las; thence from far look down,
"On wandering souls of reasoning aid depriv'd,
"Shivering and trembling at the thoughts of death.
"I thus exhort, and scenes of fate unfold.

"O race! whom terror of cold death affrights,
"Why fear ye Styx? why darkness? why vain names,
"The dreams of poets? why in fancy'd worlds
"Severe atonements? Whether slow disease,
"Or on the pile the body flames consume,
"Think not that any suffering it can feel.
"The soul from death is free, and one seat left,
"Another habitation finds and lives.
"Well I remember I was Pantheus' son,
"Euphorbus, in the fatal war of Troy,
"Whose breast the young Atrides' massive spear
"Transpierc'd in fight. I lately knew the shield
"My left arm bore, in Juno's temple hung,
"In Abantean Argos. All is chang'd,
"But nothing dies. The spirit roams about
"From that to this, from this to that again;
"And enters vacant bodies at its will.
"Now from a beast's to human frame it goes,
"Now from the man it passes to a beast;
"And never perishes. As yielding wax
"Is with new figures printed, nor remains
"Long in one form, nor holds its pristine shape;
"And yet is still the same: so do I teach,
"The soul the same, though vary'd are its seats.
"Hence, lest thy belly's keen desire o'ercome
"All piety, (and prophet-like I speak)
"Forbear by impious slaughter to disturb
"The souls of kindred friends; and let not blood
"With blood be fed. Now on the boundless sea
"Since I am borne, and to the breeze have loos'd
"My swelling sail, this more:--Nought that the world
"Contains, is in appearance still the same
"All moving alters; changeable is form'd
"Each image. And with constant motion flows
"Ev'n time itself, just like a passing stream;
"For nor the river, nor the flying hour
"Can be detain'd. As wave by wave impell'd,
"The foremost prest by that behind; itself
"Urging its predecessor; so time flies,
"And so is follow'd, ever seeming new.
"For what has been, is lost; what is, no more
"Shall be, and every moment is renew'd.
"You see the night emerge to glorious day,
"And the bright sun in shady darkness sink.
"Nor shews the sky one hue when nature all
"Worn out, in midnight quiet rests; and when
"Bright Lucifer dismounts his snowy steed:
"Varying again when fair Aurora comes
"Of light fore-runner, and the world, to Sol
"About to yield, dyes deep. The orbed god,