The Fable of Iphis and Ianthe



9:803 The fame of this, perhaps, thro' Crete had flown:
9:804 But Crete had newer wonders of her own,
9:805 In Iphis chang'd; for, near the Gnossian bounds
9:806 (As loud report the miracle resounds),
9:807 At Phaestus dwelt a man of honest blood,
9:808 But meanly born, and not so rich as good;
9:809 Esteem'd, and lov'd by all the neighbourhood;
9:810 Who to his wife, before the time assign'd
9:811 For child-birth came, thus bluntly spoke his mind.
9:812 If Heav'n, said Lygdus, will vouchsafe to hear,
9:813 I have but two petitions to prefer;
9:814 Short pains for thee, for me a son and heir.
9:815 Girls cost as many throes in bringing forth;
9:816 Beside, when born, the titts are little worth;
9:817 Weak puling things, unable to sustain
9:818 Their share of labour, and their bread to gain.
9:819 If, therefore, thou a creature shalt produce,
9:820 Of so great charges, and so little use
9:821 (Bear witness, Heav'n, with what reluctancy),
9:822 Her hapless innocence I doom to die.
9:823 He said, and common tears the common grief display,
9:824 Of him who bad, and her who must obey.

9:825 Yet Telethusa still persists, to find
9:826 Fit arguments to move a father's mind;
9:827 T' extend his wishes to a larger scope,
9:828 And in one vessel not confine his hope.
9:829 Lygdus continues hard: her time drew near,
9:830 And she her heavy load could scarcely bear;
9:831 When slumbring, in the latter shades of night,
9:832 Before th' approaches of returning light,
9:833 She saw, or thought she saw, before her bed,
9:834 A glorious train, and Isis at their head:
9:835 Her moony horns were on her forehead plac'd,
9:836 And yellow shelves her shining temples grac'd:
9:837 A mitre, for a crown, she wore on high;
9:838 The dog, and dappl'd bull were waiting by;
9:839 Osyris, sought along the banks of Nile;
9:840 The silent God: the sacred crocodile;
9:841 And, last, a long procession moving on,
9:842 With timbrels, that assist the lab'ring moon.
9:843 Her slumbers seem'd dispell'd, and, broad awake,
9:844 She heard a voice, that thus distinctly spake.
9:845 My votary, thy babe from death defend,
9:846 Nor fear to save whate'er the Gods will send.
9:847 Delude with art thy husband's dire decree:
9:848 When danger calls, repose thy trust on me:
9:849 And know thou hast not serv'd a thankless deity.
9:850 This promise made, with night the Goddess fled;
9:851 With joy the woman wakes, and leaves her bed;
9:852 Devoutly lifts her spotless hands on high,
9:853 And prays the Pow'rs their gift to ratifie.

9:854 Now grinding pains proceed to bearing throes,
9:855 'Till its own weight the burden did disclose.
9:856 'Twas of the beauteous kind, and brought to light
9:857 With secrecy, to shun the father's sight.
9:858 Th' indulgent mother did her care employ,
9:859 And past it on her husband for a boy.
9:860 The nurse was conscious of the fact alone;
9:861 The father paid his vows as for a son;
9:862 And call'd him Iphis, by a common name,
9:863 Which either sex with equal right may claim.
9:864 Iphis his grandsire was; the wife was pleas'd,
9:865 Of half the fraud by Fortune's favour eas'd:
9:866 The doubtful name was us'd without deceit,
9:867 And truth was cover'd with a pious cheat.
9:868 The habit show'd a boy, the beauteous face
9:869 With manly fierceness mingled female grace.

9:870 Now thirteen years of age were swiftly run,
9:871 When the fond father thought the time drew on
9:872 Of settling in the world his only son.
9:873 Ianthe was his choice; so wondrous fair,
9:874 Her form alone with Iphis cou'd compare;
9:875 A neighbour's daughter of his own degree,
9:876 And not more bless'd with Fortune's goods than he.

9:877 They soon espous'd; for they with ease were join'd,
9:878 Who were before contracted in the mind.
9:879 Their age the same, their inclinations too;
9:880 And bred together, in one school they grew.
9:881 Thus, fatally dispos'd to mutual fires,
9:882 They felt, before they knew, the same desires.
9:883 Equal their flame, unequal was their care;
9:884 One lov'd with hope, one languish'd in despair.
9:885 The maid accus'd the lingring day alone:
9:886 For whom she thought a man, she thought her own.
9:887 But Iphis bends beneath a greater grief;
9:888 As fiercely burns, but hopes for no relief.
9:889 Ev'n her despair adds fuel to her fire;
9:890 A maid with madness does a maid desire.
9:891 And, scarce refraining tears, Alas, said she,
9:892 What issue of my love remains for me!
9:893 How wild a passion works within my breast,
9:894 With what prodigious flames am I possest!
9:895 Could I the care of Providence deserve,
9:896 Heav'n must destroy me, if it would preserve.
9:897 And that's my fate, or sure it would have sent
9:898 Some usual evil for my punishment:
9:899 Not this unkindly curse; to rage, and burn,
9:900 Where Nature shews no prospect of return.
9:901 Nor cows for cows consume with fruitless fire;
9:902 Nor mares, when hot, their fellow-mares desire:
9:903 The father of the fold supplies his ewes;
9:904 The stag through secret woods his hind pursues;
9:905 And birds for mates the males of their own species chuse.
9:906 Her females Nature guards from female flame,
9:907 And joins two sexes to preserve the game:
9:908 Wou'd I were nothing, or not what I am!
9:909 Crete, fam'd for monsters, wanted of her store,
9:910 'Till my new love produc'd one monster more.
9:911 The daughter of the sun a bull desir'd,
9:912 And yet ev'n then a male a female fir'd:
9:913 Her passion was extravagantly new,
9:914 But mine is much the madder of the two.
9:915 To things impossible she was not bent,
9:916 But found the means to compass her intent.
9:917 To cheat his eyes she took a different shape;
9:918 Yet still she gain'd a lover, and a leap.
9:919 Shou'd all the wit of all the world conspire,
9:920 Shou'd Daedalus assist my wild desire,
9:921 What art can make me able to enjoy,
9:922 Or what can change Ianthe to a boy?
9:923 Extinguish then thy passion, hopeless maid,
9:924 And recollect thy reason for thy aid.
9:925 Know what thou art, and love as maidens ought,
9:926 And drive these golden wishes from thy thought.
9:927 Thou canst not hope thy fond desires to gain;
9:928 Where hope is wanting, wishes are in vain.

9:929 And yet no guards against our joys conspire;
9:930 No jealous husband hinders our desire;
9:931 My parents are propitious to my wish,
9:932 And she herself consenting to the bliss.
9:933 All things concur to prosper our design;
9:934 All things to prosper any love but mine.
9:935 And yet I never can enjoy the fair;
9:936 'Tis past the pow'r of Heav'n to grant my pray'r.
9:937 Heav'n has been kind, as far as Heav'n can be;
9:938 Our parents with our own desires agree;
9:939 But Nature, stronger than the Gods above,
9:940 Refuses her assistance to my love;
9:941 She sets the bar that causes all my pain;
9:942 One gift refus'd, makes all their bounty vain.
9:943 And now the happy day is just at hand,
9:944 To bind our hearts in Hymen's holy band:
9:945 Our hearts, but not our bodies: thus accurs'd,
9:946 In midst of water I complain of thirst.
9:947 Why com'st thou, Juno, to these barren rites,
9:948 To bless a bed defrauded of delights?
9:949 But why shou'd Hymen lift his torch on high,
9:950 To see two brides in cold embraces lye?

9:951 Thus love-sick Iphis her vain passion mourns;
9:952 With equal ardour fair Ianthe burns,
9:953 Invoking Hymen's name, and Juno's pow'r,
9:954 To speed the work, and haste the happy hour.

9:955 She hopes, while Telethusa fears the day,
9:956 And strives to interpose some new delay:
9:957 Now feigns a sickness, now is in a fright
9:958 For this bad omen, or that boding sight.
9:959 But having done whate'er she could devise,
9:960 And empty'd all her magazine of lies,
9:961 The time approach'd; the next ensuing day
9:962 The fatal secret must to light betray.
9:963 Then Telethusa had recourse to pray'r,
9:964 She, and her daughter with dishevel'd hair;
9:965 Trembling with fear, great Isis they ador'd,
9:966 Embrac'd her altar, and her aid implor'd.

9:967 Fair queen, who dost on fruitful Egypt smile,
9:968 Who sway'st the sceptre of the Pharian isle,
9:969 And sev'n-fold falls of disemboguing Nile,
9:970 Relieve, in this our last distress, she said,
9:971 A suppliant mother, and a mournful maid.
9:972 Thou, Goddess, thou wert present to my sight;
9:973 Reveal'd I saw thee by thy own fair light:
9:974 I saw thee in my dream, as now I see,
9:975 With all thy marks of awful majesty:
9:976 The glorious train that compass'd thee around;
9:977 And heard the hollow timbrels holy sound.
9:978 Thy words I noted, which I still retain;
9:979 Let not thy sacred oracles be vain.
9:980 That Iphis lives, that I myself am free
9:981 From shame, and punishment, I owe to thee.
9:982 On thy protection all our hopes depend.
9:983 Thy counsel sav'd us, let thy pow'r defend.

9:984 Her tears pursu'd her words; and while she spoke,
9:985 The Goddess nodded, and her altar shook:
9:986 The temple doors, as with a blast of wind,
9:987 Were heard to clap; the lunar horns that bind
9:988 The brows of Isis cast a blaze around;
9:989 The trembling timbrel made a murm'ring sound.

9:990 Some hopes these happy omens did impart;
9:991 Forth went the mother with a beating heart:
9:992 Not much in fear, nor fully satisfy'd;
9:993 But Iphis follow'd with a larger stride:
9:994 The whiteness of her skin forsook her face;
9:995 Her looks embolden'd with an awful grace;
9:996 Her features, and her strength together grew,
9:997 And her long hair to curling locks withdrew.
9:998 Her sparkling eyes with manly vigour shone,
9:999 Big was her voice, audacious was her tone.
9:1000 The latent parts, at length reveal'd, began
9:1001 To shoot, and spread, and burnish into man.
9:1002 The maid becomes a youth; no more delay
9:1003 Your vows, but look, and confidently pay.
9:1004 Their gifts the parents to the temple bear:
9:1005 The votive tables this inscription wear;
9:1006 Iphis the man, has to the Goddess paid
9:1007 The vows, that Iphis offer'd when a maid.

9:1008 Now when the star of day had shewn his face,
9:1009 Venus and Juno with their presence grace
9:1010 The nuptial rites, and Hymen from above
9:1011 Descending to compleat their happy love;
9:1012 The Gods of marriage lend their mutual aid;
9:1013 And the warm youth enjoys the lovely maid.

BOOK THE TENTH