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Chapter 9 CEYX AND HALCYONE OR, THE HALCYON BIRDS

Word Count: 2653    |    Released on: 29/11/2017

r. Halcyone, the daughter of Aeolus, was his wife, and devotedly attached to him. Now Ceyx was in deep affliction for the loss of his brother, and direful prodigies follow

feel easy in the absence of Halcyone? Would you rather have me away?" She also endeavored to discourage him, by describing the violence of the winds, which she had known familiarly when she lived at home in her father's house,-Aeolus being the god of the winds, and having as much as he cou

e could, and finished with these words: "I promise, by the rays of my father the Day-star, that if fate permits I will return before the moon shall have twice rounded her orb." When he had thus spoken, he ordered the vessel to be d

er husband standing on the deck, waving his hand to her. She answered his signal till the vessel had receded so far that she could no longer distinguish his form from the rest. When the vesse

word to take in sail, but the storm forbade obedience, for such is the roar of the winds and waves his orders are unheard. The men, of their own accord, busy themselves to secure the oars, to strengthen the ship, to reef the sail. While they thus do what to each one seems best, the storm increa

ht of parents, and kindred, and pledges left at home, comes over their minds. Ceyx thinks of Halcyone. No name but hers is on his lips, and while he yearns for her, he yet rejoices in her absence. Presently the mast is shattered by a stroke of lightning, the rudder broken, and the triumphant surge curling over looks down upon, the wreck, then falls, and crushes it to fragments. Some of the seamen, stunned by the stroke, sink, and rise no more; others cling to fragments of the wrec

as no more, she prayed incessantly: that he might be safe; that he might come home; that he might not, in his absence, see any one that he would love better than her. But of all these prayers, the last was the only one destined to be granted. The goddess, at length, could not bear any longer to be pleade

Aurora, nor watchful dog, nor more sagacious goose disturbs the silence. No wild beast, nor cattle, nor branch moved with the wind, nor sound of human conversation, breaks the stillness. Silence reigns there; but from the bottom of the rock the River Lethe flows, and by its murmur invites to sleep. Poppies grow abundantly before the door of the cave, and other herbs, from whose juices Night collects sl

upon his breast, at last shook himself free from himself, and leaning on his arm, inquired her errand,-for he knew who she was. She answered, "Somnus, gentlest of the gods, tranquillizer of m

, and in imitating the walk, the countenance, and mode of speaking, even the clothes and attitudes most characteristic of each. But he only imitates men, leaving it to another to personate birds, beasts, and serpents. Him they call Icelos; and Phantasos is a third, who turns himself into rocks, waters

s, he said, "Do you recognize your Ceyx, unhappy wife, or has death too much changed my visage? Behold me, know me, your husband's shade, instead of himself. Your prayers, Halcyone, availed me nothing. I am dead. No more deceive yourself with vain hopes of my return. The stormy winds sunk my ship in the Aegean Sea, waves filled my mouth while it called aloud on you. No

omfort, he is shipwrecked and dead. I have seen him, I have recognized him. I stretched out my hands to seize him and detain him. His shade vanished, but it was the true shade of my husband. Not with the accustomed features, not with the beauty that was his, but pale, naked, and with his hair wet with sea-water, he appeared to wretched me. Here, in this very spot, the sad vision stood,"-and she looked to find the mark of his footsteps. "This it was, this that my presaging mind foreboded, when I implored him not to leave me, to trust himself to the waves. Oh, how I wish, since thou wouldst go, th

ect floating in the water. At first she was in doubt what it was, but by degrees the waves bore it nearer, and it was plainly the body of a man. Though unknowing of whom, yet, as it was of some shipwrecked one, she was deeply moved, and gave it her tears, saying, "Alas! unhappy one, and unhappy, if such there be,

ll of grief, and like the voice of one lamenting. When she touched the mute and bloodless body, she enfolded its beloved limbs with her new-formed wings, and tried to give kisses with her horny beak. Whether Ceyx felt it, or whether it was only the action of the waves, those who looked on doubted, but the body seemed to raise its head. But indeed he did f

