CUPID AND PSYCHE. 149 
visit those green and flowery vallejrs, which slept in 
the sunshine on every hand. Whichever way Love 
turned his eye, to where the greensward spread, or the 
upland sloped downward to the edge of the stream, he 
beheld cattle browsing, and saw nymphs and swains 
attending their flocks, while their low, sweet pipings 
filled all the valley with music. Here a beautiful 
bevy of white-footed maidens, tripping lightly to the 
oaten reed of the shepherd, as he sat upon the twisted 
root of some antique oak, while his flock grazed in the 
distance, seeming to take no note of the dancers. 
There, half concealed beneath the embowering Acacia, 
sat two fond lovers, toying with each other; she timed 
the distant music with her crook idly upon the ground, 
while he was twisting the Sweet Pea in the clusters 
of her hair, or hanging its green tendrils here and 
there among the rolling folds of her darker ringlets. 
Further on a group was gathered around two shep¬ 
herds, who were contending for a milk-white lamb ; 
the prize stood bleating before them, garlanded with 
flowers, and they strove, like rival nightingales, each 
trying to overwhelm the other by the power of its song 
as they chaunted aloud the happiness which abounds 
in pastoral life, and sung the praises of the beautiful 
