Sleep, over all, both Gods and men, supreme! If ever thou hast heard, hear also now My suit; I will be grateful evermore. Seal for me fast the radiant eyes of Jove In the instant of his gratified desire.280 Thy recompense shall be a throne of gold, Bright, incorruptible; my limping son, Vulcan, shall fashion it himself with art Laborious, and, beneath, shall place a stool[3] For thy fair feet, at the convivial board.285 Then answer thus the tranquil Sleep returned Great Saturn’s daughter, awe-inspiring Queen! All other of the everlasting Gods I could with ease make slumber, even the streams Of Ocean, Sire of all.[4] Not so the King290 The son of Saturn: him, unless himself Give me command, I dare not lull to rest, Or even approach him, taught as I have been Already in the school of thy commands That wisdom. I forget not yet the day295 When, Troy laid waste, that valiant son[5] of his Sail’d homeward: then my influence I diffused Soft o’er the sovereign intellect of Jove; While thou, against the Hero plotting harm, Didst rouse the billows with tempestuous blasts,300 And separating him from all his friend, Brought’st him to populous Cos. Then Jove awoke, And, hurling in his wrath the Gods about, Sought chiefly me, whom far below all ken He had from heaven cast down into the Deep,305 But Night, resistless vanquisher of all, Both Gods and men, preserved me; for to her I fled for refuge. So the Thunderer cool’d, Though sore displeased, and spared me through a fear To violate the peaceful sway of Night.[6]310 And thou wouldst now embroil me yet again! To whom majestic Juno thus replied. Ah, wherefore, Sleep! shouldst thou indulge a fear So groundless? Chase it from thy mind afar. Think’st thou the Thunderer as intent to serve315 The Trojans, and as jealous in their cause As erst for Hercules, his genuine son? Come then, and I will bless thee with a bride; One of the younger Graces shall be thine, Pasithea, day by day still thy desire.320 She spake; Sleep heard delighted, and replied. By the inviolable Stygian flood Swear to me; lay thy right hand on the glebe All-teeming, lay thy other on the face Of the flat sea, that all the Immortal Powers325 Who compass Saturn in the nether realms May witness, that thou givest me for a bride The younger Grace whom thou hast named, divine Pasithea, day by day still my desire. He said, nor beauteous Juno not complied,330 But sware, by name invoking all the powers Titanian call’d who in the lowest gulf Dwell under Tartarus, omitting none. Her oath with solemn ceremonial sworn, Together forth they went; Lemnos they left335 And Imbrus, city of Thrace, and in dark clouds Mantled, with gliding ease swam through the air To Ida’s mount with rilling waters vein’d, Parent of savage beasts; at Lectos[7] first They quitted Ocean, overpassing high340 The dry land, while beneath their feet the woods Their spiry summits waved. There, unperceived By Jove, Sleep mounted Ida’s loftiest pine