The trumpet"s clangor then the feast proclaims, And all prepare for their appointed games.
Four galleys first, which equal rowers bear, Advancing, in the wat"ry lists appear.
The speedy Dolphin, that outstrips the wind, Bore Mnestheus, author of the Memmian kind: Gyas the vast Chimaera"s bulk commands, Which rising, like a tow"ring city stands; Three Trojans tug at ev"ry lab"ring oar; Three banks in three degrees the sailors bore; Beneath their st.u.r.dy strokes the billows roar.
Sergesthus, who began the Sergian race, In the great Centaur took the leading place; Cloanthus on the sea-green Scylla stood, From whom Cluentius draws his Trojan blood.
Far in the sea, against the foaming sh.o.r.e, There stands a rock: the raging billows roar Above his head in storms; but, when "t is clear, Uncurl their ridgy backs, and at his foot appear.
In peace below the gentle waters run; The cormorants above lie basking in the sun.
On this the hero fix"d an oak in sight, The mark to guide the mariners aright.
To bear with this, the seamen stretch their oars; Then round the rock they steer, and seek the former sh.o.r.es.
The lots decide their place. Above the rest, Each leader shining in his Tyrian vest; The common crew with wreaths of poplar boughs Their temples crown, and shade their sweaty brows: Besmear"d with oil, their naked shoulders shine.
All take their seats, and wait the sounding sign: They gripe their oars; and ev"ry panting breast Is rais"d by turns with hope, by turns with fear depress"d.
The clangor of the trumpet gives the sign; At once they start, advancing in a line: With shouts the sailors rend the starry skies; Lash"d with their oars, the smoky billows rise; Sparkles the briny main, and the vex"d ocean fries.
Exact in time, with equal strokes they row: At once the brushing oars and brazen prow Dash up the sandy waves, and ope the depths below.
Not fiery coursers, in a chariot race, Invade the field with half so swift a pace; Not the fierce driver with more fury lends The sounding lash, and, ere the stroke descends, Low to the wheels his pliant body bends.
The partial crowd their hopes and fears divide, And aid with eager shouts the favor"d side.
Cries, murmurs, clamors, with a mixing sound, From woods to woods, from hills to hills rebound.
Amidst the loud applauses of the sh.o.r.e, Gyas outstripp"d the rest, and sprung before: Cloanthus, better mann"d, pursued him fast, But his o"er-masted galley check"d his haste.
The Centaur and the Dolphin brush the brine With equal oars, advancing in a line; And now the mighty Centaur seems to lead, And now the speedy Dolphin gets ahead; Now board to board the rival vessels row, The billows lave the skies, and ocean groans below.
They reach"d the mark. Proud Gyas and his train In triumph rode, the victors of the main; But, steering round, he charg"d his pilot stand More close to sh.o.r.e, and skim along the sand- "Let others bear to sea!" Menoetes heard; But secret shelves too cautiously he fear"d, And, fearing, sought the deep; and still aloof he steer"d.
With louder cries the captain call"d again: "Bear to the rocky sh.o.r.e, and shun the main."
He spoke, and, speaking, at his stern he saw The bold Cloanthus near the shelvings draw.
Betwixt the mark and him the Scylla stood, And in a closer compa.s.s plow"d the flood.
He pa.s.s"d the mark; and, wheeling, got before: Gyas blasphem"d the G.o.ds, devoutly swore, Cried out for anger, and his hair he tore.
Mindless of others" lives (so high was grown His rising rage) and careless of his own, The trembling dotard to the deck he drew; Then hoisted up, and overboard he threw: This done, he seiz"d the helm; his fellows cheer"d, Turn"d short upon the shelfs, and madly steer"d.
Hardly his head the plunging pilot rears, Clogg"d with his clothes, and c.u.mber"d with his years: Now dropping wet, he climbs the cliff with pain.
The crowd, that saw him fall and float again, Shout from the distant sh.o.r.e; and loudly laugh"d, To see his heaving breast disgorge the briny draught.
The following Centaur, and the Dolphin"s crew, Their vanish"d hopes of victory renew; While Gyas lags, they kindle in the race, To reach the mark. Sergesthus takes the place; Mnestheus pursues; and while around they wind, Comes up, not half his galley"s length behind; Then, on the deck, amidst his mates appear"d, And thus their drooping courage he cheer"d: "My friends, and Hector"s followers heretofore, Exert your vigor; tug the lab"ring oar; Stretch to your strokes, my still unconquer"d crew, Whom from the flaming walls of Troy I drew.
