To Justice. The Fumigation from Frankincense.
The piercing eye of Justice bright, I sing,
Plac'd by the throne of heav'n's almighty king,
Perceiving thence, with vision unconfin'd,
The life and conduct of the human kind
To thee, revenge and punishment belong,
Chastising ev'ry deed, unjust and wrong;
Whose pow'r alone, dissimilars can join,
And from th' equality of truth combine:
For all the ill, persuasion can inspire,
When urging bad designs, with counsel dire,
'Tis thine alone to punish with the race
Of lawless passions, and incentives base
For thou art ever to the good inclin'd,
And hostile to the men of evil mind.
Come, all-propitious, and thy suppliant hear,
When Fate's predestin'd, final hour draws near.
To Equity. The Fumigation from Frankincense.
O Blessed Equity, mankind's delight,
Eternal friend of conduct just and right
Abundant, venerable, honor'd maid,
To judgments pure, dispensing constant aid,
A stable conscience, and an upright mind;
For men unjust, by thee are undermin'd,
Whose souls perverse thy bondage ne'er desire,
But more untam'd decline thy scourges dire:
Harmonious, friendly power, averse to strife,
In peace rejoicing, and a stable life
Lovely, loquacious, of a gentle mind,
Hating excess, to equal deeds inclin'd
Wisdom, and virtue of whate'er degree,
Receive their proper bound alone in thee.
Hear, Goddess Equity, the deeds destroy
Of evil men, which human life annoy
That all may yield to thee of mortal birth
Whether supported by the fruits of earth,
Or in her kindly fertile bosom found.
Or in the depths of Marine Jove profound,
To Law. A Hymn.
The holy king of Gods and men I call,
Celestial Law, the righteous seal of all;
The seal which stamps whate'er the earth contains,
Nature's firm basis, and the liquid plains
Stable, and starry, of harmonious frame,
Preserving laws eternally the same
Thy all-composing pow'r in heav'n appears,
Connects its frame, and props the starry spheres
And shakes weak Envy with tremendous sound,
Toss'd by thy arm in giddy whirls around.
'Tis thine, the life of mortals to defend,
And crown existence with a blessed end;
For thy command alone, of all that lives
Order and rule to ev'ry dwelling gives:
Ever observant of the upright mind,
And of just actions the companion kind;
Foe to the lawless, with avenging ire,
Their steps involving in destruction dire,
Come, blest, abundant pow'r, whom all revere,
By all desir'd, with favr'ing mind draw near;
Give me thro' life, on thee to fix my sight,
And ne'er forsake the equal paths of right.
To Mars. The Fumigation from Frankincense.
Magnanimous, unconquer'd, boistrous Mars,
In darts rejoicing, and in bloody wars:
Fierce and untam'd, whose mighty pow'r can make
The strongest walls from their foundations shake:
Mortal destroying king, defil'd with gore,
Pleas'd with war's dreadful and tumultuous roar:
Thee, human blood, and swords, and spears delight,
And the dire ruin of mad savage fight.
Stay, furious contests, and avenging strife,
Whose works with woe, embitter human life;
To lovely Venus, and to Bacchus yield,
To Ceres give the weapons of the field
Encourage peace, to gentle works inclin'd,
And give abundance, with benignant mind.
To Vulcan. The Fumigation from Frankincense and Manna.
Strong, mighty Vulcan bearing splendid light,
Unweary'd fire, with flaming torrents bright;
Strong-handed, deathless, and of art divine,
Pure element, a portion of the world is thine:
All-taming artist, all-diffusive pow'r,
'tis thine supreme, all substance to devour:
Æther, Sun, Moon, and Stars, light pure and clear,
For these thy lucid parts to men appear.
To thee, all dwellings, cities, tribes belong,
Diffus'd thro' mortal bodies bright and strong.
Hear, blessed power, to holy rites incline,
And all propitious on the incense shine
Suppress the rage of fires unweary'd frame,
And still preserve our nature's vital flame.
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