These herbs did Meris give to me,
And poysons pluckt at Pontos,
For there they grow and multiply,
And do not so amongst us.
With these she made herself become
A wolf, and hid her in the wood;
She fetched up souls out of the tombe,
Removing corn from where it stood."
The following is an old translation from Virgil:
"From thence a virgin priest is come
From out Massyla land,
Sometimes the temple there she kept,
And from her heavenly hand
The dragon meat did take: she kept
Also the fruit divine,
With herbs and liquors sweet that still
To sleep did men incline.
The minds of men (she saith) from love
With charms she can unbind,
In whom she list: but others can
She cast to cases unkind.
The running streams do stand, and from
Their course the stars do wreath,
And souls she conjure can: then shalt
See sister underneath
The ground with roring gape and trees,
And mountains turn upright."
Ovid is made to say:
"The river I can make retire
Into the fountains whence they flow,
(Where at the banks themselves admire)
I can make standing waters go;
With charms I drive both sea and cloud,
I can make it calm and blow aloud,
The viper's jaws, the rocky stone,
With words and charms I break in twain;
The force of earth congeal'd in one,
I move, and shake both woods and plain;
I make the souls of men arise,
And pull the moon out of the skies.
* * * * *
And thrice she spake the words that caus'd
Sweet sleep and quiet rest;
She staid the raging of the sea,
And mighty floods supprest."
Other poets, writing of charms, say:
"With charms the corn is spoiled so
As that it vades the barren grass;
With charms the springs are dried low,
That none can see where water was.
The grapes from vines, the mast from oaks,
And beats down fruit with charming strokes.
* * * * *