Hail faithful Tripos! Hail ye dark Abodes
Of awful Phœbus: I confefs the Gods!

pray'd;

Thus, feiz'd with Sacred Fear, the Monarch Then to his Inner Court the Guests convey'd ; Where yet thin Fumes from dying Sparks arife, And Duft yet white upon each Altar lies; The Relicks of a former Sacrifice.

[Fires.

The King once more the folemn Rites requires,
And bids renew the Feasts, and wake the fleeping
His Train obey; while all the Courts around
With noifie Care and various Tumult found.
Embroider'd Purple cloaths the Golden Beds;
This Slave the Floor, and That the Table spreads;
A Third difpels the Darkness of the Night,
And fills depending Lamps with Beams of Light;
Here Loaves in Canisters are pil'd on high,
And there, in Flames the flaughter'd Victims fry.
Sublime

Sublime in Regal State, Adraftus fhone,
Stretch'd on rich Carpets, on his Iv'ry Throne;

A lofty Couch receives each Princely Guest;
Around, at awful Distance, wait the reftat

And now the King, his Royal Feast to grace, Aceftis calls, the Tutrefs of his Race, Who firft their Youth in Arts of Virtue train'd, And their ripe Years in modeft Grace maintain'd. Then foftly whisper'd in her faithful Ear, And bad his Daughters to the Rites repair. When from the close Apartments of the Night, The Royal Nymphs approach'd divinely bright, Such was Diana's, fuch Minerva's Face; Nor fhine their Beauties with fuperior Grace, But that in these a milder Charm indears, And lefs of Terror in their Looks appears.

As

As on the Heroes firft they caft their Eyes,
O'er their fair Cheeks the glowing Blushes rife,
Their down caft looks a decent Shame confeft,
Then, on their Father's rev'rend Features rest.

The Banquet done, the Monarch gives the Sign To fill the Goblet high with sparkling Wine, Which Danaus us'd in facred Rites of old, With Sculpture grac'd,and rough with rifing Gold. Here to the Clouds victorious Perfeus flies; Medufa feems to move her languid Eyes,

And, ev'n in Gold, turns paler as she dies.

}

There from the Chace Jove's tow'ring Eagle bears
On golden Wings, the Phrygian to the Stars;
Still as he rifes in th' Ethereal Height,
His native Mountains leffen to his Sight;
While all his fad Companions upwards gaze,
Fix'd on the Glorious Scene in wild Amaze,

And

And the swift Hounds, affrighted as he flies,

Run to the Shade, and bark against the Skies.

[crown'd,

This Golden Bowl with gen'rous Juice was The first Libations sprinkled on the Ground; By turns on each Celestial Pow'r they call; With Phabus Name refounds the vaulted Hall. The Courtly Train, the Strangers, and the rest, [dreft, Crown'd with chaft Laurel, and with Garlands (While with rich Gums the fuming Altars blaze) Salute the God in num'rous Hymns of Praise.

.

Then thus the King: Perhaps, my Noble Guests, These honour'd Altars, and these annual Feasts, To bright Apollo's awful Name defign'd, Unknown, with Wonder may perplex your Mind. Great was the Caufe; our old Solemnities From no blind Zeal or fond Tradition rife;

But

But fav'd from Death, our Argives yearly pay
These grateful Honours to the God of Day.

When by a thousand Darts the Python flain
With Orbs unroll'd lay ftretch'd o'er all the Plain,
(Transfix'd as o'er Caftalia's Streams he hung,...........
And fuck'd new Poisons with his triple Tongue)
The Victor God did to thefe Realms refort, !
And enter'd old Crotopus' humble Court.
This Argive Prince one only Daughter bleft,
That all the Charms
of blooming Youth poffeft;
Fair was her Face, and fpotlefs was her Mind,
Where Filial Love with Virgin Sweetness join'd.
Happy! and happy ftill She might have prov'd;
Were the lefs beautiful, or lefs belov'd!

But Phebus loy'd, and on the Flow'ry Side
Of Nemea's Stream the yielding Fair enjoy'd: