“‘Son of Iapetus!’ with wrathful heart, Spake the cloud-gatherer: ‘Oh, unmatched in art! Exultest thou in this the flame retrieved, And dost thou triumph in the God deceived? But thou, with the posterity of man, Shalt rue the fraud whence mightier ills began; I will send evil for thy stealthy fire, While all embrace it, and their bane desire.’ The sire, who rules the earth, and sways the pole, Had said, and laughter fill’d his secret soul. He bade the artist-god his hest obey, And mould with tempering waters ductile clay: Infuse, as breathing life and form began, The supple vigour, and the voice of man: Her aspect fair as goddesses above, A virgin’s likeness, with the brows of love. He bade Minerva teach the skill that dyes The web with colours, as the shuttle flies; He called the magic of Love’s Queen to shed A nameless grace around her courteous head; Instil the wish that longs with restless aim, And cares of dress that feed upon the frame: Bade Hermes last implant the craft refined Of artful manners, and a shameless mind. He said; their king th’ inferior powers obeyed: The fictile likeness of a bashful maid Rose from the temper’d earth, by Jove’s behest, Under the forming God; the zone and vest Were clasp’d and folded by Minerva’s hand: The heaven-born graces, and persuasion bland Deck’d her round limbs with chains of gold: the hours Of loose locks twined her temples with spring flowers. The whole attire Minerva’s curious care Form’d to her shape, and fitted to her air. But in her breast the herald from above, Full of the counsels of deep thundering Jove, Wrought artful manners, wrought perfidious lies, And speech that thrills the blood, and lulls the wise. Her did th’ interpreter of Gods proclaim, And named the woman with Pandora’s name; Since all the gods conferr’d their gifts, to charm, For man’s inventive race, this beauteous harm.”[635] Moreover, what is said also about the casket is fitted of itself to excite laughter; for example: