Home when he came, he seemed not to be there, But, like exilËd air thrust from his sphere, Set in a foreign place; and straight from thence, Alcides-like, by mighty violence, 120 He would have chas'd away the swelling main, That him from her unjustly did detain. Like as the sun in a diameter Fires and inflames objects removËd far, And heateth kindly, shining laterally; So beauty sweetly quickens when 'tis nigh, But being separated and removed, Burns where it cherished, murders where it loved. Therefore even as an index to a book, So to his mind was young Leander's look. 130 O, none but gods have power[31] their love to hide! Affection by the countenance is descried; The light of hidden fire itself discovers, And love that is concealed betrays poor lovers. His secret flame apparently was seen: Leander's father knew where he had been, And for the same mildly rebuk'd his son, Thinking to quench the sparkles new-begun. But love, resisted once, grows passionate, And nothing more than counsel lovers hate; 140 For as a hot proud horse highly disdains To have his head controlled, but breaks the reins, Spits forth the ringled[32] bit, and with his hoves Checks the submissive ground; so he that loves, The more he is restrain'd, the worse he fares: What is it now but mad Leander dares? "O Hero, Hero!" thus he cried full oft; And then he got him to a rock aloft, Where having spied her tower, long star'd he on't, And pray'd the narrow toiling Hellespont 150 To part in twain, that he might come and go; But still the rising billows answer'd, "No." With that, he stripp'd him to the ivory skin, And, crying, "Love, I come," leap'd lively in: Whereat the sapphire-visaged god grew proud, And made his capering Triton sound aloud, Imagining that Ganymede, displeas'd, Had left the heavens; therefore on him he seiz'd. Leander strived; the waves about him wound, And pull'd him to the bottom, where the ground 160 Was strewed with pearl, and in low coral groves Sweet-singing mermaids sported with their loves On heaps of heavy gold, and took great pleasure To spurn in careless sort the shipwreck treasure; For here the stately azure palace stood, Where kingly Neptune and his train abode. The lusty god embrac'd him, called him "Love," And swore he never should return to Jove: But when he knew it was not Ganymed, For under water he was almost dead, 170 He heav'd him up, and, looking on his face, Beat down the bold waves with his triple mace, Which mounted up, intending to have kiss'd him, And fell in drops like tears because they miss'd him. Leander, being up, began to swim,