And now was newly washed and put to bed,
Awake, but courting sleep with weary will,
And gathered in a lump, hands, feet, and head,
He lay, and his beloved tortoise still
He grasped and held under his shoulder-blade. 315
Phoebus the lovely mountain-goddess knew,
Not less her subtle, swindling baby, who
41.
Lay swathed in his sly wiles. Round every crook
Of the ample cavern, for his kine, Apollo
Looked sharp; and when he saw them not, he took 320
The glittering key, and opened three great hollow
Recesses in the rock — where many a nook
Was filled with the sweet food immortals swallow,
And mighty heaps of silver and of gold
Were piled within — a wonder to behold! 325
42.
And white and silver robes, all overwrought
With cunning workmanship of tracery sweet —
Except among the Gods there can be nought
In the wide world to be compared with it.
Latona’s offspring, after having sought 330
His herds in every corner, thus did greet
Great Hermes:—’Little cradled rogue, declare
Of my illustrious heifers, where they are!
43.
‘Speak quickly! or a quarrel between us
Must rise, and the event will be, that I 335
Shall hurl you into dismal Tartarus,
In fiery gloom to dwell eternally;
Nor shall your father nor your mother loose
The bars of that black dungeon — utterly
You shall be cast out from the light of day, 340
To rule the ghosts of men, unblessed as they.
44.
To whom thus Hermes slily answered:—’Son
Of great Latona, what a speech is this!
Why come you here to ask me what is done
With the wild oxen which it seems you miss? 345
I have not seen them, nor from any one
Have heard a word of the whole business;
If you should promise an immense reward,
I could not tell more than you now have heard.
45.
‘An ox-stealer should be both tall and strong, 350
And I am but a little new-born thing,
Who, yet at least, can think of nothing wrong: —
My business is to suck, and sleep, and fling
The cradle-clothes about me all day long, —
Or half asleep, hear my sweet mother sing, 355
And to be washed in water clean and warm,
And hushed and kissed and kept secure from harm.
46.
‘O, let not e’er this quarrel be averred!
The astounded Gods would laugh at you, if e’er
You should allege a story so absurd 360
As that a new-born infant forth could fare
Out of his home after a savage herd.
I was born yesterday — my small feet are
Too tender for the roads so hard and rough: —
And if you think that this is not enough, 365
47.
I swear a great oath, by my father’s head,
That I stole not your cows, and that I know
Of no one else, who might, or could, or did. —
Whatever things cows are, I do not know,
For I have only heard the name.’ — This said 370
He winked as fast as could be, and his brow
Was wrinkled, and a whistle loud gave he,
Like one who hears some strange absurdity.
48.
Apollo gently smiled and said:—’Ay, ay, —
You cunning little rascal, you will bore 375
Many a rich man’s house, and your array
Of thieves will lay their siege before his door,
Silent as night, in night; and many a day
In the wild glens rough shepherds will deplore
That you or yours, having an appetite, 380
Met with their cattle, comrade of the night!
49.
‘And this among the Gods shall be your gift,
To be considered as the lord of those
Who swindle, house-break, sheep-steal, and shop-lift; —
But now if you would not your last sleep doze; 385
Crawl out!’ — Thus saying, Phoebus did uplift
The subtle infant in his swaddling clothes,
And in his arms, according to his wont,
A scheme devised the illustrious Argiphont.
50.
…
…
And sneezed and shuddered — Phoebus on the grass 390
Him threw, and whilst all that he had designed
He did perform — eager although to pass,
Apollo darted from his mighty mind
Towards the subtle babe the following scoff: —
‘Do not imagine this will get you off, 395
51.
‘You little swaddled child of Jove and May!
And seized him:—’By this omen I shall trace
My noble herds, and you shall lead the way.’ —
Cyllenian Hermes from the grassy place,
Like one in earnest haste to get away, 400
Rose, and with hands lifted towards his face
Round both his ears up from his shoulders drew
His swaddling clothes, and—’What mean you to do
52.
‘With me, you unkind God?’ — said Mercury:
‘Is it about these cows you tease me so? 405
I wish the race of cows were perished! — I
Stole not your cows — I do not even know
What things cows are. Alas! I well may sigh
That since I came into this world of woe,
I should have ever heard the name of one — 410
But I appeal to the Saturnian’s throne.’
53.
Thus Phoebus and the vagrant Mercury
Talked without coming to an explanation,
With adverse purpose. As for Phoebus, he
Sought not revenge, but only information, 415
And Hermes tried with lies and roguery
To cheat Apollo. — But when no evasion
Served — for the cunning one his match had found —
He paced on first over the sandy ground.
