Excipit Andraemon ; et habetur conjuge felix.
Est lacus, acclivi devexo margine formam
15
Littoris efficiers: fummum myrteta coronant.
Veneret huc Dryope fatorum nefcia; quoque
Indignere magis, Nymphis latura coronas.
Inque finu uerum, qui nondum impleverat annum,
Dulce ferebat onus; tepidique ope lactis alebat. 20
Haud procul a stagno, Tyrios imitata colores,
In fpem baccarum florebat aquatica lotos.
Carpferat hinc Dryope, quos oblectamina nato
Porrigeret, flores: et idem factura videbar
Namque aderam. vidi guttas e flore cruentas
Decidere; et tremulo ramos horrore moveri.
30
Scilicet, ut referunt tardi nunc denique agreftes,
Lotis in hanc Nymphe, fugiens obfcoena Priapi,
Contulerat verfos, fervato nomine, vultus.

24

Nefcierat foror hoc; quae cum perterrita retro 35

Andræmon lov'd; and, blefs'd in all thofe charms That pleas'd a God, fucceeded to her arms. 14

A lake there was, with shelving banks around, Whose verdant summit fragrant myrtles crown'd. These shades, unknowing of the fates, fhe fought, And to the Naiads flow'ry garlands brought;

Her fmiling babe (a pleafing, charge) she prest
Within her arms, and nourish'd at her breast. 20
Not diftant far a watry Lotos grows,

The fpring was new, and all the verdant boughs
Adorn'd with bloffoms promis'd fruits that vie
In glowing colours with the Tyrian dye :
Of these the crop'd to please her infant fon, 25
And I myself the same rash act had done :
But lo! I faw, (as near her fide I stood,)
The violated bloffoms drop with blood;
Upon the tree I caft a frightful look ;

The trembling tree with fudden horror shook. 30
Lotis the nymph (if rural tales be true).

As from Priapus' lawless luft fhe flew,
Forsook her form; and fixing here became
A flow'ry plant, which ftill preferves her name.

This change unknown, aftonish'd at the fight 35 My trembling fifter ftrove to urge her flight:

Ire, et adoratis vellet difcedere Nymphis,
Haefurunt radice pedes. convellere pugnat:
Nec quidquam, nifi fumma, movet. fuccrefcit ab
imo,

40

Totaque paulatim lentus premit inguina cortex.
Ut vidit, conata manu laniare capillos,
Fronde manum implevit, frondes caput omne te-

nebant.

45 At puer Amphiffos (namque hoc avus Eurytus illi Addiderat nomen) materna rigefcere fentit Ubera: nec fequitur ducentem lacteus humor. 50 Spectatrix aderam fati crudelis; opemque Non poteram tibi ferre, foror: quantumque valebam, Crefcentem truncum ramofque amplexa, morabar; Et (fateor) volui fub eodem cortice condi.

Ecce vir Andraemon, genitorque miferrimus, ad

funt ;

Et quaerunt Dryopen: Dryopen quaerentibus illis Oftendi loton. tepido dant ofcula ligno: 60

grow

And first the pardon of the nymphs implor'd And those offended fylvan pow'rs ador❜d: But when she backward would have fled, fhe found Her stiff'ning feet were rooted in the ground: 40 In vain to free her faften'd feet fhe ftrove, And, as she struggles, only moves above; She feels th' encroaching bark around her By quick degrees, and cover all below : 44 Surpriz'd at this, her trembling hand the heaves To rend her hair; her hand is fill'd with leaves : Where late was hair the shooting leaves are seen To rife, and fhade her with a fudden green. The child Amphiffus, to her bosom prest, Perceiv'd a colder and a harder breast,

50

And found the springs, that ne'er 'till then deny'd
Their milky moisture, on a fudden dry'd.
I saw, unhappy! what I now relate,
And stood the helpless witness of thy fate,
Embrac'd thy boughs, thy rifing bark delay'd, 55
There wish'd to grow, and mingle shade with
fhade.

Behold Andræmon and th' unhappy fire
Appear, and for their Dryope enquire;
A fpringing tree for Dryope they find,

And print warm kiffes on the panting rind. 60

Adfufique fuae radicibus arboris haerent.

Nil nifi jam faciem, quod non foret arbor, habebas, Cara foror. lacrymae verfo de corpore factis Irrorant foliis: ac, dum licet, oraque praeftant 65 Vocis iter, tales effundit in aëra queftus :

Si qua fides miferis, hoc me per numina juro

poenam.

Non meruiffe nefas. patior fine crimine
Viximus innocuae: fi mentior, arida perdam,
Quas habeo, frondes; et caesa securibus urar. 75
Hunc tamen infantem maternis demite ramis,
Et date nutrici; noftraque fub arbore faepe
Lac facitote bibat; noftraque fub arbore ludat.
Cumque loqui poterit, matrem facitote falutet, 80
Et triftis dicat, Latet hoc fub ftipite mater.