The father regretted to have sworn; and a third time and a fourth time shaking his illustrious head he said, “Your words have made mine rash; if only it was allowed to not give the promise; I confess, my son, I would have denied this alone to you. It is allowed to persuade you otherwise. Your desire is not safe; you seek great duties, Phaethon, which are of the type which are suited for neither those strengths nor boyish years.[56] Your fate is mortal; what you desire is not mortal. Ignorant one, you seek even more than what it is right for the gods to touch; although it will be allowed that each one pleases themselves, no one however is strong to stand with the having been excluded one, me, in the fiery heavens. The leader of vast Olympus, who hurls fierce lightning bolts with his terrible right hand, does not drive this run; and what do we hold greater than Jove? [63] The road is first steep and the horses ascend scarcely with the fresh morning; the highest part is the middle sky, from where fear often happens to me myself to see the sea and lands and my chest trembles with timid dread; the final path is inclined and lacks a certain means of control: then even Tethys herself, who receives me with her having been supplied waves, is accustomed to fear that I am carried in headfirst. [70] Add the sky which is snatched by constant rotation and drags high stars and twists with a swift turn. I advance into the opposite, and the attack, which conquers all things, does not conquer me, and I am carried out opposite to the fast orb. Pretend the having been given chariot: what will you do? Will you be able to go in the way of the spinning poles, in order that the swift heavens do not carry you off? [76] Perhaps you conceive with the mind groves there and cities of the gods and temples rich with gifts? Look! The journey is through ambushes, and figures of wild beasts! If only you hold your course and you are dragged by no mistakes, however you will go through the horns of hostile Taurus and the Thessalian archer and the mouth of violent Leo and the savage arms of Scorpio bending with long edges and the arms of Cancer bending otherwise. [84] It is not easy for you to rule the proud horses with those fires, which they hold in their chests, which they breath out of their mouth and nostrils; they scarcely submit to me, when the violent spirits have grown warm and the neck fights against the reins. But you, son, in order that I am not the author of a fatal gift for you, be careful, while something permits your wish to be set right. [90] Of course you seek a certain pledge in order that you believe your blood of our kind. I give a certain pledge by means of fearing and I am demonstrated to be a father by means of fatherly fear. Look, look at my face, if only you were able to plant your eyes in my heart and understand the fatherly concern within. Finally, look around at the riches the world holds, and request anything from so much good as so much of the land and sea and sky; they allow nothing having been rejected. [98] I avert this one, which in truth is a punishment by name, not an honor; Phaethon, you seek punishment for a gift. Why do you hold my neck with your persuasive arms, ignorant one? Do not doubt, whatever you wish for will be given (we have sworn to the river Styx)—but you, wish for something wiser.