Scarce had Hymen spoken and she bathes her in the cool stream, gathers her flowing hair, and renews her charms, taking from out the press the wondrous garments spun by her mother Dione. Her chariot is heaped with flowers and the yoke thereof is fragrant with blossoms. Flowers entwine the reins that fetter her bright doves. From all sides the birds flock together, those that soothe with their song the roar of Athesis, those whom Larius hears, Benacus feeds, or Mincius welcomes with his quiet flood. Quiet are those waters now that the birds’ plaintive notes resound there no more. The swans have flown away and left the banks of Eridanus and the sounding marshes of Padusa. Right glad are the wanton Loves; they catch and harness the birds and ride them through the clouds before the eyes of Venus. There they join in noisy battle, lean forward to strike one another, and fall but suffer no hurt. Fallen they overtake their steeds with flight swifter than theirs, for the charioteer is fleeter than the chariot. Soon as they reached the doors of the marriage-chamber they empty baskets full of red spring flowers, pouring forth showers of roses and scattering from their laden quivers violets gathered in Venus’ meadow, violets untouched e’en by the heat of the * * * * * Page 214 Sirius et teneras clementi sidere fovit. 120 gemmatis alii per totum balsama tectum effudere cadis, duro quae saucius ungue Niliacus pingui desudat vulnere cortex. adgreditur Cytherea nurum flentemque pudico detraxit matris gremio. matura tumescit 125 virginitas superatque nives ac lilia candor et patrium flavis testatur crinibus Histrum. tum dextram complexa viri dextramque puellae tradit et his ultro sancit conubia dictis: “Vivite concordes et nostrum discite munus. 130 oscula mille sonent; livescant brachia nexu; labra ligent animas. neu tu virtute proterva confidas, iuvenis; non est terrore domanda, sed precibus placanda tibi. concede marito tu quoque neu Scythicas infensis unguibus iras 135 exercere velis: vinci patiare, rogamus. sic uxor, sic mater eris. quid lumina tinguis, virgo? crede mihi: quem nunc horrescis, amabis.” Dixit et aligera geminos arcuque manuque praestantes e plebe vocat. puer ilicet Aethon 140 et Pyrois rutilas respersi murice plumas prosiliunt puroque imbutis melle sagittis hic nuptam petit, ille virum. sonuere reducta cornua; certa notos pariter sulcavit harundo et pariter fixis haeserunt tela medullis. 145 * * * * * Page 215