the shades of the ancient heroines, afterwards of the heroes, and converses in

particular with Agamemnon and Achilles. Ajax keeps at a sullen distance, and

disdains to answer him. He then beholds Tityus, Tantalus, Sisyphus, Hercules;

till he is deterred from further curiosity by the apparition of horrid

spectres, and the cries of the wicked in torments.


“Now to the shores we bend, a mournful train,

Climb the tall bark, and launch into the main;

At once the mast we rear, at once unbind

The spacious sheet, and stretch it to the wind;

Then pale and pensive stand, with cares oppress’d,

And solemn horror saddens every breast.

A freshening breeze the magic power supplied,

While the wing’d vessel flew along the tide;

Our oars we shipp’d; all day the swelling sails

Full from the guiding pilot catch’d the gales.


“Now sunk the sun from his aërial height,

And o’er the shaded billows rush’d the night;

When lo! we reach’d old Ocean’s utmost bounds,

Where rocks control his waves with ever-during mounds.


“There in a lonely land, and gloomy cells,

The dusky nation of Cimmeria dwells;

The sun ne’er views the uncomfortable seats,

When radiant he advances, or retreats:

Unhappy race! whom endless night invades,

Clouds the dull air, and wraps them round in shades.


“The ship we moor on these obscure abodes;

Disbark the sheep, an offering to the gods;

And, hellward bending, o’er the beach descry

The doleful passage to the infernal sky.

The victims, vow’d to each Tartarian power,

Eurylochus and Perimedes bore.


“Here open’d hell, all hell I here implored,

And from the scabbard drew the shining sword:

And trenching the black earth on every side,

A cavern form’d, a cubit long and wide.

New wine, with honey-temper’d milk, we bring,

Then living waters from the crystal spring:

O’er these was strew’d the consecrated flour,

And on the surface shone the holy store.


“Now the wan shades we hail, the infernal gods,