The Story of Baucis and Philemon.
By Mr. Dryden.
Thus Achelous ends: His Audience hear
With Admiration, and admiring, fear
The Pow'rs of Heav'n; except Ixion's Son,
Who laugh'd at all the Gods, believ'd in none:
He shook his impious Head, and thus replies,
These Legends are no more than pious Lies:
You attribute too much to Heav'nly Sway,
To think they give us Forms, and take away.
The rest of better Minds, their Sense declar'd
Against this Doctrine, and with Horror heard.
Then Lelex rose, an old experienc'd Man,
And thus with sober Gravity began;
Heav'ns Pow'r is infinite: Earth, Air, and Sea,
The Manufacture Mass, the making Pow'r obey:
By Proof to clear your Doubt; In Phrygian Ground
Two neighb'ring Trees, with Walls encompass'd round,
Stand on a mod'rate Rise, with Wonder shown,
One a hard Oak, a softer Linden one:
I saw the Place, and them, by Pitheus sent
To Phrygian Realms, my Grandsire's Government.
Not far from thence is seen a Lake, the Haunt
Of Coots, and of the Fishing Cormorant:
Here Jove and Hermes came; but in Disguise
Of mortal Men conceal'd their Deities;
One laid aside his Thunder, one his Rod;
And many toilsome Steps together trod:
For Harbour at a thousand Doors they knock'd.
Not one of all the thousand but was lock'd.
At last an hospitable House they found,
A homely Shed; the Roof, not far from Ground,
Was thatch'd with Reeds, and Straw together bound.