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Contents

Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION Chapter 2 PROMETHEUS AND PANDORA Chapter 3 APOLLO AND DAPHNE-PYRAMUS AND THISBE CEPHALUS AND PROCRIS Chapter 4 JUNO AND HER RIVALS, IO AND CALLISTO-DIANA AND ACTAEON-LATONA AND THE RUSTICS Chapter 5 PHAETON Chapter 6 MIDAS-BAUCIS AND PHILEMON Chapter 7 PROSERPINE-GLAUCUS AND SCYLLA Chapter 8 PYGMALION-DRYOPE-VENUS AND ADONIS-APOLLO AND HYACINTHUS Chapter 9 CEYX AND HALCYONE OR, THE HALCYON BIRDS Chapter 10 VERTUMNUS AND POMONA Chapter 11 CUPID AND PSYCHE
Chapter 12 CADMUS-THE MYRMIDONS
Chapter 13 NISUS AND SCYLLA-ECHO AND NARCISSUS-CLYTIE-HERO AND LEANDER
Chapter 14 MINERVA-NIOBE
Chapter 15 THE GRAEAE OR GRAY-MAIDS-PERSEUS-MEDUSA-ATLAS-ANDROMEDA
Chapter 16 MONSTERS
Chapter 17 THE GOLDEN FLEECE-MEDEA
Chapter 18 MELEAGER AND ATALANTA
Chapter 19 HERCULES-HEBE AND GANYMEDE
Chapter 20 THESEUS-DAEDALUS-CASTOR AND POLLUX
Chapter 21 BACCHUS-ARIADNE
Chapter 22 No.22
Chapter 23 THE RURAL DEITIES-ERISICHTHON-RHOECUS-THE WATER DEITIES- CAMENAE-WINDS
Chapter 24 ACHELOUS AND HERCULES-ADMETUS AND ALCESTIS-ANTIGONE-PENELOPE
Chapter 25 ORPHEUS AND EURYDICE-ARISTAEUS-AMPHION-LINUS-THAMYRIS- MARSYAS-MELAMPUS-MUSAEUS
Chapter 26 ARION-IBYCUS-SIMONIDES-SAPPHO
Chapter 27 ENDYMION-ORION-AURORA AND TITHONUS-ACIS AND GALATEA
Chapter 28 THE TROJAN WAR
Chapter 29 THE FALL OF TROY-RETURN OF THE GREEKS-ORESTES AND ELECTRA
Chapter 30 ADVENTURES OF ULYSSES-THE LOTUS-EATERS-CYCLOPES-CIRCE-SIRENS -SCYLLA AND CHARYBDIS-CALYPSO
Chapter 31 THE PHAEACIANS-FATE OF THE SUITORS
Chapter 32 ADVENTURES OF AENEAS-THE HARPIES-DIDO-PALINURUS
Chapter 33 THE INFERNAL REGIONS-THE SIBYL
Chapter 34 CAMILLA-EVANDER-NISUS AND EURYALUS-MEZENTIUS-TURNUS
Chapter 35 PYTHAGORAS-EGYPTIAN DEITIES-ORACLES
Chapter 36 ORIGIN OF MYTHOLOGY-STATUES OF GODS AND GODDESSES-POETS OF MYTHOLOGY
Chapter 37 MODERN MONSTERS-THE PHOENIX-BASILISK-UNICORN-SALAMANDER
Chapter 38 EASTERN MYTHOLOGY-ZOROASTER-HINDU MYTHOLOGY-CASTES-BUDDHA- GRAND LAMA
Chapter 39 NORTHERN MYTHOLOGY-VALHALLA-THE VALKYRIOR
Chapter 40 THOR'S VISIT TO JOTUNHEIM
Chapter 41 THE DEATH OF BALDUR-THE ELVES-RUNIC LETTERS-ICELAND-TEUTONIC MYTHOLOGY-NIBELUNGEN LIED
Chapter 42 THE DRUIDS-IONA
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