Fable III. Aristeus and Virgil

VIRCIIL being come down into the lower regions, entered into the happy plains, where the heroes, and men inspired by the gods, pafled a blissful life, on lawns, ever enamelled with flowers, and interfedted by a thousand dreams. • Straightway the (hepherd Arifteus, who was there ih the number of the demi-gods, advanced towards bim, having learned his name, what joy have I, said he, to see fo great a poet: your verfcs flow more smoothly than the d«w upon the tender blade; fo sweet their harmony, that they diiTolve the heart, and melt the eyes to tears of rapture: you have made some upon me, and my bees, that Homer himself might be jealous of; I owe as much to you as to Sol and Gyrene, the glory I enjoy, it is not yet long since I recited those fo tender and delicate verses to Linus, Hefiod, and Homer: after hearing them, they went all three and drank of the water of the river Lethe, in order to forget them, fo much were they mortified to revolve in their memory, verses fo worthy of them, which they had not made, you know the jealousy of the poet-tribe; come then, and take your place amongst them, it will be but a very sorry one, replied Virgil, since they are fo jealous } I (hall have but uncomfort-

E abl^ hours to j^f? in their company | I (ee phuJy your bees were oot more easily provdced, thin dit spirit of the poets, it is true, replied Arifteus, they buz like bees; like them, they have a piercing (Ung, to dart into whatever inflames their wrath. I fiiail havf also, said Virgil, another great man to deal with» and that is the divine Orpheus, how do you live with him I badly cnougbf answered Arifteus; he is (UIl jealoua of his wife, as the other three are of the glory of their verses: but as for. you, he wtU reoave yoa well, as yon have treated him honoiiraUy, and have fpobi much more modefUy than Ovid». of his quarrel witl^ the women of Thrace, who biitdiered him. bnt tarry we no longer; let us enter into yon sacred grove, wf^ tered with fo many fountains, clearer than the ^(lal; you (hall see that the whole iacred band will rile lo d^ you honour, do you not hear already Orpheus' lyre { hark! Linus fiogs the gods aad giants sight; Homec prepares to sing Achilles revenging Fatrodus' death by that of Hedlor: but Hesiod is the ihade you have most to fear; for by the humour he ts of, he will rage that you have dared to treat, with fo much elegance, all rural things which were his proper portion, fearce had Arifteus finiihed these WQrds., when they arrived in that cool (hade, where reigns an eternal eBthuiibUm» which po(re(res those divine bards, they all rose op;. Virgil was made to (it down, and fooo was pray^ to fmg his veries; be iung them^ at fixft». with modofty*

ARISTBUS AND VIRGIL. 2?

mod then with tUmfport; the most jealotis felt» to spite of themfelTes, a sweetness that raviflied them; Orpheus' lyre, which had endiadted the rocks and woods, dropt out of his hands, and the briny tears trickled from hit eyes; Homer forgot, ^r a moment, the rapid magnificence of the Iliad, and the pleaiing yanety of the Odyfley; Linus thought those beautiful veries had been made by his father Apollo, and he sat motionless, flruck, and suspended by the tender melody; old Hesiod moved, c6uld ndt withdand the diarfllk at lefigthi ooming a little to himself, he proaodboed the& words/ full of jealousy and indignatioa: O Virgil^ thdil h^d m^ terfes more lasting than the brafi ot bronze! but I foretel thee, that the irorld fliaJl see one day a boy, who shall trandate thy tetik into h\i natite tongue, atid (hart with the6 the f lory then rf having sang the htMk

E %

A L I B E G,

THE PERSIAN.