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Thy Juno knows not the decrees of fate,

In vain the partner of imperial state.

What fav'rite Goddess then thofe cares divides,
Which Jove in prudence from his confort hides?

cence from thence to draw not only moral obfervations, but alfo fatyrical reflections out of this part of the Poet. Thefe I am forry to fee fall fo hard upon womankind, and all by Juno's means. Sometimes the procures them a leffon for their curiosity and unquietnefs, and at other times for their loud and vexatious tempers: Juno deferves them on the one hand, Jupiter thunders them out on the other, and the learned gentlemen are very particular in enlarging with remarks on both fides. In her firft fpeech they make the Poet defcribe the inquifitive temper of womankind in general, and their restlefnefs if they are not admitted into every fecret. In his anfwer to this, they trace thofe methods of grave remonstrance by which it is proper for husbands to calm them. In her reply, they find it is in the nature of women to be more obftinate for being yielded to: And in his fecond return to her, they fee the laft method to be used with them upon failure of the firft, which is the exercise of fovereign authority.

Mr. Dryden has tranflated all this with the utmoft feverity upon the Ladies, and spirited the whole with fatyrical additions of his own. But Madam Dacier (who has elsewhere animadverted upon the good Bishop of Theffalonica, for his fage admonitions against the fair fex) has not taken the least notice of this general defection from complaifance in all the commentators. She feems willing to give the whole paffage a more important turn, and incline us to think that Homer defign'd to represent the folly and danger of prying into the fecrets of providence. 'Tis thrown into that air in this tranflation, not only as it is more noble and inftru&tive in general, but as it is more refpectful to the Ladies in particular; nor fhould we (any more than Madam Dacier) have mention'd what thofe old fellows have faid, but to defire their protection against fome modern criticks their disciples, who may arraign this proceeding.

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To this the Thund'rer: Seek not thou to find 705 The facred counfels of almighty mind:

Involv'd in darkness lies the great decree,

Nor can the depths of fate be pierc'd by thee.
What fits thy knowledge, thou the first shalt know;
The firft of Gods above, and Men below:

710 But thou, nor they, fhall fearch the thoughts that roll Deep in the clofe receffes of my foul.

715

Full on the Sire the Goddess of the skies

Roll'd the large orbs of her majestic eyes,
And thus return'd. Auftere Saturnius, fay,

From whence this wrath, or who controuls thy fway?
Thy boundless will, for me, remains in force,

And all thy counsels take the deftin'd course.
But 'tis for Greece I fear: For late was feen
In clofe confult, the filver-footed Queen.

720 Jove to his Thetis nothing could deny,

Nor was the fignal vain that shook the sky.

.713. Rold the large Orbs.] The Greek is Romis @órvia "Hgn, which is commonly tranflated the venerable ox-ey'd Juno. Madam Dacier very well obferves that B8 is only an augmentative particle, and fignifies no more than valde. It may be added, that the imagination that oxen have larger eyes than ordinary is ill-grounded, and has no foundation in truth; their eyes are no larger in proportion than thofe of men, or of moft other animals. But be it as it will, the defign of the Poet, which is only to express the largeness of her eyes, is answer'd in the paraphrase.

What

What fatal favour has the Goddess won,
To grace her fierce, inexorable fon?
Perhaps in Grecian blood to drench the plain,
And glut his vengeance with my people flain.
Then thus the God: Oh reftlefs fate of pride,.
That ftrives to learn what heav'n refolves to hide;
Vain is the fearch, prefumptuous and abhorr'd,
Anxious to thee, and odious to thy Lord.
o Let this fuffice; th' immutable decree

No force can fhake: What is, that ought to be.
Goddess fubmit, nor dare our will withstand,
But dread the pow'r of this avenging hand;
Th' united ftrength of all the Gods above
In vain refifts th' omnipotence of Jove.

The Thund'rer fpoke, nor durft the Queen reply; A rev'rend horror filenc'd all the sky.

The feast disturb'd, with forrow Vulcan saw, His mother menac'd, and the Gods in awe; 40 Peace at his heart, and pleafure his defign, Thus interpos'd the Architect divine.

The

.741. Thus interpos'd the Architect divine] This quarrel of the Gods being come to its height, the Poet makes Vulcan interpofe, who freely puts them in mind of pleasure, inoffenfively advifes June, illustrates his advice by an example of his

Own

The wretched quarrels of the mortal state Are far unworthy, Gods! of your debate: Let men their days in fenfeless ftrife employ, 745 We, in eternal peace, and constant joy.

Thou, goddess-mother, with our fire comply, Nor break the facred union of the sky: Left, rouz'd to rage, he shake the bleft abodes, Launch the red lightning, and dethrone the gods. 750 If you fubmit, the thund'rer ftands appeas'd; The gracious pow'r is willing to be pleas'd.

Thus Vulcan spoke; and rifing with a bound, The double bowl with fparkling Nectar crown'd, Which held to Juno in a chearful way, 757 Goddess (he cry'd) be patient and obey. Dear as you are, if Jove his arm extend, I can but grieve, unable to defend.

own misfortune, turning the jeft on himself to enliven the banquet and concludes the part he is to fupport with ferving Nectar about. Homer had here his Minerva or Wisdom to interpofe again, and every other quality of the mind refided in Heaven under the appearance of fome Deity: So that his introducing Vulcan, proceeded not from a want of choice, but an infight into nature. He knew that a friend to mirth often diverts or ftops quarrels, especially when he contrives to fubmit himself to the laugh, and prevails on the angry to part in good humour, or in a difpofition to friendship; when grave reprefentations are fometimes reproaches, fometimes lengthen the debate by occafioning defences, and fometimes introduce new parties into the confequences of it.

What

What God fo daring in your aid to move, Or lift his hand against the force of Jove? 60 Once in your caufe I felt his matchlefs might, Hurl'd headlong downward from th' etherial height; Toft all the day in rapid circles round;

Nor till the Sun defcended, touch'd the ground: Breathless I fell, in giddy motion loft; 65 The Sinthians rais'd me on the Lemnian coaft. He faid, and to her hands the goblet heav'd, Which, with a fmile, the white-arm'd Queen receiv'd Then to the rest he fill'd; and, in his turn,

Each to his lips apply'd the nectar'd urn.

.760. Once in your cause I felt his matchless might] They who fearch another vein of allegory for hidden knowledge in na tural Philofophy, have confider'd Jupiter and Juno as Heaven and the Air, whofe alliance is interrupted when the air is troubled above, but reftor'd again when it is clear'd by heat, or Vulcan the God of Heat. Him they call a divine artificer, from the activity or general ufe of fire in working. They fuppofe him to be born in Heaven, where Philofophers fay that element has its proper place: and is thence deriv'd to the earth, which is fignify'd by the fall of Vulcan; that he fell in Lemnes, because that Ifland abounds with fubterranean fires; and that he contracted a lameness or imperfection by the fall; the fire not being fo pure and active below, but mix'd and terreftial. Euftathius.

#767. Which with a smile the white-arm'd Queen receiv'd.] The epithet aducrer, or white-arm'd, is used by Homer feveral times before, in this book. This was the first paffage where it could be introduc'd with any eafe or grace; becaufe the action fhe is here defcrib'd in, of extending her arm to the cup, gives it an occafion of difplaying its beauties, and in a manner demands the epithet.

H

Vulcan

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