THE FIRST NEMEEAN ODE OF PINDAR.

Chromius, the fon of Agefidamus, a young gentleman of Sicily, is celebrated for having won the prize of the chariot-race in the Nemean games (a folemnity instituted first to celebrate the funeral of Opheltes, as is at large described by Statius; and afterwards continued every third year, with an extraordinary conflux of all Greece, and with incredible honour to the conquerors in all the exercises there practised) upon which occafion the poet begins with the commendation of his country, which I take to have been Ortygia (an island belonging to Sicily, and a part of Syracufe, being joined to it by a bridge) though the title of the Ode call him Ætnæan Chromius, perhaps because he was made governor of that town by Hieron. From thence he falls into the praise of Chromius's perfon, which he draws from his great endowments of mind and body, and moft efpecially from his hospitality, and the worthy use of his riches. He likens his beginning to that of Hercules; and, according to his usual manner of being transported with any good hint that meets him in his way, paffing into a digreffion of Hercules, and his flaying the two ferpents in his cradle, concludes the Ode with that history.

Eauteous Ortygia! the firft breathing-place

Of great Alpheus' close and amorous race!
Fair Delos' fifter, the child-bed

Of bright Latona, where she bred

3

Th' ori

Th' original new-moon!

Who faw'ft her tender forehead ere the horns were

grown!

Who, like a gentle fcion newly started out,.

From Syracufa's fide doft sprout!

Thee first my fong does greet,

With numbers fmooth and fleet
As thine own horfes' airy feet,
When they young Chromius' chariot drew,
And o'er the Nemean race triumphant flew..
Jove will approve my fong and me;
Jove is concern'd in Nemea, and in thee..

With Jove my fong; this happy man,
Young Chromius, too, with Jove began,
From hence came his fuccefs,

Nor ought he therefore like it lefs,
Since the best fame is that of happiness;

For whom should we esteem above

The men whom Gods do love ?
'Tis them alone the Mufe too does approve.
Lo! how it makes this victory shine
O'er all the fruitful ifle of Proferpine!
The torches which the mother brought
When the ravish'd maid fhe fought,
Appear'd not half fo bright,
But caft a weaker light,

Through earth, and air, and feas, and up to th' heavenly

vault.

To

"To thee, O Proferpine! this ifle I give," Said Jove, and, as he said,

Smil'd, and bent his gracious head.

""And thou, O ifle!" faid he, " for ever thrive, "And keep the value of our gift alive!

"As Heaven with ftars, fo let

"The country thick with towns be fet,
"And numberlefs as stars!

"Let all the towns be then

rr

Replenish'd thick with men,

"Wife in peace, and bold in wars!
"Of thousand glorious towns the nation,

"Of thousand glorious men each town a conftellation! "Nor let their warlike laurel fcorn,

"With the Olympic olive to be worn,

"Whofe gentler honours do fo well the brows of peace "adorn!"

Go to great Syracufe, my Muse, and wait
At Chromius hofpitable gate;

'Twill open wide to let thee in,

When thy lyre's voice fhall but begin;
Joy, plenty, and free welcome, dwells within.
The Tyrian beds thou shalt find ready dreft,
The ivory table crowded with a feast :
The table which is free for every guest,
No doubt will thee admit,

And feaft more upon thee, than thou on it.
Chromius and thou art met aright,

. For, as by nature thou doft write,

So he by nature loves, and does by nature fight.

VOL. II.

C

Nature

Nature herfelf, whilft in the womb he was,

Sow'd strength and beauty through the forming mafs;
They mov'd the vital lump in every part,

And carv'd the members out with wondrous art.
She fill'd his mind with courage, and with wit,

And a vast bounty, apt and fit

For the great dower which Fortune made to it.
'Tis madness fure treafures to hoard,
And make them ufelefs, as in mines, remain,
To lofe th' occafion Fortune does afford
Fame and public love to gain :
Ev'n for self-concerning ends,

'Tis wifer much to hoard-up friends. Though happy men the present goods poffefs, Th' unhappy have their share in future hopes no lefs.

How early has young Chromius begun

The race of virtue, and how fwiftly run,
And borne the noble prize away,

Whilst other youths yet at the barriers stay!

None but Alcides e'er fet carlier forth than he : The God, his father's, blood nought could restrain, 'Twas ripe at firft, and did disdain

The flow advance of dull humanity.

The big-limb'd babe in his huge cradle lay,
Too weighty to be rock'd by nurse's hands,
Wrapt in purple fwadling-bands;

When, lo! by jealous Juno's fierce commands,
Two dreadful ferpents come,

Rolling and hiffing loud, into the room;

To the bold babe they trace their bidden way;

Forth

Forth from their flaming eyes dread lightnings went, Their gaping mouths did forked tongues, like thunderbolts, prefent.

Some of th' amazed women dropt down dead

With fear, fome wildly fied

About the room, fome into corners crept,

Where filently they fhook and wept:

All naked from her bed the paffionate mother leap'd, To fave or perish with her child;

She trembled, and the cry'd; the mighty infant fiil'd: The mighty infant feem'd well pleas'd

And, as their spotted necks up to the cradle rose,
With his young warlike hands on both he feiz'd
In vain they rag'd, in vain they hifs'd,
In vain their armed tails they twist,

And angry circles caft about;

Black blood, and fiery breath, and poisonous foul, he fqueezes out!

With their drawn fwords

In ran Amphitryo and the Theban lords;
With doubting wonder, and with troubled joy,
They faw the conquering boy

Laugh, and point downwards to his prey,
Where, in death's pangs and their own gore, they fold-

ing lay.

When wife Tirefias this beginning knew,

He told with ease the things t' enfue;