As long as the Earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease. The slime with which the Earth was covered by the waters of the flood produced an excessive fertility, which called forth every variety of production, both bad and good.

Among the rest, Python, an enormous serpent, crept forth, the terror of the people, and lurked in the caves of Mount Parnassus.

Apollo slew him with his arrows-weapons which he had not before used against any but feeble animals, hares, wild goats, and such game. In commemoration of this illustrious conquest he instituted the Pythian games, in which the victor in feats of strength, swiftness of foot, or in the chariot race, was crowned with a wreath of beech leaves; for the laurel was not yet adopted by Apollo as his own tree.

The famous statue of Apollo called the Belvedere represents the god after this victory over the serpent Python.

The Lord of the unerring bow, the god of life, and poetry, and light, the Sun, in human limbs arrayed, and brow all radiant from his triumph in the fight, and the shaft has just been shot; the arrow bright with an immortal’s vengeance; in his eye and nostril, beautiful disdain, and might, and majesty flash their full lightnings by, developing in that one glance the Deity.

Daphne was Apollo’s first love. It was not brought about by accident, but by the malice of Cupid.

Apollo saw the boy playing with his bow and arrows, and being himself elated with his recent victory over Python, he said to him, “What have you to do with warlike weapons, saucy boy? Leave them for hands worthy of them. Behold the conquest I have won by means of them over the vast serpent, who stretched his poisonous body over acres of the plain!

Be content with your torch, child, and kindle up your flames, as you call them, where you will, but presume not to meddle with my weapons.

Everything that lives and moves about will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I know give you everything. However, you must not eat meat that has its lifeblood still in it. And for your lifeblood I will surely demand an accounting.

I will demand an accounting from every animal. And from each human being, too, I will demand an accounting for the life of another human being. Whoever sheds human blood, by humans shall their blood be shed: for in the image of God has God made mankind. “

Venus’s boy heard these words and rejoined, “Your arrows may strike all things else, Apollo but mine shall strike you.” So saying, he took his stand on a rock of Parnassus and drew from his quiver two arrows of different workmanship, one to excite love, the other to repel it.

The former was of gold and sharp pointed, the latter blunt and tipped with lead. With the leaden shaft he struck the nymph Daphne, the daughter of the river-god Peneus, and with the golden one Apollo, through the heart.

Forthwith the god was seized with love for the maiden, and she abhorred the thought of loving. Her delight was in woodland sports and in the spoils of the chase.

Many lovers sought her, but she spurned them all, ranging the woods, and taking no thought of Cupid nor Hymen. Her father often said to her, “Daughter, you owe me a son-in-law; you owe me grandchildren.”

She, hating the thought tinged all over with blushes, threw her arms around her father’s neck and said, “Dearest father, grant me this favor, that I may always remain unmarried, like Diana.” He consented but at the same time said, “Your own face will forbid it.”

Apollo loved her and longed to obtain her; and he who gives oracles to all the World was not wise enough to look into his own fortunes.

He saw her hair flung loose over her shoulders and said, “If so charming in disorder, what would it be if arranged?” He saw her eyes bright as stars; he saw her lips, and was not satisfied with only seeing them.

He admired her hands and arms, naked to the shoulder, and whatever was hidden from view he imagines more beautiful still. He followed her; he fled, swifter then the wind, and delayed not a moment at his entreaties.

“Stay,” said he, “daughter of Peneus; I am not a foe. Do not fly me as a lamb flies the wolf, or a dove the hawk. It is for love I pursue you. You make me miserable, for fear you should fall and hurt yourself on those stones, and I should be the cause. Pray run slower, and I will follow slower. I am not clown, no rude peasant.

Jupiter is my father, and I am lord of Delphos and Tenedos, and know all things, present and future. I am the god of song and the lyre. My arrows fly true to the mark; but alas! An arrow more fatal than mine has pierced my heart! I am the god of medicine, and know the virtues of all healing plants. Alas! I suffer a malady that no balm can cure!”

The nymph continued her flight and left his plea half uttered. And even as she fled she charmed him. The wind blew her garments, and her unbound hair streamed loose behind her.

The god grew impatient to find his wooings throw away; and, sped by Cupid, gained upon her in with open jaws ready to seize, while the feebler animal darts forward, slipping from the very grasp.

