"Seek not," the sire of gods and men replies,
"To probe each purpose that my thoughts devise 39,
For hard were such to thee-with peril rife-
-Aye, ev'n to thee-my lov'd, my wedded wife.-
Whate'er thy knowledge fits, none other ear
Of gods or men before thine own shall hear,
But what, aloof from all, our thoughts design,
Seek not in vain to fathom or divine."
Him answering, thus bespake the large-eyed queen :
"Dread lord!-how terrible thy words have been;
Ere this, thy thoughts I question not, nor scan,
Thy peace unharass'd, uncontrol'd each plan,
But now I dread lest thou, in heart bewray'd,
Yield to hoar Ocean's silvery-footed maid;
For prone before thy feet, at dawn of day,
Those knees she clasp'd, and bare, I ween, away
Jove's plighted troth, that tenfold shall increase
Achilles' pride, and wreck the host of Greece."
The cloud-compeller thus: "O most unwise-
Fraught but with guile, suspicion, and surmise,
Thy will thou ne'er shalt work, and only prove
Lost to thyself, and alien from my love.
Sit then-for such the pleasure of thy lord—
In silence sit, nor murmur at my word,
Lest vain the aid of all the gods in heaven,
If once this hand I lift to vengeance driven."
He spake the bright-eyed, trembling at his frown,
In silence sat, and bowed her spirit down!
Wrath reign'd o'er heaven :-but straight sage Vulcan
Fraught with sweet spells to sooth his mother's woes.
'Aye, 'twere a deed of death, the gods to shake
With broils and tumult for poor mortals' sake,
A deed that none may bear :-if folly reign,
Vain the sweet feast, the board's enchantment vain.
List, mother, list, thyself must deem it best,
With softest witchery sooth thy sovereign's breast,
Lest wrath arouse our father and our lord
To mar with riot heaven's blest banquet-board.
What-cannot he, who wields the flashing levin,
Uproot us 40-he-the omnipotent of heaven ?—
Then, so may Jove vouchsafe his sons to bless,
Sooth thou his soul with words of tenderness."
He said, and with a light bound springing up
To Juno's hand presents the twofold cup,
And cries-" forbear thee, mother mine, forbear,
Tho' torn in spirit, Jove's fierce wrath beware,
Lest I all powerless watch, with these sad eyes,
His iron arm thy form belov'd chastise;
Vain then mine anguish, vain for thee my love,
-What god dare wrestle with Olympian Jove?
Myself, erewhile on succour bent, he swung
Round by my foot, and o'er heaven's threshold flung;
Down, down, I coursed-sheer down, the livelong day-
-At even-fall on Lemnos' isle I lay-
Scant breath, I ween, was left me then, but straight
Came Sintian leech, and nurs'd my fallen weight."
The goddess smil'd, and smiling from her boy
Welcom❜d with snowy hand the cup of joy;
The draught he crowns to all the gods aright,
-Sweet nectar mantling from the flagon bright-
While quenchless laughter shakes the heavenly throng, To see grim Vulcan as he limps along.
Thus they, till set of sun, with holiest glee,
Crown the long day, and feast right merrily:
Still rings Apollo's golden lute, and still
Heaven's Minstrel-Nine the lay alternate trill.
But when the shades of night began to lower,
They sought for slumber, each his own blest bower,
Where Vulcan erst with subtlest skill had wrought
Pavilions rich beyond the scheme of thought.
Then mov'd the Lightener to his couch of rest,
Where sweetest slumber oft his eyelids prest,
There laid him down to sleep, and at his side,
Lapp'd on her throne of gold, his royal bride.
FIRST BOOK OF HOMER'S ILIAD.
Note 1, p. 1.] Downward swept. πρоîаεν. πро omni vi caret. Schleusner Lex. N. T. v. 2. p. 671.
Note 2, p. 1.] Death's strong hold. Quasi sepulchrum Hades esset, fere ad Hebræorum rationem a Lowthio (Prælect. vii.) explicitam. Simili modo miscentur notiones sepulchri et inferorum apud Tragicos. Heyn. Pindar. Pyth. v. 130.
“Αιδης δὲ τόπος ἡμῖν ἀειδὴς ἤγουν ἀφανὴς καὶ ἄγνωστος ὁ τὰς ψυχὰς ἡμῶν ἐντεῦθεν ἐκδημούσας δεχόμενος. Andreas Cæsar. Τόπος γὰρ ὁ ᾅδης ὑπὸ γῆν ἀποκεκληρωμένος ταῖς τῶν ἀποθνησκόντων ψυχαῖς. Euthymius.
Leaving their limbs unsepulchred and bare,
For dogs to rend, and every fowl of air-
Him that dieth of Jeroboam in the city shall the dogs eat, and him that dieth in the field shall the fowls of the air eat, for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. 1 Kings, xiv, 11. Comp. 1 Kings, xxi, 24.
|