Silenus. O BACCHUS, what a world of toil, both now And ere these limbs were overworn with age, Have I endured for thee! First, when thou fledst The mountain nymphs who nurst thee, driven afar By the strange madness Juno sent upon thee; Then in the battle of the sons of Earth, When I stood foot by foot close to thy side, No unpropitious fellow combatant, And, driving through his shield my winged spear, Is it a dream of which I speak to thee? And one of these, named Polypheme, has caught us Of Bacchic sports, sweet dance and melody, We keep this lawless giant's wandering flocks. My sons indeed, on far declivities, Young things themselves, tend on the youngling sheep, But I remain to fill the water casks, Or sweeping the hard floor, or ministering Some impious and abominable meal * * CHORUS OF SATYRS. STROPHE, Where has he of race divine Wild, seditious, rambling! EPODE.* An Iacchic melody To the golden Aphrodite Seeking her and her delight With the Mænads, whose white feet In these wretched goat-skins clad, Far from thy delights and thee. Silenus. Be silent, sons; command the slaves to drive The gathered flocks into the rock-roofed cave. Chorus. Go! But what needs this serious haste, O father? Silenus. I see a Grecian vessel on the coast, And thence the rowers, with some general, * The Antistrophe is omitted. Approaching to this cave. About their necks The inhospitable roof of Polypheme, And the Cyclopian jaw-bone, man-destroying? Be silent, Satyrs, while I ask and hear, Whence coming, they arrive the Etnean hill. Ulysses. Friends, can you show me some clear water spring, Silenus. Hail thou, O Stranger! Tell thy country and thy race. Ulysses. The Ithacan Ulysses and the king Of Cephalonia. Silenus. Oh! I know the man, Wordy and shrewd, the son of Sisyphus. Ulysses. I am the same, but do not rail upon me.- Ulysses. Were you then driven here by stress of weather? Ulysses. And are there walls, and tower-surrounded towns? Ulysses. How live they? do they sow the corn of Ceres? Silenus. On milk and cheese, and on the flesh of sheep. Ulysses. Have they the Bromian drink from the vine's stream? Silenus. Ah! no; they live in an ungracious land. Ulysses. And are they just to strangers?-hospitable? Silenus. They think the sweetest thing a stranger brings, Is his own flesh. Ulysses. What do they eat man's flesh? Silenus. No one comes here who is not eaten up. Ulysses. Know'st thou what thou must do to aid us hence? Silenus. I know not: we will help you all we can. Silenus. O joy! 'Tis long since these dry lips were wet with wine. Ulysses. Maron, the son of the God, gave it me. Silenus. Whom I have nursed a baby in my arms. Ulysses. The son of Bacchus, for your clearer knowledge. Silenus. Have you it now?-or is it in the ship? Ulysses. Old man, this skin contains it, which you see. Silenus. Why this would hardly be a mouthful for me. Ulysses. Nay, twice as much as you can draw from thence. Silenus. You speak of a fair fountain, sweet to me. Ulysses. Would you first taste of the unmingled wine? Silenus. "Tis just-tasting invites the purchaser. Ulysses. Here is the cup, together with the skin. Silenus. Pour: that the draught may fillip my remembrance. Ulysses. See ! Silenus. Papaiapax! what a sweet smell it has ! Ulysses. You see it then?— By Jove, no! but I smell it. Ulysses. Taste, that you may not praise it in words only. Silenus. Babai! Great Bacchus calls me forth to dance ! Joy! joy! Ulysses. Did it flow sweetly down your throat? Silenus. So that it tingled to my very nails. Ulysses. And in addition I will give you gold. Silenus. Let gold alone! only unlock the cask. Ulysses. Bring out some cheeses now, or a young goat. Yes, let me drink one cup, and I will give All that the Cyclops feed upon their mountains. * Chorus. Ye have taken Troy, and laid your hands on Helen? Ulysses. And utterly destroyed the race of Priam. Silenus. * The wanton wretch! She was bewitched to see The many-coloured anklets and the chain Of woven gold which girt the neck of Paris, First leaving my reward, the Bacchic dew Ulysses. Ah me! Alas! What shall we do? the Cyclops is at hand! Old man, we perish! whither can we fly? Silenus. Hide yourselves quick within that hollow rock. Ulysses. 'Twere perilous to fly into the net. Silenus. The cavern has recesses numberless; Hide yourselves quick. That will I never do : Ulysses. Ten thousand Phrygians !—If I needs must die, The praise which I have gained will yet remain. Silenus. What, ho! assistance, comrades, haste, assistance ! The CYCLOPS, SILENUS, ULYSSES; CHORUS. Cyclops. What is this tumult? Bacchus is not here, How are my young lambs in the cavern? Milking I stare upon Orion and the stars. Cyclops. Well, is the dinner fitly cooked and laid? So you may drink a tunful if you will. O'erbrimming; Cyclops. Is it ewe's milk, or cow's milk, or both mixed?— * What is this crowd I see beside the stalls? Silenus. Ah me! I have been beaten till I burn with fever. Cyclops. By whom? Who laid his fist upon your head? Silenus. Those men, because I would not suffer them To steal your goods. Cyclops. Did not the rascals know I am a God, sprung from the race of heaven? Silenus. I told them so, but they bore off your things, |