}

771

780

Or elfe, it like a ball, half dark, half bright, Roll'd round its axle, may affect the fight With diff'rent phafes, and fhow various light. Now turn that half, which the full light adorns, A quarter now, now dwindle into horns. And this the latter Babylonian sect Afferts, and the Chaldean. fchemes reject: As if it could not either way be done, But powerful reafons fix'd our choice on one. But why the moons a monthly round pursue ? Why one fo long, not ev'ry day a new? Why are they fram'd, endure, and always cease At this fet time? The caufe is told with eafe; Since other things at certain times appear, And only then: Thus feafons of the year. First, Spring, and Venus' kindest pow'rs infpire Soft wishes, melting thoughts, and gay defire; And warm Favonius fans th' amorous fire; Then mother Flora, to prepare the way, Makes all the field look glorious, green, and gay; And freely fcatters with a bounteous hand Her fweeteft, fairest flowers o'er the land: Next heat, and dusty Harvest take the place, And foft Etefia's fan the fun-burnt face. Then fweaty Autumn treads the noble vine, And flowing bunches give immortal wine. Next roars the ftrong-lung'd fouthern blast, and brings

790

800

The infant thunder on his dreadful wings.
Then cold purfues, the north feverely blows,
And drives before it chilling frofts, and fnows.
And next deep Winter creeps, gray, wrinkled, old,
His teeth all fhatter, limbs all fhake with cold:
Therefore no wonder fure the moon fhould rife
At certain times, and that again fhe dies
At certain times; fince thoufand things are fhown
at fr'd and conftant times, and then alone.
Eclipfes may be folv'd a thousand ways;
For if the moon can ftop defcending rays
By thrusting her dark felf between, and fo
Bring fudden fhade, and night on all below;
Then give me reafons why there cannot be
Another thing, too dark for us to fee,
And fit to stop the rays as well as the ?
Or, why the circling fun, in paffing by
Some venomous places of the neighbouring sky,
May not grow fick, and pale, and aimoft die?
Th fe pad, grow well, regain his former light?
Thus fometimes make us day, and fometimes
night.

8107

And whilft the meons their monthly courfes run, Within the reach of earth's dark shadowing cone, If then revengeful earth can stop the light, If the can hide the fick ning moou in night; Why cannot other things divert the ftreams, 819 The failing freams of light, and hop the beams? TRANS. II.

And how, eclips'd, they lofe their gaudy light,
And fpread o'er all an unexpected night,
As if they wink'd, and then with open eyes
View'd all again, and clear'd the lower skies.
Now let's defcend again to new-born earth, 830
And find to what the gave the fooneft birth:
What fort of beings, which of all the kinds
She first durft venture to the faithlefs winds.
She, firft of all, green herbs, and flow'rs did
yield,

And spread a gawdy green o'er all the field.
And next the tree, with fpreading branches, shoots,
But clofely fix'd, and bound with steady roots.
As briftles, hairs, and plumes are first design'd
O'er limbs of beafts, and o'er the winged kind;
So new-born earth with herbs and trees began, 840
And then by various ways bore beaft and man:
For Heav'n, 'tis certain, did not fashion all;
Then let the various creatures downwards fall:
Nor feas produce an earthly animal.
And therefore parent earth does justly bear
The name of mother, fince all rofe from her.
She now bears animals, when foft'ning dew
Defcends; when fun fends heat, fhe bears a thou-

Thus for a certain time mankind the bore, roar, And beafts, thar fhake the wood with dreadful And various kinds of birds; and as they flew, The fun, with curious fkill, the figures drew 879 On all their plumes: he well the art might know, He us'd to paint the fame on his fair bow.

But weary'd now, and tir'd by length of time, The earth grows old, and weak, as women paft their prime.

Time changes all; and as with fwifteft wings
He paffes forward on. he quickly brings
A diff'rent face, a diff'rent fight of things:
And nature alters: this grows weak, this ftrong,
This dies, this newly made, is firm and young:
Thus alt'ring age leads on the world to fate;
The earth is diff'rent from her former state; 890
And what in former times with eafe fhe bore,
Grown feeble now, and weak, the bears no more,
And now does that he could not do before.

900

Besides, the earth produc'd a num'rous train Of monsters: Thofe her labour wrought in vain : Some without hands, or feet, or mouth, or eyes; Some fhapelefs lumps, nature's abfurdities; Dull, movelefs things, and deftitute of food, Which could not fly the bad, nor choose the good. A thousand fuch in vain arofe from earth; For nature, frighted at the ugly birth, Their ftrength, and life to narrow bounds confin'd; Deny'd them food, or to increafe their kind: For that one pow'r a thousand things requires; Almost as many as its own defires : There must be food, and feed, and organs fit For flowing feed, whilft all the happy night The body lies diffolv'd in foft delight; That male and female may their pow'rs employ, They must have organs fit for mutual joy.

S

910

But more thefe years muft num'rous kinds deface;

They could not all preferve their feeble race:
For those we fee remain, and bear their young,
Craft, ftrength, or fwiftnefs, has preferv'd fo long.
Many their profit, and their ufe commends;
Thofe fpecies man preferves, kind man defends.
Wild beafts, and lions race, their native rage
Preferves fecure through all devouring age.
Swiftnefs preferves the deer, and craft the fox,
The vig'lant, faithful dog, the horse, the ox,
We men defend; we keep the tender flocks.
They fhun wild beafts, they fly the dreadful
wood;
922
They feek for peace, and much, and easy food;
Gotten without their toil and this we give
For the vaft profits we from them receive.
But thofe to whom their nature gave no force,
No courage, ftrength, nor fwiftnefs to the course;
Whom neither profit could, nor use commend,
Thofe man refus'd to feed, or to defend :
Thus, doom'd by chance, they liv'd an easy prey
To all, and thus their kinds did foon decay.

929

But never centaurs; these were never known; That two fuch natures fhould combine in one, Such difagreeing pow'rs; abfurd and vain! Plain nonfenfe! Thefe are creatures of the brain: A fool knows this: For horfes oft enjoy Full growth at three years old; not to a boy;

And loofen'd life begins to fly away: [growth,
The boy grows ftrong, he feels the pride of
A fturdy, vig'rous, gay, and bearded youth:
Left you should think fuch monsters apt to grow,
A thoughtful man above, a horse below.

Or Scyllas, whom a num'rous train entwines
Of half fea-dogs, and barks above their lions:
Or fuch that live, nor grow an equal time,
And which at equal years not reach their prime;
Whom equal years not fill with youthful rage,
Nor lose their strength again at equal age: 951
Whom neither the fanie kinds of beauty fire,
Nor raife foft thoughts, gay wishes, warm defire;
Or those that seek and live by diff'rent food:
Thus hemlock kills a man, for goats 'tis good.

960

Befides, fince flames will feorch the lion's breaft, And burn as well as any other beaft; How could chimeras rife, or how contain Three kinds; a lion's head, a ferpent's train, A goat, the middle of the fancy'd frame, And still with fcorching noftrils breathing flame? Then he who thinks that new-made heav'n and Did give to fuch prodigious monsters birth, (earth Yet brings no caufe to prove the fancy true, But ftill relies on the poor fhift, 'twas new; May fancy too that ftreams enrich'd the feas, With golden waves, that jewels grew on trees: That man of fuch vaft force and limbs did rife, That he could ftride the ocean, whirl the fkies; Or any thing mad fancy can devife.

970)

For though much feed lay hid when thoughtful

man

And all the various kinds of beasts began;
Yet nothing proves, that things of diff'rent kind,
That difagreeing natures fhould be join'd;
Since now the grafs and trees, and all that growi
And fprings from earth, are never join'd like thofe;
But each arifing from its proper caufe
Remains diftinct, and follows nature's laws.

