Then left they lofty Taurus' spreading grove,
And Tarfos, built by Perfeus, born of Jove;
Then Mallian, and Corycian towers they leave,
Where mouldering rocks disclose a gaping cave.
The bold Cilicians, pirates now no more,
Unfurl a jufter fail, and ply the oar;
To Ege's port they gather all around,
The fhores with fhouting mariners refound.
Far in the east war spreads the loud alarm,
Where worshipers of diftant Ganges arm;
Right to the breaking day his waters run,
The only ftream that braves the rising fun.

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By this strong flood, and by the ocean bound,

Proud Alexander's arms a limit found;

Vain in his hopes the youth had grasp'd at all,

And his vaft thought took-in the vanquish'd ball;
But own'd, when forc'd from Ganges to retreat, 360
The world too mighty, and the task too great.
Then on the banks of Indus nations rofe,
Where unperceiv'd the mix'd Hydaspes flows:
In numbers vaft they coaft the rapid flood,

}

Strange in their habit, manners, and their food. 365
With faffron dyes their dangling locks they stain,
With glittering gems their flowing robes constrain,
And quaff rich juices from the luscious cape.
On their own funerals and death they smile,
And living leap amidst the burning pile;
Heroic minds that can ev'n Fate command,
And bid it wait upon a mortal hand;

3,70

Who full of life forfake it as a feast,

Take what they like, and give the gods the reft.

Defcending

Defcending then fierce Cappadocian swains,
From rude Amanus' mountains fought the plains.
Armenians from Niphates' rolling stream,
And from their lofty woods Coastrians came.
Then wondering Arabs from the fultry line
For ever northward faw the fhade incline.
Then did the madness of the Roman rage
Carmanian and Oloftrian chiefs engage :
Beneath far diftant fouthern heavens they lie,
Where half the fsetting Bear forfakes the sky,
And swift our flow Boötes feems to fly.
These Furies to the fun-burn'd Æthiops spread,
And reach the great Euphrates' rifing head.
One spring the Tigris and Euphrates know,

And join'd awhile the kindred rivers flow;
Scarce could we judge between the doubtful claim,
If Tigris, or Euphrates, give the name:
But foon Euphrates' parting waves divide,
Covering like fruitful Nile the country wide;
While Tigris, finking from the fight of day,
Through fubterranean channels cuts his way;
Then from a fecond fountain fprings again,
Shoots fwiftly on, and rushing seeks the main.
The Parthian powers, to neither chief a friend,
The doubtful iffue in fufpence attend;
With neutral eafe they view the ftrife from far,
And only lend occafion to the war.

Not fo the Scythians where cold Bactros flows,
Or where Hircania's wilder foreft grows,

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}

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400

Their baneful fhafts they dip, and ftring their deadly

bows.

410

Th' Heniochi of Sparta's valiant breed,
Skilful to press, and rein the fiery steed.
Sarmatians with the fiercer Mofchi join'd,
And Colchians rich where Phafis' waters wind,
To Pompey's fide their aid affembling bring,
With Halys, fatal to the Lydian king;
With Tanais falling from Riphæan fnows,
Who forms the world's divifion as he goes:
With nobleft names his rifing banks are crown'd,
This ftands for Europe's, that for Afia's bound;
While, as they wind, his waves with full command,
Diminish, or enlarge th' adjacent land.

Then arm'd the nations on Cimmerian fhores,
Where through the Bofphorus Mæotis roars,
And her full lake amidst the Euxine pours.
This ftrait, like that of Hercules, fupplies
The midland feas, and bids th' Ægean rife,
Sithonians fierce, and Arimafpians bold,
Who bind their plaited hair in fhining gold,
The Gelon nimble, and Areian strong,
March with the hardy Maffagete along :
The Maffagete, who at his falvage feast

Feeds on the generous steed which once he preft.
Not Cyrus when he spread his eastern reign,
And hid with multitudes the Lydian plain;

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Not haughty Xerxes, when, his power to boast, 430.
By fhafts he counted all his mighty hoft;
Not he who drew the Grecian chiefs along,
Bent to revenge his injur'd brother's wrong;
Or with fuch navies plow'd the foamy main,
Or led fo many kings, amongst their warlike train.

2

Sure

Sure in one caufe fuch numbers never yet,
Various in countries, fpeech, and manners, met;
But fortune gather'd, o'er the spacious ball,

440

These spoils, to grace her once-lov'd favourite's fall.
Nor then the Libyan Moor withheld his aid,
Where facred Ammon lifts his horned head:
All Afric, from the western ocean's bound,
To eastern Nile, the caufe of Pompey own'd.
Mankind affembled for Pharfalia's day,
To make the world at once the victor's prey.

445

Now, trembling Rome forfook, with fwifteft hafte,

Cæfar the cloudy Alpine hills had past.

But while the nations, with fubjection tame,
Yield to the terrors of his mighty name;

With faith uncommon to the changing Greeks,

450

What duty bids, Maffilia bravely feeks:
And, true to oaths, their liberty and laws,
To stronger Fate prefer the jufter caufe,
But firft to move his haughty foul they try,
Intreaties and perfuafion foft apply;

Their brows Minerva's peaceful branches wear,
And thus in gentleft terms they greet his ear.
When foreign wars moleft the Roman ftate,
With ready arms our glad Maffilians wait,
To fhare your dangers, and partake your fate.
This our unfhaken friendship vouches well,
And your recording annals best can tell.
Ev'n now we yield our ftill devoted hands,

On foreign foes to wreak your dread commands:

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Would you to worlds unknown your triumphs fpread? Behold! we follow wherefoe'er you lead.

K 4

But

But if you rouze at difcord's baleful call,
If Romans fatally on Romans fall;
All we can offer, is, a pitying tear,
And conftant refuge for the wretched here.
Sacred to us you are: oh, may no stain
Of Lucian blood our innocence profane !
Should heaven itself be rent with civil rage,
Should giants once more with the gods engage;
Officious piety would hardly dare

To proffer Jove affistance in the war.

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Man unconcern'd' and humble fhould remain,
Nor feek to know whofe arms the conqueft gain,
Jove's thunder will convince them of his reign.
Nor can your horrid difcords want our fwords,
The wicked world its multitudes affords;
Too many nations at the call will come,
And gladly join to urge the fate of Rome.
Oh, had the reft like us their aid deny'd,
Yourselves must then the guilty ftrife decide;
Then, who but fhould withhold his lifted hand,
When for his foe he faw his father ftand?
Brothers their rage had mutually represt,
Nor driven their javelins on a brother's breaft.
Your war had ended foon; had you not chofe
Hands for the work, which Nature meant for foes:

Who, strangers to your blood, in arms delight,
And rush remorfelefs to the cruel fight.
Briefly, the fum of all that we request

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Is, to receive thee, as our honour'd gueft;

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Let thofe thy dreadful enfigns fhine afar,

Let Cæfar come, but come without the war.

Let