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side the streams of the mountain torrent he tended his herds, numbering apart the herd of thronging bulls, apart measuring the droves of feeding flocks. And behind him hung floating the hide of a mountain goat, that reached right to his thighs. But his herdsmanâs crook, driver of kine, was laid aside: for so, waling mincingly in his accustomed ways, he pursued the shrill minstrelsy of his pipeâs rustic reeds. Often as he sang in his shepherdâs shieling he would forget his bulls and heed no more his sheep. Hence with his pipe, in the fair haunts of shepherds, he was making dear music to Pan and Hermaon. The dogs bayed not, and the bull did not bellow. Only windy Echoa with her untutored cry, answered his voice from Idaâs hills; and the bulls upon the green grass, when they had eaten their fill, lay down and rested on their heavy flanks.
So as he made shrill music under the high-roofed canopy of trees, he beheld from afar the messenger Hermaon. And in fear he leapt up and sought to shun the eye of the gods. He leaned against an oak his choir of musical reeds and checked his lay that had not yet laboured much. And to him in his fear wondrous Hermes spake thus:
ãFling away thy milking-pail and leave thy fair flocks and come hither and give decision as judge of the goddesses of heaven. Come hither and decide which is the more excellent beauty of face, and to the fairer give this appleâs lovely fruit.ä
So he cried. And Paris bent a gentle eye and quietly essayed to judge the beauty of each. He looked at the light of their grey eyes, he looked on the neck arrayed with gold, he marked the bravery
NOTES
a Nymph beloved of Pan (Mosch. 6, Long. 3. 23).
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