The works of Publius Virgilius Maro translated by John Ogilby.

The sixth Eclog.

Silenus.

THE ARGUMENT.

Those Sects which promise sensuall delights, Soonest infect, and gain most Proselytes; But oft those Tenets which are held divine, Rise from full bellies, and heads charg'd with Wine.

FIrst our Thalia chanted rurall strains In Verse, nor she to dwell in woods disdains. Phoebus, when I did sing of Kings, and war, Said, Tityrus. And nip'd me by the ear; Shepherds should feed their flocks, and tune soft layes. Now I (for thou O Varus, and thy praise Others shall strive to sing, and wars rehearse) On slender Reeds shall tune an humble verse. I chant not things forbid; if struck with love Any shall reade, the shrubs, and every Grove Shall sing thee Varus; what can more ingage Phoebus, then thy name on the title page?

Say Muses; Chromis, Mnasylus, beheld Stretch't in a Cave Sylenus sleeping, swel'd VVith last nights Bacchus, as his usuall guise; Far off, faln from his head his garland lies, On a worn handle, his great bottle hung.— They went (for when the old man should have sung He mock'd their hopes) and with's own Chaplets bound. VVith them joyn'd Aegle, whom she timerous found: Aegle the fairest Nymph; this fraud he spies, VVhil'sts she vvith Mulberies his temples dies, And smiling said, why binde you me? let goe; It is enough that you have seen me so, My promis'd Verses take, they novv are done; Her otherwise Il' please, then thus begun.

Then thou might'st see wilde beasts, and fauns advance Sporting in troups, and the tall Okes to dance. Nor so in Phoebus, joy Parnassus spires, Nor Ismare, Rodophe, Orpheus so admires. For he sung how collected seeds did come Of Earth, Aire, Sea, through the huge vacuum, And glittering fire: how all things first commenc'd From these, and the worlds tender Orbe condens'd: Then Earth grevv hard, and Nereus did exclude, And by degrees the forms of things indu'd. That a new Sun did shine, the Lands admire, And showrs to fall from Clouds now mounted higher: When first the sprouting vvoods began t' appear, And beasts in unknown hills, graz'd here and there; Next Saturn's reign, and stones that Pyrrha flung, Caucasus foul, Prometheus theft, he sung: Adds Hylas lost, where Sailors neer the Spring Call Hylas, Hylas, till the shores did ring.

And with a white Buls love did please the Queen Pasiphae, happie, if no herds had been. Poor Virgin, why didst thou to folly yield? And Pretides launs, vvith fained lowings fil'd; Yet such foul lust, not any of the herd: Persu'd, although their necks the yoak had fear'd. And oft had horns sought in their tender brow. Ah miserable, in vvoods thou wander'st now, His snowie side upon soft Daffadils laid, Chevving the Cud, under an oken shade: Or woe's some other in the ample drove. Shut Nymphs, Dictaean Nymphs, shut close your Grove, If any tracts as he shall wandring pass By chance we finde, or took with verdant grass, Or following Cattell, other Heifers call, And they intice him to Gortinas stall. Next, her pleas'd vvith Hesperian fruit he shews, Then Phaeton's sisters, whom sowre mosse inclose, And from the Earth the lofty Aldar brings. And Gallus wandring by Permessus springs. How him a Muse led to th' Aonian top, And how to th' man, Phoebus whole Quire stood up. In divine Verse how Linus these exprest; His hair vvith flovvres, and bitter Apium drest. These Pipes the Muses give thee, take, behold! These ancient Hesiods vvear, with which, he could Singing, wilde ashes from the Mountains move: VVith these thou mayst describe Apollo's Grove: Lest Phoebus should in any woods more pride. VVhat shall I say of Scylla? whose white side, (As Fame reports) with barking Monsters bound, Vexing Dulichian ships; ah! in that sound She trembling Sailors with her Sea-hounds tears. And Tereus limbs transform'd, he next declares,

Philomels bankets, and what gifts she brought, And with what speed, she wretched, desarts sought, And with what wings once o're her Court she flew, He sung all these, which blest Eurotas knevv From Phoebus once: and bids the Laurell sing. And to the stars the Vales with echoe ring. Till night bid house their flocks, their numbers tell, And from unwilling skies the evening fell.