will I be, but well worthy; and do thou send a messenger swiftly to the
Phrygians of the dappled steeds, to tell my father of my fortunes, and my
sorrowing mother; gold enough and woven raiment will they send, and many
and goodly gifts shall be thy meed. Do thou all this, and then busk the
winsome wedding-feast, that is honourable among both men and immortal
Gods."

So speaking, the Goddess brought sweet desire into his heart, and love
came upon Anchises, and he spake, and said:

"If indeed thou art mortal and a mortal mother bore thee, and if renowned
Otreus is thy father, and if thou art come hither by the will of Hermes,
the immortal Guide, and art to be called my wife for ever, then neither
mortal man nor immortal God shall hold me from my desire before I lie
with thee in love, now and anon; nay, not even if Apollo the Far-darter
himself were to send the shafts of sorrow from the silver bow! Nay, thou
lady like the Goddesses, willing were I to go down within the house of
Hades, if but first I had climbed into thy bed."

So spake he and took her hand; while laughter-loving Aphrodite turned,
and crept with fair downcast eyes towards the bed. It was strewn for the
Prince, as was of wont, with soft garments: and above it lay skins of
bears and deep-voiced lions that he had slain in the lofty hills. When
then they twain had gone up into the well-wrought bed, first Anchises
took from her body her shining jewels, brooches, and twisted armlets,
earrings and chains: and he loosed her girdle, and unclad her of her
glistering raiment, that he laid on a silver-studded chair. Then through
the Gods' will and design, by the immortal Goddess lay the mortal man,
not wotting what he did.

Now in the hour when herdsmen drive back the kine and sturdy sheep to the
steading from the flowery pastures, even then the Goddess poured sweet
sleep into Anchises, and clad herself in her goodly raiment. Now when
she was wholly clad, the lady Goddess, her head touched the beam of the
lofty roof: and from her cheeks shone forth immortal beauty,--even the
beauty of fair-garlanded Cytherea. Then she aroused him from sleep, and
spake, and said:

"Rise, son of Dardanus, why now slumberest thou so deeply? Consider, am
I even in aspect such as I was when first thine eyes beheld me?"

So spake she, and straightway he started up out of slumber and was
adread, and turned his eyes away when he beheld the neck and the fair
eyes of Aphrodite. H