Page:The genuine remains in verse and prose of Mr. Samuel Butler (1759), volume 1.djvu/123

135 Make 'em believe a Water-witch with Charms
Could sink their Men of War, as easy as Storms,
And turn their Mariners, that heard them sing,
Into Land-porpusses, and Cod, and Ling;
To terrify those mighty Champions,
140 As we do Children now with Bloody-bones;
Until the subtlest of their Conjurors
Seal'd up the Labels to his Soul, his Ears,
And ty'd his deafen'd Sailors (while he pass'd
The dreadful Lady's Lodgings) to the Mast,
145 And rather venture drowning, than to wrong
The Sea-pugs chaste Ears with a bawdy Song:
To b'out of Countenance, and like an Ass,
Not pledge the Lady Circe one Beer-glass;
Unmannerly refuse her Treat and Wine,
150 For fear of being turn'd into a Swine;

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his own private Expence.———Thus Livy, I. 27. C. 13.———"Illis omnibus adempti equi, qui Cannensium legionum equites in Sicilia erant. Addiderunt acerbitati etiam tempus, ne præterita stipendia procederent iis, qui equo publico meruerant, fed dena stipendia equis privatis facerent."

1. 133, 134. How silly were their Sages heretofore—To fright their Heroes with a Syren-whore.] The Story of Circe, and the Syrens is too well known to need repeating; I shall only remark, that our Author seems to confound the one with the other, by imputing the Power of Transformation to the Songs of the Syrens, which is related only of the enchanted Cup of Circe. This is a sort of poetic Licence, which he makes use of.

168, 169.