HALIEUTICA, or FISHING 



IV 



Other fishes doth tender love make for fishermen 

 the spoil of their chase, and fatal mating they find 

 and fatal their passion, hastening their own ruin 

 through desire. But do thou, I pray thee, mightiest 

 of kings who have cities in their keeping, both 

 thyself, O Antoninus " and thy son of noble heart, 

 graciously give ear and take pleasure in these 

 delights of the sea where^vith the kindly Muses 

 have furnished forth my mind and have crowned me 

 with the gift divine of song and given me to mix a 

 sweet draught for vour ears and for vour mind. 



O cruel Love, crafty of counsel, of all gods fairest 

 to behold with the eyes, of all most grievous when 

 thou dost vex the heart \\'ith unforeseen assault, 

 entering the soul like a storm-wind and breathing 

 the bitter menace of fire, with hurricane of anguish 

 and untempered pain. The shedding of tears is for 

 thee a sweet delight and to hear the deep-wrung 

 groan ; to inflame a burning redness in the heart 

 and to blight and wither the bloom upon the cheek, 

 to make the eyes hollow and to ^^Test all the mind to 

 madness.^ Many thou dost even roll to doom, even 

 those whom thou meetest in wild and wintry sort, 

 fraught with frenzy ; for in such festivals is thy 



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