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النشر الإلكتروني

Thee too, thy form, thy ftrength, and port proclaim
A fcepter'd King; a fon of martial fame ;
Then trace thy line, and aid my gueffing eyes.

Thus ceas'd the Frog, and thus the Mouse replies.
Known to the Gods, the men, the birds that fly
Thro' wild expanfes of the midway sky,
My name refounds; and if unknown to thee,
The foul of great Pfycarpax lives in me.

Of brave Troxartas' line, whose fleeky down
In love comprefs'd Lychomile the brown.

My mother she, and princess of the plains
Where-e'er her father Pternotractas reigns:
Born where a cabin lifts its airy shed,
With figs, with nuts, with vary'd dainties fed.
But fince our natures nought in common know,
From what foundation can a friendship grow?
These curling waters o'er thy palace roll;
But man's high food fupports my princely foul.
In vain the circled loaves attempt to lye

Conceal'd in flafkets from my curious eye.

In

In vain the tripe that boasts the whiteft hue,
In vain the gilded bacon fhuns my view,

In vain the cheeses, offspring of the paile,
Or honey'd cakes, which Gods themselves regale.
And as in arts I fhine, in arms I fight,

Mix'd with the bravest, and unknown to flight.
Tho' large to mine, the human form appear,
Not man himself can smite my foul with fear.
Sly to the bed with filent steps I go,

Attempt his finger, or attack his toe,

And fix indented wounds with dextrous skill,
Sleeping he feels, and only feems to feel.

Yet have we foes which direful dangers caufe,

Grim owls with talons arm'd, and cats with claws,

And that falfe trap, the den of filent fate,

Where Death his ambush plants around the bait :
All-dreaded these, and dreadful o'er the reft
The potent warriors of the tabby vest,

If to the dark we fly, the dark they trace,
And rend our heroes of the nibling race,

But

But me, nor stalks, nor watrish herbs delight,
Nor can the crimson radifh charm my fight,
The lake-refounding Frogs felected fare,
Which not a Mouse of any taste can bear.

As thus the downy prince his mind expreft,
His answer thus the croaking king addreft.

Thy words luxuriant on thy dainties rove, And, stranger, we can boast of bounteous Jove: We sport in water, or we dance on land,

And born amphibious, food from both command. But trust thyself where wonders ask thy view, And fafely tempt thofe feas, I'll bear thee thro': Afcend my shoulders, firmly keep thy feat,

And reach my marshy court, and feast in state.

He said, and bent his back; with nimble bound Leaps the light Mouse, and clasps his arms around, Then wond'ring floats, and fees with glad furvey The winding banks resembling ports at sea. But when aloft the curling water rides, And wets with azure wave his downy fides,

His

His thoughts grow conscious of approaching woe,
His idle tears with vain repentance flow,

His locks he rends, his trembling feet he rears,
Thick beats his heart with unacuftom'd fears;
He fighs, and chill'd with danger, longs for fhore :
His tail extended forms a fruitless oar,

Half-drench'd in liquid death his pray'rs he spake,
And thus bemoan'd him from the dreadful lake.
So pafs'd Europa thro' the rapid sea,

Trembling and fainting all the vent'rous way;
feet the bull triumphant rode,

With oary

And fafe in Crete depos'd his lovely load.
Ah safe at laft! may thus the Frog support

My trembling limbs to reach his ample court.

As thus he forrows, death ambiguous grows,
Lo! from the deep a water-Hydra rose ;
He rolls his fanguin'd eyes, his bosom heaves,
And darts with active rage along the waves.
Confus'd, the monarch fees his hiffing foe,
And dives, to fhun the fable fates, below.

For

Forgetful Frog! the friend thy fhoulders bore,
Unskill'd in swimming, floats remote from shore.
He grafps with fruitless hands to find relief,

Supinely falls, and grinds his teeth with grief,
Plunging he finks, and struggling mounts again,
And finks, and ftrives, but ftrives with fate in vain.
The weighty moisture clogs his hairy vest,
And thus the prince his dying rage exprest.

Nor thou, that fling'ft me flound'ring from thy back, As from hard rocks rebounds the shatt'ring wrack, Nor thou fhalt 'scape thy due, perfidious king! Purfu'd by vengeance on the swiftest wing:

At land thy ftrength could never equal mine,
At fea to conquer, and by craft, was thine.

But heav'n has Gods, and Gods have searching eyes :
Ye Mice, ye Mice, my great avengers rife !

This faid, he fighing gafp'd, and gasping dy d.

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His death the young Lychopinax espy'd,

As on the flow'ry brink, he pass'd the day,
Bafk'd in the beams, and loiter'd life away.

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