To Mises. The Fumigation from Storax.
Call Thesmophorus, spermatic God,
Of various names, who bears the leafy rod:
Mises, ineffable, pure, sacred queen,
Two-fold Iacchus, male and female seen
Illustr'ous, whether to rejoice is thine
In incense offer'd, in the fane divine
Or if in Phrygia most thy soul delights,
Performing with thy mother sacred rites
Or if the land of Cyprus is thy care,
Well pleas'd to dwell with Cytherea fair
Or if exulting in the fertile plains
With thy dark mother Isis, where she reigns,
With nurses pure attended, near the flood
Of sacred Egypt, thy divine abode:
Wherever resident, blest pow'r attend,
And with benignant mind these labours end,
To the Seasons. The Fumigation from Aromatics.
Daughters of Jove and Themis, seasons bright,
Justice, and blessed peace, and lawful right,
Vernal and grassy, vivid, holy pow'rs,
Whose balmy breath exhales in lovely flow'rs:
All-colour'd seasons, rich increase your care,
Circling, for ever flourishing and fair:
Invested with a veil of shining dew,
A flow'ry veil delightful to the view:
Attending Proserpine, when back from night,
The Fates and Graces lead her up to light:
When in a band-harmonious they advance,
And joyful round her, form the solemn dance:
With Ceres triumphing, and Jove divine;
Propitious come, and on our incense shine
Give earth a blameless store of fruits to bear,
And make a novel mystic's life your care.
To Semele. The Fumigation from Storax.
Cadmean Goddess, universal queen,
Thee, Semele I call, of beauteous mien
Deep-bosom'd, lovely flowing locks are thine,
Mother of Bacchus, joyful and divine,
The mighty offspring, whom Jove's thunder bright,
Forc'd immature, and fright'ned into light:
Born from the deathless counsels, secret, high,
Of Jove Saturnian, regent of the sky
Whom Proserpine permits to view the light,
And visit mortals from the realms of night:
Constant attending on the sacred rites,
And feast triennial, which thy soul delights
When thy son's wond'rous birth mankind relate,
And secrets deep, and holy celebrate,
Now I invoke thee, great Cadmean queen,
To bless these rites with countenance serene.
To Dionysius Bassareus Triennalis. A Hymn.
Come, blessed Dionysius various-nam'd,
Bull-fac'd, begot from Thunder, Bacchus fam'd.
Bassarian God, of universal might,
Whom swords, and blood, and sacred rage delight:
In heav'n rejoicing, mad, loud-sounding God,
Furious inspirer, bearer of the rod
By Gods rever'd, who dwell'st with human kind,
Propitious come, with much-rejoicing mind,
To Liknitus Bacchus. The Fumigation from Manna.
Liknitan Bacchus, bearer of the vine,
Thee I invoke to bless these rites divine:
Florid and gay, of nymphs the blossom bright,
And of fair Venus, Goddess of delight,
'Tis thine mad footsteps with mad nymphs to beat,
Dancing thro' groves with lightly leaping feet:
From Jove's high counsels nurst by Proserpine,
And born the dread of all the pow'rs divine:
Come, blessed pow'r, regard thy suppliant's voice,
Propitious come, and in these rites rejoice.
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