The Poetical Works of Addison; Gay's Fables; and Somerville's Chase. Джозеф Аддисон

drowsy murmurs lull'd the gentle maid.

        The god of war beheld the virgin lie,

        The god beheld her with a lover's eye;

        And by so tempting an occasion press'd,

        The beauteous maid, whom he beheld, possess'd:

        Conceiving as she slept, her fruitful womb

        Swell'd with the founder of immortal Rome.

      OVID'S METAMORPHOSES

      BOOK II.

      THE STORY OF PHÆTON

        The sun's bright palace, on high columns raised,

        With burnished gold and flaming jewels blazed;

        The folding gates diffused a silver light,

        And with a milder gleam refreshed the sight;

        Of polished ivory was the covering wrought:

        The matter vied not with the sculptor's thought,

        For in the portal was displayed on high

        (The work of Vulcan) a fictitious sky;

        A waving sea the inferior earth embraced,

        And gods and goddesses the waters graced.

        Ægeon here a mighty whale bestrode;

        Triton, and Proteus, (the deceiving god,)

        With Doris here were carved, and all her train,

        Some loosely swimming in the figured main,

        While some on rocks their dropping hair divide,

        And some on fishes through the waters glide:

        Though various features did the sisters grace,

        A sister's likeness was in every face.

        On earth a different landscape courts the eyes,

        Men, towns, and beasts, in distant prospects rise,

        And nymphs, and streams, and woods, and rural deities.

        O'er all, the heaven's refulgent image shines;

        On either gate were six engraven signs.

           Here Phaëton, still gaining on the ascent,

        To his suspected father's palace went,

        Till, pressing forward through the bright ahode,

        He saw at distance the illustrious god:

        He saw at distance, or the dazzling light

        Had flashed too strongly on his aching sight.

           The god sits high, exalted on a throne

        Of blazing gems, with purple garments on:

        The Hours, in order ranged on either hand,

        And days, and months, and years, and ages, stand.

        Here Spring appears with flowery chaplets bound;

        Here Summer in her wheaten garland crowned;

        Here Autumn the rich trodden grapes besmear;

      1

      Among these "others" was Abraham Stanyan, plenipotentiary extraordinary at Neufchatel at the settlement of the rival claims of the Duke of Brandenberg, Holland, and France, to that principality. He was afterwards ambassador to France. He married a daughter of Dr Pritchett, Bishop of Gloucester. It is said, that, having on one occasion borrowed a sum of money from Addison, the latter observed him to be very subservient, agreeing with every opinion Mr A. expressed, till Addison, provoked, and guessing the cause, said, "Stanyan, either contradict me, or pay me my money." Our friend, Mr J. Stanyan Bigg, author of the very brilliant poem, "Night and the Soul," is a descendant of Abraham Stanyan.

      2

      'Majesty:' King William.

      3

      'Seneffe:' lost by William to the French in 1674.

      Claverhouse fought with him at this battle.

      4

      The four last lines of the second and third stanzas were added by Mr Tate.

      5

      'Eridanus:' the Po.

      6

      'Such as of late.' See Macaulay's 'Essay on Addison,' and the 'Life' in this volume, for an account of this extraordinary tempest.

      7

      'Tallard,' or Tallart: an eminent French marshal, taken prisoner at Blenheim; he remained in England for seven years.

      8

      A comedy written by Sir Richard Steel.

      9

      A dramatic poem written by the Lord Lansdown.

      10

      'Smith:' Edmund, commonly called 'Rag;' see Johnson's

      'Poets.'

      11

      'Lyæus:' Bacchus.