Of what fair Herd, and from what Pedigree? The God, half caught, was forc'd upon a lye; And said she sprung from Earth; she took the word,

And begg'd the beauteous Heyfar of her Lord.

What should he do? 'twas equal shame to
Jove

Or to relinquish, or betray his Love:
Yet to refuse so slight a Gift, wou'd be
But more t' increase his Consort's Jealousie:
Thus fear, and love, by turns his heart
assail'd;

And stronger love had sure at length prevail'd, 850 But some faint hope remain'd, his jealous Queen

Had not the Mistress through the Heyfar

seen.

The cautious Goddess, of her Gift possest, Yet harbour'd anxious thoughts within her breast;

As she who knew the falshood of her Jove, And justly fear'd some new relapse of Love Which to prevent, and to secure her care, To trusty Argus she commits the Fair.

The head of Argus (as with Stars the Skies)

Was compass'd round, and wore an hundred eyes.

860

But two by turns their Lids in Slumber) steep;

The rest on duty still their station keep;
Nor cou'd the total Constellation sleep.
Thus, ever present, to his eyes and mind,
His Charge was still before him, tho' behind.
In Fields he suffer'd her to feed by Day,
But when the setting Sun to Night gave way,
The Captive Cow he summon'd with a call,
And drove her back, and ty'd her to the
Stall.

On Leaves of Trees and bitter Herbs she fed,
Heav'n was her Canopy, bare Earth her

Bed;

(Her Father's Banks) she came, and there survey'd

Her alter'd Visage, and her branching head; And, starting, from her self she wou'd have fled.

Her fellow Nymphs, familiar to her eyes,
Beheld, but knew her not in this disguise.
Ev'n Inachus himself was ignorant ;
And in his Daughter did his Daughter want.
She follow'd where her Fellows went, as she
Were still a Partner of the Company:
They stroke her Neck; the gentle Heyfar
stands,
890

And her Neck offers to their stroking Hands. Her Father gave her Grass; the Grass she took;

And lick'd his Palms, and cast a piteous look ;

And in the language of her eyes, she spoke. She wou'd have told her name, and ask't relief,

But wanting words, in tears she tells her grief.

Which, with her foot she makes him understand;

And prints the name of Io in the Sand.

Ah wretched me! her mournful Father cry'd;

She, with a sigh, to wretched me reply'd: About her Milk-white neck his arms he threw ;

901

And wept, and then these tender words

ensue.

Thou answer'st not, no voice thy tongue affords:

But sighs are deeply drawn from out thy breast;

And speech deny'd, by lowing is express'd. Unknowing I, prepar'd thy Bridal Bed; With empty Hopes of happy Issue fed. 910 But now the Husband of a Herd must be Thy Mate, and bell'wing Sons thy Progeny.

Oh, were I mortal, Death might bring relief! But now my God-head but extends my grief;

Prolongs my Woes, of which no end I see,
And makes me curse my Immortality.
More had he said, but fearful of her stay,
The Starry Guardian drove his Charge away,
To some fresh Pasture; on a hilly height
He sate himself, and kept her still in sight.

The Eyes of Argus transform'd into a Peacock's Train.

Now Jove no longer cou'd her suff'rings bear: 921

But call'd in haste his airy Messenger,
The son of Maya, with severe decree
To kill the Keeper, and to set her free.
With all his Harness soon the God was sped;
His flying Hat was fastned on his Head;
Wings on his Heels were hung, and in his
Hand

He holds the Virtue of the Snaky Wand.
The liquid Air his moving Pinions wound,
And, in the moment, shoot him on the
ground.

930

Before he came in sight, the crafty God
His Wings dismiss'd, but still retain'd his
Rod:

That Sleep-procuring Wand wise Hermes took,

But made it seem to sight, a Shepherd's Hook.

With this he did a Herd of Goats controul; Which by the way he met, and slily stole. Clad like a Country Swain, he Pip'd, and Sung;

And playing drove his jolly Troop along. With pleasure, Argus the Musician heeds; But wonders much at those new vocal Reeds.

940

And, Whosoe're thou art, my Friend, said he,

Up hither drive thy Goats, and play by me: This Hill has browz for them, and shade for thee.

The God, who was with ease induc'd to climb,

Began Discourse to pass away the time; And still, betwixt, his Tuneful Pipe he plyes; And watch'd his Hour, to close the Keeper's Eyes.

Descending from Lycæus, Pan admires
The Matchless Nymph, and burns with new
Desires.

A Crown of Pine upon his Head he wore ;
And thus began her pity to implore.
But e're he thus began, she took her flight
So swift, she was already out of sight. 970
Nor staid to hear the Courtship of the God;
But bent her course to Ladon's gentle
Flood:

There by the River stopt, and, tyr'd before, Relief from water Nymphs her Pray'rs implore.

