Metamorphoses (Books I-XIV)
The Transformation of Daedalion
11:399 Peleus unmix'd felicity enjoy'd
11:400 (Blest in a valiant son, and virtuous bride),
11:401 'Till Fortune did in blood his hands imbrue,
11:402 And his own brother by curst chance he slew:
11:403 Then driv'n from Thessaly, his native clime,
11:404 Trachinia first gave shelter to his crime;
11:405 Where peaceful Ceyx mildly fill'd the throne,
11:406 And like his sire, the morning planet, shone;
11:407 But now, unlike himself, bedew'd with tears,
11:408 Mourning a brother lost, his brow appears.
11:409 First to the town with travel spent, and care,
11:410 Peleus, and his small company repair:
11:411 His herds, and flocks the while at leisure feed,
11:412 On the rich pasture of a neighb'ring mead.
11:413 The prince before the royal presence brought,
11:414 Shew'd by the suppliant olive what he sought;
11:415 Then tells his name, and race, and country right,
11:416 But hides th' unhappy reason of his flight.
11:417 He begs the king some little town to give,
11:418 Where they may safe his faithful vassals live.
11:419 Ceyx reply'd: To all my bounty flows,
11:420 A hospitable realm your suit has chose.
11:421 Your glorious race, and far-resounding fame,
11:422 And grandsire Jove, peculiar favours claim.
11:423 All you can wish, I grant; entreaties spare;
11:424 My kingdom (would 'twere worth the sharing) share.
11:425 Tears stop'd his speech: astonish'd Peleus pleads
11:426 To know the cause from whence his grief proceeds.
11:427 The prince reply'd: There's none of ye but deems
11:428 This hawk was ever such as now it seems;
11:429 Know 'twas a heroe once, Daedalion nam'd,
11:430 For warlike deeds, and haughty valour fam'd;
11:431 Like me to that bright luminary born,
11:432 Who wakes Aurora, and brings on the morn.
11:433 His fierceness still remains, and love of blood,
11:434 Now dread of birds, and tyrant of the wood.
11:435 My make was softer, peace my greatest care;
11:436 But this my brother wholly bent on war;
11:437 Late nations fear'd, and routed armies fled
11:438 That force, which now the tim'rous pigeons dread.
11:439 A daughter he possess'd, divinely fair,
11:440 And scarcely yet had seen her fifteenth year;
11:441 Young Chione: a thousand rivals strove
11:442 To win the maid, and teach her how to love.
11:443 Phoebus, and Mercury by chance one day
11:444 From Delphi, and Cyllene past this way;
11:445 Together they the virgin saw: desire
11:446 At once warm'd both their breasts with am'rous fire.
11:447 Phoebus resolv'd to wait 'till close of day;
11:448 But Mercury's hot love brook'd no delay;
11:449 With his entrancing rod the maid he charms,
11:450 And unresisted revels in her arms.
11:451 'Twas night, and Phoebus in a beldam's dress,
11:452 To the late rifled beauty got access.
11:453 Her time compleat nine circling moons had run;
11:454 To either God she bore a lovely son:
11:455 To Mercury Autolycus she brought,
11:456 Who turn'd to thefts and tricks his subtle thought;
11:457 Possess'd he was of all his father's slight,
11:458 At will made white look black, and black look white.
11:459 Philammon born to Phoebus, like his sire,
11:460 The Muses lov'd, and finely struck the lyre,
11:461 And made his voice, and touch in harmony conspire.
11:462 In vain, fond maid, you boast this double birth,
11:463 The love of Gods, and royal father's worth,
11:464 And Jove among your ancestors rehearse!
11:465 Could blessings such as these e'er prove a curse?
11:466 To her they did, who with audacious pride,
11:467 Vain of her own, Diana's charms decry'd.
11:468 Her taunts the Goddess with resentment fill;
11:469 My face you like not, you shall try my skill.
11:470 She said; and strait her vengeful bow she strung,
11:471 And sent a shaft that pierc'd her guilty tongue:
11:472 The bleeding tongue in vain its accents tries;
11:473 In the red stream her soul reluctant flies.
11:474 With sorrow wild I ran to her relief,
11:475 And try'd to moderate my brother's grief.
11:476 He, deaf as rocks by stormy surges beat,
11:477 Loudly laments, and hears me not intreat.
11:478 When on the fun'ral pile he saw her laid,
11:479 Thrice he to rush into the flames assay'd,
11:480 Thrice with officious care by us was stay'd.
11:481 Now, mad with grief, away he fled amain,
11:482 Like a stung heifer that resents the pain,
11:483 And bellowing wildly bounds along the plain.
11:484 O'er the most rugged ways so fast he ran,
11:485 He seem'd a bird already, not a man:
11:486 He left us breathless all behind; and now
11:487 In quest of death had gain'd Parnassus' brow:
11:488 But when from thence headlong himself he threw,
11:489 He fell not, but with airy pinions flew.
11:490 Phoebus in pity chang'd him to a fowl,
11:491 Whose crooked beak and claws the birds controul,
11:492 Little of bulk, but of a warlike soul.
11:493 A hawk become, the feather'd race's foe,
11:494 He tries to case his own by other's woe.
