He lightens of its load the tree that bore His father's royal sepulchre before, And his own cradle; this with pious care Placed on his back, he cuts the buxom air, Seeks the sun's city, and his sacred church, And decently lays down his burden in the porch. A wonder more amazing would we find? The Hyæna shews it, of a double kind, Varying the sexes in alternate years, In one begets, and in another bears. The thin cameleon, fed with air, receives The colour of the thing to which he cleaves. India, when conquered, on the conquering God For planted vines the sharp-eyed lynx bestowed, Whose urine, shed before it touches earth, Congeals in air, and gives to gems their birth. So coral, soft and white in ocean's bed, Comes hardened up in air, and glows with red. All changing species should my song recite, Before I ceased, would change the day to night. Nations and empires flourish and decay, By turns command, and in their turns obey; Time softens hardy people, time again Hardens to war a soft, unwarlike train. Thus Troy for ten long years her foes withstood, And daily bleeding bore the expence of blood; Now for thick streets it shows an empty space, } Or only filled with tombs of her own perished race; } Herself becomes the sepulchre of what she was. } Mycene, Sparta, Thebes of mighty fame, Are vanished out of substance into name, And Dardan Rome, that just begins to rise On Tiber's banks, in time shall mate the skies; Widening her bounds, and working on her way, Even now she meditates imperial sway: Yet this is change, but she by changing thrives, Like moons new born, and in her cradle strives To fill her infant-horns; an hour shall come, When the round world shall be contained in Rome. For thus old saws foretel, and Helenus Anchises' drooping son enlivened thus, When Ilium now was in a sinking state, And he was doubtful of his future fate. O goddess born, with thy hard fortune strive, Troy never can be lost, and thou alive; Thy passage thou shalt free through fire and sword, And Troy in foreign lands shall be restored. In happier fields a rising town I see, } Greater than what e'er was, or is, or e'er shall be; } And heaven yet owes the world a race derived from thee. } Sages and chiefs, of other lineage born, The city shall extend, extended shall adorn; But from Iulus he must draw his birth, By whom thy Rome shall rule the conquered earth; Whom heaven will lend mankind on earth to reign, And late require the precious pledge again.-- This Helenus to great Æneas told, Which I retain, e'er since in other mould My soul was clothed; and now rejoice to view My country walls rebuilt, and Troy revived anew; Raised by the fall; decreed by loss to gain;