Metamorphoses (Books I-XIV)
Caeneus transform'd to an Eagle
12:609 Already Caeneus, with his conquering hand,
12:610 Had slaughter'd five the boldest of their band.
12:611 Pyrachmus, Helymus, Antimachus,
12:612 Bromus the brave, and stronger Stiphelus,
12:613 Their names I number'd, and remember well,
12:614 No trace remaining, by what wounds they fell.
12:615 Laitreus, the bulki'st of the double race,
12:616 Whom the spoil'd arms of slain Halesus grace,
12:617 In years retaining still his youthful might,
12:618 Though his black hairs were interspers'd with white,
12:619 Betwixt th' imbattled ranks began to prance,
12:620 Proud of his helm, and Macedonian lance;
12:621 And rode the ring around; that either hoast
12:622 Might hear him, while he made this empty boast:
12:623 And from a strumpet shall we suffer shame?
12:624 For Caenis still, not Caeneus, is thy name:
12:625 And still the native softness of thy kind
12:626 Prevails; and leaves the woman in thy mind;
12:627 Remember what thou wert; what price was paid
12:628 To change thy sex; to make thee not a maid:
12:629 And but a man in shew; go, card and spin;
12:630 And leave the business of the war to men.
12:631 While thus the boaster exercis'd his pride,
12:632 The fatal spear of Caeneus reach'd his side:
12:633 Just in the mixture of the kinds it ran;
12:634 Betwixt the neather beast, and upper man:
12:635 The monster mad with rage, and stung with smart,
12:636 His lance directed at the hero's heart:
12:637 It struck; but bounded from his harden'd breast,
12:638 Like hail from tiles, which the safe house invest.
12:639 Nor seem'd the stroke with more effect to come,
12:640 Than a small pebble falling on a drum.
12:641 He next his fauchion try'd, in closer fight;
12:642 But the keen fauchion had no pow'r to bite.
12:643 He thrust; the blunted point return'd again:
12:644 Since downright blows, he cry'd, and thrusts are vain,
12:645 I'll prove his side; in strong embraces held
12:646 He prov'd his side; his side the sword repell'd:
12:647 His hollow belly eccho'd to the stroke,
12:648 Untouch'd his body, as a solid rock;
12:649 Aim'd at his neck at last, the blade in shivers broke.
12:650 Th' impassive knight stood idle, to deride
12:651 His rage, and offer'd oft his naked side;
12:652 At length, Now monster, in thy turn, he cry'd,
12:653 Try thou the strength of Caeneus: at the word
12:654 He thrust; and in his shoulder plung'd the sword.
12:655 Then writh'd his hand; and as he drove it down,
12:656 Deep in his breast, made many wounds in one.
12:657 The centaurs saw, inrag'd, th' unhop'd success;
12:658 And rushing on in crowds, together press;
12:659 At him, and him alone, their darts they threw:
12:660 Repuls'd they from his fated body flew.
12:661 Amaz'd they stood; 'till Monichus began,
12:662 O shame, a nation conquer'd by a man!
12:663 A woman-man! yet more a man is he,
12:664 Than all our race; and what he was, are we.
12:665 Now, what avail our nerves? th' united force,
12:666 Of two the strongest creatures, man and horse;
12:667 Nor Goddess-born; nor of Ixion's seed
12:668 We seem (a lover built for Juno's bed);
12:669 Master'd by this half man. Whole mountains throw
12:670 With woods at once, and bury him below.
12:671 This only way remains. Nor need we doubt
12:672 To choak the soul within; though not to force it out:
12:673 Heap weights, instead of wounds. He chanc'd to see
12:674 Where southern storms had rooted up a tree;
12:675 This, rais'd from Earth, against the foe he threw;
12:676 Th' example shewn, his fellow-brutes pursue.
12:677 With forest-loads the warrior they invade;
12:678 Othrys, and Pelion soon were void of shade;
12:679 And spreading groves were naked mountains made.
12:680 Press'd with the burden, Caeneus pants for breath;
12:681 And on his shoulders bears the wooden death.
12:682 To heave th' intolerable weight he tries;
12:683 At length it rose above his mouth and eyes:
12:684 Yet still he heaves; and, strugling with despair,
12:685 Shakes all aside, and gains a gulp of air:
12:686 A short relief, which but prolongs his pain;
12:687 He faints by fits; and then respires again:
12:688 At last, the burden only nods above,
12:689 As when an earthquake stirs th' Idaean grove.
12:690 Doubtful his death: he suffocated seem'd,
12:691 To most; but otherwise our Mopsus deem'd,
12:692 Who said he saw a yellow bird arise
12:693 From out the piles, and cleave the liquid skies:
12:694 I saw it too, with golden feathers bright;
12:695 Nor e'er before beheld so strange a sight.
12:696 Whom Mopsus viewing, as it soar'd around
12:697 Our troop, and heard the pinions' rattling sound,
12:698 All hail, he cry'd, thy country's grace and love!
12:699 Once first of men below, now first of birds above.
12:700 Its author to the story gave belief:
12:701 For us, our courage was increas'd by grief:
12:702 Asham'd to see a single man, pursu'd
12:703 With odds, to sink beneath a multitude,
12:704 We push'd the foe: and forc'd to shameful flight,
12:705 Part fell, and part escap'd by favour of the night.
