skin;
And sees green spots on his black body form;
Prone on his breast he falls; together twin'd,
His legs commingling stretch, and gradual end
Lessen'd in rounded point; his arms remain
Still, and those arms remaining he extends;
While down his face yet human tears flow fast.
"O, hapless wife! approach," he cries, "approach,
"And touch me now, while ought of me remains;
"Receive my hand, while yet a hand I bear;
"Ere to a serpent wholly turns my form."--
More he prepar'd to utter, but his tongue,
Cleft sudden, to his wishes words refus'd:
And often when his sorrows sad he try'd
To wail anew, he hiss'd!--that sound alone,
Nature permitted. While her naked breast
With blows resounded, loud his wife exclaim'd;--
"Stay,--O, my Cadmus! hapless man, shake off
"This monstrous figure! Cadmus what is this?
"Where are thy feet,--and where thy arms and hands?
"Where are thy features,--thy complexion? Where,
"Whilst I bewail, art thou? Celestial powers!
"Why not this transformation work on me?"
She ended; he advancing, lick'd her face,
And creep'd, as custom'd, to her bosom dear,
And round her wonted neck embracing twin'd.
Now draw their servants nigh, and as they come
With terror start. The crested serpents play,
Smooth on their necks,--now two; and cordial slide,
In spires conjoin'd; then in the darksome shades
Th' adjoining woods afford them, close they hide.
Mankind they fly not, nor deep wounds inflict;
Harmless, their pristine form is ne'er forgot.

Still, though in alter'd shapes, the pair rejoic'd
Their grandson's fame to hear; whom vanquish'd Ind'
Low bending worshipp'd; Greece adoring prais'd,
In lofty temples. Sole Acrisius stands,
Like Bacchus sprung from Jove's celestial seed,
Opposing; and from Argos' gates propels
The god;--his birth deny'd, against him arms.
Nor Perseus would he own from heaven deriv'd;
Conceiv'd by Danae, from a golden shower:
Yet soon,--so mighty is the force of truth,--
Acrisius grieves he e'er so rashly brav'd
The god; his grandson driving from his court,
Disown'd. Now one in heaven is glorious plac'd;
The other, laden with the well-known spoil
Of the fierce snaky monster, cleaves the air,
On sounding pinions. High the victor sails
O'er Lybia's desarts, and the gory drops
Fall from the gorgon's head; the Ground receives
The blood, and warms it into writhing snakes.
Hence doe