Man’s leavy issue. But my race, if, like the course of men, Thou seek’st in more particular terms, ’tis this, to many known: In midst of Argos, nurse of horse, there stands a walléd town, Ephyré, where the mansion-house of Sisyphus did stand, Of Sisyphus-Æölides, most wise of all the land. Glaucus was son to him, and he begat Bellerophon, Whose body heav’n indu’d with strength, and put a beauty on, Exceeding lovely. Prætis yet his cause of love did hate, And banish’d him the town; he might; he rul’d the Argive state. The virtue of the one Jove plac’d beneath the other’s pow’r, His exile grew, since he denied to be the paramour Of fair Anteia, Prætus’ wife, who felt a raging fire Of secret love to him; but he, whom wisdom did inspire As well as prudence, (one of them advising him to shun The danger of a princess’ love, the other not to run Within the danger of the Gods, the act being simply ill,) Still entertaining thoughts divine, subdu’d the earthly still. She, rul’d by neither of his wits, preferr’d her lust to both, And, false to Prætus, would seem true, with this abhorr’d untroth: ‘Prætus, or die thyself,’ said she, ‘or let Bellerophon die. He urg’d dishonour to thy bed; which since I did deny, He thought his violence should grant, and sought thy shame by force.’ The king, incens’d with her report, resolv’d upon her course, But doubted how it should be run; he shunn’d his death direct, (Holding a way so near not safe) and plotted the effect By sending him with letters seal’d (that, open’d, touch his life)[2] To Rhëuns king of Lycia, and father to his wife. He went; and happily he went, the Gods walk’d all his way; And being arriv’d in Lycia, where Xanthus doth display The silver ensigns of his waves, the king of that broad land Receiv’d him with a wondrous free and honourable hand. Nine days he feasted him, and kill’d an ox in ev’ry day, In thankful sacrifice to heav’n, for his fair guest; whose stay, With rosy fingers, brought the world, the tenth well-welcom’d morn, And then the king did move to see, the letters he had borne From his lov’d son-in-law; which seen, he wrought thus their contents: Chimæra, the invincible, he sent him to convince, Sprung from no man, but mere divine; a lion’s shape before, Behind a dragon’s, in the midst a goat’s shagg’d form, she bore, And flames of deadly fervency flew from her breath and eyes; Yet her he slew; his confidence in sacred prodigies Render’d him victor. Then he gave his second conquest way Against the famous Solymi, when (he himself would say, Reporting it) he enter’d on a passing vig’rous fight. His third huge labour he approv’d against a woman’s spite, That fill’d a field of Amazons; he overcame them all. Then set they on him sly Deceit, when Force had such a fall; An ambush of the strongest men, that spacious Lycia bred, Was lodg’d for him; whom he lodg’d sure, they never rais’d a head. His deeds thus showing him deriv’d from some celestial race,