emains;
"Her back its colour keeps; her form alone
"Is diverse. She, 'cause then her lying mouth
"My birth assisted, by her mouth still bears:
"And round my house she harbors as before."--

She said, and by the memory mov'd, she mourn'd
For her lost servant, whom, lamenting, thus
Her child-in-law address'd.--"If then the form
"Alter'd, of one an alien to your blood,
"O mother! thus affects you, let me tell
"The wond'rous fortune which my sister met:
"Though grief and tears will frequent choke my words.

"Her mother, Dryope alone could boast,
"(Me to my sire another bore) her charms
"OEthalia all confess'd; whom (rifled first
"Of virgin charms, when passively she felt
"His force, who Delphos, and who Delos rules)
"Andraemon took, and held a happy spouse.
"A lake expands with steep and shelving shores
"Encompass'd; myrtles crown the rising bank.
"Here Dryope, of fate unconscious came,
"And what must more commiseration move,
"Came to weave chaplets for the Naiad nymphs;
"Her arms sustain'd her boy, a pleasing load,
"His first year scarce complete, as with warm milk
"She nourish'd him. The watery Lotus there,
"For promis'd fruit in Tyrian splendor bright,
"Grew flowering near. The flowers my sister cropp'd,
"And held them to delight her boy; and I,
"(For there I stood,) the same prepar'd to do;
"But from the flowers red flowing drops I saw,
"And all the boughs with tremulous shuddering shook.
"Doubtless it is, (but far too late we learn'd
"By the rough swains,) nymph Lotis, when she fled
"From Priapus obscene, her shape transform'd
"Into this tree which still retains her name.
"My sister witless of this change, in fright
"Would back retreat, and leave the nymphs ador'd,
"But roots her feet retain: these from the ground
"She strains to rend; but save her upper limbs
"Nought can she move; a tender bark grows o'er
"The lower parts, and her mid limbs invades.
"This seeing, and her locks to rend away
"Attempting; her rais'd hand with leaves was fill'd.
"Leaves cover'd all her head. Amphyssus found,
"(His grandsire had the child Amphyssus nam'd)
"His mother's breasts grow hard; nor when he suck'd
"Lacteal fluid gain'd he. I there stood,
"Of her sad fate spectator: loud I cry'd--
"But, O my sister! aid I could not bring;
"Yet what I could I urg'd; the growing trunk,
"And growing boughs, my close embraces staid: