Page:The battle of the books - Guthkelch - 1908.djvu/118

44 Pallas or Apollo are ever at his elbow. But, oh! mother, if what fame reports be true, that I am the son of so great a goddess, grant me to hit Temple with this lance, that the stroke may send him to hell, and that I may return in safety and triumph, laden with his spoils." The first part of this prayer the gods granted at the intercession of his mother and of Momus, but the rest, by a perverse wind sent from fate, was scattered in the air. Then W-tt-n grasped his lance, and brandishing it thrice over his head, darted it with all his might, the goddess his mother at the same time adding strength to his arm. Away the lance went hizzing, and reached even to the belt of the averted Ancient, upon which lightly grazing, it fell to the ground. Temple neither felt the weapon touch him nor heard it fall, and W-tt-n might have escaped to his army, with the honour of having remitted his lance against so great a leader, unrevenged, but Apollo, enraged that a javelin flung by the assistance of so foul a goddess, should pollute his fountain, put on the shape of, and softly came to young Boyle, who then accompanied Temple. He pointed first to the lance, then to the distant Modern that flung it, and