lofty mountains. But when they had ascended the wellwrought couch, he first took the shining ornaments off her body, the brooches, and bended circlets, and the pendant drops and necklaces. And Anchises loosed her girdle, and stripped off her splendid garments, and placed her on the goldstudded throne. But he then, under the behest and destiny of the gods, was couched with the immortal goddess, not clearly knowing it. But when the shepherds again return back into the stall, and the cows and sturdy 20 sheep from the flowery pastures, then indeed she breathed sweet sleep into Anchises, painless, but she herself put beautiful garments around her body. And when the divine one of goddesses had put on all [her garments] around her body, she stood by the couch of the well-made dwelling, she raised her head, and immortal beauty shone from her cheeks, such as is [the beauty] of beautifully-crowned Cytherea. And she aroused him from slumber and spoke, and addressed him: "Arise, son of Dardanus, why sleepest thou an unwakeful sleep? and say, whether I seem to be at all like what thou at first didst perceive me with thine eyes. "" 22 Thus she spoke, but he heard very briskly from his sleep, but when he beheld the neck and beauteous eyes of Venus, he dreaded, and turned his eyes another way. And again he hid his fair face in his garment, and beseeching her, he spoke winged words: "Immediately, O goddess, that I first beheld thee with mine eyes, I perceived that thou wast a goddess; but thou didst not speak the truth. But, I implore thee by Ægis-bearing Jove, leave me not to live weak 22 among mor 20 Perhaps answering to the "petulci" of Virgil; "fat and frolic sheep," is Chapman's version. Thy fond repose and lethargy forsake: Look on the nymph who late from Phrygia came, Congreve. 22 Anchises seems to have been subsequently punished by paralysis caused by a flash of lightning. Cf. Servius on Æn. ii. 649, "Cum inter æquales exultaret Anchises, gloriatus traditur de concubitu Veneris: quod cum Jovi Venus questa esset, emeruit ut in Anchisem fulmina mitterentur; sed Venus cum eum fulmine posse vidisset interimi, miserata juventas; in aliam partem detorsit: Anchises tamen afflatus igne cœlesti, semper debilis vixit.” Hesych., ἀμενηνά, ἀσθενῆ, κατὰ στέρησιν τῆς δυνάμεως. tals, since that man is not long-lived, who couches with the immortal goddesses." 66 But him Venus, the daughter of Jove, then answered: Anchises, most glorious of mortal men, be of good cheer, and fear not over-much in thy mind. For there is no fear that from the other And thou shalt thou wilt suffer evil from me at least, nor blessed gods, since thou art dear to the gods. have a beloved son who shall rule over the Trojans, and children shall be born to [his] children throughout. But his name shall be Æneas, since sad 23 grief possessed me, because I had fallen into the bed of a mortal man. But from thy race the gods shall ever be most near to mortal men both in form and mien. Thus counselling Jove snatched away yellow-haired Ganymede on account of his beauty, that he might dwell with the immortals, and in the house of Jove he is cup-bearer to the gods, a marvel to behold, honoured among all the immortals, pouring ruby nectar from a golden cup. But unceasing grief possessed the mind of Tros, nor knew he whither the heaven-sent whirlwind had snatched away his beloved son. Him then he mourned continually throughout all days. And Jove pitied him, and gave him rewards instead of his son, swift-footed steeds, which bear along the immortals. Them he gave to him as a gift, and the messenger, the slayer of Argus, told him each matter, at the behest of Jove, that he should be immortal and free from old age all his days. But when he heard the messages of Jove, he no longer groaned, but rejoiced within his mind, and rejoicing was carried by his swift-footed steeds. And in like manner golden-throned Morn snatched away Tithonus [sprung] from your race, like unto the immortals. But she went to beseech the black-clouded son of Saturn, that he might be immortal and live all days; and to her Jove assented, and fulfilled her request. Foolish she! nor did revered Morn think in her mind to ask for youth [for him], and to rub off pernicious old age. So as long as much-loved youth possessed him, delighting himself with golden-throned Morn, the mother of day, he dwelt at the stream of ocean, at the boundaries of the earth. But when the first white hairs were poured from his beautiful head and noble beard, then indeed revered Morn abstained from his bed, but nurtured him in turn, keeping him in her dwellings, with 23 A pun on aivòs, grief, and Æneas. food, and ambrosia, and giving him beauteous garments. But when hateful old age was completely pressing on, and he was not able to move or raise his limbs, then this seemed to her in her mind the best plan: she placed him in a bedchamber and put shining doors to it. His voice indeed flows 24 over talkatively, nor is there any longer such strength in his flexile members as [there was] before. I would not choose thee to be such among the immortals, to be immortal, and to live all days. But if indeed, being such in form and figure, thou couldst live, and be called my husband, grief would not then surround my deep thoughts. But now old age, equal [to all], will quickly surround thee, merciless! which afterwards comes upon men, destructive, toilsome, which the gods hate. But to me will there be great reproach all days on account of thee, among the gods, who hitherto dreaded my converse and devices, by which I have at sometime mingled all the immortals with mortal women. For my device has subdued all. But now indeed no longer will my mouth be opened 25 to mention this among immortals, since I am much hurt, hardly, unbearably, and have wandered in mind, and, couched with a mortal, have conceived a son beneath my zone. Him indeed, as soon as he shall first behold the light of the sun, shall the mountain-dwelling, deep-bosomed nymphs nourish, who inhabit this mighty and divine mountain, who indeed are neither mortals nor immortals.26 Long,27 indeed, they live, and eat 24 But Ilgen reads тρεï ãσπεTоv, from Il. xvii. 332, meaning, I suppose, to express the indistinct accents of a person who speaks under the influence of fear. Hesych. τρεῖν φοβεῖσθαι, φεύγειν. "All pow'rs so quite decay'd, that when he spake, His voice no perceptible accent brake.” "Of youth, of vigour, and of voice bereft." Chapman. 