THUS Achelous ends: His Audience hear | |
| With admiration, and admiring, fear | |
| The Pow’rs of Heav’n; except Ixion’s Son, | |
| Who laugh’d at all the Gods, believ’d in none: | |
| He shook his impious Head, and thus replies, | 5 |
| These Legends are no more than pious Lies: | |
| You attribute too much to Heavenly Sway, | |
| To think they give us Forms, and take away. | |
| The rest, of better Minds, their Sense declar’d | |
| Against this Doctrine, and with Horrour heard. | 10 |
| Then Lelex rose, an old experienc’d Man, | |
| And thus with sober Gravity began: | |
| Heav’ns Pow’r is Infinite: Earth, Air, and Sea, | |
| The Manufacture Mass, the making Pow’r obey: | |
| By Proof to clear your Doubt; In Phrygian Ground | 15 |
| Two neighb’ring Trees, with Walls encompass’d round, | |
| Stand on a mod’rate Rise, with wonder shown, | |
| One a hard Oak, a softer Linden one: | |
| I saw the Place and them, by Pittheus sent | |
| To Phrygian Realms, my Grandsire’s Government. | 20 |
| Not far from thence is seen a Lake, the Haunt | |
| Of Coots, and of the fishing Cormorant: | |
| Here Jove with Hermes came; but in Disguise | |
| Of mortal Men conceal’d their Deities; | |
| One laid aside his Thunder, one his Rod; | 25 |
| And many toilsom Steps together trod; | |
| For Harbour at a thousand Doors they knock’d, | |
| Not one of all the thousand but was lock’d | |
| At last an hospitable House they found, | |
| A homely Shed; the Roof, not far from Ground, | 30 |
| Was thatch’d with Reeds and Straw together bound. | |
| There Baucis and Philemon liv’d, and there | |
| Had liv’d long marry’d and a happy Pair: | |
| Now old in Love, though little was their Store, | |
| Inur’d to Want, their Poverty they bore, | 35 |
| Nor aim’d at Wealth, professing to be poor. | |
| For Master or for Servant here to call, | |
| Was all alike, where only Two were All. | |
| Command was none, where equal Love was paid, | |
| Or rather both commanded, both obey’d. | 40 |
| From lofty Roofs the Gods repuls’d before, | |
| Now stooping, enter’d through the little Door: | |
| The Man (their hearty Welcome first express’d) | |
| A common Settle drew for either Guest, | |
| Inviting each his weary Limbs to rest. | 45 |
| But e’er they sat, officious Baucis lays | |
| Two Cushions stuff’d with Straw, the Seat to raise; | |
| Course, but the best she had; then rakes 2 the Load | |
| Of Ashes from the Hearth, and spreads abroad | |
| The living Coals, and, lest they should expire, | 50 |
| With Leaves and Barks she feeds her Infant-fire: | |
| It smoaks; and then with trembling Breath she blows, | |
| Till in a chearful Blaze the Flames arose. | |
| With Brush-wood and with Chips she strengthens these, | |
| And adds at last the Boughs of rotten Trees. | 55 |
| The Fire thus form’d, she sets the Kettle on, | |
| (Like burnish’d Gold the little Seether shone) | |
| Next took the Coleworts which her Husband got | |
| From his own Ground (a small well-water’d Spot;) | |
| She stripp’d the Stalks of all their Leaves; the best | 60 |
| She cull’d, and then with handy-care she dress’d. | |
| High o’er the Hearth a Chine of Bacon hung; | |
| Good old Philemon seiz’d it with a Prong, | |
| And from the sooty Rafter drew it down, | |
| Then cut a Slice, but scarce enough for one; | 65 |
| Yet a large Portion of a little Store, | |
| Which for their Sakes alone he wish’d were more. | |
| This in the Pot he plung’d without delay, | |
| To tame the Flesh, and drain the Salt away. | |
| The Time between, before the Fire they sat, | 70 |
| And shorten’d the Delay by pleasing Chat. | |
| A Beam there was, on which a Beechen Pail | |
| Hung by the Handle, on a driven Nail: | |
| This fill’d with Water, gently warm’d, they set | |
| Before their Guests; in this they bath’d their Feet, | 75 |
| And after with clean Towels dry’d their Sweat: | |
| This done, the Host produc’d the genial Bed, | |
| Sallow the Feet, 3 the Borders, and the Sted, | |
| Which with no costly Coverlet they spread; | |
| But course old Garments, yet such Robes as these | 80 |
| They laid alone, at Feasts, on Holydays. | |
| The good old Huswife tucking up her Gown, | |
| The Table sets; th’ invited Gods lie down. | |
| The Trivet-Table of a Foot was lame, | |
| A Blot which prudent Baucis overcame, | 85 |
| Who thrusts 4 beneath the limping Leg, a Sherd, | |
| So was the mended Board exactly rear’d: | |
| Then rubb’d it o’er with newly-gather’d Mint, | |
| A wholesom Herb, that breath’d a grateful Scent. | |
| Pallas began the Feast, where first were seen | 90 |
| The party-colour’d Olive, Black and Green: | |
| Autumnal Cornels next in order serv’d, | |
| In Lees of Wine well pickl’d, and preserv’d: | |
| A Garden-Sallad was the third Supply, | |
| Of Endive, Radishes, and Succory: | 95 |
| Then Curds and Cream, the Flow’r of Country-Fare, | |
| And new-laid Eggs, which Baucis busie Care | |
| Turn’d by a gentle Fire, and roasted rear. 5 | |
| All these in Earthen Ware were serv’d to Board; | |
| And next in place, an Earthen Pitcher, stor’d | 100 |
