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