She spake and straightway is borne from the leafy Alps across the sea. Hinds bow their necks to her chariot’s yoke, hinds whom the dewy moon conceived in her fertile caverns beneath the threshold of the morning sky to be the glory of the goddess. White their skins as driven snow; gold marks their foreheads whence spring branching golden horns lofty as the tallest beech-trees. Opis holds the reins. Lycaste carries the fine-wrought nets and golden snares, and deathless Molossian hounds run barking about the chariot amid the clouds. Five others thus equipped (such were Diana’s orders) hasten this way and that, each at the head of her own company; there follow them dogs of various shape, breed and character; some whose heavy jowls fit them for big game, some swift of foot, * * * * * Page 64 hirsutaeque fremunt Cressae tenuesque Lacaenae 300 magnaque taurorum fracturae colla Britannae. Dalmatiae lucos abruptaque brachia Pindi sparsa comam Britomartis agit. tu Gallica cingis lustra, Leontodame, Germanorumque paludes eruis et si quis defensus harundine Rheni 305 vastus aper nimio dentes curvaverat aevo. nubiferas Alpes Appenninique recessus Garganique nives Hecaërge prompta fatigat. speluncas canibus Thero rimatur Hiberas informesque cavis ursos detrudit ab antris, 310 quorum saepe Tagus manantes sanguine rictus non satiavit aquis et quos iam frigore segnes Pyrenaea tegit latebrosis frondibus ilex. Cyrnaeis Siculisque iugis venata virago Nebrophone cervos aliasque in vincula cogit 315 non saevas pecudes, sed luxuriantis harenae delicias, pompam nemorum. Quodcumque tremendum dentibus aut insigne iubis aut nobile cornu aut rigidum saetis, capitur decus omne timorque silvarum. non cauta latent, non mole resistunt 320 fortia, non volucri fugiunt pernicia cursu. haec laqueis innexa gemunt; haec clausa feruntur ilignis domibus. fabri nec tigna polire sufficiunt; rudibus fagis texuntur et ornis frondentes caveae. ratibus pars ibat onustis 325 per freta vel fluvios: exanguis dextera torpet remigis et propriam metuebat navita mercem. per terram pars ducta rotis, longoque morantur * * * * * Page 65