At thy[100] birth they tell how swelling Tagus o’erflowed the rich fields with gold; Galicia laughed with flowers and on the rose-covered banks of Duria’s fair stream the once white fleeces of the sheep were everywhere turned to purple grain. The Cantabrian main cast up jewels upon the shore, and the pale Asturian delves no more into the bowels of the mountain; on the day hallowed by thy birth earth poured forth gold as dross from her open veins. Beneath the caves of the Pyrenees the river Nymphs gather the fiery thunder-stones. The Nereids, yielding to the flowing tide, followed the flooding waves up the river’s courses; there, in the sight of all, they acknowledged thee their queen by their applause and celebrated thy coming marriage in prophetic strains. And all the time beneath another sky grew the young Stilicho; he lived unwitting of his fortune, of the destined bride that awaited him afar, and in a distant world was the union of such high destinies prepared. No mortal nurse was worthy to watch over thy cradle. First the Nymphs gave thee suck at their fragrant breasts; the three Graces held thee in their arms and breathing upon thee taught thee to speak. Roses sprang where’er thou didst creep over the [99] Flaccilla, wife of Theodosius the Great (_cf._ x. 43). [100] _i.e._ Serena’s. * * * * * Page 246 lilia; si placido cessissent lumina somno, purpura surgebat violae, factura cubile gramineum, vernatque tori regalis imago, omina non audet genetrix tam magna fateri successusque suos arcani conscia voti 95 spe trepidante tegit. Gestabat Honorius arto te pater amplexu. quotiens ad limina princeps Theodosius privatus adhuc fraterna veniret, oscula libabat teque ad sua tecta ferebat laetior; in matrem teneris conversa querellis: 100 “quid me de propriis auferre penatibus?” inquis: “imperat hic semper!” praesagia luserat error et dedit augurium regnis infantia linguae, defuncto genitore tuo sublimis adoptat te patruus magnique animo solacia luctus 105 restituens propius quam si genuisset amavit defuncti fratis subolem; nec carior olim mutua Ledaeos devinxit cura Lacones: addidit et proprio germana vocabula nato quaque datur fratris speciem sibi reddit adempti. 110 denique cum rerum summas electus habenas susciperet, non ante suis intendit amorem pignoribus quam te pariter fidamque sororem litus ad Eoum terris acciret Hiberis. Deseritur iam ripa Tagi Zephyrique relictis 115 sedibus Aurorae famulas properatur ad urbes. incedunt geminae proles fraterna puellae: inde Serena minor, prior hinc Thermantia natu, expertes thalami, quarum Cythereia necdum * * * * *