750 
POETRY. 
periy an inauguration ode, compofed to be fung by a cho¬ 
rus at the facrifices and the feafts made by Ariftagoras and 
his colleagues, in the town-hall, at the time of their being 
invefted with the magiltracy, as is evident from many ex- 
preffionsin the firft ftrophe and antillrophe. 
Pindar opens this ode with an invocation to Vefta (the 
goddefs who prefided over the courts of juftice, and whofe 
ltatue and altar were for that reafon placed in the town- 
halls, or prytanceums, as the Greeks called them), he- 
feechingher to receive favourably Ariftagoras and his col¬ 
leagues, who were then coming to offer facrifices to her, 
upon their entering on their office of Prytans, or ma- 
giftrates, of Tenedos; which office continuing for a year, 
he begs the goddefs to take Ariftagoras under her pro¬ 
tection during that time, and to conduct him to the end 
of it without trouble or difgrace. From Ariftagoras, 
Pindar turns himfelf in the next place to his father 
Arcefilas, whom he pronounces happy, as well upon ac¬ 
count of his Ion’s merit and honour, as upon his own 
great endowments and good fortune: fuch as beauty, 
ftrength, courage, riches, and glory refulting from his 
many victories in the games. But, left he fhould be too much 
puffed up with thefe praifes, he reminds him at the fame 
time of his mortality, and tells him that his clothing of flefti 
is perifhable, and he mult e’er long be clothed with earth, 
the end of all things; and yet, continues he, it is but juftice 
to praife and celebrate the worthy and deferving, who 
from good citizens ought to receive all kinds of honour 
and commendation ; as Ariftagoras, for inftance, who 
hath rendered both himfelf and his country illuftrious by 
the many victories he hath obtained, to the number of fix- 
teen, over the neighbouring youth, in the games exhibited 
in and about his own country. From whence, fays the 
poet, I conclude he would have come off victorious even 
in the' Pythian and Olympic games, had he not been re- 
ftrained from engaging in thofe famous lifts by the too 
timid and cautious love of his parents. Upon which he 
falls into a moral reflection upon the vanity of man’s hopes 
and fears : by the former of which they are oftentimes 
excited to attempts beyond their ftrength, which accor¬ 
dingly iffue in their difgrace ; as on the other hand, they 
are frequently reftrained by unreafonable and ill-grounded 
fears, from enterprifes in which they would in all proba¬ 
bility have come off with honour. This reflection he ap¬ 
plies to Ariftagoras, by faying it was very eafy to forefee 
what fuccefs he was likely to meet with, who both by fa¬ 
ther and mother was defcended from a long train of great 
and valiant men. But here again, with a very artful turn 
of flattery to his father Arcefilas, whom he had before 
reprefented as ftrong and valiant, and famous for his vic¬ 
tories in the games, he obferves that every generation, 
even of a great and glorious family, is not equally illuf¬ 
trious, any more than the fields and trees are every year 
equally fruitful; that the gods had not given mortals any 
certain tokens by which they might foreknow “ when 
the rich years of virtue fhould fucceed.” Whence it 
comes to pafs, that men out of felf-conceit and prefump- 
tion, are perpetually laying fchemes, and forming enter¬ 
prifes, without previoully confulting prudence or wifdom, 
whofe ftreams , fays he, lie remote, and out of the common 
road. From all which he infers, that it is better to mode¬ 
rate our defires, and fet bounds to our avarice and ambi¬ 
tion ; with which moral precept he concludes the ode. 
Strophe I. 
Daughter of Rhea ! thou, whofe holy fire 
Before the awful feat of juftice flames ! 
Sifter of heav’n's almighty fire ! 
Sifter of Juno, who co-equal claims 
With Jove to (hare the empire of the gods! 
O virgin Vefta ! to thy dread abodes, 
To ! Ariftagoras direfts his pace ! 
Receive and near thy facred fceptre place 
Him, and his colleagues, who, with honeftzeal, 
O'er Tenedos prefide, and guard the public weal. 
Antiftrophe I. 
Andlo! with frequent ofPrings, they adore 
Thee, firft invok’d in ev’ry folemn pray’r ! 
To thee unmix’d libations pour, 
And fill with od’rous fumes the fragrant air. 
Around in feftive fongs the hymning choir 
Mix the melodious voice and founding lyre. 
While, (till prolong’d with hofpitable love, 
Are folemnized the rites of genial Jove : 
Then guard him, Vefta, through his long career. 
And let him clofe in joy his ininifterial year. 
Epode I. 
But hail, Arcefilas ! all hail 
To thee, blefs’d father of a fon fo great! 
Thou whom on fortune’s higheft fcale 
The favourable hand of heav’n hath fet. 
Thy manly form with beauty hath refin’d. 
And match’d that beauty with a valiant mind. 
Yet let not man too much prefume, 
Though grac’d with beauty’s faireft bloom; 
Though for fuperior ftrength renown’d ; 
Though with triumphal chaplets crown’d: 
Let him remember, that, in flefti array’d, 
Soon (hall he fee that mortal veftment fade ; 
Till loft, imprifon’d in the mould’ring urn. 
To earth, the end of all things, he return. 
Strophe II. 
Yet (hould the worthy from the public tongue 
Receive their recompenfe of virtuous praife ; 
By every zealous patriot fung. 
And deck’d with ev’ry flow’r of heav’nly lays. 
Such retribution in return for fame, 
Such, Ariftagoras, thy virtues claim, 
Claim from thy country; on whofe glorious brows 
The wreftler’s chaplet (till unfaded blows ; 
Mix’d with the great Pancratiaftic crown, 
Which from the neighb’ring youth thy early valour won. 
Antiftrophe II. 
And (but his timid parents’ cautious love, 
Difturbing ever his too-forward hands, 
Forbade their tender fon to prove 
The toils of Pythia or Olympia’s fands), 
Now by the gods I fwear, his valorous might 
Had ’fcap’d victorious in each bloody fight; 
And from Caftalia, or where dark with (hade 
The mount of Saturn rears its olive head, 
Great and illuftrious home had he returned ; 
While, by his fame eclips’d, his vanquifli’d foes had 
[mourn’d. 
Epode II. 
Then, his triumphal trefles bound 
With the dark verdure of th’ Olympic grove, 
Withjoyous banquets had he crown’d 
The great quinquennial feftival of Jove; 
And cheer’d the folemn pomp with choral lays. 
Sweet tribute, which the mufe to virtue pays. 
But, fuch is man’s prepoft’rous fate l 
Now, with o’er-weening pride elate, 
Too far he aims his fliaft to throw, 
And (training burfts his feeble bow : 
Now pufillanimous deprefs’d with fear. 
He checks his virtue in the mid career; 
And of his ftrength diftruftful, coward flies 
The conteft, though empowered to gain the prize. 
Strophe III. 
But who could err in prophefying good 
Of him, whofe undegenerating breait 
Swells with a tide of Spartan blood, 
From fire to fire in long fucceflion trac’d 
Up to Pifander ; who in days of yore 
From old Amyclae to the Lefbian (hore 
And Tenedos, colleagu’d in high command 
With great Oreftes, led th’ iEolian band ? 
