Page:Virgil's Pastorals, Georgics and Aeneis - Dryden (1709) - volume 1.pdf/284

128 Th' Inhabitants themselves, their Country grace; Hence rose the Marsian and Sabellian Race: Strong limb'd and stout, and to the Wars inclin'd, And hard Ligurians, a laborious Kind. And Volscians arm'd with Iron-headed Darts. Besides an Off-spring of undaunted Hearts, The Decij, Marij, great Camillus came From hence, and greater Scipio's double Name: And mighty Cæsar, whose victorious Arms, To farthest Asia, carry fierce Alarms: Avert unwarlike Indians from his Rome; Triumph abroad, secure our Peace at home. Hail, sweet Saturnian Soil! of fruitful Grain Great Parent, greater of Illustrious Men. For thee my tuneful Accents will I raise, And treat of Arts disclos'd in Ancient Days: Once more unlock for thee the sacred Spring, And old Ascræan Verse in Roman Cities sing. The Nature of their sev'ral Soils now see, Their Strength, their Colour, their Fertility: And first for Heath, and barren hilly Ground, Where meagre Clay and flinty Stones abound; Where the poor Soil all Succour seems to want, Yet this suffices the Palladian Plant. Undoubted Signs of such a Soil are found, For here wild Olive-shoots o'erspread the ground, And heaps of Berries strew the Fields around. Rh