This feat: nor heed I him, our sire, of name Detested: for that he the first devised Deeds of injustice.” Thus he said, and Earth Was gladden’d at her heart. She planted him In ambush dark and secret: in his grasp She placed the sharp-tooth’d scythe, and tutor’d him In every wile. Vast Heaven came down from high, And with him brought the gloominess of Night On all beneath: with ardour of embrace Hovering o’er Earth, in his immensity He lay diffused around. The son stretch’d forth His weaker hand from ambush: in his right [159]He took the sickle huge and long and rough With sharpen’d teeth: and hastily he reap’d The genial organs of his sire, at once Cut sheer: then cast behind him far away. They not in vain escaped his hold: for Earth Received the blood-drops, and as years roll’d round Teem’d with strong furies and with giants huge, Shining in mail, and grasping in their hands Protended spears: and wood-nymphs, named of men Dryads, o’er all th’ immeasurable earth. So severing, as was said, with edge of steel The genial spoils, he from the continent Amidst the many surges of the sea Hurl’d them. Full long they drifted o’er the deeps: Till now swift-circling a white foam arose From that immortal substance, and a nymph Was quicken’d in the midst. The wafting waves First bore her to Cythera’s heavenly coast: Then reach’d she Cyprus, girt with flowing seas, And forth emerged a goddess, in the charms Of awful beauty. Where her delicate feet Had press’d the sands, green herbage flowering sprang. Her Aphrodite gods and mortals name, [160]The foam-born goddess: and her name is known, As Cytherea with the blooming wreath, For that she touch’d Cythera’s flowery coast: And Cypris, for that on the Cyprian shore She rose, amidst the multitude of waves: And Philomedia, from the source of life. [161]Love track’d her steps; and beautiful Desire Pursued, while soon as born she bent her way Towards heaven’s assembled gods: her honours these From the beginning: whether gods or men Her presence bless, to her the portion fell Of [162]virgin whisperings and alluring smiles, And smooth deceits, and gentle ecstasy, And dalliance, and the blandishments of love. But the great Heaven, rebuking those his sons That issued from his loins, new-named them now Titans: and said that they avenging dared A crime; but retribution was behind. Abhorred Fate and dark Necessity And Death were born from Night: by none embraced These gloomy Night brought self-conceiving forth: And Sleep and all the hovering host of dreams. [163]Then bare she Momus; Care, still brooding sad On many griefs; and next [164]th’ Hesperian maids, Whose charge o’er-sees the fruits of blooming gold Beyond the sounding ocean, the fair trees Of golden fruitage.