Excussit tandem sibi se, cubitoque levatus, 210 Quid veniat,-cognovit enim,-scitatur. 66 At illa: Somne, quies rerum, placidissime, Somne, deorum, Pax animi, quem cura fugit, qui corpora duris Fessa ministeriis mulces reparasque labori, Somnia, quæ veras æquant imitamine formas, 215 Herculea Trachine jube sub imagine regis 625 Alcyonen adeant, simulacraque naufraga fingant. Imperat hoc Juno." Postquam mandata peregit Iris, abit: neque enim ulterius tolerare soporis 630 Vim poterat, labique ut somnum sensit in artus, 220 Effugit et remeat, per quos modo venerat arcus. At pater e populo natorum mille suorum Excitat artificem simulatoremque figuræ, Morphea. Non illo jussos solertius alter Exprimit incessus vultumque sonumque loquendi ; 225 Adjicit et vestes et consuetissima cuique 635 Verba. Sed hic solos homines imitatur; at alter 230 Phantasos. Ille in humum saxumque undamque trabemque, Quæque vacant anima, fallaciter omnia transit. Nocte solent; populos alii plebemque pererrant. 645 Præterit hos senior, cunctisque e fratribus unum 235 Morphea, qui peragat Thaumantidos edita, Somnus Eligit; et rursus molli languore solutus Deposuitque caput stratoque recondidit alto. 650 Ille volat nullos strepitus facientibus alis Per tenebras, intraque moræ breve tempus in urbem 240 Pervenit Hæmoniam, positisque e corpore pennis In faciem Ceÿcis abit; sumtaque figura Luridus, exsangui similis, sine vestibus ullis Conjugis ante torum miseræ stetit: uda videtur 655 Barba viri, madidisque gravis fluere unda capillis. 245 Tum lecto incumbens, fletu super ora profuso Hæc ait: "Agnoscis Ceyca, miserrima conjux, An mea mutata est facies nece? Respice: nosces, Inveniesque tuo pro conjuge conjugis umbram. 660 Nil opis, Alcyone, nobis tua vota tulerunt : 250 Occidimus; falso tibi me promittere noli. Nubilus Ægæo deprendit in æquore navim Auster, et ingenti jactatam flamine solvit, Oraque nostra, tuum frustra clamantia nomen, 665 Implerunt fluctus. Non hæc tibi nuntiat auctor 255 Ambiguus, non ista vagis rumoribus audis ; Ipse ego fata tibi præsens mea naufragus edo. Surge, age, da lacrimas, lugubriaque indue, nec me Indeploratum sub inania Tartara mitte." 670 Adjicit his vocem Morpheus, quam conjugis illa 260 Crederet esse sui; fletus quoque fundere veros Visus erat, gestumque manus Ceÿcis habebat. Ingemit Alcyone, lacrimas movet atque, lacertos Per somnum corpusque petens, amplectitur auras, 675 Exclamatque," Mane! Quo te rapis? Ibimus una!” 265 Voce sua specieque viri turbata soporem Excutit, et primo si sit circumspicit illic, 270 Pectoraque ipsa ferit. 681 685 Qui modo visus erat: nam moti voce ministri Intulerant lumen. Postquam non invenit usquam ; Percutit ora manu, laniatque a pectore vestes, Nec crines solvere curat; Scindit, et altrici, quæ luctus causa, roganti, "Nulla est Alcyone, nulla est," ait; "occidit una Cum Ceyce suo! Solantia tollite verba! Naufragus interiit: vidi agnovique, manusque 275 Ad discedentem, cupiens retinere, tetendi; Umbra fuit, sed et umbra tamen manifesta virique Vera mei. Non ille quidem, si quæris, habebat Assuetos vultus, nec, quo prius ore, nitebat: Pallentem nudumque et adhuc humente capillo 280 Infelix vidi. Stetit hoc miserabilis ipso 66 690 Ecce loco;" et quærit, vestigia si qua supersint. 285 Me quoque duxisses. Fuit, ah! fuit utile, tecum Ire mihi: neque enim de vitæ tempore quicquam Non simul egissem, nec mors discreta fuisset. sens, 700 Et. . . . sine me te pontus habet.-Crudelior ipso 290 Sit mihi mens pelago, si vitam ducere nitar Longius, et tanto pugnem superesse dolori. Si non urna, tamen junget nos litera; si non 705 Mane erat: egreditur tectis ad litus, et illum 710 Mæsta locum repetit, de quo spectarat euntem. 