54.
…
He of the Silver Bow the child of Jove 420
Followed behind, till to their heavenly Sire
Came both his children, beautiful as Love,
And from his equal balance did require
A judgement in the cause wherein they strove.
O’er odorous Olympus and its snows 425
A murmuring tumult as they came arose, —
55.
And from the folded depths of the great Hill,
While Hermes and Apollo reverent stood
Before Jove’s throne, the indestructible
Immortals rushed in mighty multitude; 430
And whilst their seats in order due they fill,
The lofty Thunderer in a careless mood
To Phoebus said:—’Whence drive you this sweet prey,
This herald-baby, born but yesterday? —
56.
‘A most important subject, trifler, this 435
To lay before the Gods!’—’Nay, Father, nay,
When you have understood the business,
Say not that I alone am fond of prey.
I found this little boy in a recess
Under Cyllene’s mountains far away — 440
A manifest and most apparent thief,
A scandalmonger beyond all belief.
57.
‘I never saw his like either in Heaven
Or upon earth for knavery or craft: —
Out of the field my cattle yester-e
ven, 445
By the low shore on which the loud sea laughed,
He right down to the river-ford had driven;
And mere astonishment would make you daft
To see the double kind of footsteps strange
He has impressed wherever he did range. 450
58.
‘The cattle’s track on the black dust, full well
Is evident, as if they went towards
The place from which they came — that asphodel
Meadow, in which I feed my many herds, —
HIS steps were most incomprehensible — 455
I know not how I can describe in words
Those tracks — he could have gone along the sands
Neither upon his feet nor on his hands; —
59.
‘He must have had some other stranger mode
Of moving on: those vestiges immense, 460
Far as I traced them on the sandy road,
Seemed like the trail of oak-toppings: — but thence
No mark nor track denoting where they trod
The hard ground gave: — but, working at his fence,
A mortal hedger saw him as he passed 465
To Pylos, with the cows, in fiery haste.
60.
‘I found that in the dark he quietly
Had sacrificed some cows, and before light
Had thrown the ashes all dispersedly
About the road — then, still as gloomy night, 470
Had crept into his cradle, either eye
Rubbing, and cogitating some new sleight.
No eagle could have seen him as he lay
Hid in his cavern from the peering day.
61.
‘I taxed him with the fact, when he averred 475
Most solemnly that he did neither see
Nor even had in any manner heard
Of my lost cows, whatever things cows be;
Nor could he tell, though offered a reward,
Not even who could tell of them to me.’ 480
So speaking, Phoebus sate; and Hermes then
Addressed the Supreme Lord of Gods and Men: —
62.
‘Great Father, you know clearly beforehand
That all which I shall say to you is sooth;
I am a most veracious person, and 485
Totally unacquainted with untruth.
At sunrise Phoebus came, but with no band
Of Gods to bear him witness, in great wrath,
To my abode, seeking his heifers there,
And saying that I must show him where they are, 490
63.
‘Or he would hurl me down the dark abyss.
I know that every Apollonian limb
Is clothed with speed and might and manliness,
As a green bank with flowers — but unlike him
I was born yesterday, and you may guess 495
He well knew this when he indulged the whim
Of bullying a poor little new-born thing
That slept, and never thought of cow-driving.
64.
‘Am I like a strong fellow who steals kine?
Believe me, dearest Father — such you are — 500
This driving of the herds is none of mine;
Across my threshold did I wander ne’er,
So may I thrive! I reverence the divine
Sun and the Gods, and I love you, and care
Even for this hard accuser — who must know 505
I am as innocent as they or you.
65.
‘I swear by these most gloriously-wrought portals
(It is, you will allow, an oath of might)
Through which the multitude of the Immortals
Pass and repass forever, day and night, 510
Devising schemes for the affairs of mortals —
I am guiltless; and I will requite,
Although mine enemy be great and strong,
His cruel threat — do thou defend the young!’
66.
So speaking, the Cyllenian Argiphont 515
Winked, as if now his adversary was fitted: —
And Jupiter, according to his wont,
Laughed heartily to hear the subtle-witted
Infant give such a plausible account,
And every word a lie. But he remitted 520
Judgement at present — and his exhortation
Was, to compose the affair by arbitration.
67.
And they by mighty Jupiter were bidden
To go forth with a single purpose both,
Neither the other chiding nor yet chidden: 525
And Mercury with innocence and truth
To lead the way, and show where he had hidden
The mighty heifers. — Hermes, nothing loth,
Obeyed the Aegis-bearer’s will — for he
Is able to persuade all easily. 530
68.
