Fragment CVI: You, great Apollo, with its walls and towers

You, great Apollo, with its walls and towers
Fenc’d and adorn’d of old this town of ours!
Such favour in thy sight Alcathous won,
Of Pelops old the fair and manly son.
Now, therefore, in thy clemency divine,
Protect these very walls, our own and thine!
Guide and assist us, turn aside the boast
Of the destroying haughty Persian host!
So shall thy people each returning spring
Slay fatted hecatombs, and gladly bring
Fair gifts, with chaunted hymns and lively song,
Dances and feasts, and happy shouts among :
Before thy altar, glorifying thee,
In peace and health and wealth, cheerful and free.
“Yet much I fear the faction and the strife,
Throughout our Grecian cities, raging rife;
And their wild councils. But do thou defend
This town of ours, our founder and our friend!
Wide have I wander’d, far beyond the sea,
Even to the distant shores of Sicily,
To broad Eubœa’s plentiful domain,
With the rich vineyards in its planted plain ;
And to the sunny wave and winding edge
Of fair Eurotas, with its reedy sedge ;
Where Sparia stands in simple majesty,
Among her manly rulers, there was I!
Greeted and welcom’d (there and everywhere)
With courteous entertainment, kind and fair ;
Yet still my weary spirit would repine,
Longing again to view this land of mine.
Henceforward no design nor interest
Shall ever move me, but the first and best,
With learning’s happy gift to celebrate,
To adorn and dignify my native state.
The song, the dance, music and verse agreeing,
Will occupy my life, and fill my being :
Pursuits of elegance and learned skill
(With good repute and kindness and good will,
Among the wiser sort) will pass my time
Without an enemy, without a crime;
Harmless and just with every rank of men,
Both the free native and the denizen.