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026 - Book 9 Part 2 · Metamorphoses

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  Speaker 1: Book nine, Part two of Avid's Metamorphoses. This is a
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  Speaker 1: LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain.
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  Speaker 1: For more information or devolunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org.
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  Speaker 1: Recording by Drue Altschul. Metamorphoses by Puglius Ovidius Nazzo, translated
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  Speaker 1: by brooks More, Book nine, Part two. Even Atlas felt
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  Speaker 1: the weight of heaven increase, but King Eurystheus, still implacable,
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  Speaker 1: vented his baffled hatred on the sons of the great Hero.
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  Speaker 1: Then the argive mother Alcamena, spent and anxious, with long cares,
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  Speaker 1: the burden of her old age and her fears, could
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  Speaker 1: pass the weary hours of Biole in garrulous narrations of
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  Speaker 1: his worth, his mighty labors, and her own sad days. Iole,
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  Speaker 1: by command of Hercules, had been betrothed to Hylas, and
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  Speaker 1: by him was gravit burdened with a noble child. And
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  Speaker 1: so to Iole Alcmena told this story of the birth
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  Speaker 1: of Hercules. Ah, may the gods be merciful to you
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  Speaker 1: and give you swift deliverance in that hour, when needful
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  Speaker 1: of all help you must call out for Lithia, the
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  Speaker 1: known goddess of all frightened mothers in their travail, She
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  Speaker 1: whom Juno's hatred overcame and made so dreadful against me.
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  Speaker 1: For when my hour of bearing Hercules was very near,
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  Speaker 1: and when the tenth sign of the zodiac was traversed
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  Speaker 1: by the sun, my burden then became so heavy that
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  Speaker 1: the one I bore so large you certainly could tell
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  Speaker 1: that Jove must be the father of the unborn child.
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  Speaker 1: At last, no longer able to endure ah me, a
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  Speaker 1: cold sweat seizes on me. Now only to think of
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  Speaker 1: it renews my pains. Seven days in agony, as many
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  Speaker 1: knights exhausted in my dreadful misery, I stretched my arms
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  Speaker 1: to heaven and invoked Lucina and three Nixian Dayes, the
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  Speaker 1: guardians of birth. Lucina came. Before then she had been
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  Speaker 1: pledged to give my life to cruel Juno. While Lucina
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  Speaker 1: sat in the altar near the door and listened with
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  Speaker 1: her right knee crossed over her left knee, with fingers interlocked,
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  Speaker 1: she stopped the birth, and in low muttered tones she
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  Speaker 1: chanted charms which there prevented my deliverance. I fiercely struggled,
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  Speaker 1: and insane with pain, shrieked veil revilings against Jupiter. I
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  Speaker 1: longed for death, and my delirious words then should have
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  Speaker 1: moved the most unfeeling rocks. The theban matrons, eager to
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  Speaker 1: help me, stood near me while they asked the aid
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  Speaker 1: of heaven, And there was present of the common class.
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  Speaker 1: My maid Galanthus, with her red gold hair, efficient and
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  Speaker 1: most willing to obey, her worthy character, deserved my love.
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  Speaker 1: She felt assured Juno unjustly worked some spell of strong
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  Speaker 1: effect against my life. And when this made beheld, Lucina
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  Speaker 1: perched so strangely on the altar, with her fingers in
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  Speaker 1: woven on her knees and tightly pressed together in a
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  Speaker 1: gripping finger comb, she guessed that jealous Juna was the cause.
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  Speaker 1: Quick witted, in a ringing voice, dismayed, cried out, congratulations,
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  Speaker 1: all is well, Alcamna is delivered a fine child, so
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  Speaker 1: safely brought forth her true prayers approved. Lucina, who presides
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  Speaker 1: at birth, surprised, leaped up, unclenched her hands as one amazed,
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  Speaker 1: just as her hands unfastened and her knees were parted
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  Speaker 1: from their stricture. I could feel the bonds of the
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  Speaker 1: stricture loosen, and without more labor was delivered of my child,
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  Speaker 1: Tis said Gallantus laughed and ridiculed the cheated deity. And
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  Speaker 1: as she laughed, the vixen goddess caught her by the hair, and,
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  Speaker 1: dragging her upon the ground, while she was struggling to rise,
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  Speaker 1: held her, and there transformed both of her arms to
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  Speaker 1: animal fore legs. Her old activity her hair was not changed,
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  Speaker 1: but she did not keep her maid in form. And
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  Speaker 1: ever since that day, because she aided with deceitful lips,
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  Speaker 1: her offspring are brought forth through the same mouth, changed
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  Speaker 1: to a weasel. She dwells now with me. When she
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  Speaker 1: had ended the sad tale, she heaved a deep sigh
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  Speaker 1: in remembrance of her tired, beloved servant and her daughter
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  Speaker 1: in law. Aolee kindly answered in these words, oh, my
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  Speaker 1: dear mother, if you weep because of her who was
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  Speaker 1: your servant, now transformed into a weasel, how can you
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  Speaker 1: support the true narration of my sister's fate, which I
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  Speaker 1: must tell to you, Although my tears and sorrows hinder
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  Speaker 1: and forbid my speech. Most beautiful of all Akalian maids.
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  Speaker 1: Was Dryope her mother's only child. We must know I
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  Speaker 1: am the daughter of my father's second wife. She is
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  Speaker 1: not now a maid because through violence of him who
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  Speaker 1: rules at Delphian Delos, she was taken by Andremon, whose
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  Speaker 1: sin once then has been accounted. Happy in his wife,
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  Speaker 1: there is a lake surrounded by sweet lawns and circling beauties,
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  Speaker 1: where the upper slope is crowned with myrtles, in a
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  Speaker 1: fair sunny groves. Without a thought of danger, Dryope, in worship,
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  Speaker 1: one day went to gather flowers, who hears has greater
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  Speaker 1: cause to be indignant, delightful garlands for the water nymphs,
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  Speaker 1: And in her bosom carried her dear son, not yet
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  Speaker 1: a year old, whom she fed for love. Not far
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  Speaker 1: from that dream lake, in moisture grew a lotus beautiful
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  Speaker 1: in purple bloom. The blossoms, promising its fruit was near.
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  Speaker 1: At play with her sweet infant, Dryope plucked them its
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  Speaker 1: toys for him. I too was there eagerly also, But
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  Speaker 1: I put forth my hand and was ready to secure spray,
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  Speaker 1: when I was startled by some drops of blood found
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  Speaker 1: falling from the blossoms which were plucked and even the
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  Speaker 1: trembling branches shook dread. Who wills the truth of this
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  Speaker 1: may learn from all quaint people of the land, who
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  Speaker 1: still to relate the story of Nymphalotus. She, they say,
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  Speaker 1: while flying from the lust of Priapus, was transformed quickly
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  Speaker 1: from her human shape into this tree. Though she has
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  Speaker 1: kept her name. But ignorant of all this, driope Alarm
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  Speaker 1: decided she must now return. So, having first adored the
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  Speaker 1: hallowed nymphs upright, she stood and would have moved away,
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  Speaker 1: but both her feet were tangled in her root. There
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  Speaker 1: as she struggled in its tightening hold, she could move
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  Speaker 1: nothing save her upper parts, and growing from that root,
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  Speaker 1: live bark began to gather slowly upward from the ground,
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  Speaker 1: spreading around her till it touched her loins. In terror,
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  Speaker 1: when she saw the clinging growth, she would have torn
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  Speaker 1: her hair out by the roots. But a last when
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  Speaker 1: she clutched at it, her hands were filled with lotus
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  Speaker 1: leaves grown up from her changed head. Alas, her little
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  Speaker 1: son Emphysus felt his mother's bosom harden to his touch,
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  Speaker 1: and no life stream refreshed his eager lips. And while
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  Speaker 1: I saw your cruel destiny, oh, dear sister, and could
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  Speaker 1: give no help. I clung to your loved body and
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  Speaker 1: around the growing trunken branches, hoping so to stop their
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  Speaker 1: evil growth. And I confess endeavored there to hide beneath
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  Speaker 1: the park. And oh and Drumman and her father then
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  Speaker 1: appeared to me while they were sadly seeking for dryope.
