or a pile, dost order the son of
Poeas[25] to take the bow and the capacious quiver, and the arrows which
are again to visit[26] the Trojan realms; by whose assistance flames are
put beneath the pile; and while the structure is being seized by the
devouring fires, thou dost cover the summit of the heap of wood with the
skin of the Nemean {lion}, and dost lie down with thy neck resting on
thy club, with no other countenance than if thou art lying as a guest
crowned with garlands, amid the full cups of wine.

And now, the flames, prevailing and spreading on every side, roared,[27]
and reached the limbs {thus} undismayed, and him who despised them. The
Gods were alarmed for {this} protector of the earth;[28] Saturnian
Jupiter (for he perceived it) thus addressed them with joyful voice:
"This fear of yours is my own delight, O ye Gods of heaven, and, with
all my heart, I gladly congratulate myself that I am called the governor
and the father of a grateful people, and that my progeny, too, is secure
in your esteem. For, although this {concern} is given {in return} for
his mighty exploits, {still} I myself am obliged {by} it. But, however,
that your affectionate breasts may not be alarmed with vain fears,
despise these flames of Oeta. He who has conquered all things, shall
conquer the fires which you behold; nor shall he be sensible of the
potency of the flame, but in the part {of him} which he derived from his
mother. {That part of him}, which he derived from me, is immortal, and
exempt and secure from death, and to be subdued by no flames. This, too,
when disengaged from earth, I will receive into the celestial regions,
and I trust that this act of mine will be agreeable to all the Deities.
Yet if any one, if any one, {I say}, perchance should grieve at Hercules
being a Divinity, {and} should be unwilling that this honour should be
conferred on him; still he shall know that he deserves it to be bestowed
{on him}, and {even} against his will, shall approve of it."

{To this} the Gods assented; his royal spouse, too, seemed to bear the
rest {of his remarks} with no discontented {air}, but only the last
words with a countenance of discontent, and to take it amiss that she
was {so plainly} pointed at. In the mean time, whatever was liable to be
destroyed by flame, Mulciber consumed; and the figure of Hercules
remained, not to be recognized; nor did he have anything derived from
the form of his mother, and he only retained the t