980

Then man was hard, as hard as parent-ftones;
And built on bigger, and on firmer bones.
The nerves that join'd their limbs were firm and
ftrong;

Their life was healthy, and their age was long:
Returning years ftill faw them in their prime:
They weary'd even the wings of meas'ring time:
No colds, nor heats, no ftrong difeafes wait,
And tell fad news of coming hasty fate;
Nature not yet grew weak, nor yet began
To fhrink into an inch, the larger fpan.
Like beafts they lay in ev'ry wood and cave,
Gath'ring the easy food that nature gave: 999
No impious ploughman yet had learn'd to tear
His parent's bowels with his crooked fhare;
None planted fruitful trees, none drefs'd the vine,
None prun'd decaying boughs, none prefs'd the

wine;

Contented they with the poor eafy ftore, [more: That fun and earth beftow'd, they wish'd no Soft acorns were their first and chiefeft food, And thofe red apples that adorn the wood.

ΠΟΙΟ

And then by night they took their rest in caves,
Where little ftreams roll on with filent waves;
They bubble through the stones, and foftly creep,"
As fearful to difturb the nymphs that fleep:
The mofs, spread o'er the marbles, feems to
weep.
Whilft other ftreams no narrow bounds contain,
They break fuch banks, and spread o'er all the plain.
They knew no ufe of fire to drefs their food;
No clothes, but wander'd naked in the wood:
They liv'd to fhady groves and caves confin'd,
Mere shelter from the cold, the heat, and wind.
No fix'd fociety, no steady laws;

No public good was fought, no common cause,
But all at war, each rang'd and fought his food,
By nature taught to feek his private good. 1020
Then to renew frail man's decaying race,
Or mutual lust did prompt them to embrace;
Or elle the greater vigour of the male,
Or fome few treach'rous prefents did prevail;
Some acorns, apples fome, fome pears bestow;
The thing the fame, the price was lefs than now.
Then strong, and swift, they did the beasts pur-
fue;

Their arms were ftones and clubs; and fome they dew.

And fome they fled: from those they fear'd to fight They ran, and ow'd their safety to their flight. When drow fy night came on, they naked lay, 1031 Spread o'er the ground like bears, and rough as they: Their fleep was found, they wak'd not all the

night,

[fright,

The most they dreaded was the furious beast; For he, in dead of night did oft moleft, And lengthen into death their flumb'ring reft. Sometimes they left their caves by night and fled," Rous'd from their fofteft fleep, all pale, half dead, While boars and lions came, and feiz'd their bed.) Yet fewer dy'd than now: for singly then Each caught within the limits of his den, While the beaft tore the living, trembling food, And revell'd in full draughts of reeking blood, With dreadful cries he fill'd each wood and cave, To fee his limbs go down a living grave Others that 'fcap'd with life, but wounded, groan'd,

1049

Holding their hands on the corrupting wound, While trembling echoes did reftore the found. Not skill'd in herbs, and now grown defperate, With horrid cries they call'd on ling'ring fate,

Till worms increas'd; and eating through the clay, Made paffage for the foul to fly away

1065

But then no armies fell at once, no plain
Grew red, no rivers fwell'd with thousands flain :
None plough'd the floods, none fhipwreck'd made
their graves

In feas, none drank cold death among the waves,
But oft the furious ocean rag'd in vain :
No mifchief done, the waves grew mild again :
No fhips were found, nor could the treach'rous
fmile
[toil.
Of fmooth-fac'd waves tempt one poor man to
Then want, now furfeits bring a hasty death;
Our bellies fwell fo much they ftp our breath.
Then pois'nous herbs, when pluck'd by chance,
did kill;
1071
Now poifon's grown an art, improv'd by skill.
But when they built their huts, when fire began,
And skins of murder'd heafts gave clothes to man:
When one to one confin'd in chafte embrace,
Enjoy'd fweet love, and saw a num'rous race;
Then man grew folt, the temper of his mind
Was chang'd from rough to mild, from fierce to
kind:

The race had fali'n, this age ne'er seen a man. Kind nature pow'r of framing founds affords To man and then convenience taught us words: As infants now, for want of words, devife Expreffive figns; they fpeak with hands and eyes; Their fpeaking hand the want of words fupplies. All know their pow'rs; they are by nature shown: Thus tender calves with naked front will run, And fiercely push before their horns are grown.. Young lions fhow their teeth, prepare their paws; The bears young cubs untheath their crooked

Nay more if others us'd not words as foon, How was their ufe, and how the profit known? Or how could he inftruct another's mind? How make them understand what was defign'd? For his being fingle, neither force or wit, Could conquer many men, nor they fubmit

To learn his words and practife what was fit. S

But now, fince organs fit, fince voice and tongue, By nature's gift beflow'd, to man belong, What wonder is it then that man fhould frame, And give each diff'rent thing a diff'rent name? Since beafts themselves do make a diff'rent noife, Opprefs'd by pains and fears, or fill'd with joys This plain example fhows: when dogs begin To berd their backs, and show their teeth, and grin,

When kellow murmur's show deep rage within; Their voice is diff'rent when they bark aloud, And with ftrong roarings fright the trembling crowd; 1131

Or when they lick their whelps with tender

tongue,

Or when they play, and wanton with their young,
Now feem to bite, but never chop their jaws,
Now fpurning, but with tender fearful claws;
Then flatt'ring, foft and tender is their voice,
Tar diff'rent from that grating, howling noife,
They make when fhut alone, or creeping low,
Whine, as they firive to fhun the coming blow.

The horfe with diff'rent noifes fills the air, 1140 When hot and young, he neighs upon his mare, Rous'd by ftrong love: or when by fierce alarms, He fnorts, and bears his rider on to arms.

Thus birds, as hawks, or thofe that cut the flood, Make diff'rent noifes as they eat their food; Or when they fiercely fight; or when purfue The trembling prey: each paffion has a new. Sometimes at change of air they change their voice; [noife, Thus daws, and om'nous crows, with various Affright the farmers, and fill all the plain, 1150 Now calling for rough winds, and now for rain. Therefore, fince beafts and birds, though dumb,

commence

As various voices as their various fenfe;
How eafy was it then for man to frame,
And give each diff'rent thing a diff'rent name?

Now for the rife of fire: fwift thunder thrown From broken fulph'rous clouds, firft brought it

down.

For many things take fire when lightning flies,
And fulph'rous vapours fill the lower fkies:
And trees, when fhaken by a fouthern blaft, 1160
Grow warm, then hot, and fo take fire at last;
Their branches mingling with a rude embrace,
Burft into flames.

And thus our fires might rife from either caufe.
The fun firft taught them to prepare their meat;,
Because they had obferv'd his quick'ning heat,
Spread o'er the hills and ev'ry fhady wood,
Ripen'd the fruits, and made them fit for food.
Hence various methods they did ftill purfue,
And chai g'd their former life to take a new. 1170
The wiler and the wittier left the field;
And towns for fafety did begin to build;
By nature, kings..

Then cattle too was fhar'd, and fleady bounds'
Mark'd out to cv'ry man his proper grounds:

1220

This made them feek for laws, this led their choice
To rulers: pow'r was giv'n by public voice:
For men, worn out, and tir'd by conftant ftrife,
At laft began to with an eafy life;
And fo fubmitted of their own accord
To rigid laws, and their elected lord.
For when each single man, lcd on by rage,
Grew bloody in revenge, and ftrove t' engage
His enemy, 'twas an unpleafant age.
Hence men grew weary of continual wars,
Which four'd the fweet of life with conftant fears;
Because diffufive wrong can fpread o'er all;
No ftate fecure; nay, oft the wrongs recoil,
With double force on the contrivers fall.
Nor can those men expect to live at ease,
Who violate the common bond of peace.
Though now they lie conceal'd from man and
God,

They still muft fear 'twill fome time come 3broad;

Since fome difeas'd, and fome by night be

tray 1230 The wicked actions they have done by day; Though hid in night; fcarce hell so deep as they.

Why all do bow to fomewhat as divine? Why ev'ry nation has its proper shrine? Why all do temples build, why altars raise? And why all facrifice on facred days?

