LXXXVI

and ever,

Soothing the mind with sweet familiar His sweeter voice a just accordance play,

kept. Chasing the heavy shadows of dismay. LXXXIII

The herd went wandering o'er the

divine mead, “To those who are unskilled in its

Whilst these most beautiful Sons of sweet tongue, Though they should question most Won their swist way up to the snowy

Jupiter impetuously

head Its hidden soul, it gossips something

Of white Olympus, with the joyous wrong

lyre Some senseless and impertinent reply. Soothing their journey; and their father But thou who art as wise as thou art

dread strong

Gathered them both into familiar Canst compass all that thou desirest. I

Affection sweet,—and then, and now, Present thee with this music-flowing shell,

Hermes must love Him of the Golden Knowing thou canst interrogate it well.

Quiver, LXXXIV “And let us two henceforth together To whom he gave the lyre that sweetly feed

sounded, On this green mountain slope and Which skilfully he held and played pastoral plain,

thereon. The herds in litigation—they will breed He piped the while, and far and wide Quickly enough to recompense

rebounded pain,

The echo of his pipings; every one If to the bulls and cows we take good of the Olympians sat with joy astounded, heed ;

While he conceived another piece of And thou, though somewhat over fun, fond of gain,

One of his old tricks—which the God of Grudge me not half the profit.”—Having Day spoke,

Perceiving, said :—"I fear thee, Son of The shell he proffered, and Apollo took. May ;

LXXXVII

And gave him in return the glittering “I

fear thee and thy sly chameleon spirit, lash,

Lest thou should steal my lyre and Installing him as herdsman ;—from crooked bow; the look

This glory and power thou dost from Of Mercury then laughed a joyous flash. Jove inherit, And then Apollo with the plectrum To teach all craft upon the earth strook

below; The chords, and from beneath his hands Thieves love and worship thee—it is a crash

thy merit Of mighty sounds rushed up, whose To make all mortal business ebb and music shook

flow The soul with sweetness, and like an By roguery :-now, Hermes, if you dare, adept

By sacred Styx a mighty oath to swear

LXXXIX

me.

XCIII

swore

XC

But be it mine to tell their various lot “That

you
will never rob me, you will do

To the unnumbered tribes of human A thing extremely pleasing to

kind.

my heart.”

Let good to these, and ill to those be Then Mercury sware by the Stygian dew,

wrought That he would never steal his bow or

As I dispense -- but he who comes dart,

consigned Or lay his hands on what to him was

By voice and wings of perfect augury due,

To my great shrine, shall find avail in Or ever would employ his powerful

art Against his Pythian fane. Then Phoebus “Him will I not deceive, but will

assist; . There was no God or man whom he But he who comes relying on such loved more.

birds As chatter vainly, who would strain and

twist “And I will give thee as a good-will The purpose of the Gods with idle token,

words, The beautiful wand of wealth and And deems their knowledge light, he happiness;

shall have missed A perfect three-leaved rod of gold His road-whilst I among my other unbroken,

hoards Whose magic will thy footsteps ever His gifts deposit. Yet, O son of May, bless;

I have another wondrous thing to say. And whatsoever by Jove's voice is spoken Of earthly or divine from its recess,

XCIV It, like a loving soul to thee will speak, “There are three Fates, three virgin And more than this, do thou forbear to

Sisters, who seek.

Rejoicing in their wind-outspeeding

wings,

Their heads with four snowed over “For, dearest child, the divinations high

white and new, Which thou requirest, 'tis unlawful

Sit in a vale round which Parnassus

Alings
That thou, or any other deity
Should understand and vain were

Its circling skirts— from these I have the endeavour;

learned true

Vaticinations of remotest things. For they are hidden in Jove's mind,

My father cared not. Whilst they and I

search out dooms, In trust of them, have sworn that I would never

They sit apart and feed on honeycombs. Betray the counsels of Jove's inmost will To any God—the oath was terrible.

“They, having eaten the fresh honey,

grow XCII

Drunk with divine enthusiasm, and “Then, golden-wanded brother, ask me

utter not

With earnest willingness the truth they Tospeak the fates by Jupiter designed; know;

XCI

ever

XCV

man

sea

and vow,

But if deprived of that sweet food, With mighty Saturn's heaven-obscuring they mutter

Child, All plausible delusions ;—these to you On Taygetus, that lofty mountain wild, I give ;-if you inquire, they will not Brought forth in joy, mild Pollux void of stutter;

blame, Delight your own soul with them any And steed-subduing Castor, heirs of

fame. You would instruct may profit if he can. These are the Powers who earth-born

mortals save XCVI

And ships, whose flight is swist along “Take these and the fierce oxen, Maia's

the wave. child

When wintry tempests o'er the savage O’er many a horse and toil-enduring mule,

Are raging, and the sailors tremblingly O'er jagged-jawed lions, and the wild Call on the Twins of Jove with prayer White-tusked boars, o'er all, by field or pool,

Gathered in fear upon the lofty prow, Of cattle which the mighty Mother mild And sacrifice with snow-white lambs, Nourishes in her bosom, thou shalt

the wind rule

And the huge billow bursting close Thou dost alone the veil from death up

behind, lift

Even then beneath the weltering waters Thou givest not-yet this is a great bear gist.”

