NICANDER. From the Antidotes. OF THE SERPENT CERASTES. Now may'st thou learn the subtle horned snake, As, with long stern, some galley cleaves the tide, And livid pustules, large as drops of rain, Spread round the bite; of dull, and faintish stain; Feeble the smart; but, when nine suns have shone, The agonizing symptoms hasten on. In whom the horny snake, with deed malign, Has flesh'd his tooth, that foams with rage canine, The loins and knees a restless pain invades, And the whole skin is streak'd with purplish shades: Scarce lingers in his frame the labouring breath, And scarce he struggles from the toils of death. From the Counter-poisons. BE quick with aid, when yew-tree juice with pains Of anguish-thrilling potion whelms the veins. The tongue is under-swol'n; the lips protrude In heavy tumours, with dry froth bedew'd: The gums are cleft; the heart quick terrour shakes; Smit with the bane, the labouring reason quakes. He utters bleating sounds; and furies vain With thousand turns, delirious, cross his brain. He shrieks like one who sees, with anguish'd dread, Life-threatening swords near-brandish'd at his head. And drench him deep with draughts of luscious And gently stimulate his throat, to throw Meleager. MELEAGER. Bef. Ch. 96. AMATORY EPIGRAMS, AND IDYLLS. English Translators: WAKEFIELD, bland. MELEAGER, the son of Eucrates, was born at Atthis in Syria, and flourished under the last king of Syria, Seleucus VI. He resided at Tyre; but, in his old age, was driven by the wars to seek a retirement in the isle of Cos, where he died. Meleager professes to have formed his style on that of Menippus, the prose-poetic satyrist: |