Virgil, Eclogue IV

Cicilian Muses, sing we greater things,
All are not pleas'd with Shrubs, & lowly Sp[...]
More fitly to the Consull, Woods belong,
Now is fulfild Cumaean Sibyls Song,
Long chaines of better times begin againe,
The Maide returnes, and brings backe Saturnes rai[..]
New progenies from lofty Heau'n descend,
Thouchaste Lucina, be this Infants friend,
Whose birth the dayes of Ir'n shall quite deface,
And through the world the golden age shall place
Thy brother Phoebus weares his potent Crowne,
And thou (O Pollio) know thy high renowne,
Thy Consulship this glorious change shall breed,
Great moneths shall then endeuour to proceed:
Thy rule the steps of threatning sinne shall cleare,
And free the earth from that perpetuall feare:
He with the Gods shall liue, and shall behold,
With heauenly spirits noble soules enroll'd,
And seene by them shall guide this worldly frame,
Which to his hand his fathers strength doth tame.
To thee (sweet Child) the earth brings natiue dow[.]
The wandring Iuy, with faire B[.]cchars flowres,
[.]nd Colocasia sprung from Egypts ground,
With smiling leaues of greene Acanthus crown'd,
[.]he Gotes their swelling vdders home shall beare,
The Droues no more shall mighty Lions feare:
For thee thy cradle pleasing flowres shall bring,
Imperious Death shall blunt the Serpents sting,
No herbes shall with deceitfull poyson flow,
And sweet Amomum eu'ry where shall grow.
But when thou able art to reade the facts
Of Worthies, and thy Fathers famous acts,
To know what glories, vertues name adorne,
The fields to ripenesse bring the tender corne;
Ripe Grapes depend on carelesse Brambles tops;
Hard Oakes sweat hony, form'd in dewy drops,
Yet some few steps of former fraudes remaine,
Vuhich men to trie, the Sea with ships constraine?
Vuith strengthning walles their Cities to defend,
And on the ground long surrowes to extend,
A second [..]phys, and [.]ew Argo then,
Shall leade to braue exploits the best of men,
The warre of Troy that Towne againe shall burne,
And great Achilles thither shall returne.
But when firme age a perfect man thee makes,
The willing Sayler straight the Seas forsakes,
The P[..]e no more the vse of trade retaines,
Each Countrie breeds all fruits, the earth disdaines
The Harrowes weight, and Vines the sickles strokes;
Strong Ploughmen let their Bulls go free from yokes,
Wooll feares not to dissemble colours strange,
But Rammes their fleeces then in pastures change
To pleasing Purple, or to Saffron die,
And Lambes turne ruddy, as they feeding lie.
The Fates, whose wills in stedfast end agree,
Command their wheeles to run such daies to see,
Attempt great honours, now the time attends,
Deare Childe of Gods, whose line from Ioue descend[.]
See how the world with weight declining lies;
The Earth, the spacious Seas, and arched Skies:
Behold againe, how these their griefe asswage
With expectation of the future age:
O that my life and breath so long would last
To tell thy deeds! I should not be surpast
By Thracian Orpheus, nor if Linus sing,
Though they from Phoebus and the Muses spring:
Should Pan (Arcadia iudging) striue with me,
Pan by Arcadia's doome would conquer'd be.
Begin thou, little Childe; by laughter owne
Thy Mother, who ten mon'ths hath fully knowne
Of tedious houres: begin, thou little Childe,
On whom as yet thy Parents neuer smil'd,
The God with meate hath not thy hunger fed,
Nor Goddesse laid thee in a little bed.