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In tantis dicenda malis, lugubris et amens
Et laniata sinus totum percensuit orbem,
Exanimesque artus primo, mox ossa requirens,
Reperit ossa tamen peregrina condita ripa,
370 Incubuitque loco, nomenque in marmore lectum
Perfudit lacrimis et aperto pectore fovit.

335

340

Nec minus Heliades fletus et, inania morti Munera, dant lacrimas, et cæsæ pectora palmis Non auditurum miseras Phaethonta querelas 375 Nocte dieque vocant, adsternunturque sepulcro. Luna quater junctis implerat cornibus orbem: Illæ more suo-nam morem fecerat ususPlangorem dederant. E quîs Phaethusa, sororum Maxima, cum vellet terræ procumbere, questa est, 380 Diriguisse pedes; ad quam conata venire

345

350

Candida Lampetie, subita radice retenta est; Tertia, cum crinem manibus laniare pararet, Avellit frondes; hæc stipite crura teneri, Illa dolet fieri longos sua brachia ramos. 385 Dumque ea mirantur, complectitur inguina cortex, Perque gradus uterum pectusque humerosque

manusque

354

Ambit, et exstabant tantum ora vocantia matrem.
Quid faciat mater, nisi, quo trahat impetus illam,
Huc eat atque illuc, et, dum licet, oscula jungat?
390 Non satis est: truncis avellere corpora tentat
Et teneros manibus ramos abrumpit; at inde

Sanguineæ manant tanquam de vulnere guttæ. 360
Parce, precor, mater," quæcumque est saucia,

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clamat,

"Parce, precor: nostrum laniatur in arbore corpus. 395 Jamque vale." . . Cortex in verba novissima venit. Inde fluunt lacrimæ, stillataque sole rigescunt De ramis electra novis, quæ lucidus amnis Excipit et nuribus mittit gestanda Latinis. Affuit huic monstro proles Stheneleïa Cygnus,

400 Qui tibi materno quamvis a sanguine junctus, Mente tamen, Phaethon, propior fuit.

relicto

Ille

365

Nam Ligurum populos et magnas rexerat urbes-
Imperio ripas virides amnemque querelis

371

Eridanum implerat silvamque sororibus auctam ; 405 Cum vox est tenuata viro, canæque capillos

Dissimulant plumæ, collumque a pectore longe Porrigitur, digitosque ligat junctura rubentes, 375 Penna latus velat, tenet os sine acumine rostrum. Fit nova Cygnus avis, nec se cœloque Jovique 410 Credit, ut injuste missi memor ignis ab illo: Stagna petit patulosque lacus, ignemque perosus, Quæ colat, elegit contraria flumina flammis.

VIII. CALLISTO.

(II. 401-532.)

380

+ Callisto is changed into a she-bear, and, with her son Arcas, translated to the starry firmament: where, under the name of the two Bears, they perpetually revolve about the north pole without ever dipping into the waters of the Ocean.-After Phaethon's mishap, Jupiter sought in every way to repair the mischief which the irregular course of the sun-car had caused. As he was directing special attention to Arcadia, he beheld in the fields of that country a nymph distinguished for her beauty,-Callisto, the daughter of king Lycaon, who belonged to the train of the virgin-goddess of the chase, and, like her mistress, shunned all converse with the other sex ; but Jupiter, assuming the form of Diana herself, deceived the nymph and accomplished her ruin.

This myth appears, like the foregoing one, to have the purpose of explaining by a fable an astronomical phenomenon—the never setting of two northern constellations.

(Jupiter sees Callisto. Description of the Nymph.)
At pater omnipotens ingentia mœnia cœli
Circuit, et, ne quid labefactum viribus ignis
Corruat, explorat. Quæ postquam firma suique
Roboris esse videt; terras hominumque labores
5 Perspicit. Arcadiæ tamen est impensior illi
Cura suæ fontesque et nondum audentia labi
Flumina restituit, dat terræ gramina, frondes
Arboribus, læsasque jubet revirescere silvas.
Dum redit itque frequens, in virgine Nonacrina
10 Hæsit, et accepti caluere sub ossibus ignes.
Non erat hujus opus lanam mollire trahendo,
Nec positu variare comas: huic fibula vestem,

401

405

410

Vitta coercuerat neglectos alba capillos :

Et modo leve manu jaculum, modo sumserat arcum. 15 Miles erat Phoebes, nec Manalon attigit ulla

415

Gratior hac Triviæ. Sed nulla potentia longa est.

(Description of the feelings of Callisto, after she had been dishonoured by Jupiter. Juno's jealousy and its effects.)

Ecce, suo comitata choro Dictynna per altum Mænalon ingrediens, et cæde superba ferarum, Adspicit hanc visamque vocat: clamata refugit, 20 Et timuit primo, ne Jupiter esset in illa.

450

Sed postquam pariter Nymphas incedere vidit; 445 Sensit abesse dolos, numerumque accessit ad harum. Heu quam difficile est, crimen non prodere vultu! Vix oculos attollit humo, nec, ut ante solebat, 25 Juncta deæ lateri, nec toto est agmine prima; Sed silet et læsi dat signa rubore pudoris; Et, nisi quod virgo est, poterat sentire Diana Mille notis culpam. Nymphæ sensisse feruntur. Senserat hoc olim magni matrona Tonantis, 30 Distuleratque graves in idonea tempora pœnas. Causa moræ nulla est; et jam puer Arcas-id ipsum Indoluit Juno-fuerat de pellice natus.

466

Quo simul obvertit sævam cum lumine mentem; 470
Scilicet hoc unum restabat, adultera," dixit,

66

35 Ut fecunda fores, fieretque injuria partu

Nota, Jovisque mei testatum dedecus esset.
Haud impune feres: adimam tibi namque figuram,
Qua tibi, quaque places nostro, importuna, marito."
Dixit, et adversa prensis a fronte capillis

40 Stravit humi pronam. Tendebat brachia supplex:
Brachia cœperunt nigris horrescere villis,
Curvarique manus et aduncos crescere in ungues,
Officioque pedum fungi, laudataque quondam
Ora Jovi lato fieri deformia rictu.

45 Neve preces animos et verba precantia flectant,
Posse loqui eripitur: vox iracunda minaxque
Plenaque terroris rauco de gutture fertur.
Mens antiqua tamen facta quoque mansit in ursa,
Assiduoque suos gemitu testata dolores,

50 Qualescumque manus ad cœlum et sidera tollit,

476

480

486

Ingratumque Jovem, nequeat cum dicere, sentit.
Ah quoties, sola non ausa quiescere silva,

Ante domum quondamque suis erravit in agris! 490
Ah quoties per saxa canum latratibus acta est,
55 Venatrixque metu venantum territa fugit ?
Sæpe feris latuit visis, oblita quid esset,
Ursaque conspectos in montibus horruit ursos,
Pertimuitque lupos, quamvis pater esset in illis. 495
Ecce, Lycaoniæ proles, ignara parentis,

60 Arcas adest, ter quinque ferens natalibus annos;
Dumque feras sequitur, dum saltus eligit aptos,
Nexilibusque plagis silvas Erymanthidas ambit;
Incidit in matrem, quæ restitit Arcade viso,
Et cognoscenti similis fuit. Ille refugit,
65 Immotosque oculos in se sine fine tenentem
Nescius extimuit, propiusque accedere aventi
Vulnifico fuerat fixurus pectora telo.

Arcuit Omnipotens, pariterque ipsosque nefasque
Sustulit, et celeri raptos per inania vento
70 Imposuit cœlo vicinaque sidera fecit.

75

Intumuit Juno, postquam inter sidera pellex
Fulsit, et ad canam descendit in æquora Tethyn
Oceanumque senem, quorum reverentia movit
Sæpe deos, causamque viæ scitantibus infit:

66

Quæritis, ætheriis quare regina deorum Sedibus huc adsim? Pro me tenet altera cœlum. Mentior, obscurum nisi nox cum fecerit orbem, Nuper honoratas summo, mea vulnera, cœlo Videritis stellas illic, ubi circulus axem 80 Ultimus extremum spatioque brevissimus ambit. Est vero, cur quis Junonem lædere nolit

500

506

510

515

Offensamque tremat: quæ prosum sola nocendo?
En, ego quantum egi! quam vasta potentia nostra

520

est! Esse hominem vetui: facta est dea. Sic ego pœnas 85 Sontibus impono; sic est mea magna potestas! Vindicet antiquam faciem vultusque ferinos Detrahat, Argolica quod et ante Phoronide fecit. . Cur non et pulsa ducit Junone, meoque Collocat in thalamo, socerumque Lycaona sumit? 90 At vos si læsæ tangit contemtus alumnæ,

525

Gurgite cæruleo septem prohibete Triones,
Sideraque in cœlum stupri mercede recepta
Pellite, ne puro tingatur in æquore pellex."

Dî maris annuerant; habili Saturnia curru 95 Ingreditur liquidum pavonibus aera pictis.

530

IX. CORONIS; OR, THE RAVEN AND THE CROW.

(II. 536-632.)

+ Coronis is transformed into a Crow; and the colour of the Raven is changed from white to black.-This fable, as well as that which is interwoven with it, of the transformation of Coronis into a Crow, belongs to the less significant legends. The raven, thus runs the fable, was the favorite bird of Apollo, the god of divination; but fell under the displeasure of that deity by imprudently revealing to him the unfaithfulness of his mistress, the Thessalian damsel Coronis. As he was on his way to the god, he met the crow, who endeavoured, but in vain, to dissuade him from his purpose, by relating its own history. The crow was originally (according to the legend) the daughter of King Coroneus, and had been rescued from the pursuit of Neptune (deus pelagi,' v. 39) by Minerva, who transformed her into a bird. But when this goddess consigned Erichthonius, as a child, in a closed chest, to the custody of the daughters of Cecrops, the crow saw how Aglauros, against the command of the goddess, opened the chest, and showed her sisters the mysterious child. This she reported to the goddess; who, enraged at the betrayal of the secret, turned off the crow for bringing her the unwelcome intelligence, and took in her place Nyctiměnê, whom she changed into an owl, which was thenceforth regarded as the sacred bird of Minerva. In spite of this warning lesson, the raven persisted in her determination to report to Apollo the unfaithfulness of Coronis. The enraged god took a severe revenge, by slaying the faithless Coronis with his arrows. But forthwith, repenting of the deed, he began to detest the tale-telling bird, which had kindled his anger, and punished it by turning its plumage from white to black: and, whilst the corpse of Coronis was burning, he saved his son Esculapius from the flames, and brought him to the Centaur Chiron, to be brought up by him.

Corvus avis fuerat niveis argentea pennis
Antea, ut æquaret totas sine labe columbas,
Nec servaturis vigili Capitolia voce

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