Page:Tragedies of Seneca (1907) Miller.djvu/188

170 The farmers' fear. Now free the dogs from straining leash, That hunt in silence; but the hounds Of keen Molossian breed hold fast In check; let the savage Cretans strain With chaffing necks upon their chains; The Spartans hold in strongest curb, With caution bind, for bold their breed, And eager for the prey. The time will come when their baying loud Through the hollow rocks shall echo; now Let them snuff the air with nostrils keen, And with lowered muzzles seek the tracks Of beasts, while yet the dawn is dim, And while the dewy earth still holds The marks of treading feet. Let some On burdened necks the wide nets bear, And others haste to bring the snares Of smooth-wrought cords. Let feathers, dyed With crimson, hedge the timid deer With terrors vain. Do thou use darts Of Crete, and thou the heavy spear By both hands wielded. Thou shalt sit In hiding and with clamors loud Drive out the frightened beasts; and thou, When all is done, with curving blade Shalt break the victims. And thou, be with thy worshiper, O goddess of the chase, whose rule Extends o'er all the secret haunts Of earth; whose darts unerring pierce The flying prey; whose thirst is quenched By cool Araxes' distant stream, Or for whose sport the Ister spreads His frozen waves. Thy hand pursues Gaetulian lions, Cretan deer; And now the swiftly fleeing does With lighter stroke are pierced. To thee The spotted tigers yield, to thee