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"The Achæan women, while they spin, I wis, Alcmena's name to latest eve shall sing;

And famous shalt thou be in Argolis;

For this thy son to star-paved heaven shall spring:
All that contend with the broad-breasted king,
Or man or beast, shall yield the victory.
Twelve labours wrought, him Destiny shall bring

To Jove's own house, but all of him can die
On the Trachinian pyre shall perish utterly.

"And he the son-in-law of her shall be, Who sent these dragons to destroy the child; Then in his lair the sharp-toothed wolf shall see The fawn, nor harm it, wonderfully mild. In the hearth-ashes let there now be piled All sorts of thorn, bramble, and prickly pear, And dry, wind-shaken twigs of buck-thorn wild ; And at the midnight burn these dragons here, Since they to slay the child at midnight did appear.

"A maid must cast these ashes with the wind

At morn from yon rock to the rushing tide,
Then hasten home and never look behind.
With sulphur let the house be purified;

Pure water, mixed with salt, from side to side
Then from a full urn sprinkle on the floor:
For so the holy custom doth provide ;

And sacrifice to Zeus supreme a boar,

That o'er your foes you may be victors evermore."

Then, rising from the ivory chair, withdrew
Tiresias, and bent with years was he.

But Hercules with his fond mother grew,

As grows a young plant in a fruitful lea,
And still Amphitryon's boy was thought to be:
Linus, Apollo's son, heroic name!

Instructed him in letters carefully.

And Eurytus, who from rich parents came,

Taught him to bend the bow and take unerring aim

To move his fingers on the harp with ease,

And to the music minstrelsy to sing,

Him taught Eumolpus Philammonides:

And with what sleights the men of Argos fling
Each other, wrestling fiercely in the ring,

And every sort of pugilistic sleight,

Him taught the son of the Cyllenian king,
Harpalicus, whose dreadful brow did fright

Men from afar, that few would dare with him to fight.

To drive the chariot, and impel, control

The rapid-bounding steeds, and how to shun
Dashing his axle-nave against the goal,
He was instructed by Amphitryon,

Who willingly did teach his hopeful son:
In Argos oft, whose praises are far-spoken
For generous steeds, himself had prizes won;
And of his skill there was this certain token,
Tho' time had marred the reins his chariot was unbroken.

In stationary fight to aim the lance,
Shielding himself; to bide swords flashing round;
To draw his battle out, and bid advance
The cavalry; to scan the foeman's ground,
While to the charge the troops impetuous bound,-
He learned from Castor, who, till he was old,

Of demigods was warrior most renowned,
Exiled from Argos then, which Tydeus bold
With all the vine-land broad did from Adrastus hold,

Alcmena thus had taught her Hercules.

His sleeping-place was near his father's bed;
And, what did most of all his fancy please,
For the bold boy a lion's hide was spread.

T

His morning meal, roast meat and Dorian bread

No ploughman would a larger loaf desire ;
His evening meal (the day already sped),
Was very light, nor such as needed fire.

He always wore, bare to his knees, a plain attire.

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IDYL XXV.

HERCULES, THE LION-SLAYER.

ARGUMENT.

Hercules, in quest of Augeias, falls in with one of the dependants of that personage. He is amazed at the sight of his herds, having no notion that even ten kings together possessed such wealth. He accompanies Augeias and his son while they inspect the stalls and the business going on there. In the morning he accompanies Phyleus to the city, and communicates to him, on the road, the particulars of his adventure with the Nemean lion, whose hide is hanging from his shoulders. The beginning, and some think the conclusion also, of this Idyl is wanting in the original.

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