Apollo comes, and Neptune comes along;

With these gay Hermes trod the starry plain;

But modesty withheld the goddess train.

All heaven beholds, imprison’d as they lie,

And unextinguish’d laughter shakes the sky.

Then mutual, thus they spoke: “Behold on wrong

Swift vengeance waits; and art subdues the strong!

Dwells there a god on all the Olympian brow

More swift than Mars, and more than Vulcan slow?

Yet Vulcan conquers, and the god of arms

Must pay the penalty for lawless charms.”


Thus serious they; but he who gilds the skies,

The gay Apollo, thus to Hermes cries:

“Wouldst thou enchain’d like Mars, O Hermes, lie

And bear the shame like Mars to share the joy?”


“O envied shame! (the smiling youth rejoin’d;)

And thrice the chains, and thrice more firmly bind;

Gaze all ye gods, and every goddess gaze,

Yet eager would I bless the sweet disgrace.”


Loud laugh the rest, e’en Neptune laughs aloud,

Yet sues importunate to loose the god.

“And free, (he cries) O Vulcan! free from shame

Thy captives; I ensure the penal claim.”


“Will Neptune (Vulcan then) the faithless trust?

He suffers who gives surety for the unjust:

But say, if that lewd scandal of the sky,

To liberty restored, perfidious fly:

Say, wilt thou bear the mulct?” He instant cries,

“The mulct I bear, if Mars perfidious flies.”


To whom appeased: “No more I urge delay;

When Neptune sues, my part is to obey.”

Then to the snares his force the god applies;

They burst; and Mars to Thrace indignant flies:

To the soft Cyprian shores the goddess moves,

To visit Paphos and her blooming groves,

Where to the Power an hundred altars rise,

And breathing odours scent the balmy skies;

Concealed she bathes in consecrated bowers,

The Graces unguents shed, ambrosial showers,

Unguents that charm the gods! she last assumes

Her wondrous robes; and full the goddess blooms.


Thus sung the bard: Ulysses hears with joy,