Support the Monkey! Tell All your Friends and Teachers |
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See Romulus the great, born to restore The crown that once his injur'd grandsire wore. This prince a priestess of your blood shall bear, And like his sire in arms he shall appear. Two rising crests, his royal head adorn; Born from a god, himself to godhead born: His sire already signs him for the skies, And marks the seat amidst the deities. Auspicious chief! thy race, in times to come, Shall spread the conquests of imperial Rome- Rome, whose ascending tow'rs shall heav'n invade, Involving earth and ocean in her shade; High as the Mother of the Gods in place, And proud, like her, of an immortal race. Then, when in pomp she makes the Phrygian round, With golden turrets on her temples crown'd; A hundred gods her sweeping train supply; Her offspring all, and all command the sky. "Now fix your sight, and stand intent, to see Your Roman race, and Julian progeny. The mighty Caesar waits his vital hour, Impatient for the world, and grasps his promis'd pow'r. But next behold the youth of form divine, Ceasar himself, exalted in his line; Augustus, promis'd oft, and long foretold, Sent to the realm that Saturn rul'd of old; Born to restore a better age of gold. Afric and India shall his pow'r obey; He shall extend his propagated sway Beyond the solar year, without the starry way, Where Atlas turns the rolling heav'ns around, And his broad shoulders with their lights are crown'd. At his foreseen approach, already quake The Caspian kingdoms and Maeotian lake: Their seers behold the tempest from afar, And threat'ning oracles denounce the war. Nile hears him knocking at his sev'nfold gates, And seeks his hidden spring, and fears his nephew's fates. Nor Hercules more lands or labors knew, Not tho' the brazen-footed hind he slew, Freed Erymanthus from the foaming boar, And dipp'd his arrows in Lernaean gore; Nor Bacchus, turning from his Indian war, By tigers drawn triumphant in his car, |