He, in revenge, the new-built walls attack'd,
And the twice-perjured city bravely sack'd.
Telamon aided; and, in justice, shared
Part of the plunder as his due reward:

The princess, rescued late, with all her charms,
Hesione, was yielded to his arms:

For Peleus, with a goddess bride, was more
Proud of his spouse than of his birth before;

330

Grandsons to Jove there might be more than one, 335 But he the goddess had beloved alone.

STORY OF THETIS AND PELEUS.

THETIS, after assuming various shapes to avoid the importunities of Peleus, is at length compelled to yield her consent to the nuptials.

340

FOR Proteus thus to virgin Thetis said: "Fair goddess of the waves, consent to wed, And take some sprightly lover to your bed: A son you'll have, the terror of the field, To whom, in fame and power, his ŝire shall yield." Jove, who adored the nymph with boundless love, Did from his breast the dangerous flame remove; He knew the fates, nor cared to raise up one Whose fame and greatness should eclipse his own. On happy Peleus he bestow'd her charms, And bless'd his grandson in the goddess' arms. A silent creek Thessalia's coast can show, Two arms project, and shape it like a bow; "Twould make a bay, but the transparent tide Does scarce the yellow-gravell'd bottom hide ; For the quick eye may through the liquid wave A firm, unweedy, level beach perceive:

A

grove of fragrant myrtle near it grows,

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350

Whose boughs, though thick, a beauteous grot dis

close;

The well-wrought fabric, to discerning eyes,
Rather by art than nature seems to rise.

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A bridled dolphin oft fair Thetis bore
To this her loved retreat, her favourite shore;
Here Peleus seized her, slumbering while she lay, 360
And urged his suit with all that love could say.
The nymph, o'erpower'd, to art for succour flies,
And various shapes the eager youth surprise;
A bird she seems, but plies her wings in vain,
His hands the fleeting substance still detain ;
A branchy tree high in the air she grew,
About its bark his nimble arms he threw ;
A tiger next, she glares with flaming eyes,
The frighten'd lover quits his hold, and flies
The sea gods he with sacred rites adores,
Then a libation on the ocean pours;
While the fat entrails crackle in the fire,
And sheets of smoke, in sweet perfume, aspire;
Till Proteus, rising from his oozy bed,
Thus to the poor desponding lover said:
"No more in anxious thoughts your mind employ,
For yet you shall possess the dear expected joy.
You must, once more, the unwary nymph surprise,
As coolly in her grot she slumbering lies;
Then bind her fast with unrelenting hands,

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380

And strain her tender limbs with knotted bands;
Still hold her under every different shape,
Till, tired she tries no longer to escape.'
Thus he, then sunk beneath the glassy flood,
And broken accents flutter'd where he stood.
Bright Sol had almost now his journey done,
And down the steepy western convex run,
When the fair Nereid left the briny wave,
And, as she used, retreated to her cave.
He scarce had bound her fast, when she arose,
And into various shapes her body throws;
She went to move her arms, and found them tied,
Then, with a sigh, "Some god assists ye," cried,
And in her proper shape stood blushing by his side.
About her waist his longing arms he flung,
From which alliance great Achilles sprung.

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TRANSFORMATION OF DÆDALION.

DEDALION is so much afflicted at the death of his daughter Chione, that he throws himself from Mount Parnassus, and is changed into a hawk by Apollo.

PELEUS unmix'd felicity enjoy'd,

(Bless'd in a valiant son and virtuous bride,) Till fortune did in blood his hands imbrue,

