou too at will far diftant may'st retire,
“Far-far from hence if such thy foul's defire.”
"She faid; nor from the ground her eyelids rears.
While down her cheeks fast flow the trickling tears,
Diftruft and fear her anxious bofom move,
Left far from her o'er diftant feas he rove;
Then, as all fenfe of fhame before her fled,
His hand he took, and forrowing thus she said.
"O think, alas! (if, ftranger, it is true
"That thou must needs thine homeward courfe pursue).
"Think of Medea's name! as thine by me.
"Shall e'er remember'd, ever honour'd be.
Say, what's thy country nam'd? O freely tell,
"Where o'er the boundless ocean do'st thou dwell ?
"Lies near Orchomenus thy native foil?
"Or nearer bord'ring on th' Ææan Isle?
"Say too, what nymph fo high renown'd is the,
"Sprung from my fire's own blood, † Pasiphae ?”
She ceas'd; the youth, upon whofe melting foul
Love through the virgin's tender forrows ftole,
Straight anfwering cries, "Nor ever shall depart
By night, or day, your image from my heart,
"If, by your aid preferv'd, to Greece I fly,
"Nor heavier talk Eeta fhall supply.-
"But if my far-fam'd country you would know,
"Free from my tongue the grateful tale shall flow.
"A land there is by lofty mountains crown'd,
"Where fruitful pastures, and rich herds abound.
"Prometheus, of Iapetus the fon,
"Gave birth there to renown'd Deucalion,
"Who firft of cities the foundation laid,
"Built fhrines, and men by laws of empire fway'd.
"This land, no lefs for many a city fam'd
"Than our Iolchos, is Hæmonia nam'd.-
"But why my birth-place fhould I vainly tell?
"Or on the praife of Ariadne dwell?
"For fuch the virgin's name that you require,
"Who boasts the kingly Minos for her fire:
"Oh! from your fire fuch favour might we have,
"As Minos her to much-lov'd Thefeus gave!"
The metropolis of the Colchians, furrounded by the river Phafis: the place where the golden fleece was kept in a wood facred to Mars.
Thus with foft words he footh'd the virgin's ear,
Deep finks her heart beneath its load of care.
"Happy in Greece (1eturns the plaintive maid)
"To plighted faith due reverence is paid :
"But from Eeta, Minos differs far,
"Nor I with Ariadne may compare.
"Name then the bonds of focial faith no more,
"But back returning to thy natal shore,
"Still-for 'tis all I afk-remember me!
"As, in my Sire's defpite, my foul shall dwell on thee.
"Fame, or fome bird, fweet messenger of air,
"If thou art falfe, shall straight the tidings bear:
"Then on the tempeft's wing, o'er boundless fea
"I'd fly, to charge thee with thy perfidy!
"Oh! that I then before thy face could ftand,
"And fay-Thou ow'ft thy fafety to my hand!"
Fresh flow'd the tears as thus Medea faid,
The quick reply with gen'rous warmth he made;
"Hence, honour'd nymph, thy meffenger of air,
"Far fly thy tempeft, far thy groundless fear!
"But if to fair Achaia thou wilt go,
"On thee all rev'rence fhall our state beftow,
Thou, as a goddefs, fhalt the vows engage
"Alike of ev'ry fex, and ev'ry age,
"When to their longing arms reftor'd they fee
"Their friends, fons, hufbands,-all reftor'd by thee.
"Then should't thou deign my bridal bed to grace,
"Our mutual love death only shall erafe."
His words her bofom melt: but to her eyes
In horror ftill the dreary profpects rife.
Nor long the virgin fhall her fate withstand,
Ere the for Greece, (fo Juno had ordain'd,
The* fcourge of Pelias, quits her native land.
Meanwhile behind, to wait th' event, remain
In anxious filence, all the female train.
Th' appointed hour now calls the maid away,
Nor ever thought the of the fleeting day,
(Such lively transports in her bofom glow,
So fair his form, fo fweet his accents flow ;)
When he, more cautious," Hence let us retire,
"Ere the faint fun's defcending rays expire.
"Here may we meet again, while yet unfeen
"Of foreign eye love's interview we fcreen."
* The cause given by Apollonius of Juno's enmity against Pelias, is her having been omitted by him in a general facrifice to the gods. She favours the expedition of the Argonauts, in order to make Medea an inftrument of her revenge.
Extracts from the Minftrel; or, The Progrefs of Genius; a Poem lately
H! who can tell how hard it is to climb
The fteep where fame's proud temple fhines afar!
Ah! who can tell how many a foul fublime
Hath felt the influence of malignant ftar,
And waged with fortune an eternal war!
Check'd by the fcoff of pride, by envy's frown',
And poverty's unconquerable bar,
In life's low vale remote hath pined alone,
Then dropt into the grave, unpitied and unknown!
And yet, the langour of inglorious days
Not equally oppreffive is to all.
Him who ne'er liften'd to the voice of praife,
The filence of neglect can ne'er appal.
There are, who, deaf to mad ambition's call,
Would fhrink to hear th' obftreperous trump of fame;
Supremely bleft, if to their portion fall
Health, competence, and peace. Nor higher aim
Had he, whofe fimple tale thefe artlefs lines proclaim.
This fapient age difclaims all claffic lore;
Elfe I fhould here in cunning phrase display,
How forth the Minstrel far'd in days of yore,
Right glad of heart, though homely in array;
His waving locks and beard all hoary grey:
And from his bending fhoulder, decent hung
His harp, the fole companion of his way,
Which to the whiftling wind refponfive rung;
And ever as he went fome merry lay he fung.
Life's flender fuftenance his only meed;
'Twas all he hoped, and all his heart defired.
And fuch Dan Homer was, if right I read,
Though with the gifts of ev'ry mufe infpired.
O when fhall modern bard like him be fired!
Give me but leifure to attend his lays,
I care not, though my rhymes be ne'er admired.
For fweeter joy his matchless strain shall raise
Than courts or kings can yield, with penfious, pofts, and praise,
Though richeft hues the peacock's plumes adorn,
Yet horror fcreams from his difcordant throat.
Rife, fons of harmony, and hail the morn,
While warbling larks on ruffet pinions float;
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