FRAGMENT. 245 



" She fpake, and, as he hefitated, fhe flung her 

 fnowy arms around him, and cherilhed him in 

 her foft embrace : he in dandy catches the well- 

 known flame, and the acciiftomed fire penetrated 

 his very marrow, and flew like lightning through 

 his melting frame : juft as when a fiery ftream 

 ilTues from the bofom of a thundery cloud, and 

 fkiris it's edge with tremulous light. His fair 

 fjpoufe, confcious of beauty's power, joyfully 

 perceived the influence of her wily charms : and 

 thus the good-natured Parent of Arts, fubdued 

 by the irrefiftible magic of mighty love, replies: 

 Why go (o far in queft of arguments-? Whether, 

 my Goddefs, has thy confidence in me fled ? 

 Hadfl thou expreffed a fimilar anxiety before, 

 I would then have fabricated arms for thy fa- 

 vourite Trojans. Neither almighty ^ove, nor 

 Fate, forbad Troy to ftand, nor Priam to furr 

 vive for ten years more. Now, then, if for war 

 thou art preparing, and if fuch is thy refolve, 

 whatever my fkill can perform, I folemnly pro- 

 mife to efFeâ: ; whatever can be produced from 

 iron, or liquid mixtures of the finer metals ; as 

 far as the fiery element, and the breathing bel- 

 lows, have power to fafliion : Ceafe, by conti- 

 nuing your entreaties, to exprefs a doubt of 

 your empire over me. Having thus fpoken, he 

 returned the expedted carefies, and melted away 

 R 3 " in 