Now while the Lustful God, with speedy)

980

more.

Admiring this new Musick, Thou, he sed,
Who can'st not be the Partner of my Bed,
At least shalt be the Consort of my Mind;
And often, often, to my Lips be joyn'd.
He form'd the Reeds, proportion'd as they

are:

Unequal in their length, and wax'd with Care,

They still retain the Name of his Ungrateful Fair.

While Hermes pip'd, and sung, and told his tale,

The Keeper's winking Eyes began to fail, 990 And drowsie slumber on the lids to creep; Till all the Watchman was, at length, asleep. Then soon the God his Voice and Song

supprest;

And with his pow'rful Rod confirm'd his rest: Without delay his crooked Faulchion drew, And at one fatal stroak the Keeper slew. Down from the Rock, fell the dissever'd head,

Opening its Eyes in Death, and falling bled; And mark'd the passage with a crimson trail: Thus Argus lies in pieces, cold and pale; And all his hundred Eyes, with all their light, 1001

Are clos'd at once in one perpetual night. These Juno takes, that they no more may fail, And spreads them in her Peacock's gaudy tail.

to roam:

Impatient to revenge her injur'd Bed, She wreaks her Anger on her Rival's head; With furies frights her from her Native Home, And drives her gadding, round the World 1008 Nor ceas'd her madness and her flight, before She touch'd the limits of the Pharian Shore. At length, arriving on the Banks of Nile, Weary'd with length of ways, and worn with toil,

She laid her down: and, leaning on her
Knees,

Invok'd the Cause of all her Miseries:
And cast her languishing regards above,
For help from Heav'n, and her ungrateful
Jove.

982 Thou] thou 1693.

Or Death at least to finish all her Woes. 1020 Jove heard her Vows, and with a flatt'ring look,

In her behalf, to jealous Juno spoke.

He cast his Arms about her Neck, and sed:
Dame, rest secure; no more thy Nuptial Bed
This Nymph shall violate; by Styx I swear,
And every Oath that binds the Thunderer.
The Goddess was appeas'd: and at the word
Was Io to her former shape restor❜d.
The rugged Hair began to fall away;
The Sweetness of her Eyes did only stay,
Tho' not so large; her crooked Horns
decrease;

1031

A Goddess now through all th' Egyptian State;

And serv'd by Priests, who in white Linnen wait.

Her son was Epaphus, at length believ'd The Son of Jove, and as a God receiv'd: With Sacrifice ador'd, and publick Pray'rs, He common Temples with his Mother shares. Equal in years, and Rival in Renown With Epaphus, the youthful Phaeton, Like Honour claims, and boasts his Sire the Sun.

His haughty Looks, and his assuming Air
The Son of Isis cou'd no longer bear: 1051
Thou tak'st thy Mother's Word too far,
said he,

And hast usurp'd thy boasted Pedigree.
Go base Pretender to a borrow'd Name.
Thus tax'd, he blush'd with anger, and with
shame ;

1036 the] Most editors, with characteristic disregard for euphony, wrongly give her

But shame repress'd his Rage: the daunted Youth

Soon seeks his Mother, and inquires the truth:

Mother, said he, this Infamy was thrown
By Epaphus on you, and me your Son. 1059
He spoke in publick, told it to my face;
Nor durst I vindicate the dire disgrace:
Ev'n I, the bold, the sensible of wrong,
Restrain'd by Shame, was forc'd to hold my
Tongue.

To hear an open Slander is a Curse:
But not to find an Answer, is a worse.
If I am Heav'n-begot, assert your Son
By some sure Sign; and make my Father
known,

To right my Honour,and redeem your own.) He said, and saying cast his arms about Her Neck, and begg'd her to resolve the Doubt. 1070 'Tis hard to judge if Climene were mov'd More by his Pray'r, whom she so dearly lov'd,

Or more with fury fir'd, to find her Name

Traduc'd, and made the sport of common Fame.

She stretch'd her Arms to Heav'n, and fix'd her Eyes

On that fair Planet, that adorns the Skies; Now by those Beams, said she, whose holy Fires

Consume my Breast, and kindle my desires; By him who sees us both, and chears our sight,

By him the publick Minister of light, 1080
I swear that Sun begot thee: if I lye,
Let him his chearful Influence deny :
Let him no more this perjur'd Creature see;
And shine on all the World, but only me:
If still you doubt your Mother's Innocence,
His Eastern Mansion is not far from hence;
With little pains you to his Levè go,
And from himself your Parentage may know.
With joy th' ambitious Youth his Mother
heard,

1089 And eager, for the Journey soon prepar'd. He longs the World beneath him to survey; To guide the Chariot; and to give the day: From Meroe's burning Sands he bends his course,

Nor less in India feels his Father's force;
His Travel urging, till he came in sight,
And saw the Palace by the Purple light.

