Deep, deep she plung'd, beneath th' Egean tides,
In regal state, where hoary Nereus bides.—
To Thetis first was Juno's mandate giv❜n;
And, urg'd by Iris, she repair'd to Heav'n.
Next, the fair messenger to Vulcan came;
The bellows ceas'd to swell the roaring flame;
Attentive to his parent's high behest,

Thro' all his caves he bade the hammers rest.
Last, the fam'd son of Hippotas* she finds,
Immortal ruler of the stormy winds.

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To him her message, while the nymph addrest, 1259 And, pausing bade her weary pinions rest;

Fair Thetis left her sisters of the waves, And ancient sire, within the coral caves; And hasting to the blissful seats above, Obedient sought th' imperial wife of Jove. Her, sov'ran Juno at her right hand plac'd; And thus addrest, with fair reception grac'd."Now, lovely Thetis, with attention hear "The words, I destine for thy private ear. "Thou know'st how much my cares for Jason wake, "And those brave spirits, who his toils partake."Their vessel thro' the wandering isles I bore, "Where, charg'd with fire tremendous tempests roar; "Where pointed rocks the savage shore defend; "And thundering waves the mortal barriers rend. "But, if aright I read the page of fate,

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"Th' adventurous train yet greater dangers wait.—' "Full in their path the rocks of Scylla lie, "With dire Charybdis whirling to the sky."Thee, from a child, I nurst with partial hand, 1270 "More priz'd, more lov'd, than all the sea-born band, "Since thy proud virtue scorn'd the vows of Jove, "That wanderer, ever prone to lawless love.—

*Eolus.

"Mortals-immortals-in promiscuous throngs.

"With all alike, the nuptial couch he wrongs.

66

Thy pious mind rever'd the wedded law; "And Juno's rights inspir'd a virtuous awe.

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"Hence, as thou know'st, his wrathful doom he bound, "By that dire oath, the Stygian waves profound, "That never god, of all th' immortal train, "Should beauteous Thetis for his bride obtain. "Yet still, resistance seem'd to fan the fire, "And still his glance betray'd unchaste desire. "Till Themis, venerable pow'r, reveal'd "The high decree, from eldest time conceal'd. "-Perdition seek-let Thetis crown thy love"Produce a son, the conqueror of Jove.— "His passion, then, he curb'd with prudent fear, "Lest in his son he should a rival bear. "While I, to recompense thy prudent mind, "The first of mortals for thy spouse assign'd. "To meet thy chaste desires, with mutual flame, "And glad thee, with a mother's tender name. "The gods I summon'd to the nuptial rite, "And I myself sustain'd the nuptial light, "Rejoic'd, to give, in that auspicious hour, "Each mark of honour, that my love could show'r.— "Yet more-without disguise, I shall unfold "The destinies, by mystic fate enroll❜d.—

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"When thy lov'd son shall seek th' Elysian plains;

"Whom Chiron now, within his cave detains,

"With gentle naiads, who indulgent share

"The wakeful duties, of parental care.

"There is he doom'd to wed the Colchian maid;

"Thy future child demands thy present aid.

"And Peleus too-I see thine

anger flame.

"But what existence is exempt from blame?
"He may have erred-but powerful Até flies,
"Ev'n thro' the blissful mansions of the skies.--

