confirmed by various incidents of obscure suggestion,
and especially by his hearing in a cavern the words (we have read them
already, beslavered by the "human serpentry" of criticism, but they
remain delicious words none the less)--

"Endymion, the cave is secreter
Than the isle of Delos. Echo hence shall stir
No sighs but sigh-warm kisses, or light noise
Of thy combing hand, the while it travelling cloys
And trembles through my labyrinthine hair."

As nothing further, however, had happened, Endymion promised Peona that
he would henceforth cease to live a life of feverish expectation, and
would resume the calm tenor of his days.

_Book 2._--Endymion's promise had not been strictly fulfilled; he was
still restless and craving. One day he plucked a rosebud: it suddenly
blossomed, and a butterfly emerged from it, with strangely-charactered
wings. He pursued the butterfly, which led him to a fountain by a
cavern, and then disappeared. A naiad thereupon addressed him, saying
that he must wander far before he could be reunited to his mystic fair
one. He then appealed to the moon-goddess for some aid, was rapt into a
dizzy vision as if he were sailing through heaven in her car, and heard
a voice from the cavern bidding him descend into the entrails of the
earth. He eagerly obeyed, and passed through a region of twilight
dimness starred with gems, until he reached a natural temple enshrining
a statue of Diana. An awful sense of solitude weighed upon him, and he
implored the goddess to restore him to his earthly home. A profusion of
flowers budded forth before his feet, followed by music as he resumed
his journey. At last he came to a verdant space, peopled with slumbering
Cupids. Here in a beautiful chamber he found Adonis lying tranced on a
couch, attended by other Cupids.[18] One of them gave him wine and
fruit, and explained to him the winter-sleep and summer-life of Adonis;
and at this moment Adonis woke up from his trance, and Venus came to
solace him with love. Venus spoke soothingly also to Endymion, telling
him that she knew of his love for some one of the immortals, but who
this was she had failed to fathom. She promised that one day he should
be blessed, and with Adonis she then rose heavenward in her car. The
earth closed, and Endymion gladly pursued his way through caves, jewels,
and water-springs. Cybele passed on her lion-drawn chariot. The diamond
path ended in middle air; Endymion invoked