Amitié, charmante immortelle,

Tu choisis à si caur fidèle
Peu d'amis mais constans, vertueux comme lui :

Tu ne crains point que la caprice,

Que l'intérêt les désunisse,
Ou verse sur leurs jours les poisons de l'ennui.

Ami des frugales demeures,

Sommeil pendant les sombres heures, Tu repans sur ses yeux tes songes favoris;

Ecartant ces songes funébres

Qui, parmi l'effroi des ténèbres,
Vont reveiller les grands sous les riches lam bris.

C'est pour ce bonheur legitime

Que le modeste ABDOLONYME N'acceptoit qu'à regret le sceptre de Sidon:

Plus libre dans un sort champêtre,

Et plus heureux qu'il ne scût l'être Sur le trône eclatant des ayeux de DIDON.

C'est par ces vertus pacifiques

Par ces plaisirs philosophiquet
Que tu scais, cher R***, remplir d'utiles jours.

Dans se Tivoli solitaire,

Oú le Cher de son onde claire
Vient a l'aimable Loir E associer le cours.

Fidèle á ce sage sistême,

Là, dans l'étude de toi même, Chaque soleil te voit occuper tes loisirs ;

Dans le brillant fracas du monde,

Ton nom, ta probité profonde T'eut doneé plus d'eclat, mais moins de vrais plaisirs. NOTES

ON

ODES OF THE THIRD CLASS.

RUNIC ODES. To these Odes Mr. Mathias has prefixed the following Advertisement : These curious remains of the most remote Northern

antiquity are taken from Bartholinus, and imitated from the originals, in the manner which Mr. Gray conceived most adapted to transfuse the wild spirit of those incumparable Norse Odes, The Descent of Odin, and The Fatal Sisters, into the English

language. The literal Latin translation of the two first Odes is

subjoined for the satisfaction of those who may not be in possession of the book from which they are taken; and the literal prose English translation of The Dialogue at the Tomb of Argantyr, is printed from Dr. Hickes's Thesaurus Septentrionalis.

To this Advertisement was subjoined the Sonnet annexed ; addressed to Mr. Gray, though no more.

PARDON me, MIGHTY POET, that I turn

My daring steps to thy supreme abode,

And tread with awe the solitary road,
To deck with fancied wreaths thy hallow'd uro.

Yet, as I wander thro' this dark sojourn,

Think not I mean with low-engender'd praise

Thy name to sully, or profane thy lays;
I have no thoughts that breathe, no words that burn.

But hark, what voice in heav'nly accents clear

Bursts from yon cloud, that glows with temp’rate fire? “ Cease, cease, fond youth, to drop the fruitless tear,

“ Mute tho' the raptures of his full-strung lyre : “ E’en his own warblings, lessen'd on his ear,

“ Lost in seraphic harmony expire."

ODE I*.

Page 121. The Twilight of the Gods, in the Northern Mythology, is that Period when Lok, the Evil Being, shall break his Confinement; the Human Race, the Stars, and the Sun, shall disappear, the Earth sink in the Seas, and Fire consume the Skies : even Odin himself, and all his kindred Gods, shall perisht,

The foregoing Ode contains a Description of the Events which, according to this dark Mythology, will precede the Destruction of the World.

* See BARTHOLINUS de Causi contemptae mortis apud Danos. Lib. 2. C. 14.

+ For a farther Account of this wild and curious System of Mythology, see Mr. Mallet’s Introduction à l'Histoire de Dannemarc, or rather the Translation of it, by the present Bishop of DROMORE, entitled, Nortbern Antiquities, in two Volumes 8vo.

121.

122.

Ymir hath his course begun,] From Ymir were descended all the families of the giants. EDDA. ib. Now, in many a glist'ring wreath,

Above, around, and underneath,
The Serpent dread of dateless birth,

Girds the devoted globe of earth ;] In the Edda, a serpent is supposed to surround the earth.

While the Vessel's floating pride

Stems duration's rounding tide.] In the poetry of the North, the earth is stiled, “ The “ vessel that floats on ages.” I have made use of this paraphrase for the Nagel fara, or ship of the gods here mentioned. ib.

-an evil race,] The Muspelli, a sort of Genii. 123. From the regions of the South

Surtur bursts with fiery mouth;] The Prince of the Genii of Fire.

ib. Harbingers of Hela's reign:] The Goddess of Death.

124. Mark the murd'rous monster stalk,] The wolf Fenris, by whom Odin was slain. 125. Garmar foams with

and shame:] Immediately previous to the destruction of the world, the Edda supposes that the Stygian Dog, named Garmar, will be unbound.

It has been thought proper to subjoin to each the literal

Translations of the originals of this and the two next Odes, as the Books whence they are taken are scarce.

CREPUSCULUM DEORUM,

SEU

INTERITUS MUNDI.

BARTHOL. L. II. C. 14.

Hrymr ekr austau, &c. Hrymus (gigas quidam) ab Ante lapidearum habitationum ortu aurigat;

ostia, Intumescit mare :

Lapideorum meatuum gnari; Volutat se Iormungandus (an- Nostin'adhuc quid rei geritur?

guis terram ambire creditus) Furore giganteo.

Surtur ab austro prodit, Anguis maria movet;

Igne comitante ; Aquila vero clangit,

Radiat Solis instar, ensis Dilanjat cadavera lúrido rostro. Deorum bellacium. Nafglar (navis) solvitur. Saxa ruinam minantur:

Fæminæ giganteæ vagantur ; Navis ab ortu venit;

Calcant viam Helæ :

Diffinditur Cælum.
Aderunt Muspelli,
Per mare incolæ ;
Lokus vero gubernat.

Tunc evenit Hlinæ
Incedunt furentes populi,

Dolor secundus; Cum lupo omnes;

Quando Odinus prodit Illisc m frater

Ad dimicandum cum lupo;
Beleipi prodit.

Occisorque Belæ,
Candidus cum surto :

Tum Friggæ
Quid novi apud Deos geritur? Cadet maritus.
Quid apud Genios ?
Fragore personat totus gigan- Tum prodit magnus
tum mundus.

Filius Odini,
Dii in foro versantur:

Vidarus, ut pugnet. Gemunt nani

Cum stragis animali (lupo.)