The Iliad Part 43

Meantime Saturnia from Olympus' brow, High-throned in gold, beheld the fields below; With joy the glorious conflict she survey'd, Where her great brother gave the Grecians aid.

But placed aloft, on Ida's shady height She sees her Jove, and trembles at the sight.

Jove to deceive, what methods shall she try, What arts, to blind his all-beholding eye?

At length she trusts her power; resolved to prove The old, yet still successful, cheat of love; Against his wisdom to oppose her charms, And lull the lord of thunders in her arms.

Swift to her bright apartment she repairs, Sacred to dress and beauty's pleasing cares: With skill divine had Vulcan form'd the bower, Safe from access of each intruding power.

Touch'd with her secret key, the doors unfold: Self-closed, behind her shut the valves of gold.

Here first she bathes; and round her body pours Soft oils of fragrance, and ambrosial showers: The winds, perfumed, the balmy gale convey Through heaven, through earth, and all the aerial way: Spirit divine! whose exhalation greets The sense of G.o.ds with more than mortal sweets.

Thus while she breathed of heaven, with decent pride Her artful hands the radiant tresses tied; Part on her head in shining ringlets roll'd, Part o'er her shoulders waved like melted gold.

Around her next a heavenly mantle flow'd, That rich with Pallas' labour'd colours glow'd: Large clasps of gold the foldings gather'd round, A golden zone her swelling bosom bound.

Far-beaming pendants tremble in her ear, Each gem illumined with a triple star.

Then o'er her head she cast a veil more white Than new-fallen snow, and dazzling as the light.

Last her fair feet celestial sandals grace.

Thus issuing radiant with majestic pace, Forth from the dome the imperial G.o.ddess moves, And calls the mother of the smiles and loves.

"How long (to Venus thus apart she cried) Shall human strife celestial minds divide?

Ah yet, will Venus aid Saturnia's joy, And set aside the cause of Greece and Troy?"

"Let heaven's dread empress (Cytheraea said) Speak her request, and deem her will obey'd."

"Then grant me (said the queen) those conquering charms, That power, which mortals and immortals warms, That love, which melts mankind in fierce desires, And burns the sons of heaven with sacred fires!

"For lo! I haste to those remote abodes, Where the great parents, (sacred source of G.o.ds!) Ocean and Tethys their old empire keep, On the last limits of the land and deep.

In their kind arms my tender years were past; What time old Saturn, from Olympus cast, Of upper heaven to Jove resign'd the reign, Whelm'd under the huge ma.s.s of earth and main.

For strife, I hear, has made the union cease, Which held so long that ancient pair in peace.

What honour, and what love, shall I obtain, If I compose those fatal feuds again; Once more their minds in mutual ties engage, And, what my youth has owed, repay their age!"

She said. With awe divine, the queen of love Obey'd the sister and the wife of Jove; And from her fragrant breast the zone embraced,(233) With various skill and high embroidery graced.

In this was every art, and every charm, To win the wisest, and the coldest warm: Fond love, the gentle vow, the gay desire, The kind deceit, the still-reviving fire, Persuasive speech, and the more persuasive sighs, Silence that spoke, and eloquence of eyes.

This on her hand the Cyprian G.o.ddess laid: "Take this, and with it all thy wish;" she said.

With smiles she took the charm; and smiling press'd The powerful cestus to her snowy breast.

Then Venus to the courts of Jove withdrew; Whilst from Olympus pleased Saturnia flew.

O'er high Pieria thence her course she bore, O'er fair Emathia's ever-pleasing sh.o.r.e, O'er Hemus' hills with snows eternal crown'd; Nor once her flying foot approach'd the ground.

Then taking wing from Athos' lofty steep, She speeds to Lemnos o'er the rolling deep, And seeks the cave of Death's half-brother, Sleep.(234)

"Sweet pleasing Sleep! (Saturnia thus began) Who spread'st thy empire o'er each G.o.d and man; If e'er obsequious to thy Juno's will, O power of slumbers! hear, and favour still.

Shed thy soft dews on Jove's immortal eyes, While sunk in love's entrancing joys he lies.

A splendid footstool, and a throne, that shine With gold unfading, Somnus, shall be thine; The work of Vulcan; to indulge thy ease, When wine and feasts thy golden humours please."

"Imperial dame (the balmy power replies), Great Saturn's heir, and empress of the skies!

O'er other G.o.ds I spread my easy chain; The sire of all, old Ocean, owns my reign.

And his hush'd waves lie silent on the main.

But how, unbidden, shall I dare to steep Jove's awful temples in the dew of sleep?

Long since, too venturous, at thy bold command, On those eternal lids I laid my hand; What time, deserting Ilion's wasted plain, His conquering son, Alcides, plough'd the main.

When lo! the deeps arise, the tempests roar, And drive the hero to the Coan sh.o.r.e: Great Jove, awaking, shook the blest abodes With rising wrath, and tumbled G.o.ds on G.o.ds; Me chief he sought, and from the realms on high Had hurl'd indignant to the nether sky, But gentle Night, to whom I fled for aid, (The friend of earth and heaven,) her wings display'd; Impower'd the wrath of G.o.ds and men to tame, Even Jove revered the venerable dame."

"Vain are thy fears (the queen of heaven replies, And, speaking, rolls her large majestic eyes); Think'st thou that Troy has Jove's high favour won, Like great Alcides, his all-conquering son?

Hear, and obey the mistress of the skies, Nor for the deed expect a vulgar prize; For know, thy loved-one shall be ever thine, The youngest Grace, Pasithae the divine."(235)

"Swear then (he said) by those tremendous floods That roar through h.e.l.l, and bind the invoking G.o.ds: Let the great parent earth one hand sustain, And stretch the other o'er the sacred main: Call the black t.i.tans, that with Chronos dwell, To hear and witness from the depths of h.e.l.l; That she, my loved-one, shall be ever mine, The youngest Grace, Pasithae the divine."

