She sought-nor God nor man the truth declared,
Nor came there winged harbinger; but o'er
The earth, nine days incessant, Ceres fared,
And in her hand two blazing torches bore.
Nine days ambrosia, food of gods supreme,
And nectar she refused, nor bathed her in the stream.
But soon as the tenth morning shone serene,
Came Hecate, and a torch her hand sustain'd,
And thus her tidings gave-" Say, beauteous Queen
Of the sweet season, who thy heart hath pain'd,
Who borne thy gentle Proserpine away?
I heard-but saw him not-or God or mortal, say-
"The cries I heard." -She spake-and no reply
Made Rhœa's daughter, but with Hecate flew
Swift onward, while the torches, blazing high,
Waved-till they came to Helius. Him they knew,
Th' investigating King to Gods and man:
Before his steeds they stood, and Ceres thus began,-
" Helius, if ever yet, by word or deed,
I made thee glad, my sanctity revere;
A Goddess claims-whose heart is doom'd to bleed
For a sweet daughter lost-fair plant and dear
As beautiful; through air I heard the cry,
As of one torn away, yet nought could I descry.
"But thou, for with thy beams through divine air
Thou searchest lands and seas-O, tell me true,
If thou hast seen my dearest child, and where?
What ravisher accurst hath met thy view;
Or be it God or man hath seized my child?"
She spake. Hyperion's son returned this answer mild.
"Learn, Rhœa's daughter-nor regardless I
Of thy deep anguish-learn this painful truth,
Nor throw reproach on other Deity
But Jove, cloud-gatherer. He, with little ruth,
Hath given thy daughter-he, and none beside-
To his own brother's arms, to be his beauteous bride.
" Her, shrieking, in his chariot far away,
Under the shadowy west, hath Pluto borne;
Yet, goddess, soothe thy woe, thy griefs allay,
Nor be thy heart with fruitless passion torn,
Nor an unworthy son in Pluto see,
For potent in his reign-a son of Saturn he;
" And, where his lot appointed, rules revered,
As when was made division tripartite
tripartite
Of sovereign power." Thus Helius spake, and cheer'd
His steeds, that like wing'd birds the chariot light
Bore swiftly on;-deep anguish pierced her heart,
Then Ceres in her wrath from heaven withdrew apart,
Incensed with cloud-girt Jove: Olympus then
And Gods' assembly left-and many a town
Sought, and fair fields of rich laborious man,
Her majesty of beauty wasting down.
By woman and by man unknown she pass'd,
And wander'd, till she reach'd good Celeus' home at last.
O'er rich Eleusis Celeus then was king:
By the wayside she sat, sore vex'd, and sad, noAt the Parthenian well, to whose sweet spring Come frequent citizens; under a shade, Thrown by an olive-tree, she sat, that spreads Its leafy branches out, and waved above her head.T
In form she seem'd like one advanced in age,
And past the days of childbirth, such as are
In palaces of princes wise and sage,
Their children nurse, or make the house their care.
Her saw the daughters of Eleusis' king,
As, with their brazen urns, they sought the pleasant spring,
The royal mansion to supply. These were
In bloom of youth-and four, Callidice,
Clesidice, and Dymo ever fair,
And she of elder birth, Callithoë,-
They saw, but knew her not; for hard to know
Are the immortal race by mortals born below.
"Who art thou, dame? and whence, thus far from town
They, standing near her, these soft words addressed:
And home?-most aged like thee, and younger, rest
Within cool shady halls, and sit them down:
Beneath the sheltering roof; and such there are
Will give thee welcome kind, and proffer friendly care."
The venerable Ceres thus replied:
"Sweet friends, and gentle maids, my thanks you claim, Nor be the truth you ask of me denied.
My mother call'd me Doris, such my nameFrom Crete-and o'er the broad sea's spine a prey By pirates was I seized, and wretched, borne away..edT
"At Thoricus the vessel came to land.облансира off Then all the women disembark'd; the board
Prepared for pleasant feast upon the strand,
And close beside where lay the vessel moor'd. o. be. A Nor thought had I of feast, but hastening flew absd od O'er the dark land-and thus escaped the tyrant crew,
"Lest they should sell me as a slave, and turnovoj ali a
To ample profit what they never bought.
Thus came I hither; now from you would learn,
What people, and what land is this. I've sought,
And may the gods that in Olympus dwell
Give good husbands all, and children that excel, avr
" And such as parents wish!-Then let me claimbA
Your gentle pity, my sweet daughters, till
The house of honourable man or dame
I reach-where I may serve with ready will, Dalisa And in such useful offices engagerar de oluca ul As I may well perform, and best may suit my age
"As, in these arms to nurse, and lull to rest
A new-born infant, or with housewife caret, 506 To keep the house, to see the chambers drest,
And strew the master's bed with coverings rare Such as by female hands are oft supplied bioderméroul She spake and thus in turn Callidice replied, IR DA
Callidice most beauteous she of all-ا
" Good nurse, what it shall please the Gods bestow
We must receive, or be their bounty small,
Or be it large, or be it weal or woe;
For this necessity at least is sure,
Theirs is the sovereign power, 'tis ours but to endure...
"But let me point thee out and numerate
What men we boast, in whom we chiefly trust, Conspicuous mong'st the people, who the state
Defend by counsels sure, and judgments just. Look o'er the town, see where the mansions rise. That first its master owns Triptolemus the wise.
"There dwells Diocles, Polyxenes there,
Blameless Eumolpus next, then Dolichus,
And our best sire; beneath a matron's care
Each mansion is, discreet, and sedulous.
These statesmen's wives: all, e'en when first they see
Thy mien, thy looks divine, will gladly honour thee,
"And give good welcome, each within her gate:
Or wouldst thou here remain until we reach
Our Father's mansion, where we may relate
To our kind mother, all the present speech,
(The noble Metanira) to our home
She may perchance invite, nor let thee further roam.
"For in her polish'd chamber cradled lies
Her darling late-born son, for whom she pray'd.
Him shouldst thou nurse, to manhood till he rise,
Seeing a recompense so largely paid
As it will be (such honour will be thine),
There's not a woman lives but might with envy pine."
The maiden ended-Ceres bow'd her head
They with their well-filled urns of shining gold Exulting to their father's mansion sped,
And to their mother all the adventure told;
Who bade them quick return, and in her name
To proffer payment large, and bring the stranger dame.
Like joyous calves, or sleek fawns from their lair
Bounding in spring, they, holding high each one
The crisp fold of her mantle, while the hair..
Over their shoulders floated to the sun,
Like flowers of yellow crocus glistening bright,
Over the wheel-scoop'd road the virgins bounded light.
And there reclining by that pathway side,
They found the glorious Goddess, lone and sad.
Conducting to their father's home, they hied,
Behind walk'd Ceres, veil'd and deeply clad
In sable stole, that, coil'd in many a pleat,
Still rustled as she moved, around her gentle feet.
And straight to Jove-loved Celeus' house they came
And cross'd the porch, where sat beside the hall,
Her infant at her breast, the royal damequador
To her they ran-then Ceres, large and tallers DUA
The threshold trode, while her head reach'd the beams,
And all the palace gates shone bright with golden
Pale fear and reverence Metanira seized;
Her seat she proffer'd, as she rose in haste; Mute Ceres stood-nor yet the splendour pleased, But to the ground her mournful eyes she cast,
Until discreet lambe for her placed
A seat of beauteous work with white fleece covering graced.
Then Ceres sat, and close around her veil
And closer drew, nor took she note the while,
Of aught by word, or thought, or look, -but pale
With parch'd untasting lips, without a smile,
Mourn'd her fair bosom'd daughter, borne below;
Till all in merry guise lambe soothed her woe.
With many a jest, and gibe, and cheering voice,
She moved sad Ceres, her deep grief appeased,
To smile, and then to laugh, and e'en rejoice;
And thus, in after days, Iambe pleased.-
-Then Metanira, pouring luscious wine,
Presented the full cup to th' unknown guest divine.
Ceres refused, and the red wine declared
Unlawful to her lips, and bade her take
The herb call'd Glecho, bruised, and meal prepared
With water, and a pure potation make-
This done, the draught she drank, well pleased to see
The pledge of future rite and holy mystery.
Then Metanira converse thus began:
"Welcome, good dame, of no mean parents sprung! Thy sire, perchance, was some wise princely man, And truth and justice issued from his tongue;
For in thine eyes I see, and all thy face,
Sweet modesty resides, and ever noble grace.
"Whatever gifts it please the Gods bestow,
We must receive, nor let vain cares perplex
Our souls,-for for be it weal, or be it woe,
The yoke of Fate lies heavy on our necks;
But here rejoice, whatever good is mine,
Nurse thou my child with care, and half that good is thine.
"This darling child, last born, unlook'd for joy,
Last blessing of the Gods, cherish thou well,
And bring to riper age, this dear-loved boy-
And every female tongue shall envious tell
How large the gifts of nurture I provide."
She ended, and the sheaf-crown'd Ceres thus replied:-
"And hail thou, gracious Queen, -the Gods enlarge
Thy house with bounteous store, this child I take
Willing, not thoughtless of a nurse's charge-
Nor evil incantation, harm, nor ache
Shall reach him; every potent charm I know,
That can avert all ill, and every good bestow."
She took in her immortal hands, and laid
Upon her fragrant bosom, the fair child: Glad was the mother. Henceforth Ceres made
Young Demophon her care, and griefs beguiled, And with her charge, sage Celeus' son, withdrew Within the royal house, and wondrously he grew,
Grew like a God; not that from fruit of earth,
Or infants' common fare, she nurtured him-
But an ambrosial unguent, as of birth
Divine, she pour'd, and breathed o'er every limb
Immortal breath, and in her bosom bore
The infant day by day, and loved him more and more.
But when the nights came on, far from the eye
Of parents then removed-him like a brand
Deep in the fire she cover'd secretly.
And when they saw his vigorous limbs expand,
His parents, wond'ring, thought there needs must be
Some mighty miracle,-so like a God was he.
She would have purged with fire all mortal stain,
And given the child celestial temperament,
Ageless, that might immortal youth attain;
But Metanira marr'd the kind intent:
One night, too indiscreetly fond, she came
Forth from her scented room, and watch'd, and saw the flame.
And seeing, both her thighs she struck, and shriek'd-
"Save thee, my Demophon, my child, my child!
What vengeance hath thy nurse upon thee wreak'd-
Thy stranger nurse, with frenzy, frantic, wild-
And hides thee in the fire." The Goddess turn'd-
She heard, and in her breast, her wrath, her anger burn'd.
With passion seized, forth from the blazing brands
Raising, her Metanira's child she drew,
And from her far with her immortal hands
Before her on the ground indignant threw;
The words of wrath came crowding in her speech-
"O foolish senseless race, how short thy boasted reach,
"Unknowing of the coming good or ill!-
Thy folly has but heap'd an age of pain.
Be witness, Styx, implacable and chill,
I would have purified from mortal stain
This, thy dear son, and given him ageless days,
Incorruptible life, and never-ending praise.
"But he must die, nor are there potent charms
To rescue him from fate-This boon I claim,
(For on my knees he lay, and in my arms,)
Be his to win an everlasting fame;
For soon as he shall reach maturer age,
The Eleusinian race a civil war shall wage.
"Ceres am I, an honour'd Goddess see,
At once a joy and blessing to mankind;
But speed, and let thy people gather'd be,
And be Callichorus' famed hill assign'd
Fast by the city walls, on jutting ground,
A temple proudly great, and a rich altar found.
"Myself will point, the solemn rites arranged,
T'appease the Queen, of tresses gold-enwreath'd." She spake at once her form and stature changed, Shook off her age, all beauty round her breath'd, Sweet odours from her perfumed garments flew, And far a glorious light her sacred presence threw.
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