Metamorphoses (Books I-XIV)
Caeneus transform'd to an Eagle
12:609 Already Caeneus, with his conquering hand,
12:610 Had slaughter'd five the boldest of their band.
12:611 Pyrachmus, Helymus, Antimachus,
12:612 Bromus the brave, and stronger Stiphelus,
12:613 Their names I number'd, and remember well,
12:614 No trace remaining, by what wounds they fell.
12:615 Laitreus, the bulki'st of the double race,
12:616 Whom the spoil'd arms of slain Halesus grace,
12:617 In years retaining still his youthful might,
12:618 Though his black hairs were interspers'd with white,
12:619 Betwixt th' imbattled ranks began to prance,
12:620 Proud of his helm, and Macedonian lance;
12:621 And rode the ring around; that either hoast
12:622 Might hear him, while he made this empty boast:
12:623 And from a strumpet shall we suffer shame?
12:624 For Caenis still, not Caeneus, is thy name:
12:625 And still the native softness of thy kind
12:626 Prevails; and leaves the woman in thy mind;
12:627 Remember what thou wert; what price was paid
12:628 To change thy sex; to make thee not a maid:
12:629 And but a man in shew; go, card and spin;
12:630 And leave the business of the war to men.
12:631 While thus the boaster exercis'd his pride,
12:632 The fatal spear of Caeneus reach'd his side:
12:633 Just in the mixture of the kinds it ran;
12:634 Betwixt the neather beast, and upper man:
12:635 The monster mad with rage, and stung with smart,
12:636 His lance directed at the hero's heart:
12:637 It struck; but bounded from his harden'd breast,
12:638 Like hail from tiles, which the safe house invest.
12:639 Nor seem'd the stroke with more effect to come,
12:640 Than a small pebble falling on a drum.
12:641 He next his fauchion try'd, in closer fight;
12:642 But the keen fauchion had no pow'r to bite.
12:643 He thrust; the blunted point return'd again:
12:644 Since downright blows, he cry'd, and thrusts are vain,
12:645 I'll prove his side; in strong embraces held
12:646 He prov'd his side; his side the sword repell'd:
12:647 His hollow belly eccho'd to the stroke,
12:648 Untouch'd his body, as a solid rock;
12:649 Aim'd at his neck at last, the blade in shivers broke.
12:650 Th' impassive knight stood idle, to deride
12:651 His rage, and offer'd oft his naked side;
12:652 At length, Now monster, in thy turn, he cry'd,
12:653 Try thou the strength of Caeneus: at the word
12:654 He thrust; and in his shoulder plung'd the sword.
12:655 Then writh'd his hand; and as he drove it down,
12:656 Deep in his breast, made many wounds in one.
12:657 The centaurs saw, inrag'd, th' unhop'd success;
12:658 And rushing on in crowds, together press;
12:659 At him, and him alone, their darts they threw:
12:660 Repuls'd they from his fated body flew.
12:661 Amaz'd they stood; 'till Monichus began,
12:662 O shame, a nation conquer'd by a man!
12:663 A woman-man! yet more a man is he,
12:664 Than all our race; and what he was, are we.
12:665 Now, what avail our nerves? th' united force,
12:666 Of two the strongest creatures, man and horse;
12:667 Nor Goddess-born; nor of Ixion's seed
12:668 We seem (a lover built for Juno's bed);
12:669 Master'd by this half man. Whole mountains throw
12:670 With woods at once, and bury him below.
12:671 This only way remains. Nor need we doubt
12:672 To choak the soul within; though not to force it out:
12:673 Heap weights, instead of wounds. He chanc'd to see
12:674 Where southern storms had rooted up a tree;
12:675 This, rais'd from Earth, against the foe he threw;
12:676 Th' example shewn, his fellow-brutes pursue.
12:677 With forest-loads the warrior they invade;
12:678 Othrys, and Pelion soon were void of shade;
12:679 And spreading groves were naked mountains made.
12:680 Press'd with the burden, Caeneus pants for breath;
12:681 And on his shoulders bears the wooden death.
12:682 To heave th' intolerable weight he tries;
12:683 At length it rose above his mouth and eyes:
12:684 Yet still he heaves; and, strugling with despair,
12:685 Shakes all aside, and gains a gulp of air:
12:686 A short relief, which but prolongs his pain;
12:687 He faints by fits; and then respires again:
12:688 At last, the burden only nods above,
12:689 As when an earthquake stirs th' Idaean grove.
12:690 Doubtful his death: he suffocated seem'd,
12:691 To most; but otherwise our Mopsus deem'd,
12:692 Who said he saw a yellow bird arise
12:693 From out the piles, and cleave the liquid skies:
12:694 I saw it too, with golden feathers bright;
12:695 Nor e'er before beheld so strange a sight.
12:696 Whom Mopsus viewing, as it soar'd around
12:697 Our troop, and heard the pinions' rattling sound,
12:698 All hail, he cry'd, thy country's grace and love!
12:699 Once first of men below, now first of birds above.
12:700 Its author to the story gave belief:
12:701 For us, our courage was increas'd by grief:
12:702 Asham'd to see a single man, pursu'd
12:703 With odds, to sink beneath a multitude,
12:704 We push'd the foe: and forc'd to shameful flight,
12:705 Part fell, and part escap'd by favour of the night.