NISUS AND SCYLLA. 189 of peace, but upon condition that the Athenians should send every year seven noble youths and as many virgins to Crete, to be devoured by the Minotaur: we shall see by and by how this monster was destroyed by Theseus the son of Ægeus. A memorable circumstance which occurred in Minos's invasion of Attica was this: Megara, one of the most considerable towns dependent on Athens, was held by Nisus, the brother of Ageus, with the title of king: Minos thought it necessary to his success to take this town, and accordingly sat down with his army under the walls: Megara however held out for a long time: the hair of king Nisus was as white as snow, all but one lock which was of a bright purple colour : an oracle had predicted that Megara should never be taken, as long as the purple lock of the king remained inviolate; in its safety both that of Nisus and of his people were involved. Scylla, the daughter of Nisus, spent much of her time during the siege in an apartment near the top of a tower, which overlooked the walls: in this apartment Apollo, having visited it on some occasion, once laid down his lute; and from that time every sound uttered there acquired a tone of celestial melody: from the window, Scylla employed herself at intervals, in surveying the disposition of the field, the camp, the army, the sea that almost dashed up against the walls, and the Cretan fleet: the oftener she looked, the more was she struck with the person of Minos, more beautiful and noble than that of his captains: whether he appeared in complete armour, or laid aside his helmet, whether he drew the bow, or y Ov. Met. viii. 7 et seqq. 190 : NISUS AND SCYLLA. hurled the javelin, he was still the object of Scylla's admiration most of all, when slightly attired, he mounted his war-horse, splendid with caparisons of scarlet and gold, and subdued to his purposes the temper of his foaming steed, Scylla thought him the most lovely of mankind: Minos must be her husband, or she could not endure to live. As she revolved these thoughts in her mind, she saw a thousand obstacles between her and the accomplishment of her wish: she gazed on Minos every day, but she had never been seen by him: how should she contrive to speak to him? to be loved by him? walls of stone, and watchful centinels barred the path between them: he was her coun try's enemy at last she thought of one expedient; but from that, when it first suggested itself, she shrunk with horror: this was to cut off the purple lock of her father, and lay it at the invader's feat, thus purchasing his gratitude by a sacrifice of t the affections of nature: the more she reflected, the more she became divided in mind: on one side she saw despair, and on the other impiety. and sacrilege in evil hour, she did the horrid deed she went to her father's chamber as he slept, and cut off the sacred hair. With this pledge of the city's safety, she presented herself confidently before Minos: but he drove her from his presence with horror, as the disgrace of her sex and her species: he sacked Megara, and then sailed with his fleet for Athens: Scylla saw his departure with emotions of frenzy: she leaped into the sea, swam after the Cretan fleet, and seized the stern of the royal vessel : Nisus by the pity of the Gods was changed into a hawk; he pursued the flight of his daughter, and WINGS OF ICARUS. 191 with the hard blows of his beak forced her to leave hold of Minos's ship: Scylla became a lark; and the hawk, feeling for ever new the resentment of her crime, continues unceasingly to pursue her through the world. Dædalus was so unfortunate as by some means to incur the displeasure of king Minos, who shut him up with his son Icarus, I suppose after the death of the Minotaur, a prisoner in his own labyrinth: Dædalus was however too skilful an artificer, for there to be any danger that he should be long confined any where: he got feathers and wax, and made a pair of wings for himself, and another for his son, and thus equipped, undertook to fly over the walls of the labyrinth, and escape into Italy: Dædalus, a prudent and experienced artificer, performed this very well: but Tearus was thoughtless and venturesome: he was proud of his wings, and made too many Nourishes in his journey: in one of these flourishes he approached so near to the sun as to melt the wax, and poor Icarus was drowned in that part of the gean sea, which from his name is called Egean Mare Icarium2. z Ov. Met. viii. 183 et seqq. Virg. Æn. vi. 14 et seqq. CHAP. XX. OF BELLEROPHON AND CHIMÆRA. Protus, King of Arges.-Bellerophon takes Refuge at his Court.-Is Beloved by Stenoboa, the Queen.— She falsely Accuses him.-Prœtus orders him to be put to Death.--Bellerophon goes, Mounted on Pegasus, to fight the Chimæra. -His Success. THE story of Danaus king of Argos was formerly mentioned in my chapter of Hell; Danaus was a stranger from Egypt, who usurped the throne of Argos, and deprived the family in possession; Abas, his grandson, had two children that were twins, by name Protus and, Acrisius, who contended for the throne of Argos. Prœtus reigned first, and in his reign happened the famous story of Bellerophon: Bellerophon was a prince of Corinth, but was so unfortunate as in a scuffle to kill his brother Bellerus, for which fact he was obliged to fly his country, and came to Argos: here, as he was an exceedingly handsome young man, Stenoboa the wife of Proetus fell in love with him: but Bellerophon did not think he ought to pay his addresses to a lady who was already married, and slighted her overtures: Stenoboa felt extremely affronted at his neglect, and to be revenged upon him went and told her husband a story exactly opposite to the truth she said that this stranger, in violation : a Apollodor. ii. 1. BELLEROPHON. 193 of the laws of hospitality, and in defiance of the peculiar propriety and reservedness of her behaviour, importuned her to leave Prœtus, and go and live with him as her husband. Protus, angry with the supposed ingratitude of Bellerophon, did not wait to examine whether the story was true, but determined immediately to send him away from his court; and to make his revenge more complete, pretended that he wanted to employ him in an honourable mission, and gave him letters, which he said were letters of introduction and embassy to Jobates king of Lycia, father of Stenoboa: in these letters Prœtus desired Jobates, as soon as he had read them to put the bearer to death. Bellerophon accepted the employment without any suspicion, and was happy to be put in the way of rendering a service to a prince who had received him so honourably at his court as Protus: Jobates felt some reluctance to murder a young prince, who without apprehending any danger, presented himself before him: and there fore thought it would be enough to send him, under pretence of honour, upon some dangerous expedition, from which it would be impossible for him to come off alive: it happened that the borders of Lycia were at that time infested with a horrible monster, which has already been de scribed, of the race of the Gods, part lion, part dragon, and part goat, called Chimæra: Jobates resolved to commission Bellerophon to destroy this monster, and was satisfied that he could not send him to more certain death. Jobates however was disappointed: Minerva, taking pity on the unmerited persecutions to which Bellerophon was exposed, furnished him K |