Sedefque [a] difer etas piorum, et
Eoliis fidibus querentem
Sappho puellis de popularibus;
Et te fonantem plenius aureo,
Alcae, plectro dura navis,

Dura fugae mala, dura belli.
Utrumque facro digna filentio

Mirantur umbræ dicere: fed magis

Pugnas et exactos tyrannos

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Denfum [b] humeris bibit aure vulgus.

Quid mirum? Ubi illis carminibus ftupens

Demittit atras bellua centiceps

Aures, et intorti capillis

Eumenidum recreantur angues?

Quin et Prometheus, et Pelopis parens

Dulci laborum [c] decipitur fono:

Nec curat Orion leones

Aut timidos agitare lyncas.

CARMEN XIV.

AD POSTUMUM.

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Nec vitari mortem posse, nec retardi; divitiiș, dum vivimus, liberaliter utendum.

E

HEU, fugaces, Postume, Postume, Labuntur anni: nec pieta's moram Rugis et inftanti fenectae

Afferet, indomitaque morti:

Non, fi trecenis, quotquot eunt dies.

[a] Sedefque defcriptas priorum. [b] Denfum hillari, HIENS. Humili. BENTL. [c] Laborem decipitur fene.

alfo of the pious, and Sappho, complaining on her Eolian lyre, of her own country damfels; and thee, O Alcæus, founding in fuller ftrains on thy golden harp the diftreffes of the fea, the diftreffes of exile, and the distresses of war. The ghosts admire them both, while they utter ftrains worthy of a religious filence: but the crouded multitude, with preffing fhoulders, imbibes, with a more greedy ear, battles and banished tyrants. What wonder? Since the many-headed monster of hell,* astonished at thofe lays, hangs down his fable ears; and the fnakes entwined in the hair of the furies, are foothed. Moreover, Prometheus, and the fire of Pelops, are deluded into an infenfibility of their torments, by the melodious found: nor is Orion any longer folicitous to harafs the lions, or the fearful lynxes.

ODE XIV.

To POSTUMUS.

That death can neither be avoided, nor retarded; and that therefore we ought to make a generous use of riches while we live.

Α'

LAS! my Postumus, my Postumus, the fleeting years glide on; nor will piety caufe any delay to wrinkles and advancing old age, and infuperable death. You could not, if you were to facrifice every day three hundred bulls, render propitious

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Cerberus,

Amice, places illacrymabilem
Plutona tauris; qui ter amplum
Geryonen Tityonque trifti
Compefcit unda, fcillicet omnibus,
Quicunque terræ munere vefcimur,
Enaviganda; five reges,

Sive inopes erimus coloni.

Fruftra cruento Marte carebimus,
Fractifque rauci flu&tibus Adrie
Fruftra per autumnos nocentem
Corporibus metuemus Auftrum.

Vifendus ater flumine languido
Cocytus errans, et Danai genus
Infame, damnatufque longi

Sifyphus Æolides laboris.

Linquenda tellus, et domus, et placens

Uxor: neque harum, quas colis, arborum

Te, praeter invifas cupreffos,

Ulla brevem dominum fequetur.

Abfumet heres Cæcuba dignior
Servata centum clavibus, et mero
Tinget [a] pavimentum fuperbo,
Pontificum potiore coenis.
CARMEN XV.

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Antiquorum parfimoniam et frugalitatem recenti luxuri opponit.

JAM pauca aratro jugera regiæ

Moles relinquent: undique latius.

Exienta vifentur Lucrino

Stagna lacu; platanufque coelebs

Evincet

[a] Tinget pavimentum fuperbum. Pavimentum fuperbus. CUNN.

The

propitious pitilefs Pluto, who confines the thrice-
monftrous Geryon, and Tityos, with the difmal
Stygian ftream, namely, that ftream, which is to
be paffed over by all who are fed upon the muni-
ficence of the earth, whether kings or poor hinds.
In vain fhall we be free from fanguinary Mars,
and the broken billows of the hoarfe Adriatic; in
vain fhall we be apprehenfive of the South, noxi-
ous to human bodies in the time of autumn.
black Cocytus, wandring with languid current,
and the infamous race of Danaus, and Sifyphus
the son of Æolus, doomed to eternal toil, must be
vifited; your land, and house, and pleafing wife,
must be left, nor fhall any of these trees, which
you are nurfing, follow you, their tranfitory maf-
ter, except the hated cypreffes; a worthier heir
fhall confume your Cæcuban wines, now guarded
with a hundred keys, and fhall lavishly, tinge the
pavement with noble wine, more exquifite than
what graces pontifical entertainments.

ODE XV.

He oppofes the ancient thriftiness and frugality to the modern luxury and extravagance.

THE royal edifices will in a fhort time leave but a few acres for the plough: ponds of wider extent than the Lucrine lake will be every where to be feen; and the barren plane-tree will fupplant

the

Evincet ulmoft: tum violaria, et
Myrtus, et omnis copianarium,
Spargent olivetis odorem,

Fertilibus domino priori :
Tum fpiffa ramis laurea fervidos
Excludet ictus. [a] non ita Romula
Præfcriptum et intonfi Catonis
Aufpiciis, veterumque norma.

Privatis illus cenfus erat brevis,

Commune magnum: nulla decempedis

Metata privatis opacam

Porticus excipiebat Arcton:

Nec fortuitum fpernere cefpitem
Leges finebant, oppida publico
Sumtu jubente, et Deorum
Templa novo decorare faxo.

CARMEN XVI.

AD GROSPHUM.

Felicitatem coercendis cupiditatibus comparari.

OTIUM Divos rogat in patenti

Prenfus [b] Egeo, fimul atra nubes Condidit Lunam, neque certa fulgent

Sidera nautis ;

Otium bello furiofa Thrace,

Otium Medi pharetra docori,

Grofphe, non gemmis, neque purpura

Venale, nec auro.

Non enim gazae, neque confularis

[a] Excludet aeftus. [b] Preffus.

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Sum.

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