HOME R's

BATRACHOMUOMACHIA:

OR, THE

BATTLE

OF THE

FROGS and MICE.

Names of the MICE. | Names of the FROGS.

HOME R's

BATTLE of the FROGS, &c.

T

BOOK I.

O fill my rifing fong with facred fire,

Ye tuneful Nine, ye fweet celeftial quire!
From Helicon's imbow'ring height repair,
Attend my labours, and reward my pray'r.
The dreadful toils of raging Mars I write,
The fprings of contest, and the fields of fight;
How threat'ning Mice advanc'd with warlike grace,
And wag'd dire combats with the croaking race.
Not louder tumults fhook Olympus' tow'rs,
When earth-born giants dar'd immortal pow'rs.
Thefe equal acts an equal glory claim,

And thus the Muse records the tale of fame.
Once on a time, fatigu'd and out of breath,
And just escap'd the stretching claws of death,

A

A gentle Mouse, whom cats purfu’d in vain,
Fled swift of-foot across the neighb'ring plain,
Hung o'er a brink, his eager thirst to cool,
And dipt his whiskers in the standing pool;
When near a courteous Frog advanc'd his head;
And from the waters, hoarfe-refounding said,

What art thou, ftranger? what the line you boast ? What chance has caft thee panting on our coaft ? With ftricteft truth let all thy words agree,

Nor let me find a faithless Mouse in thee.
If worthy, friendship, proffer'd friendship take,
And ent❜ring view the pleasurable lake ::
Range o'er my palace, in my bounty fhare,
And glad return from hospitable fare.
This filver realm extends beneath my sway,
And me, their monarch, all its Frogs obey.
Great Phyfignathus I, from Peleus' race,
Begot in fair Hydromede's embrace,

Where by the nuptial bank that paints his fide,
The swift Eridanus delights to glide.

Thee