}

1240

How this diffus'd, this lasting fame was spread
Of powr's above? Whence came that awful dread,
That parent of religion through the rout,
Which forces them to bow, and grow devout?
This is an eafy task: For new-born man,
Juft fprung from earth, when firft this frame began,
Divine and glorious forms defcending came,
And ftruck his mind by day, by night the fame :
But then increas'd, their working fancies fhow'd
Great limbs and ftrength, and fit to make a god:
And thefe they thought had fenfe, because they

shook

As fancy told, their limbs, and proudly spoke;
Their words were all majestic, as their look.
Eternal too, becaufe a new fupply,

1251 A conftant fream, where'er they turn'd their eye,

Of forms came in, and fhow'd the deity.
Nor could they think fuch mighty things could
fail,

Or pow'rful blows on fo much strength prevail.
And happy too, because no fear destroys,
Nor dread of fullen death corrupts their joys.
Befides, in dreams they often feem'd to do
A thousand various things, and wonders fhow:
Yet never weary they, but vig'rous flill; 1260
Their ftrength as much unbounded as their will.
Befides, they faw the heav'ns in order roll
Their various motions round the fteady pole:
The feafons of the year by conftant laws
Run round, but knowing not the nat'ral caufe:
They therefore thought, that gods must rule
above,

Poor fhift! and all at their devotion move.
In heav'n they plac'd their feat, their ftately

throne,

For there the fun, the stars, and various moon, And day, and night, their conftant courfes run:, And hail, and rain, and, through a broken cloud,⚫ 1271

Swift lightning flies, and thunder roars aloud.
Unhappy man, who taught, the gods engage
In thele; that they are fubject unto rage:
A curfe to theirs, to ours, and future age!
What grief they brought themselves, to us what
fears?

1280

To poor pofterity what fighs, what tears?
Alas what piety? Alas! 'Tis none,
To bend all cover d to a fer felefs ftone,
Lie proftrate, or to vifit ev'ry farine,
Or, with spread armis, invoke the pow'rs divine
Before their temples, while the altar flows
With blood of beafts, and we make vows on vows.
But fure 'tis picty to view the whole,
And fearch all nature with a quiet foul.
For when we view the heav'ns, and how the fun,
And moor, and 1.ars their conttant courfes run;
Then doubts, that lay opprefs'd with other cares,
Begin to raile their head, and bring new fears.

We doubt: What, are there gods, that rule a-
bove,
1299
At whofe direction the bright stars do move?
For ignorance in caufes troubles man;
And hence we doubt, if e'er the world began,
If e'er fhall end: how long the orbs fhall roll;
How long the stars run round their feady pole:
Or if preferv'd by gods, can stand the rage,
And pow'rful envy of devouring age.

What mind's unfhaken and what foul not aw'd, And who not thinks the angry gods abroad, Whofe limbs not shrink, when dreadful thunder

hurl'd

1300
From broken clouds, fhakes the affrighted world?
What, do not cities, do not nations fear,
And think their dismal diffolution near?
Why, do not tyrants then, and mighty lords,
Recal their wicked deeds, and boafting words,
And fear, that now revenge is furely come?
Do they not tremble at approaching doom?
Befides, when winds grow high, when storms
increase,

And scatter warlike navies through the feas;
When men, for battle arm'd, must now engage
A stronger foe, and fight the water's rage; 1311
Does not the trembling gen'ral proftrate fall,
And beg a calm o' th' gods, or profp'rous gale?
In vain the storms drive on; no off'ring faves:
All, fhipwreck'd, drink cold death among the

troul,

And gods, with mighty force, do rule the whole?
But farther; pow`rful gold firft rais'd his head,
And brafs, and filver, and ignoble lead,
When shady woods, on lofty mountains grown,
Felt fcorching fires; whether from thunder thrown,
Or elfe by man's defign the flames arʊle, 1330
Who burnt the neighb'ring woods to fright "their
foes:

Or elfe, delighted all with fruitful grounds,
They fought more meadows, and enlarg'd their
bounds:

Or, greedy to increase their flore of food,
And take the heafts, they i'd the fhelt'ring wood:
For thus men hunted, whilit no nets were found,
Nor forefts trembled at the barking hound;
Whatever 'twas that gave thele flames their birth,
Which burnt the tow'ring trees, and scorch'd the
earth,

Hot ftreams of filver, gold, and lead, and
brafs,
1340
As nature gave a hollow
proper place
Defcended down, and form'd a glitt'ring mafs.
M m