300 Dumque moratur ibi, dumque 'Hinc retinacula solvit ; 66 Hoc mihi discedens dedit oscula litore" dicit, 715 Nescio quid quasi corpus aqua, primoque, quid illud 305 Esset, erat dubium. Postquam paulum appulit unda, Et, quamvis aberat, corpus tamen esse liquebat; Quis foret ignorans, quia naufragus, omine mota est, Et, tanquam ignoto lacrimam daret, Heu miser," 66 inquit, 720 'Quisquis es, et si qua est conjux tibi!" Fluc tibus actum 310 Fit propius corpus: quod quo magis illa tuetur, Hoc minus et minus est mentis. Jam jamque propinquæ Admotum terræ, jam quod cognoscere posset, Cernit erat conjux. : una 66 'Ille est!" exclamat, et Ora comas vestem lacerat, tendensque trementes 315 Ad Ceÿca manus, 725 Sic, o carissime conjux, Frangit, et incursus quæ prædelassat aquarum: 730 Insilit huc mirumque fuit potuisse: volabat, 320 Percutiensque levem modo natis aera pennis, Stringebat summas ales miserabilis undas. Dumque volat, mæsto similem plenumque querelæ Ora dedere sonum, tenui crepitantia rostro. Ut vero tetigit mutum et sine sanguine corpus ; 325 Dilectos artus amplexa recentibus alis, 735 740 Frigida nequicquam duro dedit oscula rostro. Senserit hoc Ceyx an vultum motibus undæ Tollere sit visus, populus dubitabat; at ille Senserat, et tandem Superis miserantibus ambo 330 Alite mutantur. Fatis obnoxius îsdem Tunc quoque mansit amor, nec conjugiale solutum Foedus in alitibus: coeunt fiuntque parentes, Perque dies placidos hiberno tempore septem Incubat Alcyone pendentibus æquore nidis. 335 Tum via tuta maris: ventos custodit et arcet Eolus egressu, præstatque nepotibus æquor. 745 XLIV. FAMA. (XII. 39-63.) We have already seen in former extracts descriptions of several subordinate deities, such as Envy, XII, 53 sqq., Hunger, XXXVI., 48 sqq., Sleep, XLIII., 174 sqq. We have here a description of Fama, whose dwelling is somewhere between heaven, the earth, and the sea (triplicis mundi, v. 2), and whose office it is to spread and circulate reports-in which truth and falsehood are intermingled —of whatever takes place upon the earth.—The reader should compare Virgil's description (Æn. iv. 174 sqq.). Orbe locus medio est inter terrasque fretumque 40 45 10 Nulla quies intus, nullaque silentia parte; XLV. THE LAPITHE AND CENTAURS. (XII. 150-161. 210-535.) In one of the earliest battles of the Trojan war Achilles had conquered Cygnus, son of Neptune, on whose body his father had conferred the property of being impenetrable by lance or sword. Cygnus, being hard pressed by his impetuous assailant, fell over a stone, and Achilles, flinging himself on his prostrate foe, throttled him with the strap of his helmet. At a festive banquet, given in honour of Achilles and his victory, Nestor told the guests how, in the battle of the Lapithæ and Centaurs, one of the former (Caneus) had also received from Neptune the same wonderful property as Cygnus. This led to a description of the battle, which occurred at the marriage-feast of Pirithous (king of the Lapitha); to which he had invited, besides Nestor himself, Theseus, his attached friend, and Peleus, the father of Achilles (hence genitor tuus addressed to Achilles, v. 166, 242).-Cygnus and Cæneus also had a further resemblance in their deaths, being each changed into a bird; Cygnus, of course, into a swan. According to the fable the Centaurs were the offspring of a Cloud (hence nubigena, v. 14) which Jupiter had substituted for Juno, upon whom Ixion (the son of Phlegyas and father of Pirithous) had made a presumptuous and daring attempt (thence audaci Ixione, v. 210). The Centaurs are described by Pindar and subsequent poets-not by Homer and Hesiod-as being half men and half horses; the human being the upper half (bimembres, gemini, semiferi, quadrupedantes). The fable is sup |