VIII. 676.] Their Humble Hospitality. 72 213 89 640 quo superinjecit textum rude sedula Baucis, 645 650 655 Accubuere dei. Mensam succincta tremensque 660 ponit anus: mensae sed erat pes tertius impăr : testa parem fecit. Quae postquam subdita clivum. sustulit, aequatam mentae tersere virentes. II ponitur hic bicolor sincerae baca Minervae; Parva mora est, epulasque foci misere calentes, nec longae rursus referuntur vina senectae, dantque locum mensis paulum seducta secundis. hic nux, hic mixta est rugosis carica palmis, pruñaque, et in patulis redolentia mala canistris, et de purpureis collectae vitibus uvae. 665 670 675 candidus in medio favus est. Super omnia vultus sponte sua, per seque vident succrescere vina. 'Di' que sumus, meritasque luet vicinia poenas esse mali dabitur: modo vestra relinquite tecta, ac nostros comitate gradus, et in ardua montis ite simul.' Parent ambo, baculisque levati nituntur longo vestigia ponere clivo. 680 685 690 700 Tantum aberant summo, quantum semel ire sagitta missa potest: flexere oculos, et mersa palude cetera prospiciunt, tantum sua tecta manere. dumque ea mirantur, dum deflent fata suorum, illa vetus, dominis etiam casa parva duobus vertitur in templum; furcas subiere columnae ; stramina flavescunt, aurataque tecta videntur, caelataeque fores, adopertaque marmore tellus. Talia tum placido Saturnius edidit ore: 'Dicite, juste senex, et femina conjuge justo digna, quid optetis.' Cum Baucide pauca locutus, judicium superis aperit commune Philemon: Esse sacerdotes, delubraque vestra tueri poscimus; et quoniam concordes egimus annos, auferat hora duos eadem, nec conjugis umquam busta meae videam, neu sim tumulandus ab illa.' = 710 i VIII. 724.] They are transformed to Trees. Vota fides sequitur: templi tutela fuere, donec vita data est. Annis aevoque soluti, ante gradus sacros cum starent forte, locique inciperent casus, frondere Philemona Baucis, Baucida conspexit senior frondere Philemōn. jamque super geminos crescente cacumine vultus mutua, dum licuit, reddebant dicta, Vale que O conjunx dixere simul, simul abdita texit ora frutex. Ostendit adhuc Thineïus illic incola de gemino vicinos corpore truncos. haec mihi non vani - neque erat cur fallere vellent narravere senes: equidem pendentia vidi serta super ramos; ponensque recentia, dixi Cura pii dis sunt, et qui coluere coluntur. 91 715 720 XIII. THE DEATH OF HERCULES. [BOOK IX.-134-272.] [ACHELOUS, continuing the discourse, tells of the transformations of Proteus; and of Metra, daughter of Eresichthon, who (receiving this power from Neptune) long, by cheats and wiles, sustained her father cursed with extreme rage of hunger for the violation of a grove of Ceres (VIII. 725–884). And as Theseus inquires the cause of his broken horn, Achelous replies that contending once with Hercules for the possession of Dejanira, sister of Meleager, that horn had been wrested off, and, being filled by the Naiads with autumn fruits, became the horn of Plenty (IX. I-100). In defence of the same Dejanira, Hercules had once slain the centaur Nessus; who, dying, gave her a tunic stained with his blood, mixed with venom of the Lernæan hydra, which (he said) would recall her husband's love if ever it should wander or cool (101-133).] Afterward, Hercules being about to wed Iole, daughter of Eurytus, Dejanira sent to him this tunic as a marriage gift. But when it took heat from the altar flames as he was about to sacrifice, Hercules, being in extreme torment, and unable to tear it off, cast into the sea the bearer of the gift, Lichas, who was converted into a rock, retaining his human form (134-227). Then Hercules, building a great funeral pile upon Mount Eta of Thessaly, burned himself thereon; and, his mortal parts being purged away, was received into the company of the gods (228-272). LONGA fuit medii mora temporis, actaque magni Herculis implerant terras, odiumque novercae. victor ab Oechalia Cenaeo sacra parabat vota Jovi, cum fama loquax praecessit ad aures, Deïanira, tuas, quae veris addere falsa gaudet, et e minimo sua per mendacia crescit, Amphitryoniaden Iöles ardore teneri. of.72-246 Credit amans, Venerisque novae perterrita fama indulsit primo lacrimis, flendoque dolorem 140 diffudit miseranda suum. Mox deinde, Quid autem IX. 176.] The Poisoned Shirt of Nessus. 93 1424 44-674 flemus?' ait: 'pellex lacrimis laetabitur istis. 73-250 quae quoniam adveniet, properandum, aliquidque no 76-189 vandum est, 26-157 76-176 145 dum licet, et nondum thalamos tenet altera nostros. Incursus animus varios habet: omnibus illis Tura dabat primis et verba precantia flammis, vinaque marmoreas patera fundebat in aras: incaluit vis illa mali, resolutaque flammis Herculeos abiit late diffusa per artus. dum potuit, solita gemitum virtute repressit ; victa malis postquam est patientia, reppulit aras, implevitque suis nemorosum vocibus Oeten. nec mora, letiferam conatur scindere vestem : qua trahitur, trahit illa cutem, foedumque relatu, aut haeret membris frustra temptata revelli, aut laceros artus et grandia detegit ossa. ipse cruor, gelido ceu quondam lamina candens tincta lacu, stridit, coquiturque ardente veneno. 150 155 160 165 170 Nec modus est: sorbent avidae praecordia flammae, caeruleusque fluit toto de corpore sudor, ambustique sonant nervi, caecaque medullis tabe liquefactis tendens ad sidera palmas, Cladibus' exclamat, 'Saturnia, pascere nostris : 175 |