520 Ourselves alone, by Jove’s commandment, served For stipulated hire, a year complete, Our task-master the proud Laomedon?  Myself a bulwark’d town, spacious, secure Against assault, and beautiful as strong 525 Built for the Trojans, and thine office was To feed for King Laomedon his herds Among the groves of Ida many-valed.  But when the gladsome hours the season brought Of payment, then the unjust King of Troy 530 Dismiss’d us of our whole reward amerced By violence, and added threats beside.  Thee into distant isles, bound hand and foot, To sell he threatened, and to amputate The ears of both; we, therefore, hasted thence 535 Resenting deep our promised hire withheld.  Aid’st thou for this the Trojans?  Canst thou less Than seek, with us, to exterminate the whole Perfidious race, wives, children, husbands, all? 
  To whom the King of radiant shafts Apollo. 540
Me, Neptune, thou wouldst deem, thyself, unwise Contending for the sake of mortal men With thee; a wretched race, who like the leaves Now flourish rank, by fruits of earth sustain’d, Now sapless fall.  Here, therefore, us between 545 Let all strife cease, far better left to them. 
  He said, and turn’d away, fearing to lift
His hand against the brother of his sire.  But him Diana of the woods with sharp Rebuke, his huntress sister, thus reproved. 550
  Fly’st thou, Apollo! and to Neptune yield’st
An unearn’d victory, the prize of fame Resigning patient and with no dispute?  Fool! wherefore bearest thou the bow in vain?  Ah, let me never in my father’s courts 555 Hear thee among the immortals vaunting more That thou wouldst Neptune’s self confront in arms. 
  So she, to whom Apollo nought replied.[9]
But thus the consort of the Thunderer, fired With wrath, reproved the Archeress of heaven. 560
  How hast thou dared, impudent, to oppose
My will?  Bow-practised as thou art, the task To match my force were difficult to thee.  Is it, because by ordinance of Jove Thou art a lioness to womankind, 565 Killing them at thy pleasure?  Ah beware—­ Far easier is it, on the mountain-heights To slay wild beasts and chase the roving hind, Than to conflict with mightier than ourselves.  But, if thou wish a lesson on that theme, 570 Approach—­thou shalt be taught with good effect How far my force in combat passes thine. 
  She said, and with her left hand seizing both
Diana’s wrists, snatch’d suddenly the bow Suspended on her shoulder with the right, 575 And, smiling, smote her with it on the ears.  She, writhing oft and struggling, to the ground Shook forth her rapid shafts, then, weeping, fled As to her cavern in some hollow rock The dove, not destined to his talons, flies 580 The hawk’s pursuit, and left her arms behind.