Page:Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral.djvu/118

On the swift wings of ever-flying Fame
To Cadmus' palace soon the tidings came:
Niobe heard, and with indignant eyes
She thus express'd her anger and surprize:

"Why is such privilege to them allowed?

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"Why thus insulted by the Delian god?
"Dwells there such mischief in the pow'rs above?
"Why sleeps the vengeance of immortal Jove?"
For now Amphion too, with grief oppress'd,

Had plung'd the deadly dagger in his bread.

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Niobe now, less haughty than before,
With lofty head directs her steps no more.
She, who late told her pedigree divine,
And drove the Thebans from Latona's shrine,

How strangely chang'd!——yet beautiful in woe,

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She weeps, nor weeps unpity'd by the foe.
On each pale corse the wretched mother spread
Lay overwhelmed with grief, and kiss'd her dead,
Then rais'd her arms, and thus, in accents flow,

"Be sated cruel Goddess! with my woe;

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