Silent night had now in her turn visited upon the world her gift of sleep. Ceres, with her wounded breast, starts on her long journey and, as she sets out, speaks as follows: “Little thought I, Proserpine, to carry for thee such torches as these. I had hoped what every mother hopes; marriage and festal torches and a wedding-song to be sung in heaven--such was my expectation. Are we divinities thus the sport of fate? does Lachesis vent her spleen on us as on mankind? How lofty was but now mine estate, surrounded with suitors innumerable for my daughter’s hand! What mother of many children but would have owned her my inferior by reason of my only daughter! Thou wast my first joy and my last; I was called prolific for that I bare thee. Thou wert my glory, my comfort, dear object of a mother’s pride; with thee alive I was goddess indeed, with thee safe I was Juno’s equal. Now am I outcast, beggared. ’Tis the Father’s will. Yet why make Jove answerable for my tears? ’Twas I who so cruelly undid thee, I confess it, for I deserted thee and heedlessly exposed thee to threatening foes. Too deeply was I enmeshed in careless enjoyment of shrill-voiced revel, and, happy amid the din of arms, [132] A magic drug or herb on which the sun is said to have fed his horses in order to render them non-inflammable. Ovid tells how Phaëthon was treated by his father in a like way (_Met._ ii. 122). * * * * * Page 376 iungebam Phrygios, cum tu raperere, leones. accipe quas merui poenas. en ora fatiscunt 425 vulneribus grandesque rubent in pectore sulci. immemor en uterus crebro contunditur ictu. “Qua te parte poli, quo te sub cardine quaeram? quis monstrator erit? quae me vestigia ducent? qui currus? ferus ipse quis est? terraene, marisne 430 incola? quae volucrum deprendam signa rotarum? ibo, ibo quocumque pedes, quocumque iubebit casus; sic Venerem quaerat deserta Dione. “Efficietne labor? rursus te, nata, licebit amplecti? manet ille decor, manet ille genarum 435 fulgor? an infelix talem fortasse videbo, qualis nocte venis, qualem per somnia vidi?” Sic ait et prima gressus molitur ab Aetna exitiique reos flores ipsumque rapinae detestata locum sequitur dispersa viarum 440 indicia et pleno rimatur lumine campos inclinatque faces, omnis madet orbita fletu; omnibus admugit,[133] quocumque it in aequore, sulcis.[134] adnatat umbra fretis extremaque lucis imago Italiam Libyamque ferit: clarescit Etruscum 445 litus et accenso resplendent aequore Syrtes. antra procul Scyllaea petit canibusque reductis pars stupefacta silet, pars nondum exterrita latrat. [133] Birt _omnibus admugit. quocumque it in aequore, fulvis adnatat.…_ [134] _sulcis_ ς; _fulvis_ FSV; _silvis_ W.