L

1301

1310

"Vulcan, I trust, will yield to my, desires; "And hush thro' all his caves the raging fires. "While Eolus forbids the storm to sweep, "And only zephyrs wander o'er the deep. "Each element shall with propitious smile "Conspiring waft them to Phaacia's isle.— "Thence, I confide them, to thy guardian care. "Their safe return thy counsels shall prepare."Tremendous rocks the boding fears excite; "And mountain billows teem with wild affright, "Yet, from these perils, with benignant hand, 1320 "Thou and thy sisters may protect the band.— "Let them not drive incautious thro' the waves, "In greedy whirls, where dire Charybdis raves, "Wheel'd by devouring eddies round and round, "Absorpt to perish in the salt profound. "Nor let them, Scylla's dire recess attain, "The monstrous terror of th' Ausonian main. "Appalling offspring, she from Phorcys came, "And Hecate, whom men Cratais name, "Night-wandering power. Around her, dogs of hell "The billows vex, with never-ceasing yell. "The choice of heroes be it thine to save, "From ravening jaws, that gape amid the wave. "Safe let their bark the course of peril run; "However near, destruction let them shun.". Then, Thetis answer'd." Let the tempests sleep, "And raging fires within their caverns keep; "No danger from devouring billows fear, "Thro' them the vessel I profess to bear. "Let gentle zephyrs o'er the deeps prevail; "And safe to Greece I speed their flying sail. "But distant seats th' occasion bids me trace; "To meet my sisters of the Nereid race, "And gain concurrence of their friendly pow'r, "No mean support, in that laborious hour.

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"From thence, with rapid flight, I seek the land, "Where Jason's bark is anchor'd near the strand; "And urge the crew, when morn shall glad the sky, "To spread their sails, and o'er the billows fly."— These accents ended, downward she repairs, 1359 Thro' curling vapours, and thro' eddying airs. Her native realm, thro' azure waves profound, She sought, and call'd the sister Nereids round. When, crouding at the well-known voice, they came; She spake the will of Heav'n's imperial dame.— Prompt, at her bidding, from their parent caves, They throng'd obedient, thro' th' Ausonian waves. But, Thetis, swifter than the lightning's gleam, Or rapid progress of the solar beam,

That, parting, from the morning's orient birth, 1300 To western limits, traverses the earth,

Full soon appear'd, upon

ea's strand,

Near the wide limits of th' Etrurian land.

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The Grecian youths beside their bark she finds, With disk and javelin they relax'd their minds. Peleus, her spouse, was with the gallant crew. She seis'd his hand, and from the crowd withdrew. To him alone his consort shone reveal'd; A mist her beauties from the rest conceal'd."No more inactive on the shore remain. "With dawn returning, plough the wat❜ry plain. "So Juno wills, whose kind protecting pow'r "Wakes for your safety, in the dang❜rous hour. "She bids th' assembled Nereids of the tide, "Your vessel thro' the wand'ring islets guide."There lies the future voyage.But beware, "Lest thou my presence to thy friends declare; "When, to thine aid, emergent from the main, "I join my sisters of the Nereid train.

Deep in thy bosom let this caution stay; "Nor wake my wrath, as on a former day;

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"Lest unextinguish'd hate my spirit keep;
"And woes inflict, thy latest hours shall weep."
She ceas'd; and vanishing, with rapid flight,
The caves of ocean snatch'd her from his sight.—
The hero gaz'd, with anguish, and surprise.-
Long had her charms been strangers to his eyes;
Enrag'd, for young Achilles, since she fled;
Forsook his mansion; and disclaim'd his bed.-
O'er flaming lamps, amid the nightly gloom,
Her infant's mortal flesh she would consume.
Immortal being to the babe to give,

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And bid him free from age and sickness live.
She pour'd upon his little limbs, by day,
Ambrosial streams preventive of decay.-
As, starting from his couch, th' indignant sire
Beheld his darling panting in the fire;
Untaught to read the dictates of the sky,
Forward he rush'd, with a tremendous cry.→
The Goddess heard, with rage and grief profound;
And cast her infant screaming to the ground.
Like fading airy visions, forth she past,
With motion swifter than the northern blast;
And wrathful plung'd beneath the briny foam,
Divorc'd from Peleus, and estrang'd from home.
His soul with anguish fond remembrance fill'd;
Yet to the train he told what Thetis will'd.
Their sportive combats instant they forsook;
And o'er the grass an hasty banquet took,
Along the turf, they rested thro' the night,
To Heav'n's high vault till morning shot her light.-

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Now rush the zephyrs forth, with influence bland.→

They man their bark; and hasten from the strand.
Their anchors from the briny deep they heave;
And fit their ship, the wat'ry path to cleave.
They strain the rigging; from the mast on high,
And spreading yards, to bid the canvas fly,