joiced. And do thou indeed thus hail, child of Ægis-bearing Jove; but I will be mindful of thee and of another song.
XXVII. TO VESTA AND MERCURY.
O Vesta, who hast obtained an immortal seat in the lofty dwellings of all, both immortal gods and earth-traversing men, an honour due to age,[1]* possessing a fair privilege and honour. For without thee [are there] no banquets for mortals, where [the host] beginning [the libations], pours out sweet wine to Vesta not first nor last. †And thou, for me, O slayer of Argus, son of Jove and Maia, messenger of the blest, bearer of a golden wand, giver of good things, †ye dwell in beauteous abodes, dear to each other in your minds.† Do thou, being propitious, give aid, with hallowed and beloved Vesta; for ye both, knowing good works, accompany the mind and youth of men upon the earth. Hail, daughter of Saturn, both thou and golden-wanded Mercury; but I will be mindful both of you and of another song.
XXVIII. TO [EARTH],[2]* THE MOTHER OF ALL.
I will sing Earth, the mother of all, with well-laid foundations, most ancient, who feeds all things,[3] as many as are upon the earth, and as many as traverse the boundless earth, and as many as [inhabit] the sea, and as many as fly, these are fed out of thy riches. And from thee, hallowed one, are [men] rich in children and fruitful, and on thee it depends to bestow life, and take it away from mortal men. But blest is he, whom thou indeed shalt willingly honour in thy mind, and to him are all things in abundance. To him[4]* the life-
- ↑ This is the only interpretation of πρεσβηΐδα at all agreeable to the sense. Ernesti would read γαῖαν for τιμὴν. Vss. 4, 5, 6, are condemned by Ilgen as spurious, and vs. 9 put after vs. 11, by Martin and Matthiæ. To me there appears to be a mixture of two hymns.
- ↑ γὴν is added in edd. Flor. Aldd.
- ↑ Cf. Æsch. Sept. c. Th. 16, γῇ τε μητρὶ, φιλτάτῃ τρόφῃ ἡ γὰρ νέους ἕρποντας εὐμενεῖ πέδῳ Ἅπαντα πανδοκοῦσα παιδείας ὄτλον, Ἔθρέψατ'.
- ↑ σφιν is here the singular number. The enallage of number commences with αὐτοὶ δ'εὐν, in vs. 11.