These lovely children of Heaven’s highest Lord
Hastened to Pylos and the pastures wide
And lofty stalls by the Alphean ford,
Where wealth in the mute night is multiplied
With silent growth. Whilst Hermes drove the herd 535
Out of the stony cavern, Phoebus spied
The hides of those the little babe had slain,
Stretched on the precipice above the plain.
69.
‘How was it possible,’ then Phoebus said,
‘That you, a little child, born yesterday, 540
A thing on mother’s milk and kisses fed,
Could two prodigious heifers ever flay?
Even I myself may well hereafter dread
Your prowess, offspring of Cyllenian May,
When you grow strong and tall.’ — He spoke, and bound 545
Stiff withy bands the infant’s wrists around.
70.
He might as well have bound the oxen wild;
The withy bands, though starkly interknit,
Fell at the feet of the immortal child,
Loosened by some device of his quick wit. 550
Phoebus perceived himself again beguiled,
And stared — while Hermes sought some hole or pit,
Looking askance and winking fast as thought,
Where he might hide himself and not be caught.
71.
Sudden he changed his plan, and with strange skill 555
Subdued the strong Latonian, by the might
Of winning music, to his mightier will;
His left hand held the lyre, and in his right
The plectrum struck the chords — unconquerable
Up from beneath his hand in circling flight 560
The gathering music rose — and sweet as Love
The penetrating notes did live and move
72.
Within the heart of great Apollo — he
Listened with all his soul, and laughed for pleasure.
Close to his side stood harping fearlessly 565
The unabashed boy; and to the measure
Of the sweet lyre, there followed loud and free
His joyous voice; for he unlocked the treasure
Of his deep song, illustrating the birth
Of the bright Gods, and the dark desert Earth: 570
73.
And how to the Immortals every one
A portion was assigned of all that is;
But chief Mnemosyne did Maia’s son
Clothe in the light of his loud melodies; —
And, as each God was born or had begun, 575
He in their order due and fit degrees
Sung of his birth and being — and did move
Apollo to unutterable love.
74.
These words were winged with his swift delight:
‘You heifer-stealing schemer, well do you 580
Deserve that fifty oxen should requite
Such minstrelsies as I have heard even now.
/> Comrade of feasts, little contriving wight,
One of your secrets I would gladly know,
Whether the glorious power you now show forth 585
Was folded up within you at your birth,
75.
‘Or whether mortal taught or God inspired
The power of unpremeditated song?
Many divinest sounds have I admired,
The Olympian Gods and mortal men among; 590
But such a strain of wondrous, strange, untired,
And soul-awakening music, sweet and strong,
Yet did I never hear except from thee,
Offspring of May, impostor Mercury!
76.
‘What Muse, what skill, what unimagined use, 595
What exercise of subtlest art, has given
Thy songs such power? — for those who hear may choose
From three, the choicest of the gifts of Heaven,
Delight, and love, and sleep, — sweet sleep, whose dews
Are sweeter than the balmy tears of even: — 600
And I, who speak this praise, am that Apollo
Whom the Olympian Muses ever follow:
77.
‘And their delight is dance, and the blithe noise
Of song and overflowing poesy;
And sweet, even as desire, the liquid voice 605
Of pipes, that fills the clear air thrillingly;
But never did my inmost soul rejoice
In this dear work of youthful revelry
As now. I wonder at thee, son of Jove;
Thy harpings and thy song are soft as love. 610
78.
‘Now since thou hast, although so very small,
Science of arts so glorious, thus I swear, —
And let this cornel javelin, keen and tall,
Witness between us what I promise here, —
That I will lead thee to the Olympian Hall, 615
Honoured and mighty, with thy mother dear,
And many glorious gifts in joy will give thee,
And even at the end will ne’er deceive thee.’
79.
To whom thus Mercury with prudent speech: —
‘Wisely hast thou inquired of my skill: 620
I envy thee no thing I know to teach
Even this day: — for both in word and will
I would be gentle with thee; thou canst reach
All things in thy wise spirit, and thy sill
Is highest in Heaven among the sons of Jove, 625
Who loves thee in the fulness of his love.
80.
‘The Counsellor Supreme has given to thee
Divinest gifts, out of the amplitude
Of his profuse exhaustless treasury;
By thee, ‘tis said, the depths are understood 630
Of his far voice; by thee the mystery
Of all oracular fates, — and the dread mood
Of the diviner is breathed up; even I —
A child — perceive thy might and majesty.
81.
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