Adonis, the fair youth, a shepherd too, Wounds hares, and doth all savage beasts pursue. Go! challenge Diomede to fight with thee— 'I tame the cowherd Daphnis, fight with me.' "Ye bears, who in the mountain hollows dwell, Ye tawny jackals, bounding wolves, farewell! The cowherd Daphnis never more shall rove In quest of you thro' thicket, wood, and grove. Farewell, ye rivers, that your streams profuse From Thymbris pour; farewell, sweet Arethuse! I drove my kine-a cowherd whilom hereTo pleasant pasture, and to water clear. Pan Pan if seated on a jagged peak Of tall Lycæus now; or thou dost seek The heights of Mænalus-leave them awhile, And hasten to thy own Sicilian isle. The tomb, which e'en the gods admire, leave now Hasten, my king! and take this pipe that clips, Now violets, ye thorns and brambles bear! And on the pine-tree pears! since Daphnis dies, The stag trail hounds; in rivalry their song He said and ceased: and Cypris wished, indeed, To raise him up, but she could not succeed; His fate-allotted threads of life were spent, And Daphnis to the doleful river went. The whirlpool gorged him-by the Nymphs not scorned, Dear to the Muses, and by them adorned. Cease cease, ye Muses! the bucolic strain. Give me the cup and goat that I may drain A due libation to the Muses make. All hail, ye Muses! hail, and favour me, GOATHERD. Honey and honey-combs melt in thy mouth, The musical cicada dost excel. Behold the cup! how sweetly doth it smell! с IDYL II. PHARMACEUTRIA. ARGUMENT. Simatha, a young woman of Syracuse, endeavours to recall, by enchantments, her lover, Delphis, who had forsaken her. She performs her magic rites, which are minutely described, by moonlight. When her incantations are finished, being left alone, she describes the origin and progress of her passion. She addresses the Moon, as presiding over magical rites; and finally threatens the life of Delphis in the event of his not returning to her. |