To her then replied the father of men and gods: “O Juno, build up no hopes of knowing all my counsels; difficult would they be for thee, although thou art my consort. But whatever it may be fit for thee to hear, none then either of gods or men shall know it before thee: but whatever I wish to consider apart from the gods, do thou neither inquire into any of these things, nor investigate them.” But him the large-eyed, venerable Juno then answered: “Most dread son of Saturn, what a word hast thou spoken? Heretofore have I ever questioned thee much, nor pryed [into thy secrets]; but thou mayest very quietly deliberate on those things which thou desirest. But at present I greatly fear in my soul, lest silver-footed Thetis, the daughter of the marine old man, may have influenced thee: for at dawn she sat by thee and embraced thy knees: to her I suspect thou didst plainly promise that thou wouldest honour Achilles, and destroy many at the ships of the Greeks.” But her answering, cloud-compelling Jove addressed: “Perverse one! thou art always suspecting, nor do I escape thee. Nevertheless thou shalt produce no effect at all, but thou shalt be farther from my heart: and this will be more bitter to thee. But granted this be so, it appears to be my pleasure. 60 But sit down in peace, and obey my mandate, lest as many deities as are in Olympus avail thee not against me, I drawing near, 61 when I shall lay my resistless hands upon thee.” Footnote 60: (return) _I.e._, say that what you suspect is correct; well then, such is my will. Footnote 61: (return) I prefer taking ίονθ’ for ίοντα, not for ίοντε, as Buttmann wished.—See Anthon. Thus he spoke: but venerable, large-eyed Juno feared, and sat down silent, having bent her heart to submission. But the heavenly gods murmured throughout the palace of Jove. And the renowned artificer, Vulcan, began to harangue them, doing kind offices to his beloved mother, white-armed Juno: “Truly now these will be grievous matters, and no longer tolerable, if ye twain contend thus on account of mortals, and excite uproar among the deities. Nor will there be any enjoyment in the delightful banquet, since the worse things prevail. 62 But to my mother I advise, she herself being intelligent, to gratify my dear father Jove, lest my sire may again reprove her, and disturb our banquet. For if the Olympian Thunderer wishes to hurl [us] from our seats 63—for he is much the most powerful. But do thou soothe him with gentle words; then will the Olympian king straightway be propitious to us.” Footnote 62: (return) Cf. Duport, Gnom. Hom. p. 9. The saying is almost proverbial. Footnote 63: (return) An aposiopesis; understand, “he can easily do so.” Thus then he spoke, and rising, he placed the double cup 64 in the hand of his dear mother, and addressed her: