E'en Castor might have ridden him, But for his double make; So built with muscle was his chest, So rideable his back. And blacker was his noble hue Than is the pitchy night ; Finished his look with light. Many fair creatures of his kind Besought his love ; but he The sole Hylonome. Castore dignus erit : sic tergum sessile, sic sunt No gentle woman-hearted thing Of all the half-human race, Carried about the shady woods A more becoming grace. With pretty natural blandishments, And loving, and at last She bound the conqueror fast. Her limbs, as much as in her lay, She kept adorned with care, Her lightsome locks of hair. Semiferas altis habitavit fæmina sylvis. With rosemary she wreathed them now With violets and the rose; And now betwixt their glossy black, Sparkled the lily snows. No vest, but of the choicest skin, And suiting her, she wore Beside her and before. And twice a day, in lapsing wells That from the woods came down, She bathed her face; and twice a day, She bathed from sole to crown. Ut modo rore maris, modo se violave, rosave Implicet : interdum candentia lilia gestet: Bisque die lapsis Pagasææ vertice sylvæ Fontibus ora lavet: bis flumine corpora tingat : Nec nisi quæ deceant electarumque ferarum Aut humero, aut lateri prætendat vellera lævo. Equal alike the beauty was, Equal the love in either ; And sheltered close together. And thus did they attend that day The Lapithean bride ; Together, side by side. A javelin, from an unknown hand, Came with too sure a dart, Right to the very heart. Par amor est illis ; errant in montibus una ; Antra simul subeunt ; et tum Lapitheïa tecta Intrarant pariter ; pariter fera bella gerebant. He drew the bitter weapon out, And shuddering all over, Whose arms received her lover. And with her hand she nurs'd the wound, Of which he fast was dying, And hurried mouth to mouth, and tried To stop his soul from flying. But when she found it all in vain, And that her lord was dead, She uttered something, which the noise Deafened about her head; Corpore cum toto post tela educta refrixit. Protinus Hylonome morientes suscipit artus ; Impositaque manu vulnus fovet ; oraque ad ora Admovet ; atque animæ fugienti obsistere tentat. Ut videt exstinctum, dictis, quæ clamor ad aures |