Scarce had I spoke when the Shade of Eacus' swift-footed grandson
Stalk'd with huge strides away o'er the flowery grass of the meadow,
Glad at the heart that its boy was fam'd 'mongst the brave as a warrior.
HYMN
To Thetis and Neoptolemus.
From the Greek of Heliodorus.
Of Thetis I sing with her locks of gold-shine,
The daughter of Nereus, lord of the brine,
To Peleus wedded, by Jove's high decree;
I sing her, the Venus so fair of the sea.
Of the spearman tremendous, the Mars of the fight,
Thunderbolt of old Greece, she was quickly made light,
Of Achilles divine, to whom Pyrrha an heir,
The boy Neoptolemus, gladly did bear,
The destroyer of Trojans, of Grecians the shield--
Thy protection to us, Neoptolemus yield!
Who blessed doth slumber in Pythia's green plain;
To accept this oblation of hymns from us deign,
And each peril drive far from our city benign.--
Of Thetis I sing with her locks of gold-shine.
THE GRAVE OF DEMOS.
From the Modern Greek.
Thus old Demos spoke, as sinking sought the sun the western wave:
Now, my brave lads, fetch us water, after supping let us lave;
O Lamprakes, O my nephew, down beside thy uncle sit--
When I'm gone, wear thou my trappings, and be captain, as is fit;
And do ye, my merry fellows, now my vacant sabre take,
And therewith green branches cutting, straight for me a pallet make;
Some one for the holy father, that I may confess me, run,
And that I to him may whisper all the crimes, in life I've done;
I've full thirty years as warrior, twenty five as robber pass'd;
Now I feel my end approaching, and I fain would breathe my last;
Me a tomb that's broad and lofty, O forget not to prepare,
For erect I'll stand within it, as in war, and weapons bear:
On the right side leave an opening, that the merry larks in spring,
Of its coming, welcome coming, may to me the tiding bring,
And for me in May's sweet season nightingales may sweetly sing.
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