The queen a.s.sents, and from the infernal bowers Invokes the sable subtartarean powers, And those who rule the inviolable floods, Whom mortals name the dread t.i.tanian G.o.ds.

[Ill.u.s.tration: SLEEP ESCAPING FROM THE WRATH OF JUPITER.]

SLEEP ESCAPING FROM THE WRATH OF JUPITER.

Then swift as wind, o'er Lemnos' smoky isle They wing their way, and Imbrus' sea-beat soil; Through air, unseen, involved in darkness glide, And light on Lectos, on the point of Ide: (Mother of savages, whose echoing hills Are heard resounding with a hundred rills:) Fair Ida trembles underneath the G.o.d; Hush'd are her mountains, and her forests nod.

There on a fir, whose spiry branches rise To join its summit to the neighbouring skies; Dark in embowering shade, conceal'd from sight, Sat Sleep, in likeness of the bird of night.

(Chalcis his name by those of heavenly birth, But call'd Cymindis by the race of earth.)

To Ida's top successful Juno flies; Great Jove surveys her with desiring eyes: The G.o.d, whose lightning sets the heavens on fire, Through all his bosom feels the fierce desire; Fierce as when first by stealth he seized her charms, Mix'd with her soul, and melted in her arms: Fix'd on her eyes he fed his eager look, Then press'd her hand, and thus with transport spoke:

"Why comes my G.o.ddess from the ethereal sky, And not her steeds and flaming chariot nigh?"

Then she--"I haste to those remote abodes Where the great parents of the deathless G.o.ds, The reverend Ocean and gray Tethys, reign, On the last limits of the land and main.

I visit these, to whose indulgent cares I owe the nursing of my tender years: For strife, I hear, has made that union cease Which held so long that ancient pair in peace.

The steeds, prepared my chariot to convey O'er earth and seas, and through the aerial way, Wait under Ide: of thy superior power To ask consent, I leave the Olympian bower; Nor seek, unknown to thee, the sacred cells Deep under seas, where h.o.a.ry Ocean dwells."

"For that (said Jove) suffice another day!

But eager love denies the least delay.

Let softer cares the present hour employ, And be these moments sacred all to joy.

Ne'er did my soul so strong a pa.s.sion prove, Or for an earthly, or a heavenly love: Not when I press'd Ixion's matchless dame, Whence rose Pirithous like the G.o.ds in fame: Not when fair Danae felt the shower of gold Stream into life, whence Perseus brave and bold.

Not thus I burn'd for either Theban dame: (Bacchus from this, from that Alcides came:) Nor Phoenix' daughter, beautiful and young, Whence G.o.dlike Rhadamanth and Minos sprung.(236) Not thus I burn'd for fair Latona's face, Nor comelier Ceres' more majestic grace.

Not thus even for thyself I felt desire, As now my veins receive the pleasing fire."

He spoke; the G.o.ddess with the charming eyes Glows with celestial red, and thus replies: "Is this a scene for love? On Ida's height, Exposed to mortal and immortal sight!

Our joys profaned by each familiar eye; The sport of heaven, and fable of the sky: How shall I e'er review the blest abodes, Or mix among the senate of the G.o.ds?

Shall I not think, that, with disorder'd charms, All heaven beholds me recent from thy arms?

With skill divine has Vulcan form'd thy bower, Sacred to love and to the genial hour; If such thy will, to that recess retire, In secret there indulge thy soft desire."

She ceased; and, smiling with superior love, Thus answer'd mild the cloud-compelling Jove: "Nor G.o.d nor mortal shall our joys behold, Shaded with clouds, and circ.u.mfused in gold; Not even the sun, who darts through heaven his rays, And whose broad eye the extended earth surveys."

Gazing he spoke, and, kindling at the view, His eager arms around the G.o.ddess threw.

Glad Earth perceives, and from her bosom pours Unbidden herbs and voluntary flowers: Thick new-born violets a soft carpet spread, And cl.u.s.tering lotos swell'd the rising bed, And sudden hyacinths the turf bestrow,(237) And flamy crocus made the mountain glow There golden clouds conceal the heavenly pair, Steep'd in soft joys and circ.u.mfused with air; Celestial dews, descending o'er the ground, Perfume the mount, and breathe ambrosia round: At length, with love and sleep's soft power oppress'd, The panting thunderer nods, and sinks to rest.

Now to the navy borne on silent wings, To Neptune's ear soft Sleep his message brings; Beside him sudden, unperceived, he stood, And thus with gentle words address'd the G.o.d:

"Now, Neptune! now, the important hour employ, To check a while the haughty hopes of Troy: While Jove yet rests, while yet my vapours shed The golden vision round his sacred head; For Juno's love, and Somnus' pleasing ties, Have closed those awful and eternal eyes."

Thus having said, the power of slumber flew, On human lids to drop the balmy dew.

Neptune, with zeal increased, renews his care, And towering in the foremost ranks of war, Indignant thus--"Oh once of martial fame!

O Greeks! if yet ye can deserve the name!

This half-recover'd day shall Troy obtain?

Shall Hector thunder at your ships again?

Lo! still he vaunts, and threats the fleet with fires, While stern Achilles in his wrath retires.

One hero's loss too tamely you deplore, Be still yourselves, and ye shall need no more.

Oh yet, if glory any bosom warms, Brace on your firmest helms, and stand to arms: His strongest spear each valiant Grecian wield, Each valiant Grecian seize his broadest shield; Let to the weak the lighter arms belong, The ponderous targe be wielded by the strong.

Thus arm'd, not Hector shall our presence stay; Myself, ye Greeks! myself will lead the way."