as great as I
ever am, in my course, when I am the fullest; and, redoubled both in
rage and in flood, I tore away woods from woods, and fields from fields;
and together with the spot, I hurled the Nymphs[80] into the sea, who
then, at last, were mindful of me. My waves and those of the main
divided the land, {before} continuous, and separated it into as many
parts, as thou seest {islands, called} Echinades, in the midst of the
waves.

"But yet, as thou thyself seest from afar, one island, see! was
withdrawn far off from the rest, {an island} pleasing to me. The mariner
calls it Perimele.[81] This beloved Nymph did I deprive of the name of a
virgin. This her father, Hippodamas, took amiss, and pushed the body of
his daughter, when about to bring forth, from a rock, into the sea.
I received her; and bearing her up when swimming, I said, 'O thou bearer
of the Trident, who hast obtained, by lot, next in rank to the heavens,
the realms of the flowing waters, in which we sacred rivers end, {and}
to which we run; come hither, Neptune, and graciously listen to me, as I
pray. Her, whom I am bearing up, I have injured. If her father,
Hippodamas, had been mild and reasonable, or if he had been less
unnatural, he ought to have pitied her, and to have forgiven me. Give
thy assistance; and grant a place, Neptune, I beseech thee, to her,
plunged in the waters by the cruelty of her father; or allow her to
become a place herself. Her, even, {thus} will I embrace.' The King of
the ocean moved his head, and shook all the waters with his assent. The
Nymph was afraid; but yet she swam. Her breast, as she was swimming,
I myself touched, as it throbbed with a tremulous motion; and while I
felt it, I perceived her whole body grow hard, and her breast become
covered with earth growing over it. While I was speaking, fresh earth
enclosed her floating limbs, and a heavy island grew upon her changed
members."

[Footnote 78: _Opposed his journey._--Ver. 548. It has been
objected to this passage, that the river Acheloues, which rises in
Mount Pindus, and divides Acarnania from AEtolia, could not
possibly lie in the road of Theseus, as he returned from Calydon
to Athens.]

[Footnote 79: _Son of Ixion._--Ver. 566. Pirithoues lay on the one
side, and Lelex on the other; the latter is called 'Troezenius,'
from the fact of his having lived with Pittheus, the king of
Troezen.]

[Footnote 80: _I hurled the Nymph