Provided by The Internet Classics Archive. See bottom for copyright ...

Iris, fleet as the wind, obeyed him, and as the cold hail or snowflakes
that fly from out the clouds before the blast of Boreas, even so did
she wing her way till she came close up to the great shaker of the
earth. Then she said, "I have come, O dark-­‐haired king that holds
the world in his embrace, to bring you a message from Jove. He bids
you leave off fighting, and either join the company of the gods or
go down into the sea; if, however, you take no heed and disobey him,
he says he will come down here and fight you. He would have you keep
out of his reach, for he is older and much stronger than you are,
and yet you are not afraid to set yourself up as on a level with himself,
of whom all the other gods stand in awe."
Neptune was very angry and said, "Great heavens! strong as Jove may
be, he has said more than he can do if he has threatened violence
against me, who am of like honour with himself. We were three brothers
whom Rhea bore to Saturn-­‐ Jove, myself, and Hades who rules the world
below. Heaven and earth were divided into three parts, and each of
us was to have an equal share. When we cast lots, it fell to me to
have my dwelling in the sea for evermore; Hades took the darkness
of the realms under the earth, while air and sky and clouds were the
portion that fell to Jove; but earth and great Olympus are the common
property of all. Therefore I will not walk as Jove would have me.
For all his strength, let him keep to his own third share and be contented
without threatening to lay hands upon me as though I were nobody.
Let him keep his bragging talk for his own sons and daughters, who
must perforce obey him.