guilt. Who can fear the Parthian? Who the frozen Scythian? Who the progeny that rough Germany produces, while Cæfar is in fafety? Who the war of fierce Spain? Every man now puts a period to the day midst his own hills, and marries the vine to the widowed elm-trees; from hence he returns joyful to his wine, and invites you, as 2 deity, to his fecond courfe. Thee with many a prayer, thee he purfues with wine poured out in libation from the cups; and joins your divinity to that of his houfhold gods, in the fame manner as Greece was mindful of Castor and the great Hercules. May you, O excellent general, beftow a lafting feftivity to Italy. This is our language, when we are fober at the early day, this is our language, when we have well drank, at the time the fun is beneath the ocean. ODE T CARMEN VI. HYMNUS AD APOLLINEM. IVE, quem proles Niobea magnae Caeteris major, tibi miles impar;, Ille, mordaci velut icta ferro ( Ille non inclufus equo Minervae Falleret aulam: Sed palam [a] captis gravis, heu nefas, heu ! Ureret flammis, etiam latentes Matris in alvo: Ni, tuis [b] victus Venerifque gratae Rebus Aeneae potiore ductos Alite muros. Doctor [c] argutae fidicen Thaliae [a] Palam captor gravis. [b] Tuis flexus vocibus. 10 15 20 25 Phoebe, ODE VI "HYMN to APOLLO. THOU God, whom the offspring of Niobe experience to be an avenger of a prefumptive tongue, and the ravifher of Tityos,likewife, and alfo the Theffalian* Achilles almoft the conqueror of lofty Troy, a warrior fuperior to all others, but unequal to thee; though fon of the fea-goddess Thetis, he fhook the Dardadian† towers encountering with his dreadful fpear. He, as it were a pine, fmote with the biting ax, or a cyprefs proftrated by the east-wind, fell extended, and reclined his neck in the Trojan duft. He would not, by being fhut up in a wooden horfe, that falfely pretended to bear the facred rites of Minerva, have furprifed the Trojans, revelling in an evil hour, and the court of Priam making merry with balls; but openly inexorable to his captives, Oh impious! Oh! would have burnt fpeechlefs babes with Grecian fires, even thofe concealed in their mother's womb: had not the father of the gods, prevailed upon by your entreaties, and those of the beauteous Venus, granted to the diftreffed affairs of Aeneas, walls founded under happier aufpices. Thou lyrift, Phoebus, thou tutor of the harmonious Thalia, * Phthia, where Achilles was born, was a city of Theffaly. † So called from Dardanus, the founder of Troy. Phoebe, qui Xantho lavis ampe crines Spiritum Phoebus mihi, Phoebus artem Carminis, nomenque dedit poetae. Virginum primae, puerique claris Patribus orti, Deliae tutela Dea, fugaces Rite Latonae puerum canentes, Profperam frugam, celeremque pronos Volvere menfes, Nupta jam dices; Ego Dis amicum, 30 35 40 CARMEN lia, who bathes thy locks in the river Xanthus, O delicate Agyieus,* fupport the dignity of the Latian mufe. Phoebus gave me genius, Phoebus gave me the art of compofing verfe, and the title of poet. Therefore, ye virgins of the firft diftinction, and ye youths born of illuftrious parents, ye wards of the Delian goddefs, who ftops with her bow the flying lynxes and the fleeteft ftags, obferve the Lesbian measure, and the ‡ motion of my thumb; duly celebrating the fon of Latona: duly celebrating the goddefs that enlightens the night with her fhining crefcent, fhe that is fo propitious to the fruits of the earth, and expeditious in rolling on the precipitate months.-Shortly a bride you will fay," I, expert in the measures of the poet Ho66 race, recited an ode which was acceptable to "the gods, when the fecular period brought on "the feftal days." Apollo was styled Agyieus, which fignifies the ftreets of cities, from his having altars and statues in the public ftreets, for the fame reason that Diana had her name of Trivia, from being worshipped in the highways. Delos was the place of Diana's nativity. The antients beat time with the thumb, as well as the foot in the manner we do. |
