NICANDER.

From the Antidotes.

OF THE SERPENT CERASTES.

Now may'st thou learn the subtle horned snake,
That steals upon thee, viperous in his make.
But, while the viper's forehead maim'd appears,
Horns, two or four, the bold Cerastes rears.
Lean, dun of hue, the snake in sands is laid,
Or haunts within the trench, that wheels have made.
Against thee straight on onward spires he rides,
And, with long path, on trailing belly glides:
But, sidelong-tottering, rolls his middle track,
And wins his crooked way, and twines his scaly
back:

As, with long stern, some galley cleaves the tide,
Wavering with gusts, and dips its diving side;
While, as the vessel cuts its channel'd way,
Dash'd on the wind recoils the scatter'd spray.
When bites the serpent, straight the puncture round
A callous tumour, like a nail, is found:

And livid pustules, large as drops of rain, Spread round the bite; of dull, and faintish stain; Feeble the smart; but, when nine suns have shone, The agonizing symptoms hasten on.

In whom the horny snake, with deed malign, Has flesh'd his tooth, that foams with rage canine, The loins and knees a restless pain invades, And the whole skin is streak'd with purplish shades: Scarce lingers in his frame the labouring breath, And scarce he struggles from the toils of death.

From the Counter-poisons.

BE

quick with aid, when yew-tree juice with pains Of anguish-thrilling potion whelms the veins. The tongue is under-swol'n; the lips protrude In heavy tumours, with dry froth bedew'd: The gums are cleft; the heart quick terrour shakes; Smit with the bane, the labouring reason quakes. He utters bleating sounds; and furies vain

With thousand turns, delirious, cross his brain. He shrieks like one who sees, with anguish'd dread,

Life-threatening swords near-brandish'd at his head.
As Rhea's chalice-bearing priestess flies
Beneath the new moon, and with long loud cries
Whirls o'er the smoking plain; on Ida's hill
The shepherds tremble at her howlings-shrill :
So yells his frenzied rage; his eyeballs roam,
Bull-like, askance; his teeth are gnash'd in foam.
Him fast with many-twisted bonds confine;

And drench him deep with draughts of luscious

And gently stimulate his throat, to throw
The poison off, with forced, ejected flow.
An unfledged goslin may the symptoms tame,
In water sodden o'er the brightening flame.
The rinds of apples will relief bestow,
Clean pared, that wild upon the mountains grow:
Or those that, planted in our orchard shades,
Bloom in spring hours, and charm the roving maids.

Meleager.

MELEAGER.

Bef. Ch. 96.

AMATORY EPIGRAMS, AND IDYLLS.

English Translators:

WAKEFIELD, bland.

MELEAGER, the son of Eucrates, was born at Atthis in Syria, and flourished under the last king of Syria, Seleucus VI. He resided at Tyre; but, in his old age, was driven by the wars to seek a retirement in the isle of Cos, where he died.

Meleager professes to have formed his style on that of Menippus, the prose-poetic satyrist: