Here let me, thy companion, stray,

From orb to orb, and now behold
Unnumber'd funs, all feas of molten gold;
And trace each comet's wandering way,
And now descry Light's fountain-head,
And measure its defcending speed;
Or learn how fun-born colours rife
In rays diftinct, and in the skies
Blended in yellow radiance flow,

Or ftain the fleecy cloud, or streak the watery bow;
Or now diffus'd their beauteous tinctures fhed
On every planet's rifing hills, and every verdant mead.

XI.

Thus, rais'd fublime on Contemplation's wings,
Fresh wonders I would still explore,

Still the great Maker's power adore,
Loft in the thought-nor ever more
Return to earth, and earthly things;
But here with native freedom take my flight,
An inmate of the Heavens, adopted into light!
So for a while the royal eagle's brood

In his low neft fecurely lies,

Amid the darkness of the fheltering wood,

Yet there with in-born vigour hopes the skies:

Till fledg'd with wings full-grown, and bold to rise,
The bird of Heaven to Heaven afpires,
Soars 'midft the meteors and cœleftial fires,
With generous pride his humbler birth disdains,
And bears the thunder through th' ætherial plains.

THE

THE ARGUMENT AND CONNECTION OF THE STORY WITH THE FOREGOING BOOKS.

Pompey, flying to Egypt, after his defeat at Pharfa

lia, was by the king's confent bafely murdered by Pothinus, and his head prefented to Cæfar, as he approached the Egyptian coaft, in pursuit of his enemy. The poet having reprefented this cataftrophe in the two former books; the argument of the tenth book is as follows:

Cæfar lands in Egypt. He goes to Alexandria; vifits the temple, and the fepulchre of the kings, in which Alexander the Great was buried. The poet, in a beautiful digreffion, declaims against the ambition of that monarch. Ptolemy, the young king of Egypt, meets Cæfar at his arrival, and receives him into his palace. His fifter Cleopatra, who had been kept a prifoner in Pharos, makes her escape, and privately getting admittance to Cæfar, implores his protection. By his means fhe is reconciled to her brother; after which the entertains Cæfar at a feast.

The

The fupper being ended, Cæfar requests of Achoreus, the priest, an account of the antiquities of Egypt, particularly of the river Nile. Achoreus's reply. The course of that river described, with an enumeration of the various opinions concerning its fpring, and the causes of its overflowing. Pothinus plots the death of Cæfar. His message to Achillas to invite him to join in this attempt. Achillas marches against Alexandria with an army composed of Ægyptians and Romans, and befieges Cæfar in the palace, who feizes Ptolemy as a pledge for his own fecurity. A herald, fent from the king to enquire the cause of this tumult, is flain. An attack being made, Cæfar defends himself, burns the Ægyptian fhips in the harbour, and poffeffes himfelf of Pharos, where he puts Pothinus to death. Arfinoe, younger fifter of Ptolemy, by the aid of Ganimede her governor, arriving in the camp, caufes Achillas to be flain. Ganimede renews the attack against Cæfar, who is blocked up in Pharos, and reduced to the greatest extremity.

W

HEN conquering Cæfar follow'd to the land His rival's head, and trod the barbarous strand, His fortune ftrove with guilty Ægypt's fate In doubtful fight, and this the dire debate; Shall Roman arms great Lagus' realm enthrall? Or fhail the victor, like the vanquifh'd, fall By Ægypt's sword? Pompey, thy ghost withstood Th' impending blow, and fav'd the general's blood,

5

Left

Left Rome, too happy after lofs of thee,
Should rule the Nile, herself from bondage free.

Secure, and with this barbarous pledge content,

To Alexandria now the

conqueror went.

The croud that faw his entry, while, before,

Advancing guards the rods of empire bore,

10

In murmur'd founds their jealous rage difclos'd, 15 At Roman rites and foreign law impos'd.

Obferving Cæfar foon his error spy'd,

That not for him his mighty rival dy'd,

Yet finooth'd his brow, all marks of fear fupprefs'd, And hid his cares, deep bury'd in his breast.

Then with intrepid mien he took his way,

The city walls and temples to furvey,

Works which thy ancient power, great Macedon, difplay,

20

25

He view'd the fplendid fanes with careless eyes,
Shrines rich with gold and facred myfteries,
Nor fix'd his fight, but, eager in his pace,
Defcends the vault, which holds the royal race,
Philip's mad fon, the profperous robber, bound
In Fate's eternal chains, here fleeps profound,
Whom death forbad his rapines to pursue,
And in the world's revenge the monfter flew.
His impious bones, which, through each climate toft,

The fport of winds, or in the ocean lost,

Had met a jufter fate, this tomb obtain❜d,

30

And facred, to that kingdom's end, remain'd.

35

O!

O! fhould aufpicious years roll round again,
And godlike Liberty refume her reign,
Preferv'd to fcorn the reliques wou'd be shown
Of the bold chief, whofe boundless pride alone
This curft example to Ambition gave,

How many realms one mortal can enslave !

Difdaining what his father won before,

Afpiring ftill, and restless after more,

He left his home; while Fortune smooth'd his way,
And o'er the fruitful Eaft enlarg'd his fway.
Red Slaughter mark'd his progress, as he patt;
The guilty fword laid human nature waste,
Difcolour'd Ganges' and Euphrates' flood,
With Perfian this, and that with Indian blood.
He feem'd in terror to the nations fent,

The wrath of Heaven, a ftar of dire portent,
And hook, like thunder, all the continent!

50

Nor yet content, a navy he provides,
To feas remote his triumphs now he guides,
Nor winds nor waves his progrefs could withstand;
Nor Libya's fcorching heat, and defart land,
Nor rolling mountains of collected fand.

Had Heaven but giv'n him line, he had outrun
The fartheft journey of the fetting fun,

40

45

}

}

March'd round the poles, and drank discover'd Nile 60
At his fpring-head-But winged fate the while
Comes on with speed, the funeral hour draws near;
Death only could arreft his mad career,

Who