“This many-colored zone, and all that dwells Within it, take, and in thy bosom hide, And thou, I deem, wilt not return and leave Thy purpose unfulfilled.” As thus she spake, The large-eyed stately Juno smiled and took, And, smiling, in her bosom placed the zone, While Venus, daughter of the Thunderer, Went to the palace. Juno took her way From high Olympus o’er Pieria’s realm And rich Emathia, o’er equestrian Thrace, With snowy peaks exceeding high; her feet Touched not the ground. From Athos suddenly She stooped upon the tossing deep, and came To Lemnos, seat of Thoas the divine. And there she met Death’s brother, Sleep, and took His hand in hers, and thus accosted him:—
“O Sleep, whose sway is over all the gods And all mankind, if ever thou didst heed My supplication, hearken to me now, And I shall be forever grateful. Close The glorious eyes of Jove beneath his lids Midst our embracings, and for thy reward Thou shalt possess a sumptuous throne of gold Imperishable. Vulcan, my lame son, Shall forge it for thee, and adorn its sides, And place below a footstool, upon which Thy shining feet shall rest in banqueting.”
Then gentle Sleep made answer, speaking thus:— “Great Saturn’s daughter, Juno the august, On any other of the deathless gods Could I bring slumber—even on the tides Of the swift Ocean, parent of them all; Yet may I not approach Saturnian Jove If he command me not. Already once He made me quail with fright before his threats, When his magnanimous son, Alcides, sailed From Troy, which he had ravaged. Then I lulled The senses of the Aegis-bearer, Jove, Wrapping myself around him, while thy mind Was planning mischiefs for his son, and thou Didst wake the blasts of all the bitter winds To sweep the ocean, and to bear away The hero on its billows from his friends To populous Cos. When Jupiter awoke His anger rose; he seized and flung the gods