So flew the god and the virgin—he on the wings of love and she on those of fear. The pursuer is the more rapid, however, and gains upon her, and his panting breath blows upon her hair.

Her strength begins to fail, and, ready to sink, she calls upon her father, the river-god: “Help me, Peneus! Open the Earth to enclose me, or change my form, which has brought me into this danger!”

Scarcely had she spoken, when a stiffness seized all her limbs; her bosom began to be enclosed in a tender bark; her hair became leaves; her arms became branches; her foot stuck fast in the ground, as a root; her face became a treetop, retaining nothing of its former self but its beauty.

Apollo stood amazed. He touched the stem, and felt the flesh tremble under the new bark. He embraced the branches and lavished kisses on the wood. The branches shrank from his lips.

“Since you cannot be my wife, you shall assuredly be my tree. I will wear you for my crown. I will decorate with you my harp and my quiver; and when the great Roman conquerors lead up the triumphal pomp to the Capitol, you shall be woven into wreaths for their brows.

And, as eternal youth is mine, you also shall be always green, and your leaf knows no decay.” And that is how evergreen trees came to be. The nymph, now changed into a laurel tree, bowed its head in grateful acknowledgment.

That Apollo should be the god both of music and poetry will not appear strange, but that medicine should be assigned to his province, may.

Music exalts each joy, allays each grief, expels diseases, softens every pain; and hence the wise of ancient days adored one power of physic, melody, and song.

The story of Apollo and Daphne is often alluded to by the poets. This is applied to the case of one who amatory verses, though they did not soften the heart of his mistress, yet won for the poet widespread fame.

Yet what the sun in his immortal strain, through unsuccessful, was not sung in vain. All but the nymph that should redress his wrong, attend his passion and approve his song. Like Phoebus thus, acquiring unsought praise, he caught at love and filled his arms with bays.

The following stanza from Adonais alludes to Byron’s early quarrel with the reviewers:

The herded wolves, bold only to pursue; the obscene ravens, clamorous o’er the dead; the vultures, to the conqueror’s banner true, who feed where Desolation first has fed; and whose wings rain contagion; how they fled, when like Apollo, from his golden bow, the Pythian of the age one arrow sped and smiled! The spoilers tempt no second blow; they fawn on the proud feet that spurn them as they go.

We will have times of despair caused by real events in our lives, and we will be unable to lift ourselves out of them. If we are inspired by God, what is the next thing to do? It is to trust Him absolutely and pray on the basis of His redemption.

In my personal life, some things are now becoming clear to others, wrongs of the past that have been committed against me, and people often wonder, “How were you able to make it through and what keeps you going?”

Well, never let the sense of past failure defeat your next step. And past failure may not be on your head, but maybe the people in your life, and community failed you, at some point, in a major way.

I have heard many things like these; miserable comforters are you all! Will your long-winded speeches never end? What ails you that you keep on arguing?

I also could speak like you, if you were in my place; I could make fine speeches against you and shake my head at you. However, my mouth would encourage you; comfort from my lips would bring you relief. Yet if I speak, my pain is not relieved; and if I refrain, it does not go away.

Surely, O God, you have worn me out; you have devastated my entire household. You have bound me—and it has become a witness; my gauntness rises up and testifies against me.

God assails me and tears me in his anger and gnashes his teeth at me; my opponent fastens on me his piercing eyes.

Men and women and children open their mouths to jeer at me; they strike my cheek in scorn and unite together against me.

God has turned me over to evil men and thrown me into the clutches of the wicked. All was well with me, but he shattered me; he seized me by the neck and crushed me.

He has made me his target; his archers surround me. Without pity, he pierced my kidneys and spills my gall on the ground. Again and again he bursts upon me; he rushed at me like a warrior.

I have sewed a sackcloth over my skin and buried my brow in the dust. My face is red with weeping, deep shadows ring my eyes; yet my hands have been free of violence and my prayer is pure.

O Earth, do not cover my blood; may my cry never be laid to rest! Even now my witness is in Heaven; my advocate is on high.

My intercessor is my friend as my eyes pour out tears to God; on behalf of man he pleads with God as a man pleads for his friend. Only a few years will pass before I go on the journey of no return. Sometimes it does seem like we are in an alien World, where common sense is lost, but have faith that everything is being restored and you will be fine.