Iraque noftra fruitur: in laudes fuas Mea vertit odia. dum nimis fxva impero, 35 Patrem probavi: glorise feci locum: Qua Sol reducens, quaque deponens diem, Binos propinqua tingit /Ethiopas face, Indomita virtus colitur; & toto Deus NaiTatur orbe. Monftra jam defunt mihi; 40 Minorque labor eft Herculi juffa exfequi, Quam mihi jubere. laetus imperia excipit. QuEe fera tyranni juffa violento queant Nocere juveni? nempe pro telis gerit, Quae timuit, & quse fudit: armatus venit 45 Leone & hydra Nee fatis terrse patent: Effregit ecce limen infemi Jovis, Et opima viifli regis ad fuperos refert. Parum eft reverti: fcedus Umbrai-um perit. Vidi ipfa, vidi nofle difcuffa iaferum, S° Et Dite domito, fpolia jaiflantem patri Fraterna. cur non vi<5lum & oppreffum trahit Ipfum catenis paria fortitum Jovi? Ereboque capto potitur, & retegit Styga? Patefacla ab imis Manibus retro via eft, 55 Et facra Aiits Mortis in aperto jacent. At ille, rupto carcere Umbranim, ferox De me triumphal, & fuperbifica manu Atrum per urbes ducit Argolicas canem. Vifo labantem Cerbero vidi diem, 60 Pavidumque folem: me quoque invafit tremor, Et terna monftri colla devifli intuens, Timui imperaffe. Levia fed nimium queror, Ccelo timendum eft; regna ne fumma occupet. Qui vicit ima. fceptra prieripiet patri. 65 Nee in aftra lenta veniet, ut Bacchus, via: Iter ruina quasret, & vacuo volet Regnare mundo. Robore experto tumet,
for gaining his renown! Wherever Phœbus rises, or wherever he sets in those regions, where he deeply tans the two Ethiopian races, with the nearness of his fierce rays (see note at end), his indomitable valor is held up as an object of veneration, indeed he is spoken of as a God, all over the Earth! There are no monsters, no difficulties now, for him to encounter, for it is less a labor for Hercules to execute my commands, than it is for me to issue them—he undertakes his labor with an air of joy and triumph! What truculent mandate of the tyrant Eurystheus can redound with injury to this violent youth arising out of its execution? For he actually re-inforces his strength with them as weapons, those very things which at first, somewhat disconcerted him, but which neverthe-
