OLYMPIC DIALOGUE,, 



MomusT] Soho, Jupiter, where haft thou left thy 

 famous thunder-bolts, that thou beareft thy fall with 

 fo much patience ? 



Jupiter.'] If I were not what I am, I would anfwer 

 thy lilly queftion with one of them, thou jackanapes ! 



Sguirinus, to Mercury^ If I may truft. to what thou 

 fayeft, Hermes, I mould be glad to be informed of a 

 few things in my turn. Are my flamens alfo depofed ? 

 is my temple too Ihut up ? are my feftivals no longer 

 kept I and are the enervated, fervile, unfeeling quirites 

 degenerated to that degree of ingratitude towards their 

 founder ? 



Mercury.] I fhould deceive thee were I to give thee 

 a different account. 



Vicloria.] Then I have no occafion to afk thee, what 

 are become of my altar and my ftatue in the julian cu- 

 ria ? It is now fo long finc'e the Romans have forgot 

 the art of conquering, that nothing feems to me more 

 natural than that they could not bear even the prefencc 

 of my image At every look they call at it, they mult 

 feel as if it upbraided them with their infamous degene- 

 racy. With Romans, whofe name is become a term 

 of contempt among the barbarians, a ftain that can 

 only be warned out with blood, Victoria has nothing 

 more to do. 



VefiaT] Amidft fuch prodigious changes I may take 

 it for granted that even the facred fire in my temple is 

 no longer kept burning ? Heavens ! what will be th&. 

 fate of my poor virgins ? 



Mercury'] Oh not a hair of their heads will be hurt; 

 they, venerable Vefta, will be fuffered in complete tran- 

 quillity — to die of hunger, 



Quirinus. | 



