usband, nor the
descent of them both, nor the sovereignty of a mighty kingdom, pleased
her so much (although all of them did please her) as her own progeny;
and Niobe might have been pronounced the happiest of mothers, if she had
not so seemed to herself.

For Manto, the daughter of Tiresias, foreknowing the future, urged by a
divine impulse, had proclaimed through the middle of the streets, "Ye
women of Ismenus, go all of you,[33] and give to Latona, and the two
children of Latona, the pious frankincense, together with prayers, and
wreathe your hair with laurel; by my mouth does Latona command {this}."
Obedience is paid; and all the Theban women adorn their temples with
leaves {of laurel}, as commanded, and offer frankincense on the sacred
fires, and words of supplication. Lo! Niobe comes, surrounded with a
crowd of attendants, conspicuous for the gold interwoven in her Phrygian
garments, and beautiful, so far as anger will allow; and tossing her
hair, hanging down on both shoulders, with her graceful head, she stands
still; and as she loftily casts around her haughty eyes, she says, "What
madness is this to prefer the inhabitants of Heaven, that you have
{only} heard of, to those who are seen? or why is Latona worshipped at
the altars, {and} my Godhead is still without its {due} frankincense?
Tantalus was my father, who alone was allowed to approach the tables of
the Gods above. The sister of the Pleiades[34] is my mother; the most
mighty Atlas is my grandsire, who bears the aethereal skies upon his
neck. Jupiter is my other grandsire; of him, too, I boast as my
father-in-law.[35] The Phrygian nations dread me; the palace of Cadmus
is subject to me as its mistress; and the walls that were formed by the
strings of my husband's {lyre}, together with their people, are governed
by me and my husband; to whatever part of the house I turn my eyes,
immense wealth is seen. To this is added a face worthy of a Goddess. Add
to this my seven daughters,[36] and as many sons, and, at a future day,
sons-in-law and daughters-in-law. Now inquire what ground my pride has
{for its existence}; and presume to prefer Latona the Titaness, the
daughter of some obscure Caeus, to whom, when in travail,[37] the great
earth once refused a little spot, to myself. Neither by heaven, nor by
earth, nor by water, was your Goddess received; she was banished the
world, till Delos, pitying the wanderer, said, "Thou dost roam a
stranger on the land, I in