Sore wept the centaur, and to Phoebus pray’d. + 

But how could Phoebus give the centaur aid? + 

Degraded of his power by angry Jove, + 

In Elis then a herd of bees he drove, + 

And wielded in his hand a staff of oak, + 

And o’er his shoulders threw the shepherd’s cloak. + 

On seven compacted reeds he used to play, + 

And on his rural pipe to waste the day. + 

As once attentive to his pipe he play’d, + 

The crafty Hermes from the god convey’d + 

A drove, that separate from their fellows stray’d. + 

The theft an old insidious peasant view’d + 

(They call’d him Battus in the neighbourhood), + 

Hired by a wealthy Pylian prince to feed + 

His fav’rite mares, and watch the generous breed. + 

The thievish god suspected him, and took + 

The hind aside, and thus in whispers spoke: + 

“Discover not the theft, whoe’er thou be, + 

And take that milk-white heifer for thy fee.” + 

“Go, stranger,” cries the clown, “securely on, + 

That stone shall sooner tell,” and showed a stone. + 

The god withdrew, but straight return’d again, + 

In speech and habit like a country swain, + 

And cries out: “Neighbour, hast thou seen a stray + 

Of bullocks and of heifers pass this way? + 

In the recovery of my cattle join, + 

A bullock and a heifer shall be thine.” + 

The peasant quick replies: “You’ll find them there + 

In yon dark vale;” and in the vale they were. + 

The double bribe had his false heart beguiled. + 

The god, successful in the trial, smiled: + 

“And dost thou thus betray myself to me? + 

Me to myself dost thou betray?” says he. + 

Then to a touchstone turns the faithless spy, + 

And in his name records his infamy. + 