Jove laughed greatly, seeing the evil-plotting boy lying well and skilfully about the heifers. And he ordered them both, having a concordant mind, to go in search, and messenger Mercury to lead the way, and to show the place with innocence of mind, where he had hidden the stout heads of cattle. And the son of Saturn beckoned [to him] with a nod, and glorious Mercury obeyed, for the mind of Ægis-bearing Jove easily persuaded. And these two beauteous children of Jove hastened to sandy Pylos, to the ford[1] of Alpheus, and they reached the fields and lofty shed, where wealth, forsooth, was increased during night-time. Here then Mercury, indeed, going to[2] the stone cave, drove the strong heads of cattle into the light, and the son of Latona looking aside, perceived the skins of the cows upon a lofty rock, and quickly he asked glorious Mercury:
"How wast thou able, O cunning cheat, to cut the throats of two cows, being thus new-born and infantine? I myself shall hereafter dread[3] thy power. It does not behove thee to grow very much, O Cyllenian son of Maia."
Thus then he spoke, and with his hands he threw around him strong bands of withy, but they beneath his feet were forthwith fastened[4] upon the earth, although strongly entwined in each other, and [the same thing took place] easily with all the field-dwelling cows, by the devices of deceitful Mercury, but Apollo, beholding, marvelled. But then the strong slayer of Argus kept looking about the place, frequently darting his eyes, desiring to hide himself. But he very easily appeased the far-darting son of glorious Latona, as he himself wished, although being valiant. But taking [his lyre] in his left hand,[5] he tried it with the quill, note by note, and it uttered a powerful sound beneath his hand; and Phœbus Apollo laughed, rejoicing, and the pleasing voice of the divine song penetrated through his soul, and sweet love possessed him in
- ↑ I read ἐς Πύλον ἠμαθόεντα, ἐπ' Ἁλφειοῦ, with Herm.
- ↑ I prefer ἐς λάϊνον ἄντρον, with cod. Mosc.
- ↑ Hermann has conjecturally restored the almost obsolete verb θαμβαίνω, found also in one MS. of the hymn to Venus, vs. 84.
- ↑ Hermann defends φύοντο, which Bernard Martin had changed to λύοντο, but in vs. 412 he would read ῥεῖ' ἄγνοι πάσῃσιν, which he thus explains: "Apollo bobus injecit, vincula viminea, ilia autem ita, ut contorta erant, in omnibus bobus statim sub eorum pedibus solo inhæserunt.'
- ↑ Hermann with reason supposes there is a lacuna after vs. 418.