| With Liquor of the best the Cottage cou’d afford. | |
| This was the Tables Ornament and Pride, | |
| With Figures wrought: Like Pages at his Side | |
| Stood Beechen Bowls; and these were shining clean, | |
| Vernish’d with Wax without, and lin’d within. | 105 |
| By this the boiling Kettle had prepar’d, | |
| And to the Table sent the smoaking Lard; | |
| On which with eager Appetite they dine, | |
| A sav’ry Bit, that serv’d to rellish Wine: | |
| The Wine it self was suiting to the rest, | 110 |
| Still working in the Must, and lately press’d. | |
| The Second Course succeeds like that before, | |
| Plums, Apples, Nuts, and of their Wintry Store, | |
| Dry Figs, and Grapes, and wrinkl’d Dates were set | |
| In Canisters, t’enlarge the little Treat | 115 |
| All these a Milk-white Honey-comb surround, | |
| Which in the midst the Country Banquet crown’d: | |
| But the kind Hosts their Entertainment grace | |
| With hearty Welcom, and an open Face: | |
| In all they did, you might discern with ease, | 120 |
| A willing Mind, and a Desire to please. | |
| Mean time the Beechen Bowls went round, and still, | |
| Though often empty’d, were observ’d to fill; | |
| Fill’d without Hands, and of their own accord | |
| Ran without Feet, and danc’d about the Board. | 125 |
| Devotion seiz’d the Pair, to see the Feast | |
| With Wine, and of no common Grape, increas’d; | |
| And up they held their Hands, and fell to Pray’r, | |
| Excusing, as they cou’d, their Country Fare. | |
| One Goose they had, (’twas all they cou’d allow) | 130 |
| A wakeful Cent’ry, and on Duty now, | |
| Whom to the Gods for Sacrifice they vow: | |
| Her, with malicious Zeal, the Couple view’d; | |
| She ran for Life, and limping they pursu’d: | |
| Full well the Fowl perceiv’d their bad intent, | 135 |
| And wou’d not make her Masters Compliment; | |
| But persecuted, to the Pow’rs she flies, | |
| And close between the Legs of Jove she lies. | |
| He with a gracious Ear the Suppliant heard, | |
| And sav’d her Life; then what he was declar’d, | 140 |
| And own’d the God. The Neighbourhood, said he, | |
| Shall justly perish for Impiety: | |
| You stand alone exempted; but obey | |
| With speed, and follow where we lead the way: | |
| Leave these accurs’d; and to the Mountains Height | 145 |
| Ascend; nor once look backward in your Flight. | |
| They haste, and what their tardy Feet deny’d, | |
| The trusty Staff (their better Leg) supply’d. | |
| An Arrows Flight they wanted to the Top, | |
| And there secure, but spent with Travel, stop; | 150 |
| Then turn their now no more forbidden Eyes; | |
| Lost in a Lake the floated Level lies: | |
| A Watry Desart covers all the Plains, | |
| Their Cot alone, as in an Isle, remains: | |
| Wondring with weeping 6 eyes, while they deplore | 155 |
| Their Neighbours Fate, and Country now no more, | |
| Their little Shed, scarce large enough for Two, | |
| Seems, from the Ground increas’d, in Height and Bulk to grow. | |
| A stately Temple shoots within the Skies: | |
| The Crotches 7 of their Cot in Columns rise: | 160 |
| The Pavement polish’d Marble they behold, | |
| The Gates with Sculpture grac’d, the Spires and Tiles of Gold. | |
| Then thus the Sire of Gods, with Look 8 serene, | |
| Speak thy Desire, thou only Just of Men; | |
| And thou, O Woman, only worthy found | 165 |
| To be with such a Man in Marriage bound. | |
| A while they whisper; then, to Jove address’d, | |
| Philemon thus prefers their joint Request: | |
| We crave to serve before your sacred Shrine, | |
| And offer at your Altars Rites Divine: | 170 |
| And since not any Action of our Life | |
| Has been polluted with Domestick Strife, | |
| We beg one Hour of Death; that neither she | |
| With Widows Tears may live to bury me, | |
| Nor weeping I, with wither’d Arms may bear | 175 |
| My breathless Baucis to the Sepulcher. | |
| The Godheads sign their Suit. They run their Race | |
| In the same Tenor all th’ appointed Space; | |
| Then, when their Hour was come, while they relate | |
| These past Adventures at the Temple-gate, | 180 |
| Old Baucis is by old Philemon seen | |
| Sprouting with sudden Leaves of spritely Green: | |
| Old Baucis look’d where old Philemon stood, | |
| And saw his lengthen’d Arms a sprouting Wood: | |
| New Roots their fasten’d Feet begin to bind, | 185 |
| Their Bodies stiffen in a rising Rind: | |
| Then e’er the Bark above their Shoulders grew, | |
| They give and take at once their last Adieu; | |
| At once, Farewell, O faithful Spouse, they said; | |
| At once th’ incroaching Rinds their closing Lips invade. | 190 |
| Ev’n yet, an ancient Tyanæan shows | |
| A spreading Oak, that near a Linden grows: | |
| The Neighbourhood confirm the Prodigie, | |
| Grave Men, not vain of Tongue, or like to lie. | |
| I saw my self the Garlands on their Boughs, | 195 |
| And Tablets hung for Gifts of granted Vows; | |
| And off’ring fresher up, with pious Pray’r, | |
| The Good, said I, are God’s peculiar Care, | |
| And such as honour Heav’n, shall heav’nly Honour share. | |
