The Story of Cephalus and Procris



7:1001 To th' inmost courts the Grecian youths were led,
7:1002 And plac'd by Phocus on a Tyrian bed;
7:1003 Who, soon observing Cephalus to hold
7:1004 A dart of unknown wood, but arm'd with gold:
7:1005 None better loves (said he) the huntsman's sport,
7:1006 Or does more often to the woods resort;
7:1007 Yet I that jav'lin's stem with wonder view,
7:1008 Too brown for box, too smooth a grain for yew.
7:1009 I cannot guess the tree; but never art
7:1010 Did form, or eyes behold so fair a dart!
7:1011 The guest then interrupts him-'Twou'd produce
7:1012 Still greater wonder, if you knew its use.
7:1013 It never fails to strike the game, and then
7:1014 Comes bloody back into your hand again.
7:1015 Then Phocus each particular desires,
7:1016 And th' author of the wond'rous gift enquires.
7:1017 To which the owner thus, with weeping eyes,
7:1018 And sorrow for his wife's sad fate, replies,
7:1019 This weapon here (o prince!) can you believe
7:1020 This dart the cause for which so much I grieve;
7:1021 And shall continue to grieve on, 'till Fate
7:1022 Afford such wretched life no longer date.
7:1023 Would I this fatal gift had ne'er enjoy'd,
7:1024 This fatal gift my tender wife destroy'd:
7:1025 Procris her name, ally'd in charms and blood
7:1026 To fair Orythia courted by a God.
7:1027 Her father seal'd my hopes with rites divine,
7:1028 But firmer love before had made her mine.
7:1029 Men call'd me blest, and blest I was indeed.
7:1030 The second month our nuptials did succeed;
7:1031 When (as upon Hymettus' dewy head,
7:1032 For mountain stags my net betimes I spread)
7:1033 Aurora spy'd, and ravish'd me away,
7:1034 With rev'rence to the Goddess, I must say,
7:1035 Against my will, for Procris had my heart,
7:1036 Nor wou'd her image from my thoughts depart.
7:1037 At last, in rage she cry'd, Ingrateful boy
7:1038 Go to your Procris, take your fatal joy;
7:1039 And so dismiss'd me: musing, as I went,
7:1040 What those expressions of the Goddess meant,
7:1041 A thousand jealous fears possess me now,
7:1042 Lest Procris had prophan'd her nuptial vow:
7:1043 Her youth and charms did to my fancy paint
7:1044 A lewd adultress, but her life a saint.
7:1045 Yet I was absent long, the Goddess too
7:1046 Taught me how far a woman cou'd be true.
7:1047 Aurora's treatment much suspicion bred;
7:1048 Besides, who truly love, ev'n shadows dread.
7:1049 I strait impatient for the tryal grew,
7:1050 What courtship back'd with richest gifts cou'd do.
7:1051 Aurora's envy aided my design,
7:1052 And lent me features far unlike to mine.
7:1053 In this disguise to my own house I came,
7:1054 But all was chaste, no conscious sign of blame:
7:1055 With thousand arts I scarce admittance found,
7:1056 And then beheld her weeping on the ground
7:1057 For her lost husband; hardly I retain'd
7:1058 My purpose, scarce the wish'd embrace refrain'd.
7:1059 How charming was her grief! Then, Phocus, guess
7:1060 What killing beauties waited on her dress.
7:1061 Her constant answer, when my suit I prest,
7:1062 Forbear, my lord's dear image guards this breast;
7:1063 Where-e'er he is, whatever cause detains,
7:1064 Who-e'er has his, my heart unmov'd remains.
7:1065 What greater proofs of truth than these cou'd be?
7:1066 Yet I persist, and urge my destiny.
7:1067 At length, she found, when my own form return'd,
7:1068 Her jealous lover there, whose loss she mourn'd.
7:1069 Enrag'd with my suspicion, swift as wind,
7:1070 She fled at once from me and all mankind;
7:1071 And so became, her purpose to retain,
7:1072 A nymph, and huntress in Diana's train:
7:1073 Forsaken thus, I found my flames encrease,
7:1074 I own'd my folly, and I su'd for peace.
7:1075 It was a fault, but not of guilt, to move
7:1076 Such punishment, a fault of too much love.
7:1077 Thus I retriev'd her to my longing arms,
7:1078 And many happy days possess'd her charms.
7:1079 But with herself she kindly did confer,
7:1080 What gifts the Goddess had bestow'd on her;
7:1081 The fleetest grey-hound, with this lovely dart,
7:1082 And I of both have wonders to impart.
7:1083 Near Thebes a savage beast, of race unknown,
7:1084 Laid waste the field, and bore the vineyards down;
7:1085 The swains fled from him, and with one consent
7:1086 Our Grecian youth to chase the monster went;
7:1087 More swift than light'ning he the toils surpast,
7:1088 And in his course spears, men, and trees o'er-cast.
7:1089 We slipt our dogs, and last my Lelaps too,
7:1090 When none of all the mortal race wou'd do:
7:1091 He long before was struggling from my hands,
7:1092 And, e're we cou'd unloose him, broke his bands.
7:1093 That minute where he was, we cou'd not find,
7:1094 And only saw the dust he left behind.
7:1095 I climb'd a neighb'ring hill to view the chase,
7:1096 While in the plain they held an equal race;
7:1097 The savage now seems caught, and now by force
7:1098 To quit himself, nor holds the same strait course;
7:1099 But running counter, from the foe withdraws,
7:1100 And with short turning cheats his gaping jaws:
7:1101 Which he retrieves, and still so closely prest,
7:1102 You'd fear at ev'ry stretch he were possess'd;
7:1103 Yet for the gripe his fangs in vain prepare;
7:1104 The game shoots from him, and he chops the air.
7:1105 To cast my jav'lin then I took my stand;
7:1106 But as the thongs were fitting to my hand,
7:1107 While to the valley I o'er-look'd the wood,
7:1108 Before my eyes two marble statues stood;
7:1109 That, as pursu'd appearing at full stretch,
7:1110 This barking after, and at point to catch:
7:1111 Some God their course did with this wonder grace,
7:1112 That neither might be conquer'd in the chase.
7:1113 A sudden silence here his tongue supprest,
7:1114 He here stops short, and fain wou'd wave the rest.

7:1115 The eager prince then urg'd him to impart,
7:1116 The Fortune that attended on the dart.
7:1117 First then (said he) past joys let me relate,
7:1118 For bliss was the foundation of my fate.
7:1119 No language can those happy hours express,
7:1120 Did from our nuptials me, and Procris bless:
7:1121 The kindest pair! What more cou'd Heav'n confer?
7:1122 For she was all to me, and I to her.
7:1123 Had Jove made love, great Jove had been despis'd;
7:1124 And I my Procris more than Venus priz'd:
7:1125 Thus while no other joy we did aspire,
7:1126 We grew at last one soul, and one desire.
7:1127 Forth to the woods I went at break of day
7:1128 (The constant practice of my youth) for prey:
7:1129 Nor yet for servant, horse, or dog did call,
7:1130 I found this single dart to serve for all.
7:1131 With slaughter tir'd, I sought the cooler shade,
7:1132 And winds that from the mountains pierc'd the glade:
7:1133 Come, gentle air (so was I wont to say)
7:1134 Come, gentle air, sweet Aura come away.
7:1135 This always was the burden of my song,
7:1136 Come 'swage my flames, sweet Aura come along.
7:1137 Thou always art most welcome to my breast;
7:1138 I faint; approach, thou dearest, kindest guest!
7:1139 These blandishments, and more than these, I said
7:1140 (By Fate to unsuspected ruin led),
7:1141 Thou art my joy, for thy dear sake I love
7:1142 Each desart hill, and solitary grove;
7:1143 When (faint with labour) I refreshment need,
7:1144 For cordials on thy fragrant breath I feed.
7:1145 At last a wand'ring swain in hearing came,
7:1146 And cheated with the sound of Aura's name,
7:1147 He thought I some assignation made;
7:1148 And to my Procris' ear the news convey'd.
7:1149 Great love is soonest with suspicion fir'd:
7:1150 She swoon'd, and with the tale almost expir'd.
7:1151 Ah! wretched heart! (she cry'd) ah! faithless man.
7:1152 And then to curse th' imagin'd nymph began:
7:1153 Yet oft she doubts, oft hopes she is deceiv'd,
7:1154 And chides herself, that ever she believ'd
7:1155 Her lord to such injustice cou'd proceed,
7:1156 'Till she her self were witness of the deed.
7:1157 Next morn I to the woods again repair,
7:1158 And, weary with the chase, invoke the air:
7:1159 Approach, dear Aura, and my bosom chear:
7:1160 At which a mournful sound did strike my ear;
7:1161 Yet I proceeded, 'till the thicket by,
7:1162 With rustling noise and motion, drew my eye:
7:1163 I thought some beast of prey was shelter'd there,
7:1164 And to the covert threw my certain spear;
7:1165 From whence a tender sigh my soul did wound,
7:1166 Ah me! it cry'd, and did like Procris sound.
7:1167 Procris was there, too well the voice I knew,
7:1168 And to the place with headlong horror flew;
7:1169 Where I beheld her gasping on the ground,
7:1170 In vain attempting from the deadly wound
7:1171 To draw the dart, her love's dear fatal gift!
7:1172 My guilty arms had scarce the strength to lift
7:1173 The beauteous load; my silks, and hair I tore
7:1174 (If possible) to stanch the pressing gore;
7:1175 For pity beg'd her keep her flitting breath,
7:1176 And not to leave me guilty of her death.
7:1177 While I intreat she fainted fast away,
7:1178 And these few words had only strength to say:
7:1179 By all the sacred bonds of plighted love,
7:1180 By all your rev'rence to the Pow'rs above,
7:1181 By all the truth for which you held me dear,
7:1182 And last by love, the cause through which I bleed,
7:1183 Let Aura never to my bed succeed.
7:1184 I then perceiv'd the error of our fate,
7:1185 And told it her, but found and told too late!
7:1186 I felt her lower to my bosom fall,
7:1187 And while her eyes had any sight at all,
7:1188 On mine she fix'd them; in her pangs still prest
7:1189 My hand, and sigh'd her soul into my breast;
7:1190 Yet, being undeceiv'd, resign'd her breath
7:1191 Methought more chearfully, and smil'd in death.

7:1192 With such concern the weeping heroe told
7:1193 This tale, that none who heard him cou'd with-hold
7:1194 From melting into sympathizing tears,
7:1195 'Till Aeacus with his two sons appears;
7:1196 Whom he commits, with their new-levy'd bands,
7:1197 To Fortune's, and so brave a gen'ral's hands.

BOOK THE EIGHTH