Metamorphoses (Books I-XIV)
The Transformation of Daedalion
11:399 Peleus unmix'd felicity enjoy'd
11:400 (Blest in a valiant son, and virtuous bride),
11:401 'Till Fortune did in blood his hands imbrue,
11:402 And his own brother by curst chance he slew:
11:403 Then driv'n from Thessaly, his native clime,
11:404 Trachinia first gave shelter to his crime;
11:405 Where peaceful Ceyx mildly fill'd the throne,
11:406 And like his sire, the morning planet, shone;
11:407 But now, unlike himself, bedew'd with tears,
11:408 Mourning a brother lost, his brow appears.
11:409 First to the town with travel spent, and care,
11:410 Peleus, and his small company repair:
11:411 His herds, and flocks the while at leisure feed,
11:412 On the rich pasture of a neighb'ring mead.
11:413 The prince before the royal presence brought,
11:414 Shew'd by the suppliant olive what he sought;
11:415 Then tells his name, and race, and country right,
11:416 But hides th' unhappy reason of his flight.
11:417 He begs the king some little town to give,
11:418 Where they may safe his faithful vassals live.
11:419 Ceyx reply'd: To all my bounty flows,
11:420 A hospitable realm your suit has chose.
11:421 Your glorious race, and far-resounding fame,
11:422 And grandsire Jove, peculiar favours claim.
11:423 All you can wish, I grant; entreaties spare;
11:424 My kingdom (would 'twere worth the sharing) share.
11:425 Tears stop'd his speech: astonish'd Peleus pleads
11:426 To know the cause from whence his grief proceeds.
11:427 The prince reply'd: There's none of ye but deems
11:428 This hawk was ever such as now it seems;
11:429 Know 'twas a heroe once, Daedalion nam'd,
11:430 For warlike deeds, and haughty valour fam'd;
11:431 Like me to that bright luminary born,
11:432 Who wakes Aurora, and brings on the morn.
11:433 His fierceness still remains, and love of blood,
11:434 Now dread of birds, and tyrant of the wood.
11:435 My make was softer, peace my greatest care;
11:436 But this my brother wholly bent on war;
11:437 Late nations fear'd, and routed armies fled
11:438 That force, which now the tim'rous pigeons dread.
11:439 A daughter he possess'd, divinely fair,
11:440 And scarcely yet had seen her fifteenth year;
11:441 Young Chione: a thousand rivals strove
11:442 To win the maid, and teach her how to love.
11:443 Phoebus, and Mercury by chance one day
11:444 From Delphi, and Cyllene past this way;
11:445 Together they the virgin saw: desire
11:446 At once warm'd both their breasts with am'rous fire.
11:447 Phoebus resolv'd to wait 'till close of day;
11:448 But Mercury's hot love brook'd no delay;
11:449 With his entrancing rod the maid he charms,
11:450 And unresisted revels in her arms.
11:451 'Twas night, and Phoebus in a beldam's dress,
11:452 To the late rifled beauty got access.
11:453 Her time compleat nine circling moons had run;
11:454 To either God she bore a lovely son:
11:455 To Mercury Autolycus she brought,
11:456 Who turn'd to thefts and tricks his subtle thought;
11:457 Possess'd he was of all his father's slight,
11:458 At will made white look black, and black look white.
11:459 Philammon born to Phoebus, like his sire,
11:460 The Muses lov'd, and finely struck the lyre,
11:461 And made his voice, and touch in harmony conspire.
11:462 In vain, fond maid, you boast this double birth,
11:463 The love of Gods, and royal father's worth,
11:464 And Jove among your ancestors rehearse!
11:465 Could blessings such as these e'er prove a curse?
11:466 To her they did, who with audacious pride,
11:467 Vain of her own, Diana's charms decry'd.
11:468 Her taunts the Goddess with resentment fill;
11:469 My face you like not, you shall try my skill.
11:470 She said; and strait her vengeful bow she strung,
11:471 And sent a shaft that pierc'd her guilty tongue:
11:472 The bleeding tongue in vain its accents tries;
11:473 In the red stream her soul reluctant flies.
11:474 With sorrow wild I ran to her relief,
11:475 And try'd to moderate my brother's grief.
11:476 He, deaf as rocks by stormy surges beat,
11:477 Loudly laments, and hears me not intreat.
11:478 When on the fun'ral pile he saw her laid,
11:479 Thrice he to rush into the flames assay'd,
11:480 Thrice with officious care by us was stay'd.
11:481 Now, mad with grief, away he fled amain,
11:482 Like a stung heifer that resents the pain,
11:483 And bellowing wildly bounds along the plain.
11:484 O'er the most rugged ways so fast he ran,
11:485 He seem'd a bird already, not a man:
11:486 He left us breathless all behind; and now
11:487 In quest of death had gain'd Parnassus' brow:
11:488 But when from thence headlong himself he threw,
11:489 He fell not, but with airy pinions flew.
11:490 Phoebus in pity chang'd him to a fowl,
11:491 Whose crooked beak and claws the birds controul,
11:492 Little of bulk, but of a warlike soul.
11:493 A hawk become, the feather'd race's foe,
11:494 He tries to case his own by other's woe.