But the beneficial son of Jove, beholding it, laughed, and straightway spoke thus:
"A very useful god-send[1] [art thou] for me now, I will not disdain thee. Hail! thou pleasant by nature, choir-resounding, companion of the feast, who hast luckily made thy appearance. Whence is this beautiful plaything? thou art the varied shell, the tortoise that dwells on the mountains. But I will take and bear thee to my dwelling; thou wilt be of some use to me, nor will I despise thee, but thou first shalt benefit me. It is better to be at home, since out-of-doors is hurtful.[2] For living, thou wilt certainly be a defence against the baleful attack, but if thou diest, thou wilt then sing very beautifully."
Thus then he spoke, and having taken [it] up in both hands, he straightway went back to his dwelling, bearing the pleasant plaything. Here having deceitfully scooped it out[3] with a scalpel of hoary steel, he extinguished the life of the mountain tortoise. And as when the swift thought passes through the breast of a man, whom frequent cares occupy, or when flashes[4] are rolled from the eyes, so at once, word and deed, did glorious Mercury devise. And cutting them in due measure, he fixed cut joints of reed, having pierced through
- ↑ i. e. an omen of a discovery that will prove useful. Shelley renders:
"A useful god-send are you to me now,
King of the dance, companion of the feast,
Lovely in all your nature!" - ↑ Chapman: "'Tis best to be at home; harm lurks abroad."
- ↑ The word ἀναπηλήσας cannot be right. Barnes would read ἀναπηδήσας; Stephens, ἀναπειρήνας from vs. 48. Ernesti prefers ἀναφηλήσας: "deceptæ vitam scalpro exterebravit." Hermann reads a ἀναπιλήσας, "constipans." I cannot decide. The following is Chapman's version:
"Where, giving to the mountain tortoise, vents
Of life and motion, with tit instruments
Forged of bright steel, he straight informed a lute.
Put neck, and frets to it; of which a suit
He made of splitted quills, in equal space
Imposed upon the neck, and did embrace
Both back and bosom." - ↑ "Or as the frequent twinklings of an eye."Chapman."not swifter wheel
The flashes of its torture and unrest,
Out of the dizzy eyes—than Maia's son
All that he did devise hath featly done."Shelley.
