| |
| SO 1 may th’ auspicious Queen of Love, | |
| And the Twin Stars, (the Seed of love, | |
| And he who rules the rageing wind, | |
| To thee, O sacred Ship, be kind; | |
| And gentle Breezes fill thy Sails, | 5 |
| Supplying soft Etesian Gales: | |
| As thou, to whom the Muse commends | |
| The best of Poets and of Friends, | |
| Dost thy committed Pledge restore, | |
| And land him safely on the shore; | 10 |
| And save the better part of me, | |
| From perishing with him at Sea. | |
| Sure he, who first the passage try’d, | |
| In harden’d Oak his heart did hide, | |
| And ribs of Iron arm’d his side; | 15 |
| Or his at least, in hollow wood | |
| Who tempted first the briny Floud: | |
| Nor fear’d the winds contending roar, | |
| Nor billows beating on the Shoar; | |
| Nor Hyades portending Rain; | 20 |
| Nor all the Tyrants of the Main. | |
| What form of death cou’d him affright, | |
| Who unconcern’d, with steadfast sight, | |
| Cou’d view the Surges mounting steep, | |
| And monsters rolling in the deep! | 25 |
| Cou’d thro’ the ranks of ruin go, | |
| With Storms above, and Rocks below! | |
| In vain did Natures wise command | |
| Divide the Waters from the Land, | |
| If daring Ships, and Men prophane, | 30 |
| Invade th’ inviolable Main; | |
| Th’ eternal Fences overleap, | |
| And pass at will the boundless deep. | |
| No toyl, no hardship can restrain | |
| Ambitious Man, inur’d to pain; | 35 |
| The more confin’d, the more he tries, | |
| And at forbidden quarry flies. | |
| Thus bold Prometheus did aspire, | |
| And stole from heav’n the seed of Fire: | |
| A train of Ills, a ghastly crew, | 40 |
| The Robber’s blazing track persue; | |
| Fierce Famine, with her Meagre face, | |
| And Feavours of the fiery Race, | |
| In swarms th’ offending Wretch surround | |
| All brooding on the blasted ground: | 45 |
| And limping Death, lash’d on by Fate | |
| Comes up to shorten half our date. | |
| This made not Dedalus beware, | |
| With borrow’d wings to sail in Air: | |
| To Hell Alcides forc’d his way, | 50 |
| Plung’d thro’ the Lake, and snatch’d the Prey. | |
| Nay scarce the Gods, or heav’nly Climes, | |
| Are safe from our audacious Crimes; | |
| We reach at Jove’s Imperial Crown, | |
| And pull th’ unwilling thunder down. | 55 |
