84 MELPOMENE.

ScythianB, but which then was a desert. This Geryon
lived beyond Pontus, in an island which the Greeks
call Erythia, near Gades, which is situate in the
ocean, and beyond the Columns of Hercules. The
ocean, they say, commencing at the east, flows round
all the earth; this, however, they affirm, without
proving it. Hercules coming from thence, arrived at
this country, now called Scythia, where, finding him­
self • overtaken by a severe storm, and being exceed­
ingly cold, he wrapped himself up in his lion's skin,
and went to sleep. They add, that his mares, which
he had detached from his chariot to feed, by some
divine interposition disappeared during his sleep.

IX. As soon as he awoke, he wandered over all the
country in search of his mares, till at length he came
to the district which is called Hylsea: there in a. cave
he discovered a female of'most unnatural appearance,
resembling a woman as far as the thighs, but whose
lower parts were like a serpent. Hercules beheld her
with astonishment, but he was not deterred from ask­
ing her whether she had seen his mares? She made
answer, that they were in her custody; she refused,
however, to restore them, but upon condition of his
cohabiting with her. The terms proposed induced
Hercules to consent; but she still deferred restoring
his mares, from the wish of retaining him longer with
her, whilst Hercules was equally anxious to obtain
them and depart. After a while she restored them
with these words: " Your mares, which wandered
here, I have preserved; you have paid what was due
to my care, I have conceived by you three sons; I
wish you to say how I shall dispose of them here­
after ; whether I shall detain them here, where I am
the sole sovereign, or whether I shall send them to
you." The reply of Hercules was to this effect: " Aa
soon as they shall be grown up to man's estate, ob­
serve this, and you cannot err; whichever of them
you shall see bend this bow, and wear this belt as I
do, him detain in this country: the others, who shall
not be able to do this, you may send away. By mind­
ing what I say, you will have pleasure yourself, and
will satisfy my wishes."