The staggering ship— they suddenly

appear, Thus King Apollo loved the child of On yellow wings rushing athwart the sky,

And lull the blasts in mute tranquillity, May

on the white In truth, and Jove covered their love And strew the waves

ocean's bed, Hermes with Gods and men even from Fair omen of the voyage ; from toil and that day

dread, Mingled, and wrought the latter much The sailors rest, rejoicing in the sight,

And plough the quiet sea in safe delight. annoy, And little profit, going far astray Through the dun night. Farewell, HOMER'S HYMN TO THE MOON. delightful Boy,

DAUGHTERS of Jove, whose voice is Of Jove and Maia sprung,-never by me, Nor thou, nor other songs, shall unre. Muses, who know and rule all minstrelsy!

melody, membered be.

Sing the wide-winged Moon. Around

the earth,

From her immortal head in Heaven shot HOMER'S HYMN TO CASTOR

forth, AND POLLUX

Far light is scattered—boundless glory

springs, Ye wild-eyed Muses, sing the Twins of Where'er she spreads her many-beaming Jove,

wings Whom the fair-ankled Leda mixed in The lampless air glows round her golden

XCVII

with joy,

But when the Moon divine from Of great Hyperion, who to him did bear Heaven is gone

A race of loveliest children ; the young Under the sea, her beams within abide,

Morn, Till, bathing her bright limbs in Ocean's Whose arms are like twin roses newly tide,

born, Clothing her form in garments glittering The fair-haired Moon, and the immortal far,

Sun, And having yoked to her immortal car Who, borne by heavenly steeds his race The beam-invested steeds, whose necks

doth run on high

Unconquerably, illuming the abodes Curve back, she drives to a remoter sky Of mortal men and the eternal gods. A western Crescent, borne impetuously.

Fiercely look forth his awe-inspiring Then is made full the circle of her light,

eyes, And as she grows, her beams more Beneath his golden helmet, whence arise bright and bright,

And are shot forth afar, clear beams of Are poured from Heaven, where she is

light; hovering then,

His countenance with radiant glory A wonder and a sign to mortal men.

bright, The Son of Saturn with this glorious Beneath his graceful locks far shines Power

around, Mingled in love and sleep-to whom And the light vest with which his limbs she bore,

are bound Pandeia, a bright maid of beauty rare

Of woof ethereal, delicately twined Among the Gods, whose lives eternal Glows in the stream of the uplifting

wind.

His rapid steeds soon bear him to the Hail Queen, great Moon, white-armed

west; Divinity,

Where their steep flight his hands divine Fair-haired and favourable, thus with arrest, thee,

And the feet car with yoke of gold, My song beginning, by its music sweet

which he Shall make immortal many a glorious Sends from bright heaven beneath the feat

shadowy sea. Of demigods, with lovely lips, so well Which minstrels, servants of the muses,

HOMER'S HYMN TO THE tell.

EARTH: MOTHER OF ALL

O UNIVERSAL mother, who dost keep HOMER'S HYMN TO THE SUN From everlasting thy foundations deep,

Eldest of things, Great Earth, I sing of OFFSPRING of Jove, Calliope, once

All shapes that have their dwelling in To the bright Sun, thy hymn of music pour ;

All things that fly, or on the ground Whom to the child of star-clad Heaven

divine and Earth

Live, move, and there are nourishedEuryphaessa, large-eyed nymph, brought these are thine ; forth;

These from thy wealth thou dost sustain ; Euryphaessa, the famed sister fair,

are,

thee;

more

the sea,

away!

move

Fair babes are born, and fruits on every Whom Jove brought forth, in warlike tree

armour drest, Hang ripe and large, revered Divinity! Golden, all radiant ! wonder strange The life of mortal men beneath thy The everlasting Gods that shape to see,

possessed sway

Shaking a javelin keen, impetuously Is held ; thy power both gives and takes Rush from the crest of Ægis-bearing

Jove; Happy are they whom thy mild favours Fearfully Heaven was shaken, and did

nourish, All things unstinted round them grow Beneath the might of the Cerulean-eyed; and flourish.

Earth dreadfully resounded, far and For them, endures the life-sustaining

wide, field

And lifted from its depths, the sea Its load of harvest, and their cattle yield

swelled high Large increase, and their house with In purple billows, the tide suddenly wealth is filled.

Stood still, and great Hyperion's son Such honoured dwell in cities fair and

long time free,

Checked his swift steeds, till where she The homes of lovely women, prosper

stood sublime, ously ;

Pallas from her immortal shoulders threw Their sons exult in youth's new budding The arms divine ; wise Jove rejoiced to gladness,

view. And their fresh daughters free from care Child of the Ægis-bearer, hail to thee, or sadness,

Northine nor others' praise shall unWith bloom-inwoven dance and happy

remembered be. song, On the soft flowers the meadow-grass among,

HOMER'S HYMN TO VENUS Leap round them sporting—such delights by thee

[Vv. 1-55, with some omissions. ] Are given, rich Power, revered Divinity. Muse, sing the deeds of golden Mother of gods, thou wife of starry Who wakens with her smile the lulled

Aphrodite, Heaven, Farewell ! be thou propitious, and be of sweet desire, taming the eternal kings

delight given

Of Heaven, and men, and all the living A happy life for this brief melody, Nor thou nor other songs shall unre. That fleet along the air, or whom the

things membered be.

sea,

Or earth with her maternal ministry HOMER'S HYMN TO MINERVA Nourish innumerable, thy delight I sing the glorious Power with azure All seek O crowned Aphrodite. eyes,

Three spirits canst thou not deceive or Athenian Pallas ! tameless, chaste, and quell, wise,

Minerva, child of Jove, who loves too Tritogenia, town-preserving maid,

well Revered and mighty; from his awful Fierce war and mingling combat, and head