V. Non. 3rd
“In less than four nights the semi-human Chiron, who is compounded with the body of a tawny horse, will put forth his stars. Pelion is a mountain of Haemonia which looks southward: its top is green with pinewoods: the rest is draped with oaks. It was the home of Philyra’s son. There remains an ancient rocky cave, which they say was inhabited by the righteous old man. He is believed to have employed, in strumming the lyre, those hands which were one day to send Hector to death. Alcides had come after accomplishing a part of his labours, and little but the last orders remained for the hero to obey. You might see standing by chance together the two masters of the fate of Troy, on the one side the boyish descendant of Aeacus, on the other the son of Jupiter. The Philyrean hero received Hercules hospitably and asked the reason of his coming, and Hercules informed him. Meantime Chiron looked askance at the club and lion’s skin and said,” Man worthy of those arms, and arms worthy the man! “Nor could Achilles keep his hands from daring to touch the skin all shaggy with bristles.
And while the old man fingered the shafts clotted with poison, one of the arrows fell out of the quiver and stuck in his left foot. Chiron groaned and drew the steel from his body; and Alcides groaned, and so did the Haemonian boy. The centaur himself, however, compounded herbs gathered on the Pagasaean hills and assuaged the wounds by bootless remedies; but the gnawing poison defied all remedies, and the bane soaked into the bones and the whole body. The blood of the Lernaean hydra, mingled with the centaur’s blood, left no time for rescue. Achilles, bathed in tears, stood before him as before a father; so would he have wept for Peleus at the point of death. Often he fondled the feeble hands with his own loving hands; the teacher reaped the reward of the character he had moulded. Often Achilles kissed him, and often said to him as he lay there,” Live, I pray thee, and do not forsake me, dear father.” The ninth day was come when thou, most righteous Chiron, didst gird thy body with twice seven stars.
III. Non. 5th
The curved Lyre would wish to follow the Centaur, but the road is not yet clear. The third night will be the proper time.
Pr. Non. 6th
The Scorpion will be visible from its middle in the sky, when we say that to-morrow the Nones will dawn.
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