Thus disturb'd, I arose, and laughing, took her up; immediately, lest
any thing shou'd hinder the offering, she ran for new fire to the
neighbourhood, and had hardly got to the door, e're I was set upon by
three sacred geese, that daily, I believe, about that time were fed by
the old woman; they made an hideous noise, and, surrounding me, one
tears my coat, another my shoes, while their furious captain made
nothing of doing so by my legs; till seeing my self in danger, I began
to be in earnest, and snatching up one of the feet of our little
table, made the valiant animal feel my arm'd hand; nor content with a
slight blow or two, but reveng'd my self with its death.
Such were the birds Alcides did subdue,
That from his conquering arm t'ward Heaven flew:
Such sure the harpyes were which poyson strow'd,
On cheated Phineus's false deluding food.
Loud lamentations shake the trembling air,
The powers above the wild confusion share,
Horrours disturb the orders of the sky,
And frighted stars beyond their courses fly.
By this time the other two had eat up the pieces of the bean that lay
scatter'd on the floor, and having lost their leader, return'd to the
temple. When glad of the booty and my revenge, I heal'd the slight
old woman's anger, I design'd to make off; and taking up my cloaths,
began my march; nor had I reacht the door, e're I saw Enothea bringing
in her hand an earthen pot fill'd with fire; upon which I retreated,
and throwing down my cloaths, fixt my self in the entry, as if I were
impatiently expecting her coming.
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