Such were the strains by fate inspired105
That dropp'd from sage Medea's tongue,
Silent the godlike men admired,
And round in fix'd attention hung.
Bless'd son of Polymnestus! thee,
Gladden'd by this spontaneous strain,110
The Delphic priestess'[1] augury
Bade the sublimest hopes maintain.
Thrice cried her monitory voice,
"Cyrene's destined king, rejoice!"
When thou inquiredst at the Pythian shrine115
The doubtful issue of the voice divine. 112
And now, as in the vernal hour
Impurpled glows each opening flower,
So shines his eighth succeeding race,
Arcesilaus' youthful grace.120
Apollo in the Pythian field
And just Amphictyons' high decree
To his triumphant coursers yield
The glorious palm of victory.
Him will I to the muses' train125
Give with the ram's bright fleece of gold,
For which when sail'd the Minyæ bold,
Honours from heaven 'twas theirs to gain. 123
- ↑ The expression in the original is remarkable, μελισσα Δελφις. So Callimachus of the priestesses of Ceres:
Δηοι δ᾽ ουκ απο παντος ὑδωρ φορεουσι Μελισσαι.
See the annotation in Benedict's edition. Perhaps μελισσα in this sense may not improbably be derived from the Hebrew מליץי, an intercessor or interpreter, whose office it was to smooth, or render agreeable the suit of the petitioner:[note 1] (Parkhurst ad verb.:) as μελισσα, a bee, probably descends from the same root in its primitive meaning of sweet. Virgil, indeed, speaking as a Pythagorean, says, (Georg. iv. 253,)
"Hence to the bee some sages have assign'd
A portion of the god, and heavenly mind."
Sotheby's Version.So Horace of Orpheus, (ad Pis. 391,) sacer interpresque deorum.
