156 STUDIES OF NATURE, 



I fliall endeavour, as well as I can, to give a 

 plain profe tranflation of thofe beautiful verfes, 



*' — — Delight of men and gods, gracious 

 " Fenus ! who prefideft over the fail-bearing 

 "^ Ocean, and the fertile Earth, while the hods 

 ^* of Heaven glide majeftically filent around ; 

 " fince by thy prolific virtue, the whole animal 

 " creation teems with life, and turns the opening 

 *' eye-ball to the light of the Sun ; at thy ap- 

 " proach, O Goddefs, the winds are hulhed, the 

 " vapours that obfcure the face of the iky dif- 

 '^ perfe, the variegated ground fpreads a carpet 

 ** of enamelled flowers underneath thy feet ; the 

 " waters of the deepfmile with joy, and the placid 



** fky is overfpread with a milder light Seeing, 



*' then, that thou reigneft, fole Emprefs of Na- 

 *' ture ; fmce without thee no living creature 

 " arifes into day, or poffefTes the capacity of re- 

 " ceiving or communicating delight, how gladly 

 *' would I affume thee as my aflbciate in the ar- 

 *' duous undertaking on which I now enter — an 



*' enquiry into the nature of things Give, then, 



*' O Goddefs, fomewhat of thy unfading grace to 

 *' my flrains. And grant, meanwhile, that the 

 " din of battle may ceafe over every land, over 

 " every fea : for with thee it refis to reduce the 

 '' troubled world to peace ; fince Mars, all-power- 

 ^* ful in arms, direds the thunder of war^ who 



*' frequently 