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And his own brother, by cursed chance, he slew: 400
Then driven from Thessaly, his native clime,
Trachinia first gave shelter to his crime,
Where peaceful Ceyx mildly fill'd the throne,
And like his sire, the morning planet, shone ;
But now, unlike himself, bedew'd with tears,
Mourning a brother lost, his brow appears:
First to the town, with travel spent and care,
Peleus, and his small company, repair;
His herds and flocks the while at leisure feed
On the rich pasture of a neighbouring mead.
The prince before the royal presence brought,
Show'd, by the suppliant olive, what he sought;
Then tells his name, and race, and country, right,
But hides the unhappy reason of his flight.
He begs the king some little town to give,
Where they may safe his faithful vassals live.
Ceyx replied, "To all my bounty flows,
A hospitable realm your suit has chose.
Your glorious race, and far-resounding fame,
And grandsire Jove, peculiar favours claim;
All you can wish I grant; entreaties spare;
My kingdom (would 'twere worth the sharing) share."
Tears stopp'd his speech: astonish'd Peleus pleads
To know the cause from whence his grief proceeds.
The prince replied, "There's none of ye but deems
This hawk was ever such as now it seems;
Know 'twas a hero once, Dædalion named,
For warlike deeds, and haughty valour, famed;
Like me, to that bright luminary born,
Who wakes Aurora, and brings on the morn.

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His fierceness still remains, and love of blood,
Now dread of birds and tyrant of the wood:
My make was softer, peace my greatest care;
But this, my brother, wholly bent on war;
Late, nations fear'd, and routed armies fled,
That force, which now the timorous pigeons dread.
A daughter he possess'd, divinely fair,
And scarcely yet had seen her fifteenth year,
Young Chione.
A thousand rivals strove

To win the maid, and teach her how to love.
Phoebus and Mercury, by chance, one day,
From Delphi and Cyllene pass'd this way;
Together they the virgin saw desire

Wh

Th

Th

No

435

0'

H

H

440

I

E

At once warm'd both their breasts with am'rous fire.
Her time complete nine circling moons had run, 445
To either god she bore a lovely son;

To Mercury Autolycus she brought,

Who turn'd to thefts and tricks his subtle thought: ́Possess'd he was of all his father's slight,

At will made white look black, and black look white.
Philammon born to Phoebus, like his sire,
The muses loved, and finely struck the lyre,
And made his voice and touch in harmony conspire.
In vain, fond maid, you boast this double birth,
The love of gods, and royal father's worth,
And Jove among your ancestors rehearse!

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455

Could blessings such as these e'er prove a curse?
To her they did, who with audacious pride,
Vain of her own, Diana's charms decried.
Her taunts the goddess with resentment fill,
'My face you like not, you shall try my skill.'

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465

She said, and straight her vengeful bow she strung,
And sent a shaft, that pierced her guilty tongue.
The bleeding tongue in vain its accents tries,
In the red stream her soul reluctant flies.
With sorrow wild I ran to her relief,
And tried to moderate my brother's grief;
He, deaf as rocks by stormy surges beat,
Loudly laments, and hears me not entreat.

When on the funeral pile he saw her laid,
Thrice he to rush into the flames essay'd,
Thrice with officious care by us was stay'd.
Now, mad with grief, away he fled amain,
Like a stung heifer, that resents the pain,

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And, bellowing loudly, bounds along the plain. 475
O'er the most rugged ways so fast he ran,
He seem'd a bird already, not a man;

He left us breathless all behind, and now,

In quest of death, had gain'd Parnassus' brow; 479
But when from thence headlong himself he threw,
He fell not, but with airy pinions flew.
Phoebus in pity changed him to a fowl,

Whose crooked beak and claws the birds control,
Little of bulk, but of a warlike soul.

A hawk become, the feather'd race's foe,
He tries to ease his own, by others' wo."

A WOLF TURNED INTO MARBLE.

485

A WOLF, which desolates the plains of Trachinia, is changed into marble by the intercession of Thetis.

490

WHILE they astonish'd heard the king relate
These wonders of his hapless brother's fate,
The prince's herdsman at the court arrives,
And fresh surprise to all the audience gives.
"Oh Peleus! Peleus! dreadful news I bear,"
He said, and trembled as he spoke for fear.
The worst affrighted Peleus bid him tell,
While Ceyx too grew pale with friendly zeal.
Thus he began: "When Sol mid-heaven had gain'd,
And half his way was pass'd, and half remain'd, 496
I to the level shore my cattle drove,

And let them freely in the meadows rove.
Some stretch'd at length, admire the watery plain,
Some cropp'd the herb, some wanton swam the main
A temple stands of antique make hard by,
Where no gilt domes, or marble, lure the eye,

501