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  Speaker 1: So there I had to show the lotus as it
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  Speaker 1: covered her, and they gave kisses to the warm wood,
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  Speaker 1: and prostrate fell upon the ground and clung to the
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  Speaker 1: growing roots of their new darling tree. Transformed from her,
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  Speaker 1: dear sister, there was nothing of yourself remaining but your face,
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  Speaker 1: and I could see your tears drop slowly on the
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  Speaker 1: trembling leaves which had so marvessly grown on you. And
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  Speaker 1: while your lips remained uncovered, all the air surrounding echoed
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  Speaker 1: your complaint. If oaths of wretched women can have force,
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  Speaker 1: I swear I have not merited this fate, though innocent
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  Speaker 1: to suffer punishment. And if one word of my complaint
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  Speaker 1: is false, I pray I may soon wither and my
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  Speaker 1: leaves fall from me as in blight, and let the
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  Speaker 1: axe devote me wretched to the flames. But take this
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  Speaker 1: infant from my branches to a nurse, and let him
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  Speaker 1: often play beneath this tree. His mother always let him
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  Speaker 1: drink his milk beneath my shade. Then he has learned
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  Speaker 1: to talk. Let him salute me, and in to sorrows, say,
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  Speaker 1: in this tree trunk, my mother is concealed. Oh, let
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  Speaker 1: him dread the fate that lurks in ponds. Let him
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  Speaker 1: often play beneath his tree, and let him be persuaded.
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  Speaker 1: Every shrub contains the body of a goddess. Ah, farewell
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  Speaker 1: my husband, sister, and farewell my father. If my love
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  Speaker 1: remain in you, remember to protect my life from harm,
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  Speaker 1: so that the pruning knife may never clit my branches,
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  Speaker 1: And protect my foliage from the browsing sheep. I cannot
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  Speaker 1: stoop to you. Oh, if you love me, lift your
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  Speaker 1: lips to mine and let me kiss you. If but
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  Speaker 1: once again, before this growing lotus covers me, lift up
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  Speaker 1: my darling infant to my lips. How could I hope
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  Speaker 1: to say much more to you? The new bark now
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  Speaker 1: is creeping up my neck and creeping downward from my
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  Speaker 1: covered brow. Ah, do not close my live eyes with
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  Speaker 1: your hands. There is no need of it, for growing
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  Speaker 1: bark will spread and darken them before I die. Such
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  Speaker 1: were the last words her poor smother lips could utter,
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  Speaker 1: for she was so quickly changed, and long thereafter the
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  Speaker 1: new branches kept the warmth of her lost body, so transformed.
