I ought. She was in sorrow; but yet no
one could be more beautiful than she, {even} in her sadness; and she was
consuming with regret for her husband, torn from her. {Only} think,
Phocus, how great was the beauty of her, whom even sorrow did so much
become. Why should I tell how often her chaste manners repulsed {all} my
attempts? How often she said, 'I am reserved for {but} one, wherever he
is; for that one do I reserve my joys.' For whom, in his senses, would
not that trial of her fidelity have been sufficiently great? {Yet} I was
not content; and I strove to wound myself, while I was promising to give
vast sums for {but one} night, and forced her at last to waver, by
increasing the reward. {On this} I cried out, 'Lo! I, the gallant in
disguise, to my sorrow, {and} lavish in promises, to my misery, am thy
real husband; thou treacherous woman! thou art caught, {and} I the
witness.' She said nothing: only, overwhelmed with silent shame, she
fled from the house of treachery, together with her wicked husband; and
from her resentment against me, abhorring the whole race of men, she
used to wander[112] on the mountains, employed in the pursuits of Diana.
Then, a more violent flame penetrated to my bones, thus deserted.
I begged forgiveness, and owned myself in fault; and that I too might
have yielded to a similar fault, on presents being made; if presents so
large had been offered. Upon my confessing this, having first revenged
her offended modesty, she was restored to me, and passed the pleasant
years in harmony with me. She gave me, besides, as though in herself she
had given me but a small present, a dog as a gift, which when her own
Cynthia had presented to her, she had said, 'He will excel all dogs in
running.' She gave her, too, a javelin, which, as thou seest, I am
carrying in my hand.

"Dost thou inquire what was the fortune of the other present--hear
{then}. Thou wilt be astonished at the novelty of the wondrous fact. The
son of Laius[113] had solved the verses not understood by the wit of
others before him; and the mysterious propounder lay precipitated,
forgetful of her riddle. But the genial Themis,[114] forsooth, did not
leave such things unrevenged. Immediately another plague was sent forth
against Aonian Thebes; and many of the peasants fed the savage monster,
both by the destruction of their cattle, and their own as well. We, the
neighboring youth, came together, and enclosed the extensive fields with
toils