25 I have adopted xɛioɛraι, Martin's conjecture, with Ernesti and Hermann. 26 Hermann rightly explains this sense of πovraι, "quæ neque in mortalibus neque in immortalibus numerantur." Congreve has well expressed this: 66 They nor of mortal, nor immortal seed, Are said to spring, yet on ambrosia feed." 27 The reader will find some good illustrations of this fable in Barnes, but I cannot help transcribing the following quaint remarks from a note on Congreve's Translation, vol. ii. p. 476. Ausonius, from Hesiod, computes the life of a man at ninety-six years; a crow, he says, lives nine 66 ambrosial food, and the immortals raise up the beauteous quire. And with them the Sileni and the sharp scout, the slayer of Argus, were mingled in love, in a recess of the pleasant caves. But together with them at their birth were born either beech trees or high-crested oaks upon the bounteous earth, beauteous, standing exposed to the sun in lofty mountains, but they call them the groves of the immortals, which mortals never crop with the steel; but when the destiny of death is now at hand, the beauteous trees are first dried up upon the earth, and the bark perishes round them, and the boughs fall off, and at the same time their life quits the light of the sun. They indeed shall cherish my son, having him with them. And when pleasant youth first possesses him, the goddesses will lead him hither to thee, and show thy son. And unto thee-that I may pass over all these matters in my mind-I will come after five years, bringing thy son. But when thou shalt first behold this branch with thine eyes, thou wilt rejoice at the sight, for he will be very godlike, and thou wilt straightway lead him to wind-swept Thurii. But if any one of mortal men shall ask thee what mother conceived a dear son for thee beneath her girdle, to him be thou mindful to say, as I bid thee, [thus:] They say, 28 that he is the offspring of the nymph Calycopis, who inhabit this mountain clad in wood. But if indeed thou shalt speak out and boast with foolish mind, that thou wast mingled in dalliance with well-crowned Cytherea, Jove, enraged, shall smite thee with the smouldering lightning. All is told to thee, but do thou, understanding in thy mind, restrain thyself, nor mention my name. But guard against the wrath of the gods." Thus having spoken, she leaped forth towards the windy heaven. Hail, O goddess, ruling over well-built Cyprus, and I, beginning from thee, will pass on to another hymn. times as long; a deer four times as long as a crow; a raven three times as long as a deer; the phoenix ten times as long as a raven; and these Hamadryades live ten times as long as the phoenix. But the most received opinion was, that they lived just as long as their trees. Therefore, this from Ausonius, seems rather to refer to the Dryades, and the duration of a whole wood; for there are frequent instances where they were indifferently called Dryades and Hamadryades by the ancient poets. They were very sensible of good offices, and grateful to them who at any time preserved their trees. 28 But Matthiæ and Hermann, with reason, read paolai, "say that he is," &c. IV. TO THE SAME.29 I WILL sing hallowed, golden-crowned, beauteous Venus, who has obtained the fortresses of all maritime Cyprus, where the force of gentle-breathing Zephyr bore her o'er the wave of the much-resounding sea, on the soft foam. But her the golden-frontleted Hours joyfully received, and put on her immortal garments, and upon her immortal head they put a well-wrought crown, beauteous, golden, and in her perforated ears a gift of oricholchum and precious gold. And they decked her tender neck and white bosom around with golden carcanets, with which also the Hours themselves, with golden frontlets, were adorned, whenever they went to the pleasant dance of the gods and the dwelling of their sire. But after they had put the whole ornaments around her form, they led her to the immortals; but they, when they beheld, saluted her, and welcomed her with their right hands, and wished each that she might be his wedded wife, and to lead her home, marvelling at the form of violet-crowned Cytherea. Hail! thou eye-winker, sweet-voiced one, and grant that I may bear off the victory in this contest, and aid my song. But I will be mindful of thee and another song. V. BACCHUS, OR THE PIRATES. CONCERNING Bacchus, the son of glorious Semele, I will make mention, how he appeared on the shore of the unfruitful sea, upon a jutting beach,2 like unto a young man in the first 29 These minor hymns are considered by Coleridge to be "mere preludes or short preparatory addresses to, or eulogies of, the divinity at whose festival the rhapsode was present, and was about to recite some poem of greater length." Introd. p. 285. The brief mythological notes of Barnes may prove useful to the student. This formula of commencing a hymn is well illustrated by Barnes from Aristoph. Nub. 505, and Suidas, v. àμpiavaкTÍŽεiv. 2 But Ernesti would read aкpy, comparing Nonnus xlv. p. 1164, ป |