Helpless, forlorn, and sunk in his despair, The martial Queen her lucky moment knew, | 650 Seized on the farthest seat with fatal view, | Nor left th’ unhappy King a place to flee unto. | At length in vengeance her keen sword she draws, | Slew him, and ended thus the bloody cause: | And all the gods around approved it with applause. | 655 The victor could not from his insults keep, But laugh’d and sneer’d to see Apollo weep. Jove call’d him near, and gave him in his hand The powerful, happy, and mysterious wand By which the Shades are call’d to purer day, 660 When penal fire has purged their sins away; By which the guilty are condemn’d to dwell In the dark mansions of the deepest hell; By which he gives us sleep, or sleep denies, And closes at the last the dying eyes. 665 Soon after this, the heavenly victor brought The game on earth, and first th’ Italians taught. For (as they say) fair Scacchis he espied Feeding her cygnets in the silver tide, (Sacchis, the loveliest Seriad of the place) 670 And as she stray’d, took her to his embrace. Then, to reward her for her virtue lost, Gave her the men and chequer’d board, emboss’d With gold and silver curiously inlay’d; And taught her how the game was to be play’d. 675 Ev’n now ’tis honour’d with her happy name; And Rome and all the world admire the game. All which the Seriads told me heretofore, When my boy-notes amused the Serian shore. NOTES INTRODUCTION He was born . . . at Pallas. This is the usual account. But it was maintained by the family of the poet’s mother, and has been contended (by Dr. Michael F. Cox in a Lecture on ‘The Country and Kindred of Oliver Goldsmith,’ published in vol. 1, pt. 2, of the _Journal_ of the ‘National Literary Society of Ireland.’ 1900) that his real birth-place was the residence of Mrs. Goldsmith’s parents, Smith-Hill House, Elphin, Roscommon, to which she was in the habit of paying frequent visits. Meanwhile, in 1897, a window was placed to Goldsmith’s memory in Forgney Church, Longford,—the church of which, at the time of his birth, his father was curate. his academic career was not a success. ‘Oliver Goldsmith is recorded on two occasions as being remarkably diligent at Morning Lecture; again, as cautioned for bad answering at Morning and Greek Lectures; and finally, as put down into the next class for neglect of his studies’ (Dr. Stubbs’s _History of the University of Dublin_, 1889, p. 201 n.)