CONNEXION TO THE FORMER STORY.

Ovid, having told how Theseus had freed Athens from the Tribute of Children, (which was impos'd on them by Minos, King of Creta) by killing the Minotaur, here makes a Digression to the Story of Meleager and Atalanta, which is one of the most inartificial Connexions in all the Metamorphoses: For he only says, that Theseus obtain'à such Honour from that Combate, that all Greece had recourse to him in their Necessities; and, amongst others, Calydon, though the Heroe of that Country, Prince Meleager, was then living.

MELEAGER AND ATALANTA. The text from the original edition of 1700 except for the variants noted. There are several mistakes in the editions. The form 'clottered' is undoubtedly Dryden's.

FROM him, the Caledonians sought Relief;
Tho' valiant Meleagrus was their Chief.
The Cause, a Boar, who ravag'd far and

near:

Of Cynthia's Wrath th' avenging Minister.
For Oeneus with Autumnal Plenty bless'd,
By Gifts to Heav'n his Gratitude express'd:
Cull'd Sheafs, to Ceres; to Lyæus, Wine;
To Pan, and Pales, offer'd Sheep and Kine;
And Fat of Olives, to Minerva's shrine. 9)
Beginning from the Rural Gods, his Hand
Was lib'ral to the Pow'rs of high Command:
Each Deity in ev'ry kind was bless'd,
Till at Diana's Fane th' invidious Honour
ceas'd.

In 288 it would seem that the original text is wrongly printed. Warton gives 'Brother's Ghosts,' which is absurd.

Mean time the Virgin-Huntress was not slow

T'expel the Shaft from her contracted Bow: Beneath his Ear the fastned Arrow stood, And from the Wound appear'd the trickling Blood.

She blush'd for Joy: But Meleagros rais'd His voice with loud Applause, and the fair Archer prais'd.

He was the first to see, and first to show His Friends the Marks of the successful Blow.

Nor shall thy Valour want the Praises due, He said; a vertuous Envy seiz'd the Crew. They shout; the Shouting animates their Hearts, 161

And all at once employ their thronging Darts:

But out of Order thrown, in Air they joyn;
And Multitude makes frustrate the Design.
With both his Hands the proud Anceus
takes,

And flourishes his double-biting Ax:
Then forward to his Fate, he took a Stride
Before the rest, and to his Fellows cry'd,
Give place, and mark the diff'rence, if you

Her Aid, Diana can her Beast defend. Thus boasted he; then stretch'd, on Tiptoe stood,

Secure to make his empty Promise good. But the more wary Beast prevents the Blow, And upward rips the Groin of his audacious Foe.

Ancæus falls; his Bowels from the Wound Rush out, and clotter'd Blood distains the Ground.

Perithous, no small Portion of the War, Press'd on, and shook his Lance; To whom from far

180 Thus Theseus cry'd: O stay, my better Part, My more than Mistress; of my Heart, the Heart.

The Strong may fight aloof: Anceus try'd His Force too near, and by presuming dy'd: He said, and while he spake his Javelin threw,

Hissing in Air th' unerring Weapon flew ;

178 clotter'd] The editors wrongly give clotted

But on an Arm of Oak, that stood betwixt The Marks-man and the Mark, his Lance he fixt.

Once more bold Jason threw, but fail'd

to wound

The Boar,and slew an undeserving Hound; And through the Dog the Dart was nail'd to Ground.

191 Two Spears from Meleager's Hand were sent,

With equal Force, but various in th' Event: The first was fix'd in Earth, the second stood

On the Boars bristled Back, and deeply drank his Blood.

Now while the tortur'd Salvage turns around,

And flings about his Foam, impatient of the Wound,

The Wounds great Author close at Hand provokes

His Rage, and plyes him with redoubled Strokes ;

Wheels as he wheels; and with his pointed Dart

200

Explores the nearest Passage to his Heart. Quick, and more quick he spins in giddy Gires,

Then falls, and in much Foam his Soul expires.

This Act with Shouts Heav'n high the friendly Band

Applaud, and strain in theirs the Victour Hand.

Then all approach the Slain with vast Surprize,

Admire on what a Breadth of Earth he lies ; And scarce secure, reach out their Spears afar,

And blood their Points, to prove their Partnership of War.

But he, the conqu'ring Chief, his Foot impress'd

210

On the strong Neck of that destructive Beast;

And gazing on the Nymph with ardent
Eyes,

Accept, said he, fair Nonacrine, my Prize,
And, though inferiour, suffer me to join
My Labours, and my Part of Praise, with
thine:

205 Victour] The editors wrongly give victor's