In this, our common int"rest, let me find That strength of hand, that courage of the mind, As when you stemm"d the strong Malean flood, And o"er the Syrtes" broken billows row"d.
I seek not now the foremost palm to gain; Tho" yet- but, ah! that haughty wish is vain!
Let those enjoy it whom the G.o.ds ordain.
But to be last, the lags of all the race!- Redeem yourselves and me from that disgrace."
Now, one and all, they tug amain; they row At the full stretch, and shake the brazen prow.
The sea beneath "em sinks; their lab"ring sides Are swell"d, and sweat runs gutt"ring down in tides.
Chance aids their daring with unhop"d success; Sergesthus, eager with his beak to press Betwixt the rival galley and the rock, Shuts up th" unwieldly Centaur in the lock.
The vessel struck; and, with the dreadful shock, Her oars she shiver"d, and her head she broke.
The trembling rowers from their banks arise, And, anxious for themselves, renounce the prize.
With iron poles they heave her off the sh.o.r.es, And gather from the sea their floating oars.
The crew of Mnestheus, with elated minds, Urge their success, and call the willing winds; Then ply their oars, and cut their liquid way In larger compa.s.s on the roomy sea.
As, when the dove her rocky hold forsakes, Rous"d in a fright, her sounding wings she shakes; The cavern rings with clatt"ring; out she flies, And leaves her callow care, and cleaves the skies: At first she flutters; but at length she springs To smoother flight, and shoots upon her wings: So Mnestheus in the Dolphin cuts the sea; And, flying with a force, that force a.s.sists his way.
Sergesthus in the Centaur soon he pa.s.s"d, Wedg"d in the rocky shoals, and sticking fast.
In vain the victor he with cries implores, And practices to row with shatter"d oars.
Then Mnestheus bears with Gyas, and outflies: The ship, without a pilot, yields the prize.
Unvanquish"d Scylla now alone remains; Her he pursues, and all his vigor strains.
Shouts from the fav"ring mult.i.tude arise; Applauding Echo to the shouts replies; Shouts, wishes, and applause run rattling thro" the skies.
These clamors with disdain the Scylla heard, Much grudg"d the praise, but more the robb"d reward: Resolv"d to hold their own, they mend their pace, All obstinate to die, or gain the race.
Rais"d with success, the Dolphin swiftly ran; For they can conquer, who believe they can.
Both urge their oars, and fortune both supplies, And both perhaps had shar"d an equal prize; When to the seas Cloanthus holds his hands, And succor from the wat"ry pow"rs demands: "G.o.ds of the liquid realms, on which I row!
If, giv"n by you, the laurel bind my brow, a.s.sist to make me guilty of my vow!
A snow-white bull shall on your sh.o.r.e be slain; His offer"d entrails cast into the main, And ruddy wine, from golden goblets thrown, Your grateful gift and my return shall own."
The choir of nymphs, and Phorcus, from below, With virgin Panopea, heard his vow; And old Portunus, with his breadth of hand, Push"d on, and sped the galley to the land.
Swift as a shaft, or winged wind, she flies, And, darting to the port, obtains the prize.
The herald summons all, and then proclaims Cloanthus conqu"ror of the naval games.
The prince with laurel crowns the victor"s head, And three fat steers are to his vessel led, The ship"s reward; with gen"rous wine beside, And sums of silver, which the crew divide.
The leaders are distinguish"d from the rest; The victor honor"d with a n.o.bler vest, Where gold and purple strive in equal rows, And needlework its happy cost bestows.
There Ganymede is wrought with living art, Chasing thro" Ida"s groves the trembling hart: Breathless he seems, yet eager to pursue; When from aloft descends, in open view, The bird of Jove, and, sousing on his prey, With crooked talons bears the boy away.
In vain, with lifted hands and gazing eyes, His guards behold him soaring thro" the skies, And dogs pursue his flight with imitated cries.
Mnestheus the second victor was declar"d; And, summon"d there, the second prize he shard.
A coat of mail, brave Demoleus bore, More brave Aeneas from his shoulders tore, In single combat on the Trojan sh.o.r.e: This was ordain"d for Mnestheus to possess; In war for his defense, for ornament in peace.
Rich was the gift, and glorious to behold, But yet so pond"rous with its plates of gold, That scarce two servants could the weight sustain; Yet, loaded thus, Demoleus o"er the plain Pursued and lightly seiz"d the Trojan train.
The third, succeeding to the last reward, Two goodly bowls of ma.s.sy silver shar"d, With figures prominent, and richly wrought, And two bra.s.s caldrons from Dodona brought.
