he field on the pastures of hill and plain, thou Far-
darter. So shall the kine, consorting with the bulls, bring forth calves
male and female, great store, and no need there is that thou, wise as
thou art, should be vehement in anger."

So spake he, and held forth the lyre that Phoebus Apollo took, and
pledged his shining whip in the hands of Hermes, and set him over the
herds. Gladly the son of Maia received it; while the glorious son of
Leto, Apollo, the Prince, the Far-darter, held the lyre in his left hand,
and tuned it orderly with the _plectrum_. Sweetly it sounded to his
hand, and fair thereto was the song of the God. Thence anon the twain
turned the kine to the rich meadow, but themselves, the glorious children
of Zeus, hastened back to snow-clad Olympus, rejoicing in the lyre: ay,
and Zeus, the counsellor, was glad of it. [Both did he make one in love,
and Hermes loved Leto's son constantly, even as now, since when in
knowledge of his love he pledged to the Far-darter the winsome lyre, who
held it on his arm and played thereon.] But Hermes withal invented the
skill of a new art, the far-heard music of the reed pipes.

Then spake the son of Leto to Hermes thus:

"I fear me, Son of Maia, thou leader, thou crafty one, lest thou steal
from me both my lyre and my bent bow. For this meed thou hast from Zeus,
to establish the ways of barter among men on the fruitful earth.
Wherefore would that thou shouldst endure to swear me the great oath of
the Gods, with a nod of the head or by the showering waters of Styx, that
thy doings shall ever to my heart be kind and dear."

Then, with a nod of his head, did Maia's son vow that never would he
steal the possessions of the Far-darter, nor draw nigh his strong
dwelling. And Leto's son made vow and band of love and alliance, that
none other among the Gods should be dearer of Gods or men the seed of
Zeus. [And I shall make, with thee, a perfect token of a Covenant of all
Gods and all men, loyal to my heart and honoured.] {162a} "Thereafter
shall I give thee a fair wand of wealth and fortune, a golden wand, three-
pointed, which shall guard thee harmless, accomplishing all things good
of word and deed that it is mine to learn from the voice of Zeus. {162b}
But as touching the art prophetic, oh best of fosterlings of Zeus,
concerning which thou inquirest, for thee it is not fit to learn that
art, nay, nor for any other Immortal. That lies in the mind of Zeus
alone.