{"collection":"myth-cosmogony","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_22529/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_22529","id":"gutenberg_22529","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/22529","summary":null,"tags":["Category: Mythology, Legends & Folklore","Category: Poetry","Children's Picture Books","Hercules (Roman mythology) -- Poetry","Stories in rhyme"],"text":"E-text prepared by Janet Blenkinship and the Project Gutenberg Online\nDistributed Proofreading Team (https://www.pgdp.net) from digital material\ngenerously made available by Internet Archive/American Libraries\n(http://www.archive.org/details/americana)\n\n\n\nNote: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this\n      file which includes the original illustrations.\n      See 22529-h.htm or 22529-h.zip:\n      (https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/2/2/5/2/22529/22529-h/22529-h.htm)\n      or\n      (https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/2/2/5/2/22529/22529-h.zip)\n\n\n      Images of the original pages are available through\n      Internet Archive/American Libraries. See\n      http://www.archive.org/details/twelvelaboursofh00londiala\n\n\n\n\n\nTHE\nTWELVE LABOURS\nOF\n_HERCULES_,\nSON OF\n_JUPITER & ALCMENA_.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nLONDON:\n\nPublished by Didier and Tebbett, at the\nJuvenile Library of English, French,\nand Italian Books, and Repository\nof Instructive Games, No. 75,\nSt. James's Street.\n1808.\nLondon.\n\nPublished by Didier & Tebbett, 75, St. James' Street;\n\nPrice, Plain 1s. Coloured 1s. 6d.\n\n\n\n[Illustration: FRONTISPIECE.\n\nHercules in his Cradle Strangles two Serpents\n\nThe Twelve\nLABOURS OF HERCULES,\n_Son of_\nJUPITER and ALCMENA.]\n\n\n\n\n1\n\nThe Nemaean Lion.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\nBy Juno's hate urged on, Alcmena's Son,\nAt sixteen years his noble toils begun.\nNemaea's dreadful Lion first he sought,\nThe savage slew & to Eurystheus brought,\nFrom his huge sides his shaggy spoils he tore,\nAround him threw, & e'er in triumph wore.\n\n\n\n\n2\n\nThe Lernaean Hydra.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\nOn Lerna's pest th' undaunted Hero rushes,\nWith massy club her hundred heads he crushes,\nIn vain. One crush'd, two hissing heads arise,\nTill good Iolas to each wound applies\nThe burning brand. Dipt in the Hydra's gall,\nHis arrows slightest wound is death to all.\n\n\n\n\n3\n\nThe Maenalaean Stag.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\nA Stag with horns of gold and feet of brass,\nOn Maenalus bounds o'er th'unbending grass,\nTo Dian sacred, this he's doom'd to bring,\nUnhurt into the presence of the King,\nForbid to wound, how take a Stag so fleet?\nA twelvemonth's end scarce saw the task complete.\n\n\n\n\n4\n\nThe Erymanthian Boar.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\nTo Erymanthus next his course is bent,\nTo seize the Boar by incensed Dian sent,\nThe fell destroyer bound he o'er him flings,\nAnd unto scared Eurystheus quickly brings,\nThe trembling Tyrant shrinks aghast with dread,\nAnd in his brazen Vessel hides his coward head.\n\n\n\n\n5\n\nThe Stables of Augeas.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\nTo cleanse the Augean Stables now he's sped,\nWhere thirty years three thousand Oxen fed;\nThe task for man too great. A river's course\nHe turn'd, & thro' the stables urged its force,\nThe tide resistless rolls, and in one day\nThe gather'd filth of years is swept away.\n\n\n\n\n6\n\nThe Stymphalides.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\nThe Lake Stymphalus by his arm was freed,\nFrom those dire birds on human flesh who feed,\nBy Pallas' aid the dreadful race subdued,\nNo more its banks with whitening bones are strew'd.\nHonour'd by all mankind he now returns,\nBut still Eurystheus' envious hatred burns.\n\n\n\n\n7\n\nThe Cretan Bull.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\nA furious Bull with nostrils breathing fire,\nTo punish Minos sent by Neptune's ire,\nRoams wild in vengeance thro' his wide domains,\nAnd death & terror spreads o'er Crete's fair plains;\nBut soon the bellowing beast alive he caught,\nAnd vainly struggling to Eurystheus brought.\n\n\n\n\n8\n\nDiomedes and his Horses.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\nFell Diomed, whose horses fat with gore,\nHis subjects bodies in their mangers tore,\nHe next o'erthrew. And as old authors say,\nThe Tyrant gave to his own steeds a prey,\nOn Mount Olympus rent by savage beasts,\nNo more the horses make on man their horrid feasts.\n\n\n\n\n9\n\nThe Amazon Hippolite.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\nBy Fate constrain'd Eurystheus to obey,\nThe matchless Hero now must bend his way,\nTo gain the golden girdle which adorns\nThe Queen of Amazons. Who proudly scorns\nTo yield, and in her warriors doth confide--\nBut vanquish'd she becomes great Theseus' bride.\n\n\n\n\n10\n\nGeryon.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\nA Giant King in Gades once did keep,\n(Unlike their gentle race) carnivorous sheep,\nThe triple monster slain, amidst his rocks\nHe left to birds a prey, and seiz'd his flocks,\nWhich by Eurystheus' order brought away\nHe unto Argos safely did convey.\n\n\n\n\n11\n\nCerberus.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\nIn fetters Hercules fierce Cerberus tied,\nAnd took him trembling from grim Pluto's side,\nFrom realms of darkness drag'd away to light,\nThe yelling monster sicken'd at the sight,\nAnd from his jaws the foam which fell to earth,\nUnto the poisonous Aconite gave birth.\n\n\n\n\n12\n\nThe Hesperides.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\nTo crown his deeds, so wondrous & so great,\nUpon his shoulders vast Olympus' weight\nHe bore, while Atlas did the apples bring,\nWhich bridal Juno gave to Heaven's dread King.\nAnd now the dragon guarded apples won,\nThe Godlike Hero, saw his Labours done.","title":"The Twelve Labours of Hercules, Son of Jupiter & Alcmena","tradition":"myth-cosmogony","translated_text":null,"word_count":736}