Thus all, rewarded by the hero"s hands, Their conqu"ring temples bound with purple bands; And now Sergesthus, clearing from the rock, Brought back his galley shatter"d with the shock.
Forlorn she look"d, without an aiding oar, And, houted by the vulgar, made to sh.o.r.e.
As when a snake, surpris"d upon the road, Is crush"d athwart her body by the load Of heavy wheels; or with a mortal wound Her belly bruis"d, and trodden to the ground: In vain, with loosen"d curls, she crawls along; Yet, fierce above, she brandishes her tongue; Glares with her eyes, and bristles with her scales; But, groveling in the dust, her parts unsound she trails: So slowly to the port the Centaur tends, But, what she wants in oars, with sails amends.
Yet, for his galley sav"d, the grateful prince Is pleas"d th" unhappy chief to recompense.
Pholoe, the Cretan slave, rewards his care, Beauteous herself, with lovely twins as fair.
From thence his way the Trojan hero bent Into the neighb"ring plain, with mountains pent, Whose sides were shaded with surrounding wood.
Full in the midst of this fair valley stood A native theater, which, rising slow By just degrees, o"erlook"d the ground below.
High on a sylvan throne the leader sate; A num"rous train attend in solemn state.
Here those that in the rapid course delight, Desire of honor and the prize invite.
The rival runners without order stand; The Trojans mix"d with the Sicilian band.
First Nisus, with Euryalus, appears; Euryalus a boy of blooming years, With sprightly grace and equal beauty crown"d; Nisus, for friendship to the youth renown"d.
Diores next, of Priam"s royal race, Then Salius joined with Patron, took their place; (But Patron in Arcadia had his birth, And Salius his from Arcananian earth;) Then two Sicilian youths- the names of these, Swift Helymus, and lovely Panopes: Both jolly huntsmen, both in forest bred, And owning old Acestes for their head; With sev"ral others of ign.o.bler name, Whom time has not deliver"d o"er to fame.
To these the hero thus his thoughts explain"d, In words which gen"ral approbation gain"d: "One common largess is for all design"d, (The vanquish"d and the victor shall be join"d,) Two darts of polish"d steel and Gnosian wood, A silver-studded ax, alike bestow"d.
The foremost three have olive wreaths decreed: The first of these obtains a stately steed, Adorn"d with trappings; and the next in fame, The quiver of an Amazonian dame, With feather"d Thracian arrows well supplied: A golden belt shall gird his manly side, Which with a sparkling diamond shall be tied.
The third this Grecian helmet shall content."
He said. To their appointed base they went; With beating hearts th" expected sign receive, And, starting all at once, the barrier leave.
Spread out, as on the winged winds, they flew, And seiz"d the distant goal with greedy view.
Shot from the crowd, swift Nisus all o"erpa.s.s"d; Nor storms, nor thunder, equal half his haste.
The next, but tho" the next, yet far disjoin"d, Came Salius, and Euryalus behind; Then Helymus, whom young Diores plied, Step after step, and almost side by side, His shoulders pressing; and, in longer s.p.a.ce, Had won, or left at least a dubious race.
Now, spent, the goal they almost reach at last, When eager Nisus, hapless in his haste, Slipp"d first, and, slipping, fell upon the plain, Soak"d with the blood of oxen newly slain.
The careless victor had not mark"d his way; But, treading where the treach"rous puddle lay, His heels flew up; and on the gra.s.sy floor He fell, besmear"d with filth and holy gore.
Not mindless then, Euryalus, of thee, Nor of the sacred bonds of amity, He strove th" immediate rival"s hope to cross, And caught the foot of Salius as he rose.
So Salius lay extended on the plain; Euryalus springs out, the prize to gain, And leaves the crowd: applauding peals attend The victor to the goal, who vanquish"d by his friend.
Next Helymus; and then Diores came, By two misfortunes made the third in fame.
But Salius enters, and, exclaiming loud For justice, deafens and disturbs the crowd; Urges his cause may in the court be heard; And pleads the prize is wrongfully conferr"d.
But favor for Euryalus appears; His blooming beauty, with his tender tears, Had brib"d the judges for the promis"d prize.
Besides, Diores fills the court with cries, Who vainly reaches at the last reward, If the first palm on Salius be conferr"d.
Then thus the prince: "Let no disputes arise: Where fortune plac"d it, I award the prize.
But fortune"s errors give me leave to mend, At least to pity my deserving friend."
He said, and, from among the spoils, he draws (Pond"rous with s.h.a.ggy mane and golden paws) A lion"s hide: to Salius this he gives.
Nisus with envy sees the gift, and grieves.