Page:Ten Tragedies of Seneca (1902).djvu/470

450 Quodcunque tellus Vere nidifico creat; Aut rigida cum jam Bruma decuffit decus 715 Nemorum, & nivali cun<5la conftrinxit gelu; Quodcunque gramen flore mortifero viret, Dirufve tortis fuccus in radicibus Caufas nocendi gignit, attredlat manu. HEemonius illas contulit peftes Athos; 720 Has Pindus ingens, ilia Pangsei jugis Teneram cruenta falce depofuit comam; Has aluit altum gurgitem Tigris premens; Danubius illas: has per arentes plagas Tepidis Hydafpes gemmifer currens aquis, 725 Nomenque terris qui dedit Bastis fuis, Hefperia pulfans maria languenti vado; Hffic pafla ferrum eft, dum parat Phoebus diem; niius alta nodle fuccisus frutex; At hujus ungue fedla cantato feges 730 Mortifera carpit giamina, ac ferpentium Saniem exprimit, mifcetque & obfcoenas aves, Moestique cor bubonis, & raucae ftrigis Exfefla vivse vifcera. hsc fcelerum artifex Difcreta ponit. his rapax vis ignium, 735 His gelida pigri frigoris glacies ineft. Addit venenis verba, non iftis minus Metuenda. fonuit ecce vefano gradu, Canitque. mundus vocibus primis tremit.

MEDEA.

Invocatis manibus, & rite conceptis incantationibus, Medea

veneficiis illitam pallam cum monili, aureoque crinali,

dono mittit ad Creufam per filios fuos.

Comprecor vulgus filentum, vofque ferales Deos, 740 Et Chaos Ceccum, atque opacam DItis umbrofi domum, Tartari ripis ligatos fquallidie Mortis fpecus,

 and whatever poison is produced during the nest-building spring, or when the rigorous winter ruthlessly destroys the beauty of the gladsome grove, and hardens every thing with its nipping winter frosts,—whatever grass that grows, aspiring to produce, even one poisonous floret! and whatever dangerous juices, giving rise to injurious properties from their roots having been carefully manipulated—Medea holds all these in her hands! (Medea then begins their enumeration.) Ah! Thessalian Athos has 