oth,
Searched through the boskage of the hill, and found
Hard by a slab of rock a bubbling spring
Brimful of purest water. In the depths
Below, like crystal or like silver gleamed
The pebbles: high above it pine and plane
And poplar rose, and cypress tipt with green;
With all rich flowers that throng the mead, when wanes
The Spring, sweet workshops of the furry bee.
There sat and sunned him one of giant bulk
And grisly mien: hard knocks had stov'n his ears:
Broad were his shoulders, vast his orbed chest;
Like a wrought statue rose his iron frame:
And nigh the shoulder on each brawny arm
Stood out the muscles, huge as rolling stones
Caught by some rain-swoln river and shapen smooth
By its wild eddyings: and o'er nape and spine
Hung, balanced by the claws, a lion's skin.
Him Leda's conquering son accosted first:--

POLYDEUCES.
Luck to thee, friend unknown! Who own this shore?

AMYCUS.
Luck, quotha, to see men ne'er seen before!

POLYDEUCES.
Fear not, no base or base-born herd are we.

AMYCUS.
Nothing I fear, nor need learn this from thee.

POLYDEUCES.
What art thou? brutish churl, or o'erproud king?

AMYCUS.
E'en what thou see'st: and I am not trespassing.

POLYDEUCES.
Visit our land, take gifts from us, and go.

AMYCUS.
I seek naught from thee and can naught bestow.

POLYDEUCES.
Not e'en such grace as from yon spring to sip?

AMYCUS.
Try, if parched thirst sits languid on thy lip.

POLYDEUCES.
Can silver move thee? or if not, what can?

AMYCUS.
Stand up and fight me singly, man with man.

POLYDEUCES.
With fists? or fist and foot, eye covering eye?

AMYCUS.
Fall to with fists; and all thy cunning try.

POLYDEUCES.
This arm, these gauntlets, who shall dare withstand?

AMYCUS.
I: and "the Bruiser" lifts no woman's-hand.

POLYDEUCES.
Wilt thou, to crown our strife, some meed assign?

AMYCUS.
Thou shalt be called my master, or I thine.

POLYDEUCES.
By crimson-crested cocks such games are won.

AMYCUS.
Lions or cocks, we'll play this game or none.

He spoke, and clutched a hollow shell, and blew
His clarion. Straightway to the shadowy pine
Clustering they came, as loud it pealed and long,
Bebrycia's bearded sons; and Castor too,
Th