THE EIGHTH PASTORAL

OR, PHARMACEUTRIA

THE ARGUMENT

This pastoral contains the songs of Damon and Alphesibous. The first of 'em bewails the loss of his mistress, and repines at the success of his rival Mopsus. The other repeats the charms of some enchantress, who endeavor'd by her spells and magic to make Daphnis in love with her.

THE mournful Muse of two despairing

swains,

The love rejected, and the lovers' pains; To which the salvage lynxes list'ning stood,

The rivers stood on heaps, and stopp'd the running flood;

The hungry herd their needful food re

fuse

Of two despairing swains, I sing the mournful Muse.

Great Pollio! thou, for whom thy Rome

prepares

The ready triumph of thy finish'd wars,
Whether Timavus or th' Illyrian coast,
Whatever land or sea thy presence boast; 10
Is there an hour in fate reserv'd for me,
To sing thy deeds in numbers worthy
thee?

In numbers like to thine could I rehearse

Thy lofty tragic scenes, thy labor'd verse, The world another Sophocles in thee, Another Homer should behold in me. Amidst thy laurels let this ivy twine: Thine was my earliest Muse; my latest shall be thine.

Scarce from the world the shades of night withdrew,

Scarce were the flocks refresh'd with morning dew,

When Damon, stretch'd beneath an olive shade,

And wildly staring upwards, thus inveigh'd Against the conscious gods, and curs'd

the cruel maid:

20

"Star of the morning, why dost thou delay?

Come, Lucifer, drive on the lagging day, While I my Nisa's perjur'd faith deplore

Witness, ye pow'rs, by whom she falsely swore!