the People on this Side that River, namely, the Dacians, the Pannonians, the Vindelicians, &c. What he fays in the next Ode is to be understood in the fame, Senfe;

Non qui profundum Danubium bibunt,
Edicta rumpent Julia.

22 The Britons had fent Ambassadors to Auguftus to beg Peace, and had put the whole Kingdom under his Protection.

23

Belluofus qui remotis

Obfirepit Oceanus Britannis.]

The monfler-bearing Ocean, which roars round the remote and of Britain. The Sea nourishes in its capacious Bofom various Animals of uncouth Form. Pliny, in the 9th Chapter of his 5th Book, writes, that the Tide, one Day, left above three hundred Moniters on the Coaft of Britain. DACIER.

24 Te non paventis funera Galliæ

Tellus audit.]

When Horace wrote this Ode, the Gauls, after many Wars and many Revolts, were entirely fubject to the Roman Empire.

As the Britons and Gauls had imbibed from their Priests, the Druids, Pythagoras's Doctrine of the Tranf migration of Souls, they esteemed it the utmoft Bafenefs to be fparing of a Life, which, if they gave it up in the Caufe of Virtue and their Country, fhould be reftored to them again in a happier Form. Lucan defcribes the glorious Effects of this popular Opinion with great Spirit;

Vobis auctoribus, umbræ

Non tacitas Erebi fedes, Ditifque profundi
Pallida regna petunt: regit idem fpiritus artus
Orbe alio longe (canitis fi cognita,) vitæ
Mors media eft. Certè populi, quos defpicit Ar&tos,
Felices errore fuo, quos ille timorum
Maximus, haud urget leti metus. Inde ruendi
In ferrum mens prona viris, animæque capaces
Mortis; et ignavum reditura parcere vita.

Lucanus de Bello Civili, Lib. i. Ver.

454.

* You

You teach that Souls, from fleshly Chains unbound,
Seek not pale Shades, and Erebus profound;
But, fleeting hence, to other Regions ftray,
Once more to mix with animated Clay;

That Death's a Point (if we may trust your Lore)
"Twixt Lives behind, and longer Lives before.
A bleft Mistake! which Fate's dread Power difarms,
And fpurs its Votaries on to War's Alarms.
Lavish of Life, they rufh with fierce Delight
Amidst the Legions, and provoke the Fight,
O'ermatching Death, and freely caft away
That Loan of Life, the Gods are bound to pay.

25 Sicambri] Now Guelderland, one of the feven United Provinces. The Sicambrians were defeated by. Drufus, in the Year of Rome 742. But Horace cannot poffibly fpeak of that Defeat here, fince it was two Years after the writing of this Ode. This Paffage must certainly be understood of the firft Revolt of the Sieambrians, in the Year of Rome 737, when joining their Forces with fome of the neighbouring Nations, they defeated the Army of Lollius. But being terrified by the Arrival of Auguftus in Gaul, they laid down their Arms, fued for Peace, and accepted fuch Terms as he was pleafed to grant them: On which Account Ho race fays,

Compofitis venerantur armis.

*The DRUIDS.

The SAME ODE Imitated.

By Mr. J. DUNCOMBE.

To his Majesty the King of PRUSSIA.

WOW fhall Voltaire's recording Lay,

H How, mighty Prince, your own hiftoric

Page,

Το

To distant Nations your Renown display,

And bear your Pruffia's Fame to every future Age ?

O greatest Chief, that Europe boasts; Though Auftria, France, and Sweden, once renown'd,

Combin'd, and Ruffia, with unnumber'd Hofts, You brave as Swedish Charles, as Peter wife, they found.

Like Walls, like Rocks, the Ruffians stood, Yet through their thickest Ranks your Prowess broke,

Made Zorndorff's Field, and Oder, ftream with
Blood,

And ruin'd Cutrin fav'd from her Destroyer's

Yoke.

How oft th' Imperial Eagle fled,

How oft in Fight th' Imperial Legions fell, Drefden's Submiffion and Vienna's Dread, Let Lowofitz record, and Prague and Lissa tell! ́

As, unrefifted in their Courfe,

Earth's dire Convulfions thook promiscuous down

Fam'd Lisbon's Palaces; with equal Force, By your tremendous Shock were Men and Steeds o'erthrown.

OF

Or as the Maefe, when fwell'd with Showers, The Bounds prefcrib'd by Belgia's States difdains, And, rufhing with impetuous Fury, pours Destruction to the Herds, and Terror to the Swains :

So, dreadful in their wide Career,

Your Thunders, Frederick, fwept the standing
Field,

Mow'd down Therefa's Ranks from Front to
Rear,

Made her fage Fabius fly, and rescu'd Breflau yield.

For on that Day, when Rofbach hail'd
Your wond'rous Triumph o'er the Gallic Foe,
On that Day Month your Arms again pre-
vail'd,

And Daun at Lilja felt the like destructive Blow.

Your Frown the Saxons, Auftrians, Gauls,
Th' allied Imperialists and Ruffians fear;
The Swedes, fecur'd within their Stralfund's
Walls,

Your matchlefs Courage dread, your Discipline

revere,

The Moldaw and the Elbe implore

Your Grace; to You the *Saale and Oder bend; And ev'n from British Thames's diftant Shore To You our votive Lays, to You our Gifts we fend.

This River runs through Saxony.

Your

Your Name the Coffack and Huffar,
Calmucks, Croatians, Warafdins alarms;

At your Approach, thofe lawless Sons of
War

Are deaf to Slaughter's Call, and blind to Plunder's Charms.

1758.

T

O DE XV.

To AUGUSTUS CESAR.

By Mr. DUNCOMBE, fen.

O fing of Wars when I aspire,
And conquer'd Cities; with his Lyre
Apollo check'd me; Dare not brave

3

With thy weak Skiff the Tyrrhene Wave.' 'Twas fix'd by Fate, that 3 Cafar's Reign Should cloath the Fields with plenteous Grain, And Trophies to our 4 Jove restore, Which Parthian Pillars proudly bore. The Fane, that by Quirinus rofe To Janus, free from War You clofe, Licentious Crimes by Law fubdue, And Latium's 7 ancient Arts renew, By which, ev'n from his Western Bed, To Phabus' Rife, our Empire fpread,