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  Speaker 1: And all the while that I only told this tearful
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  Speaker 1: in sorrow for her sister's fate. Alcamena, weeping, tried to
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  Speaker 1: comfort her. But as they wept together, suddenly a wonderful
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  Speaker 1: event astonishing them. For standing in the doorway they beheld
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  Speaker 1: the old man Naiolus, known to them, but now transformed
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  Speaker 1: from age to youth. He seemed almost a boy, with
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  Speaker 1: light down on his cheeks. For Juno's daughter's he be
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  Speaker 1: had renewed his years to please her husband Hercules, just
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  Speaker 1: at the time when ready to make oath. She would
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  Speaker 1: not grant such gifts to other men. Themys had happily
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  Speaker 1: prevented her. For even now, she said, a civil strife
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  Speaker 1: is almost ready to break forth in Thebes, and Capaneus
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  Speaker 1: shall be invincible to all save the strong hand of
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  Speaker 1: Jove himself. And there two hostile brothers shall engage in
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  Speaker 1: bloody conflict, and Amphireus shall see his own ghost, deep
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  Speaker 1: and yawning earth. His own son, dutiful to him, shall
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  Speaker 1: be both just and unjust in a single day, For he,
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  Speaker 1: in vengeance of his father's death, shall slay his own mother,
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  Speaker 1: and confounded, lose both home and reason, persecuted both by
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  Speaker 1: the grim furies and the awful ghost of his own
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  Speaker 1: murthered mother. This until his wife, deluded, shall request of
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  Speaker 1: him the fatal golden necklace, and until the sword of
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  Speaker 1: Fijius drains his kinsman blood. And then at last his
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  Speaker 1: wife Kleroi, will supplicate the mighty Jupiter to grant her
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  Speaker 1: infant sons the added years of youthful manhood. Then shall
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  Speaker 1: Jupiter let he be guardian of ungathered days, grant from
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  Speaker 1: the future of Kalleroy's sons the strength of manhood in
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  Speaker 1: their infancy. Do not let their victorious father's death be
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  Speaker 1: unavenged for a long while. Jove prevailed upon, will claim
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  Speaker 1: beforehand all the gifts of he be, who is his
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  Speaker 1: known daughter in law and his step daughter, And with
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  Speaker 1: one act change Kalroy's beardless boys to men of sighe.
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  Speaker 1: When themis prophesying future days, that said these words, the
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  Speaker 1: gods of heaven complain because they also could not grant
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  Speaker 1: the gift of youth to many others. In this way,
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  Speaker 1: Aurora wept because her husband had white hair, and Ceres
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  Speaker 1: then bewailed the age of her iasiin gray and stricken old,
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  Speaker 1: and Mulsaber demanded with new life his Eerychthonius might again appear,
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  Speaker 1: and Venus, thinking upon future days, said old Anchises. Years
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  Speaker 1: must be restored, and every god preferred some favorite until
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  Speaker 1: vexed with the clamor. Jupiter implored, if you can have
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  Speaker 1: regard for me, consider the strange blessings you desire. Does
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  Speaker 1: any one of you believe he can prevail against the
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  Speaker 1: settled will of fate? As Iolas has returned by fate
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  Speaker 1: to those years spent by him. So by the fates,
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  Speaker 1: Kadiro's sons from Infa must grow to manhood with no
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  Speaker 1: struggle on their part or force of their ambition, and
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  Speaker 1: you should endure your fortune with contented minds. I also
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  Speaker 1: must give all control to fate. If I had power
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  Speaker 1: to change the course of fate, I would not let
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  Speaker 1: advancing age break down my own son Aachus, nor bend
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  Speaker 1: his back with weight of year. And rhadamanthus should retain
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  Speaker 1: an everlasting flower of youth, together with my own son Minas,
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  Speaker 1: who is now despised because of his great age, so
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  Speaker 1: that his scepter has lost dignity. Such words of Jupiter
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  Speaker 1: controlled the gods, and none continued to complain when they
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  Speaker 1: saw Aacus and rhadamanthus old and Minos also weary of
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  Speaker 1: his age, And they remembered Minos and his prime at
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  Speaker 1: ward against great nations, till his name is mentioned with
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  Speaker 1: a certain cause of fear, but now enfeebled by great age.
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  Speaker 1: She feared Melitus, Dion's son, because of his exultant youth
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  Speaker 1: and strength derived from his great father Phoebus. And although
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  Speaker 1: he well perceived Melitus's eye was fixed upon his throne,
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  Speaker 1: he did not dare to drive him from his kingdom,
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  Speaker 1: And although not forced, Miletus, of his own accord, did
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  Speaker 1: fly by swift ship over to the Asian shore, across
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  Speaker 1: the Aegean water, where he built the city of his Nae.
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  Speaker 1: End of Book nine, Part two, recording by True Alchull