ANTIS TROPHE III. To Leda's twins (when heaven's divine abodes He gave th' illuftrious Games to hold, And crown the fwift, the ftrong, and bold. Then, Mufe, to Theron and his house proclaim The joyous tidings of success and fame, By Leda's twins bestow'd to grace, Emmenides, thy pious race, Who, mindful of heaven's high behests, With ftricteft zeal obferve their holy feats. E PODE III. As water's vital ftreams all things furpass, Holds amid fortune's ftores the highest class; To where the pillars of Alcides rife, Hath deck'd with glory's brightest ray His lineal virtues.-Farther to attain, Wife, and unwife, with me despair: th' attempt were vain, THE THE FIFTH OLYMPICK ODE. THIS Ode is infcribed to Pfaumis of Camarina (a town in Sicily), who, in the eighty-fecond Olympiad, obtained three victories; one in the race of chariots drawn by four horfes; a fecond in the race of the Apené, or chariot drawn by mules, and a third in the race of fingle horses. Some people (it feems) have doubted, whether this Ode be Pindar's, for certain reafons, which, together with the arguments on the other fide, the learned reader may find in the Oxford edition and others of this Author; where it is clearly proved to be genuine. But, befides the reafons there given for doubting if this Ode be Pindar's, there is another (though not mentioned, as I know of, by any one) which may have helped to biafs people in their judgment upon this queftion. I fhall therefore beg leave to confider it a little, because what I fhall fay upon that head, will tend to illuftrate both the meaning and the method of Pindar in this Ode. In the Greek editions of this Author there are two Odes (of which this is the second) inscribed to the fame Psaumis, and dated both in the fame Olympiad. But they differ from each other in feveral particulars, as well in the matter as the manner. In the fecond Ode, notice is taken of three victories obtained by Plaumis; in the firft, of only one, viz. that obtained M tained by him in the race of chariots drawn by four horfes in the fecond, not only the city of Camarina, but the lake of the fame name, many rivers adjoining to it, and fome circumstances relating to the prefent ftate, and the rebuilding of that city (which had been destroyed by the Syracufians fome years before) are mentioned; whereas in the first, Camarina is barely named, as the country of the conqueror, and as it were out of form: from all which I conclude, that these two Odes were compofed to be fung at different times, and in different places; the Art at Olympia, immediately upon Pfaumis's being proclaimed conqueror in the chariot-race, and before he obtained his other two victories. This may with great probability be inferred, as well from no mention being there made of those two victories, as from the prayer which the poet fubjoins immediately to his account of the firft, viz. that heaven would in like manner be favourable to the rest of the victor's wishes; which prayer, though it be in general words, and one frequently used by Pindar in other of his Odes, yet has a peculiar beauty and propriety, if taken to relate to the other two exerciles, in which Pfaumis was ftill to contend; and in which he afterwards came off victorious. That it was the cuftom for a conqueror, at the time of his being proclaimed, to be attended by a chorus, who fung a fong of triumph in honour of his victory, I have obferved in the Differtation prefixed to thefe Odes*. In the fecond, there are fo many marks of its having been made to be fung at the triumphal entry of Pfaumis into his own country, and thofe fo evident, that, after this hint given, the reader cannot help obferving them as he goes through the Ode. I fhall therefore fay nothing more of them in this place; but that they tend, by hewing for what occafion this Ode was calculated, to confirm what I faid relating to the other; and jointly with that to prove, that there is no reafon to conclude from there being two Odes infcribed to the fame perfon, and dated in the fame Olympiad, that the latter is not Pindar's, especially as it appears, both in the ftyle and fpirit, altogether worthy of him. THE Poet begins with addreffing himself to Cama-rina, a fea nymph, from whom the city and lake were both named, to bespeak a favourable reception of his Ode, a prefent which he tells her was made to her by Pfaumis, who rendered her city illuftrious at the Olympick Games; where having obtained three victories, he confecrated his fame to Camarina, by ordering the herald, when he proclaimed him conqueror, to ftyle him of that city. This he did at Olympia; but now, continues Pindar, upon his coming home, he is more particular, and inferts in M 2 * See Mr. Weft's Preface; p. 122. his his triumphal fong the names of the principal place and rivers belonging to Camarina; from whenc the Poet takes occafion to speak of the rebuilding o that city, which was done about this time, and o the ftate of glory, to which, out of her low an miferable condition, fhe was now brought by th means of Pfaumis, and by the luftre caft on her b his victories; victories (fays he) not to be obtaine without much labour and expence, the ufual atten dants of great and glorious actions; but the ma who fucceeded in fuck-like undertakings, was fur to be rewarded with the love and approbation his country. The Poet then addrefies himself t Jupiter in a prayer, befeeching him to adorn the cit and state of Camarina with virtue and glory; an to grant to the victor Pfaumis a joyful and con tented old age, and the happiness of dying before hi children after which he concludes with an exhor tation to Pfaumis, to be contented with his condi tion; which he infinuates was as happy as that o a mortal could be, and it was to no purpose for hir to wish to be a god. STROPH E. FAIR Camarina, daughter of the main, With gracious fmiles this choral fong receive, Sweet fruit of virtuous toils; whofe noble ftrain Shall to th' Olympick wreath new luftre give: Th |