er wounded modest pride grew more compos'd;
"And shortly I regain'd her. Long in peace
"We liv'd, and cordial spent the smiling years.
"Herself a gift she priz'd not: more she gave,
"An hound, she from Diana's hand receiv'd,
"Who said,--accept the fleetest of his race--
"And gave this javelin which you see me bear.
"If of the first the fate you seek to know,
"Attend, th' adventure will your wonder move.

"The son of Laius had the words explain'd,
"Before his time to every mind obscure;
"And the dark prophetess, down headlong flung,
"Laid lifeless, all her riddling tales forgot.
"Her, fostering Themis saw, and unreveng'd
"To lie not suffer'd. Straight another plague
"On Thebes was loos'd; and all the country swains
"Fear'd by the savage beast their flocks to lose,
"And fear'd their own destruction. With the youths
"Adjacent, I assembled; round the fields
"Our toils we fix; the toils the rapid beast
"O'erleaps high-bounding; 'bove the loftiest ropes,
"Stretch'd o'er the nets, with active spring he flies.
"The hounds uncoupled, in the chace he mocks,
"And like an agile bird before them plays;
"With outcries loud, for Laelaps' aid they call.
"(My Procris' gift, so nam'd.) Long had he tugg'd,
"To extricate him from the chain; to free
"His captive neck: scarce was he loos'd, so swift
"He shot, in vain our eyes his progress mark'd:
"In the light dust his feet were printed, he,
"Rapt from the view, was vanish'd. Swifter flies
"The darted spear not: nor the leaden ball
"Hurl'd from the whirling sling;--nor reedy dart
"Shot from the Cretan bow. A central hill
"High-towering, all the subject plains o'erlooks;
"Thither I climb, and there behold the chase;
"A novel scene. Now seems the beast safe caught;
"Now from the grasp light-springing. Flight right on
"Crafty he shuns, and doubles round the field,
"Cheating his chaser's mouth; and circling turns
"His foe's quick speed eluding. Swift he flies,--
"With equal swiftness follow'd. Now to grasp
"His prey seems Laelaps,--in his grasp deceiv'd,
"His empty jaws seize air. Now to my aid
"I call my javelin,--poize it for the blow,
"And bend mine eyes the thongs to fix secure:
"Again I lift them to behold the chase,
"And see astonish'd in the spacious plain
"Two marble statues! this to fly appears,--
"That barking seems to follow. So decreed
"Doubtless the gods, that in the a