And there were other baleful signs there, for thus was maiden
Argia, spouse of Polynices, son of Oedipus, with a beautiful
golden ornament about her neck, to wit, Harmonia's beautiful
wonderful necklace. Wild and very shapely was that find, fateful
and baleful was that gift to every one who had it. For it was
baleful Vulcan, Hell's woeful smith, who invented that work,
and Vulcan made that golden ornament for Harmonia, to wit,
the daughter of Jove's son Mars, the war god, and of Venus,
the goddess of love ; and therefore did he give that to her in
order to cause her ills. For Venus, mighty lady, was Vulcan's
lovely spouse ; and in Vulcan's despite. Mars got that daughter
Harmonia by Venus. So that for that reason, Vulcan made
that everlasting gem bringing happy love by looking at the
outside of it, of serpents' venoms, toads' poison, filth of slime
of fire or of lightning, dark-grey dusky manes of dragons, and
flaming blazing stones in the midst. So that it was a blush to
gloom, it was boiling of rage, it was a challenging of disease to
every one that had it. And the first person on whom it plied its
baleful qualities was Harmonia, comely spouse of Cadmus, son
of Agenor, by whom Thebes was first built of yore. For that
woman was turned into an ugly complaining serpent along with
Cadmus, son of Agenor, so that they were together everlastingly
hissing in the fine wasted plains. And thereafter that necklace
reached Semele, daughter of Cadmus, son of Agenor; and to her
Jove made warmest love. And no sooner had that necklace
reached her than Juno, daughter of Saturn, to wit, Jove's wife,
came to the maiden in the guise of her nurse, and this is what
she said to Semele : " Ask thou," said she, " communion and a
c. 49 4



E. lob 19 TOGAIL NA TEBE Eg. i86b 19

78oism de[ijlb i cojwraiceand^ re hlunaind." Et rochuiwdig ,j
Samilia amlaid sin ar loib cowiriachtaiw ria, -^ rocomroic loib
ria-si a richt saignen telctech^ tendtide, amal danid re hluJiaiwd
cu raloiscead fochetoir Semile, uair nir-fhselastar-si del[l]rud
na diadacA<a doben ria. Et is tre bithin in muntoirc siw rolot

785 loscend in n-ingen siw, amar fhorglit na faibli' guacha gendtligi
sin. 