Delusive as a dream. Anew with grief

Heart-chill'd I fpake, Why, mother will you fly

Your fon's incircling arms?

My dutcous love, and let our

Mingling in one full stream!

O here permit

forrows flow
Or has the queen

Whofe frown the Shades revere, to work me woe,
A guileful image form'd? She thus replies:

Of all mankind, O most to grief inur'd !
Deem not that aught of guile by phantoms vain
Is here intended, but the effence pure

Of separate fouls is of all living touch
Impaffive: here no grofs material frame

We wear, with flesh incumber'd, nerves, and bone;
They 're calcin'd on the pile: but when we cease
To draw the breath of life, the foul on wing
Fleets like a dream, from elemental drofs
Difparted and refin'd. Now to the realms
Illumin'd with the fun's enlivening beam,
Hence journeying upward, to your confort dear
Difclofe the fecrets of our ftate below.

Thus we alternate, till a beauteous train
Of noblefs near advance their steps, enlarg'd
By radiant Proferpine, daughters and wives
To kings and heroes old: the goary pool
The fair affembly thick furround, to fip
The tasteful liquid: I the fates of each
Defirous to hear ftoried, wave my fword
In airy circles, while they fingly fate
Their appetites; then curious afk of each
Her ancestry, which all in order told.

Tyre

Tyro first audience claim'd, the daughter fair Of great Salmoneus; fhe with Cretheus fhar'd Connubial love, but long in virgin bloom Enamour'd of Enipeus, inly pin'd: Enipeus, fwift from whofe reclining urn Rolls a delicious flood. His lovely form Neptune affum'd, and the bright nymph beguil'd Wandering love-penfive near his amber ftream: Them plunging in the flopy flood receiv'd Redounding; and to skreen his amorous theft, On either fide the parted waves up-rear'd A crystal mound. Potent of rapturous joy, And fated, thus he spake: Hail, royal fair! Thy womb fhall teem with twins (a god's embrace Is ever fruitful) and those pledges dear

Of our sweet cafual blifs nurture and tend

With a fond mother's care: hence homeward speed,
And from all human ken our amorous act
Conceal fo Neptune bids thee now farewell.
He ceas'd, and diving fudden was ingulph'd
Deep in the gurgling eddy. Two fair fons
Th' appointed months discharg'd, by supreme Jove
Both scepter'd. Pelias firft; his empire wide
Stretch'd o'er Iölcos, whofe irriguous vales
His grazing folds o'erfleec'd: her younger birth,
Neleus, was honour'd through the fandy realm
Of Pylus. She by Cretheus then efpous'd,
A fair increase, Æfon and Pheres, bore;
And great Amythaon, who with fiery steeds
Oft' difarray'd the foes in battle rang'd.

The

The daughter of Afopus next I view'd,
Antiope, boaftful that she, by Jove
Impregnate, had the fam'd Amphion borne,
And Zethus, founder of imperial Thebes,

Stately with feven large gates, and bulwark'd strong
Against invading powers. Alcmena fair,
Amphitryon's confort, then advanc'd to view;
To heaven's fupreme who bore Alcides, bold
And lion-hearted. Next that lovely shade
Stood Megara, of Creon's royal race,
By great Alcides fpous'd. To her fucceeds
The fhceny form of Epicafte, woo'd
By Ocdipus her fon, to whom she deign'd
Spoufal embraces, thoughtlefs of mifdeed,
He having too (ill-starr'd!) destroy'd his fire,
His lineage with incestuous mixture foil'd,
Blinded by destiny; but the just gods

Difclos'd th' unnatural fcene. In Thebes he fway'd,
With various ills by heaven's afflictive rod
Difcomfited but the through fell defpair
Self-strangled, from the ftings of mortal life
Fled to the fhades, and her furviving fon
With delegated furies fierce purfued.
An amiable image next appcar'd;
Bright Chloris, of Amphion's lofty stem
The youngest bud: in fweet attractive pomp
On her the Graces ever-waiting fmit

The heart of Neleus, whom the Pylian tribes
Homag'd with fcalty: from their wedded love
Sprung Neftor, Chromius, and the boastful power

Of Periclymenus; befides a nymph,

Pero, of form divine: her virgin vows

By many a prince were fought, but Neleus deign'd
To none her bed, but him whofe prowefs'd arm
Should force from Phylace a furious herd

Of wild Theffalian beeves, t' avenge the dower
Which Iphiclus detain'd. This bold emprise
A feer accepted; but, in combat foil'd,
In thrall for twelve revolving moons he lay,
Deep in a dungeon close immur'd, 'till found
Divine of fate, by folving problems quaint
Which Iphiclus propos'd, who strait dismiss'd
The captive; fo was Jove's high will complete.
Then Ledo, fpous'd by Tyndarus, I saw,
Mother of the fam'd twins, Caftor expert
To tame the fteed, and Pollux far renown'd
On lifted fields for conflict; who from Jove
Receiv'd a grateful boon like gods to live,
Mounting alternate to this upper orb.

Next Iphimedia glides in view, the wife
Of great Alocus, who in love comprefs'd
By Neptune, bore (fo fhe the fact avow'd)
Otus and Ephialtes, whom the fates
Cut short in early prime: their infant years
Nurtur'd by Earth, enormous both attain'd
Gigantic ftature, and for manly grace

Were next Orion rank'd; for in the course
Of nine fwift circling years, nine cubits broad
Their fhoulders meafur'd, and nine ells their height.
Improvident of foul, they vainly dar'd

The gods to war, and on Olympus hoar

Rear'd

Rear'd Offa, and on Offa Pelion pil'd

Torn from the bafe with all its woods; by fcale
T'affault heaven's battlements; and had their date
To manhood been prolong'd, had fure atchiev'd
Their ruinous aim: but by the filver dart
Of Phoebus fheer transfix'd, ere springing down
Shaded their rofy youth, they both expir'd.
Ill-fated Phædra then with Procris came,
And Ariadne, who them both furpass'd
In goddess-like demeanor: from her fire
Minos, the rigid arbiter of right,
Thefeus of old convey'd her, with intent
At Athens, link'd in love, with her to reign:
But ftern Diana, by the guileful plea

Of Bacchus won, diffever'd foon their joys,
And caus'd the lovely nymph to fall forlorn
In Dia, with circumfluous feas in-girt,
Of nuptial rights defrauded. Next advance
Mæra and Clymenè, a beauteous pair;
And Eriphyle, whose once radiant charms
A cloud of forrow dimm'd; for fhe, devoid
Of duteous love, for gold betray'd her lord.---
Here let me ceafe narration, nor relate
What other objects fair, daughters and wives
Of heroes old, I faw; for now the night
In clouded majefty has journey'd far,
Admonishing to reft, which with my mates,
Or here with you, my wearied nature craves;
Meantime affianc'd in the gods and you,
To fpeed my voyage to my native realm.