This fitting to his grasp the strong-nerved son Of Jupiter now shook with ease: and swift As from his father’s ægis-wielding arm The bolted lightning darts, he vaulted sheer Above the harness’d chariot at a bound Into the seat: the hardy charioteer Stood o’er the steeds from high, and guided strong The crooked car. Now near to them approach’d Pallas, the blue-eyed goddess, and address’d These winged words in animating voice: [269]“Race of the far-famed Lyngeus! both all-hail! Now verily the ruler of the Blest, E’en Jove, doth give you strength to spoil of life Cygnus your foe, and strip his gorgeous arms. But I will breathe a word within thine ear In counsel, oh most mighty midst the strong! Now soon as e’er from Cygnus thou hast reft The sweets of life, there leave him: on that spot, Him and his armour: but th’ approach of Mars, Slayer of mortals, watch with wary eye: And where thy glance discerns a part exposed, Defenceless of the well-wrought buckler, strike! With thy sharp point there wound him, and recede: For know, thou art not fated to despoil “The steeds and glorious armour of a god.” Thus having said, the goddess all-divine, Aye holding in her everlasting hands Conquest and glory, rose into the car Impetuous: to the war-steeds shouted fierce The noble Ioläus: from the shout They starting snatch’d the flying car, and hid With dusty cloud the plain: for she herself, The goddess azure-eyed, sent into them Wild courage, clashing on her brandish’d shield: Earth groan’d around. That moment with like pace E’en as a flame or tempest came they on, Cygnus the tamer of the steed, and Mars Unsated with the roar of war. And now The coursers mid-way met, and face to face Neigh’d shrill: the broken echoes rang around. Then him the first stern Hercules bespake. “Oh soft of nature! why dost thou obstruct The rapid steeds of men, who toils have proved And hardships? Outward turn thy burnish’d car: Pass outward from the track and yield the way: For I to Trachys ride, of obstacle Impatient: to the royal Ceyx: he O’er Trachys rules in venerable power, As needs not thee be told, who hast to wife His blue-eyed daughter Themisthonöe: Soft-one! for not from thee shall Mars himself Inhibit death, if truly hand to hand We wage the battle: and e’en this I say That elsewhere, heretofore, himself has proved My mighty spear: when on the sandy beach Of Pylos ardour irrepressible Of combat seized him, and to me opposed He stood: but thrice, when stricken by my lance, Earth propp’d his fall, and thrice his targe was cleft: The fourth time urging on my utmost force His ample shield I shattering rived, his thigh Transpierced, and headlong in the dust he fell Beneath my rushing spear: so there the weight