HYMNS OF HOMER. HYMN TO MERCURY. I. SING, Muse, the son of Maia and of Jove, And all its pastoral hills, whom in sweet love II. Now, when the joy of Jove had its fulfilling, A shepherd of thin dreams, a cow-stealing, A night-watching, and door-waylaying thief, Who 'mongst the Gods was soon about to thieve, And other glorious actions to achieve. III. The babe was born at the first peep of day; VOL. III. 20 Of mighty sounds, and from his lips he sent X. He sung how Jove and May of the bright sandal And his own birth, still scoffing at the scandal, XI. Seized with a sudden fancy for fresh meat, The hollow lyre, and from the cavern sweet head, Revolving in his mind some subtle feat Of thievish craft, such as a swindler might XII. Lo! the great Sun under the ocean's bed has Driven steeds and chariot-the child mean while strode O'er the Pierian mountains clothed in shadows, Where the immortal oxen of the God Are pastured in the flowering unmown meadows, XIII. He drove them wandering o'er the sandy way, But, being ever mindful of his craft, Backward and forward drove he them astray, So that the tracks, which seemed before, were aft: His sandals then he threw to the ocean spray, And for each foot he wrought a kind of raft XIV. And on his feet he tied these sandals light, XV. The old man stood dressing his sunny vine: "Halloo! Old fellow with the crooked shoulder! You grub those stumps? Before they will bear wine Methinks even you must grow a little older : Attend, I pray, to this advice of mine, As you would 'scape what might appall a bolder Seeing, see not-and hearing, hear not-andIf you have understanding-understand." XVI. So saying, Hermes roused the oxen vast; XVII. Now to Alpheus he had driven all The broad-foreheaded oxen of the Sun; They came unwearied to the lofty stall And to the water troughs which ever run Through the fresh fields-and when with rushgrass tall Lotus and all sweet herbage, every one Had pastured been, the Great God made them move Towards the stall in a collected drove. XVIII. A mighty pile of wood the God then heaped, Of fire, from two smooth laurel branches stript The bark, and rubbed them in his palms,—on high Suddenly forth the burning vapour leapt, XIX. And fine dry logs and roots innumerous The strength of the fierce flame was breathed around: And whilst the might of glorious Vulcan thus Wrapt the great pile with glare and roaring sound, Hermes dragged forth two hiefers, lowing loud, Close to the fire-such might was in the God. XX. And on the earth upon their backs he threw He cut up fat and flesh, and down before Toasting their flesh and ribs, and all the gore Pursed in the bowels; and while this was done He stretched their hides over a craggy stone. |