Till by degrees accomplish'd in the beast,

She neigh'd outright, and all the steed expreft.

Her stooping body on her hands is borne,

835

Her hands are turn'd to hoofs, and fhod in horn;

Her yellow treffes ruffle in a mane,

And in a flowing tail she frisks her train :

The Mare was finish'd in her voice and look,

And a new name from the new figure took.

The transformation of Battus to a Touchstone.

SORE wept the Centaur, and to Phœbus pray'd;
But how could Phoebus give the Centaur aid?
Degraded of his pow'r by angry Jove,

In Elis then a herd of beeves he drove,
And wielded in his hand a staff of oak,

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And o'er his fhoulders threw the shepherd's cloke;
On seven compacted reeds he us'd to play,
And on his rural pipe to waste the day.

As once, attentive to his pipe, he play'd,
The crafty Hermes from the god convey'd 850
A drove, that fep'rate from their fellows ftray'd:
The theft an old infidious peasant view'd,
(They call'd him Battus in the neighbourhood)
Hir'd by a wealthy Pylian prince to feed

856

His favourite mares, and watch the gen'rous breed.
The thievish god suspected him, and took
The hind afide, and thus in whispers spoke;
"Discover not the theft, whoe'er thou be,

"And take that milk-white heifer for thy fee."

"Go, stranger," cries the clown, "fecurely on, 860 "That ftone fhall fooner tell;" and show'd a ftone.

The god withdrew, but itraight return'd again, In fpeech and habit like a country swain, And cries out," Neighbour, haft thou seen a stray "Of bullocks and of heifers pass this way? "In the recov'ry of my cattle join,

"A bullock and a heifer shall be thine."

865

The peafant quick replies, "You'll find 'em there "In yon' dark vale:" and in the vale they were. The double bribe had his false heart beguil'd: 870 The god, fuccefsful in the trial, fmil'd'; "And dost thou thus betray myself to me? "Me to myself dost thou betray ?” says hè; Then to a Touchstone turns the faithlefs fpy, And in his name records his infamy.

875

The ftory of Aglauros transformed into a Statue.
THIS done, the god flew up on high, and pass'd
O'er lofty Athens, by Minerva grac'd,
And wide Munichia, whilst his eyes furvey
All the vast region that beneath him lay.
'Twas now the feaft, when each Athenian maid

Her yearly homage to Minerva paid;

In canisters, with garlands cover'd o'er,

High on their heads their mystic gifts they bore;
And now, returning in a folemn train,

881

The troop of fhining virgins fill'd the plain.

885

The god, well-pleas'd, beheld the pompous show, And faw the bright proceffion pass below, Then veer'd about, and took a wheeling flight, And hover'd o'er them. As the fpreading kite, That smells the flaughter'd victim from on high, Flies at a distance if the priests are nigh,

891

And fails around, and keeps it in her eye,

So kept the god the virgin choir in view,

And in flow winding circles round them few.
As Lucifer excels the meaneft star,

895

Or as the full-orb'd Phoebe Lucifer,
So much did Hersè all the rest outvy,
And gave a grace to the folemnity.

Hermes was fir'd, as in the clouds he hang;
So the cold bullet, that with fury Aung

From Balearic engines, mounts on high,

дсо

905

Glows in the whirl, and burns along the sky.
At length he pitch'd upon the ground, and show'd
The form divine, the features of a god :
He knew their virtue o'er a female heart,
And yet he strives to better them by art:
He hangs his mantle loose, and fets to show
The golden edging on the feam below,
Adjusts his flowing curls, and in his hand

Waves, with an air, the fleep-procuring wand, 910
The glittering fandals to his feet applies,
And to each heel the well-trimm'd pinion ties.
His ornaments with niceft art display'd,

He feeks th' apartment of the royal maid.

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The roof was all with polish'd iv'ry lin❜d,
That, richly mix'd, in clouds of tortoise shin'd.
Three rooms, contiguous, in a range were plac'd,
The midmoft by the beauteous Hersè grac'd;
Her virgin fifters lodg'd on either side.
Aglauros first th' approaching god descry'd,
And, as he cross'd her chamber, ask'd his name,
And what his bus'nefs was, and whence he came ?
"I come," reply'd the god, "from heav'n, to woo
"Your fifter, and to make an aunt of you;
"I am the fon and meffenger of Jove,
"My name is Mercury, my bus'ness love;
"Do you, kind damfel! take a lover's part,
"And gain admittance to your fifter's heart."

She star'd him in the face with looks amaz'd,
As when she on Minerva's fecret gaz'd,
And asks a mighty treasure for her hire,

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And till he brings it makes the god retire.
Minerva griev'd to see the nymph fucceed,
And now rememb'ring the late impious deed,
When, difobedient to her strict command,
She touch'd the chest with an unhallow'd hand,
In big swoln fighs her inward rage exprest,

935

That heav'd the rifing Ægis on her breast,

Then fought out Envy in her dark abode,

Defil'd with ropy gore and clots of blood:

940

Shut from the winds, and from the wholsome skies, In a deep vale the gloomy dungeon lies,

Difmal and cold, where not a beam of light
Invades the winter, or disturbs the night.

Directly to the cave her course she steer'd; 945
Against the gates her martial lance she rear'd;
The gates flew open, and the fiend appear'd.
A pois'nous morfel in her teeth the chew'd,
And gorg'd the flesh of vipers for her food.
Minerva loathing, turn'd away her eye;
The hideous monster, rifing heavily,

Came stalking forward with a fullen pace,
And left her mangled offals on the place.
Soon as she saw the goddess gay and bright,
She fetch'd a groan at such a cheerful sight.
Livid and meagre were her looks, her eye
In foul diftorted glances turn'd awry;
A hoard of gall her inward parts poffeft,

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And spread a greenness o'er her canker'd breast: Her teeth were brown with ruft; and from her tongue,

In dangling drops, the stringy poison hung.

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She never smiles but when the wretched weep,

Nor lulls her malice with a moment's fleep,

Restless in spite; while, watchful to deftroy,

She pines and fickens at another's jay:

965

Foe to herself, distreffing and distrest,

She bears her own tormenter in her breaft.

The goddess gave (for fhe abhorr'd her fight)

A fhort command: "To Athens fpeed thy flight; "On curs'd Aglauros try thy utmost art,

"And fix thy rankeft venoms in her heart."

970