Page:Tragedies of Seneca (1907) Miller.djvu/254

236 Shalt thou present to him," the centaur said, "If e'er a hated rival steal thy couch, If e'er thy husband in a fickle mood To heavenly Jove another daughter give. Let not the light of day shine on the charm, But in the thickest darkness let it lie. So shall the blood its magic power retain." So spake he; o'er his words a silence fell, And the sleep of death upon his weary limbs. Do thou, who knowest now my secret plans, Make haste and bring this charm to me, that so Its force, imparted to a gleaming robe, May at the touch dart through his soul, his limbs, And through the very marrow of his bones.  Nurse: With speed will I thy bidding do, dear child.  And do thou call upon the god of love, Invincible, who with his tender hand  Doth speed his arrows with unerring aim. [Exit Nurse.]  Deianira: [invoking Cupid]: O wingéd boy, by earth and heaven feared,  By creatures of the sea, and him who wields The bolts in Aetna forged; and dreaded too By thy relentless mother, queen of love: Aim with unerring hand thy swiftest dart. Not harmless be the shaft, but choose, I pray  One of thy keenest arrows, which thy hand Has never used; for such must be thy dart If mighty Hercules be forced to love. Make firm thy hands and strongly bend thy bow; Now, now that shaft let loose which once thou aim'dst At Jove the terrible, what time the god Laid down his thunderbolts, and as a bull With swelling forehead clove the boisterous sea, And bore the Assyrian maiden as his prize. Now fill his heart with love; let him surpass All who have ever felt thy passion's power— And learn to love his wife. If Iole Has kindled flames of love within his heart, Extinguish them, and let him dream alone