(3)

ADDITIONS

TO THE

WORKS

OF THE

Earl of RoscOMMON,

The SIXTH ODE of the THIRD Book of HORACE.

Of the Corruption of the Times.

T

HOSE ills your ancestors have done,
Romans, are now become your own;
And they will coft you dear,

Unless you foon repair

The falling temples which the Gods provoke,
And ftatues fully'd yet with facrilegious fmoke.

Propitious Heav'n, that rais'd your fathers high,
For humble, grateful piety,

(As it rewarded their refpect)

Hath fharply punish'd your neglect;
All empires on the Gods depend,

Begun by their command, at their command they end.

Let Craffus' ghost, and Labienus tell, How twice by Jove's revenge our legions fell, And, with infulting pride,

Shining in Roman fpoils, the Parthian victors ride;

The Scythian and Ægyptian fcum

Had almoft ruin'd Rome,

While our feditions took their part, Fill'd each Ægyptian fail, and wing'd each Scythian dart.

First, thofe flagitious times
(Pregnant with unknown crimes)
Confpire to violate the nuptial bed,
From which polluted head

Infectious ftreams of crowding fins began,
And through the fpurious breed and guilty nation ran.

Behold a ripe and melting maid,

Bound prentice to the wanton trade;

Ionian artifts, at a mighty price,

Inftruct her in the mysteries of vice; What nets to spread, where subtle baits to lay, And with an early hand they form the temper'd clay,

Marry'd, their leffons fhe improves
By practice of adult'rous loves,

And fcorns the common mean design,
To take advantage of her husband's wine,
Or fnatch, in fome dark place,
A hafty illegitimate embrace,

No! the brib'd husband knows of all,
And bids her rife when lovers call;
Hither a merchant from the ftraits,
Grown wealthy by forbidden freights,

Or

Or city Cannibal, repairs,

Who feeds upon the flesh of heirs,

Convenient brutes, whofe tributary flame,

Pays the full price of luft, and gilds the flighted fhame.

"Twas not the spawn of fuch as these,

That dy'd with Punick blood the conquer'd feas,
And quafh'd the ftern Æacides;

Made the proud Afian monarch feel
How weak his gold was against Europe's steel,
Forc'd ev❜n dire Hannibal to yield;

And won the long difputed world at Zama's fatal field.

But foldiers of a ruftick mould,

Rough, hardy, season'd, manly, bold, Either they dug the ftubborn ground, Or through hewn woods their weighty ftrokes did found. And after the declining fun

Had chang'd the fhadows, and their task was done, Home with their weary team they took their way, And drown'd in friendly bowls the labour of the day.

Time fenfibly all things impairs;

Our fathers have been worse than theirs ;
And we than ours; next age will fee
A race more profligate than we

(With all the pains we take) have skill enough to be.

TRANSLATION of the following Verse from LUCAN.

Victrix Caufa Diis placuit, fed Victa Catoni.

TH

HE Gods were pleas'd to chufe the conqu'ring fide,

But CATO thought he conquer'd when he dy'd.

O DE upon SOLITUDE.

I,

HALL, facred folitude! from this calm bay,

I view the world's tempeftuous fea;
And with wife pride despise

All those fenfeless vanities:

With pity mov'd for others, caft away
On rocks of hopes and fears, I fee 'em tofs'd
On rocks of folly, and of vice I fee 'em loft:
Some the prevailing malice of the great
Unhappy men, or adverse fate

Sunk deep into the gulphs of an afflicted ftate.
But more, far more, a numberless prodigious train,
Whilft virtue courts 'em, but alas in vain,

Fly from her kind embracing arms,

Deaf to her fondeft call, blind to her greatest charms,
And funk in pleasures, and in brutish ease,

They in their fhipwreck'd ftate themfelves obdurate please.

II.

Hail facred folitude, foul of my foul,

It is by thee I truly live,

Thou doft a better life and nobler vigour give:

Doft each unruly appetite control :

Thy conftant quiet fills my peaceful breaft,

With unmix'd joy, uninterrupted rest.
Prefuming love does ne'er invade

This private folitary shade;

And, with fantaftic wounds by beauty made,

The