"Now Troy had felt a siege of ten long years, Concern and sorrow in each face appears: The Grecian prophet too, with terrour fill'd, What fate decree'd, but doubtfully reveal'd: When thus Apollo---- From the proud top of Ida's rising hill A lofty pile of mighty cedars fell, Whose trunks into a dreadful fabrick force, And, let it bear the figure of a horse: The spacious hollows, of whose mountain-womb, The choice and flower of your troops entomb. The Greeks, enrag'd to be so long repell'd, With their chief troops the beasts vast bowel's fill'd, And thus their arms and all their hopes conceal'd. Strange was the fate the rul'd unhappy Troy, Who thought them gone, and lasting peace t'enjoy, So the inscription of the machine said, And treacherous Synon, for their ruin made. All from their arms at once, and troubles run To view the horse, and left th' unguarded town So over-joy'd they wept: Thus even fears When joy surprizes, melt away in tears. Enrag'd Laocoon, with prophetick beat, Prest thro' the crowd, that on his humour wait; And with a javelin pierc'd the fatal horse, But fate retards the blow, and stopt its force: The spear jumpt back upon the priest, so nigh, It gave new credit to the treachery. Yet to confirm how weak was the attempt 'Gainst what the gods will have, his javelin sent, Resum'd with double fury, thro' his side, And the large concave of the machine try'd: When from within the captive Grecians roar; And the beast trembles with another's fear. Yet to the town the present they convey, Thus a new stragem does Troy betray; While to the taken, she becomes a prey. But other monsters there enform our eyes, What mighty seas from Teuedos arise! The frighted Neptune seems to seek the shore, With such a noise, with such a dreadful roar: As in a silent night, when, from afar, The dismal sound of wrecks invades the ear: When rolling on the waves two mighty snakes, Unhappy Troy descry'd; whose circling stroaks, Had drove the swelling surges on the rocks. Like lofty ships they on the billows ride, And with rais'd breasts the foaming flood divide: Their crests they brandish and red eye-balls raise, That all around dispence a sulphurous blaze. To shore advancing, now the waves appear All fire; unwonted ratlings fill the air. The ocean trembles at their dreadful hiss; All are amaz'd: When in a Trojan dress; And holy wreaths their sacred temples bind, Laocoon's sons were by the snakes entwin'd: Now t'wards heaven their little hands are thrown Each for his brother, not himself does moan, And prays to save his ruin by his own. Both dye at last, thro' fear each other shou'd, And to give death a greater pomp, the good Laocoon to their rescue vainly run, Now gorg'd with death, they drag him on the ground