142 



Thefe Helicon and the Pierian rock, 



Nurtur'd with fong divine, immortal minds 



Of heav'n-taught women ! v/ith Prexil/a, Myrc 



And Aiiyta, who equall'd in renown 



The Chian father of heroic fong ; 



Sappho, that ornament of Lejbian danjes, 



Erinna, Teleftlla, and Corinna, 



Who fang the niield of Pallas, Nojfis fair. 



With Myra fweet of fong. — All thefe abound 



In wreaths, that ever bloom. Thefe heav'n endow'd, 



A lecond choir of Mufes ; thefe the earth 



Produc'd, as fources of divine deliglit. 



In his Tujculan diputations, Lib. 4th. 'r^^, Cicero mentions Ibycta 

 Rheginus, as the poet who furpafled ail others, in the ardor of his 

 amorous feelings, 



Maxime vero omnium flagrafle amore llycum. 



And this poet fpeaks of himfelf, and his maftery on the topic of 

 love, in elated and magnificent terms, in ibme verfes, which have been 

 preferved by Athetiaus. I have attempted to give the reader a faint 

 idea of their fpirit and purport, by the following imitation. 



Verses of Ibycus Rheginus. 



Naiads foft, CyJonian maids. 

 When the leaf embrowns the (hades, 

 When the birds their carol Cng, 

 Pour the ftreamlets from the fpring. 

 Vernal gales awake the vine. 

 Leaves to fpread, and tendrils join. 

 Bid the little fuckers grow, 

 Soon with racy juice to flow. — 

 In that feafon, maidens fair 

 To the cryftal dreams repair. 

 Virgin gardens of delight. 

 Kind of heart, in feature bright.— 

 Thefe are they that wing the dart. 

 Thefe are they that fire my heart. — 

 Wakeful love within my bread, 



Never never gives me reft. 



Not 



