03.04.2013 Views

The Mystical Hymns of Orpheus - Platonic Philosophy

The Mystical Hymns of Orpheus - Platonic Philosophy

The Mystical Hymns of Orpheus - Platonic Philosophy

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.

OF ORPHEUS.<br />

XXXI.<br />

TO THE CURETES.<br />

A HYMN.<br />

LEAPING Curetes, who with dancing feet<br />

And circling measures armed footsteps beat :<br />

Whose bosoms Bacchanalian furies fire,<br />

Who move in rhythm to the sounding lyre :<br />

Who traces deaf when lightly leaping tread,<br />

Arm-bearers, strong defenders, rulers dread :<br />

Fam'd Deities the guards <strong>of</strong> Proserpine 58,<br />

Preserving rites mysterious and divine :<br />

Come, and benevolent this hymn attend,<br />

And with glad mind the herdsman's life defend.<br />

58 <strong>The</strong> Corybantes, who in the supermundane are the same<br />

as the Curetes in the i~telleetual order, are said by Proclus,<br />

in Plat. <strong>The</strong>ol. lib. 6, p. 383, "to be the guards <strong>of</strong> Proser-<br />

pine." And in hymn xxxviii, the Curetes are celebrated<br />

a's being also the Corybantes ; in consequence <strong>of</strong> both these<br />

triads being <strong>of</strong> a guardian characteristic, and subsisting in<br />

pr<strong>of</strong>ound union with each other.

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!