middle, her blood changes into sap, her arms
into great branches, her fingers into smaller ones; her skin grows hard
with bark. And now the growing tree has run over her heavy womb, and has
covered her breast, and is ready to enclose her neck. She cannot endure
delay, and sinks down to meet the approaching wood, and hides her
features within the bark. Though she has lost her former senses together
with her {human} shape, she still weeps on, and warm drops distil[51]
from the tree. There is a value even in her tears, and the myrrh
distilling from the bark, retains the name of its mistress, and will be
unheard-of in no {future} age.

"But the infant conceived in guilt grows beneath the wood, and seeks out
a passage, by which he may extricate himself, having left his mother.
Her pregnant womb swells in the middle of the tree. The burden distends
the mother, nor have her pangs words of their own {whereby to express
themselves}; nor can Lucina be invoked by her voice {while} bringing
forth. Yet she is like one struggling {to be delivered}; and the bending
tree utters frequent groans, and is moistened with falling tears. Gentle
Lucina stands by the moaning boughs, and applies her hands, and utters
words that promote delivery. The tree gapes open, in chinks, and through
the cleft bark it discharges the living burden. The child cries; the
Naiads, laying him on the soft grass, anoint him with the tears of his
mother.

"Even Envy {herself} would have commended his face; for just as the
bodies of naked Cupids are painted in a picture, such was he. But that
their dress may not make any difference, either give to him or take away
from them, the polished quivers."

[Footnote 42: _The Panchaean land._--Ver. 309. Panchaea was a region
of Arabia Felix, abounding in the choicest wines and frankincense.
Here, the Phoenix was said to find the materials for making its
nest.]

[Footnote 43: _Its zedoary._--Ver. 308. 'Costus,' or 'costum,' was
an Indian shrub, which yielded a fragrant ointment, much esteemed
by the ancients. Clarke translates it 'Coysts,' a word apparently
of his own coining.]

[Footnote 44: _Said to be nations._--Ver. 331. We do not read of
any such nations, except the fabulous Troglodytes of Ethiopia, who
were supposed to live promiscuously, like the brutes. Attica, king
of the Huns, long after Ovid's time, married his own daughter,
amid the rejoicings of his subject