}

His mother howl'd, and, heedless of his pray'r,
Her trembling hand she twisted in his hair,
And this (she cried) shall be Agave's share.'
When from the neck his struggling head she tore,
And in her hands the ghastly visage bore,
With pleasure all the hideous trunk survey,
Then pull'd and tore the mangled limbs away,
As starting in the pangs of death it lay.
Soon as the wood its leafy honours casts,
Blown off and scatter'd by autumnal blasts,
With such a sudden death lay Pentheus slain,
And in a thousand pieces strow'd the plain.
By so distinguishing a judgment aw'd,
The Thebans tremble, and confess the god.

OVID'S METAMORPHOSES.

BOOK IV.

THE STORY OF

SALMACIS AND HERMAPHRODITUS.

How Salmacis, with weak enfeebling streams,
Softens the body and unnerves the limbs,
And what the secret cause shall here be shown;
The cause is secret, but the' effect is known.
The Naïads nurs'd an infant heretofore,
That Cytherea once to Hermes bore:
From both the' illustrious authors of his race
The child was nam'd; nor was it hard to trace
Both the bright parents through the infant's face..
When fifteen years, in Ida's cool retreat,
The boy had told, he left his native seat,
And sought fresh fountains in a foreign soil;
The pleasure lessen'd the attending toil.
With eager steps the Lycian fields he crost,
And fields that border'd on the Lycian coast;
A river here he view'd so lovely bright,
It show'd the bottom in a fairer light,
Nor kept a sand conceal'd from human sight:
The stream produc'd nor slimy ooze nor weeds,
Nor miry rushes nor the spiky reeds,

}

But dealt enriching moisture all around,
The fruitful banks with cheerful verdure crown'd,
And kept the spring eternal on the ground.
A nymph presides, not practis'd in the chase,
Nor skilful at the bow nor at the race.
Of all the blue-eyed daughters of the Main,
The only stranger to Diana's train:
Her sisters often, as 'tis said, would cry,

Fie! Salmacis, what, always idle? fie!
Or take thy quiver, or thy arrows seize,
And mix the toils of hunting with thy ease."
Nor quiver she nor arrows e'er would seize,
Nor mix the toils of hunting with her ease,
But oft would bathe her in the crystal tide,
Oft with a comb her dewy locks divide.
Now in the limpid stream she view'd her face,
And dress'd her image in the floating glass:
On beds of leaves she now repos'd her limbs,
Now gather'd flowers that grew about her streams,
And then by chance was gathering, as she stood
To view the boy, and long'd for what she view'd.
Fain would she meet the youth with hasty feet,
She fain would meet him, but refus'd to meet
Before her looks were set with nicest care,

6

And well deserv'd to be reputed fair.

Bright Youth! (she cries) whom all thy features

prove

A god, and, if a god, the god of Love;

But if a mortal, bless'd thy nurse's breast,

Bless'd are thy parents, and thy sisters blest,

But, oh, how bless'd! how more than bless'd thy Allied in bliss, if any yet allied:

If So,

let mine the stol'n enjoyments be; If not, behold a willing bride in me.'

[bride,

The boy knew nought of love, and, touch'd with

shame,

He strove, and blush'd, but still the blush became :
In rising blushes still fresh beauties rose ;
The sunny side of fruit such blushes shows,
And such the moon, when all her silver white
Turns in eclipses to a ruddy light.

The nymph still begs, if not a nobler bliss,
A cold salute, at least a sister's kiss;

And now prepares to take the lovely boy
Between her arms. He, innocently coy,

Replies, Or leave me to myself alone,

You rude uncivil nymph! or I'll be gone.'

Fair Stranger! then, (says she) it shall be so;' And, for she fear'd his threats, she feign'd to go; But hid within a covert's neighbouring green, She kept him still in sight, herself unseen. The boy now fancies all the danger o'er, And innocently sports about the shore; Playful and wanton to the stream he trips, And dips his foot, and shivers as he dips. The coolness pleas'd him, and with eager haste His airy garments on the banks he cast; His godlike features and his heavenly hue, And all his beauties were exposed to view. His naked limbs the nymph with rapture spies, While hotter passions in her bosom rise, Flush in her cheeks, and sparkle in her eyes. She longs, she burns, to clasp him in her arms, And looks and sighs, and kindles at his charms.

Now all undress'd upon the bank he stood, And clapp'd his sides, and leap'd into the flood; His lovely limbs the silver waves divide, His limbs appear more lovely through the tide,

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As lilies shut within a crystal case

Receive a glossy lustre from the glass.

'He's mine, he's all my own;' the Naïad cries, And flings off all, and after him she flies.

And now she fastens on him as he swims,

And holds him close, and wraps about his limbs. The more the boy resisted, and was coy,

The more she clasp'd and kiss'd the struggling boy.

So when the wriggling snake is snatch'd on high In eagle's claws, and hisses in the sky,

Around the foe his twirling tail he flings,

And twists her legs, and writhes about her wings.
The restless boy still obstinately strove

To free himself, and still refus'd her love.
Amidst his limbs she kept her limbs entwin'd,
And why, coy youth! (she cries) why thus un-
kind?

Oh, may the gods thus keep us ever join'd!
Oh, may we never, never part again!

So pray'd the nymph, nor did she pray in vain;
For now she finds him, as his limbs she prest,
Grow nearer still, and nearer to her breast,
Till piercing each the other's flesh, they run
Together, and incorporate in one :

Last in one face are both their faces join'd,
As when the stock and grafted twig combin'd
Shoot up the same, and wear a common rind,
Both bodies in a single body mix,

A single body with a double sex.

The boy thus lost in woman, now survey'd The river's guilty stream, and thus he pray'd, (He pray'd, but wonder'd at his softer tone, Surpris'd to hear a voice but half his own)