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Through these the Cimbrians laid Hefperia waste;
Through these the fwarthy Carthaginian pafs'd;
Whenever fortune threats the Latian ftates,

War, death, and ruin, enter at thefe

gates.

In fecret murmurs thus they fought relief,
While no bold voice proclaim'd aloud their grief.
O'er all one deep, one horrid filence reigns;
As when the rigour of the winter's chains,
All nature, heaven, and earth at once conftrains;
The tuneful feather'd kind forget their lays,
And shivering tremble on the naked sprays;
Ev'n the rude feas compos'd forget to roar,
And freezing billows ftiffen on the shore.

The colder shades of night forfook the sky,
When lo! Bellona lifts her torch on high:
And if the chief, by doubt or shame detain'd,
Awhile from battle and from blood abftain'd;
Fortune and fate, impatient of delay,
Force every foft relenting thought away.
A lucky chance a fair pretence supplies,
And juftice in his favour feems to rife.
New accidents new ftings to rage fuggeft,
And fiercer fires inflame the warrior's breast.

460

سلام

470

475

The fenate threatening high, and haughty grown, 480
Had driven the wrangling tribunes from the town;
In fcorn of law, had chac'd them through the gate,
And urged them with the factious Gracchi's fate.
With thefe, as for redress their course they sped
To Cæfar's camp, the bufy Curio fled;

485

Curio, a speaker turbulent and bold,
Of venal eloquence, that ferv'd for gold,
And principles that might be bought and fold.
A tribune once himself, in loud debate,
He ftrove for public freedom and the ftate:
Effay'd to make the warring nobles bow,
And bring the potent party-leaders low.
To Cæfar thus, while thousand cares infeft,
Revolving round, the warrior's anxious breast,
His fpeech the ready orator addreft.

490

While yet my voice was useful to my friend; 496 While 'twas allow'd me, Cæfar to defend,

While yet the pleading bar was left me free,
While I could draw uncertain Rome to thee;
In vain their force the moody fathers join'd,
In vain to rob thee of thy power combin'd;
I lengthen'd out the date of thy command,
And fix'd thy conquering fword within thy hand.
But fince the vanquish'd laws in war are dumb,
To thee, behold, an exil'd band we come;
For thee, with joy our banishment we take,

500

595

For thee our houfhold hearths and gods forfake;
Nor hope to fee our native city more,

Till victory and thou the lofs reftore.

Th' unready faction, yet confus'd with fear,
Defencelefs, weak, and unrefolv'd, appear;
Hafte then thy towering eagles on their way:
When fair occafion calls, 'tis fatal to delay.
If twice five years the ftubborn Gaul withheld,
And fet thee hard in many a well-fought field;

5

510

515

A

;

A nobler labour now before thee lies,
The hazard lefs, yet greater far the prize:
A province that, and portion of the whole
This the vaft head that does mankind control.
Succefs fhall fure attend thee, boldly go
And win the world at one fuccefsful blow.
No triumph now attends thee at the gate;.
No temples for thy facred laurel wait:
But blafting envy hangs upon thy name,

520

Denies thee right, and robs thee of thy fame;
Imputes as crimes, the nations overcome,
And makes it treafon to have fought for Rome:
Ev'n he who took thy Julia's plighted hand,
Waits to deprive thee of thy juft command.
Since Pompey then, and those upon his fide,
Forbid thee, the world's empire to divide ;
Affume that fway which best mankind may bear,
And rule alone what they difdain to share.

525

530

He faid; his words the liftening chief engage,
And fire his breaft, already prone to rage..
Not peals of loud applause with greater force,
At Grecian Elis, roufe the fiery horse;
When eager for the courfe each nerve he strains,
Hangs on the bit, and tugs the stubborn reins,
At every fhout erects his quivering ears,
And his broad breast upon the barrier bears.
Sudden he bids the troops draw out, and straight
The thronging legions round their enfigns wait..
Then thus, the croud composing with a look,,
And with his hand commanding filence spoke..

535

540

545 Fellows

Fellows in arms, who chofe with me to bear

The toils and dangers of a tedious war,

And conquer to this tenth revolving year;

See what reward the grateful fenate yield,

For the loft blood which ftains yon northern field; 550 For wounds, for winter camps, for Alpine fnow,

And all the deaths the brave can undergo.

See! the tumultuous city is alarm'd,

As if another Hannibal were arm'd :

The lufty youth are cull'd to fill the bands,

555

And each tall grove falls by the fhipwright's hands;

Fleets are equipp'd, the field with armies spread,
And all demand devoted Cæfar's head.

If thus, while fortune yields us her applaufe,
While the gods call us on and own our cause,
If thus returning conquerors they treat,
How had they us'd us flying from defeat ;
If fickle chance of war had prov'd unkind,
And the fierce Gauls purfued us from behind!
But let their boasted hero leave his home,
Let him, diffolv'd with lazy leifure, come,
With every noisy talking tongue in Rome:
Let land Marcellus troops of gown-men head,
And their great Cato peaceful burghers lead.
Shall his bafe followers, a venal train,
For ages, bid their idol Pompey reign?
Shall his ambition still be thought no crime,
His breach of laws, and triumph ere the time?
Still fhall he gather honours and command,
And grafp all rule in his rapacious hand?

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564

}

570

575 What

What need I name the violated laws,

And famine made the fervant of his cause?
Who knows not, how the trembling judge beheld
The peaceful court with armed legions fill'd;
When the bold foldier, juftice to defy,

In the mid Forum rear'd his enfigns high; bac
When glittering fwords the pale assembly scar'd,
When all for death and slaughter stood prepar'd,
And Pompey's arms were guilty Milo's guard?
And now, difdaining peace and needful eafe,
Nothing but rule and government can please.
Afpiring ftill, as ever, to be great,
He robs his age of reft, to vex the state:
On war intent, to that he bends his cares,
And for the field for battle now prepares.
He copies from his master Sylla well,
And would the dire example far excel.
Hyrcanian tigers fiercenefs thus retain,

Whom in the woods their horrid mothers train,
To chace the herds, and furfeit on the flain.
Such, Pompey, ftill has been thy greedy thirst,
In early love of impious flaughter nurft;
Since first thy infant cruelty effay'd

5801

}

585.

590

}

596.

To lick the curft dictator's reeking blade.
None ever give the falvage nature o'er,

600

Whofe jaws have once been drench'd in floods of gore.

But whither would a power fo wide extend? Where will thy long ambition find an end? Remember him who taught thee to be great; Let him who chose to quit the fovereign seat, Let thy own Sylla warn thee to retreat.

}

Perhaps,

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