CARMEN X.

AD LIGURINUM.

Monet ne fibi de forma nimium placeat.

Crudelis adhuc, et Veneris muneribus potens, Infperata tuae cum veniet [a] pluma fuperbiae Et, quae nunc humeris involitant, deciderint comae, Nunc et qui color eft puniceae flore prior rofae, Mutatus, Ligurine, in faciem verterit hifpidam; 5 Dices, Heu (quoties te fpeculo videris alterum) Quae mens eft hodie, cur eadem non puero fuit? Vel cur his animis incolumes non redeunt genae?

?

CARMEN

[a] Veniet bruma fuperbiac. BENTL.

ODE X.

To LIGURINUS.

The poet advises him not to be too fond of his fine

perfon.

Cruel ftill, and fill prevalent in the endowments of beauty, when an unexpected plume fhall come upon your vanity, and thofe locks, which now play loosely on your shoulders, shall fall off, and that colour, which is now preferable to the bloffom of the damask rose, changed, O Ligurinus, fhall turn into a wrinkled face; then will you fay (as often as you fee yourself quite another perfon in the looking-glafs) Alas! why was not my prefent inclination the fame when I was young? Or why do not my former cheeks return unimpaired to these my present sentiments?

CARMEN XI.

AD PHYLLIDEM.

Invitat eam ad epulas die natali Maecenatis.
EST mihi nonum fuperantis annum

Plenus Albani cadus; eft in horto,
Phylli, nectendis apium coronis ;
Eft ederae vis

Multa, qua crines religata fulges:
Ridet argento domus: ara caftis
Vincta verbenis avet immolato

Spargier agno:

Cuneta feftinat manus: huc et hilluc
Curfitant miftae pueris puellae:

Sordidum flammae [a] trepidant rotantes

Vertice fumum.

Ut tamen noris quibus advoceris
Gaudiis; Idus tibi funt agendae,
Qui dies menfem Veneris marinae
Findit Aprilem;

Jure folennis mihi, fanétiorque
Pene natali proprio; quod ex hac
Luce Maecenas meus affluentes

Ordinat annos.

Telephum, quem tu petis, occupavit,
Non tuae fortis juvenum, puella
Dives et lafciva; tenetque grata
Compede vinctum.

[a] Flammae crepitant. BENTL.

Terret

ODE XI.

To PHYLLIS.

He invites her to an entertainment on Maecenas's

birth-day.

PHILLIS, I have a cask full of Albanian wine, upwards of nine years old; I have in my garden parfley for the weaving of chaplets; I have a great plenty of ivy, with which, when you have bound your hair, you look fo gay: the house shines chearfully with plate: the altar, bound with chafte vervain, longs to be fprinkled with the blood of a facrificed lamb: all hands are bufy: my girls and boys, in bufy preparation, fly about from place to place the flames quiver, rolling on their pointed fummit the footy fmoak. But yet that you know to what joys you are invited; the ides are to be celebrated by you, the day which divides April, the month of fea-born Venus; a day, with reafon to be folemnized by me, and almost more facred to me than that of my own birth; fince from this day my dear Maecenas reckons his flowing years. A rich and buxom girl hath poffeffed herfelf of Telephus, a youth above your rank; and the holds him faft by an agreeable fetter. Confumed * The grand festival of Venus was celebrated in this month.

*

P 4

Terret ambuftus Phaeton avaras

:

Spes et exemplum grave praebet ales
Pegafus, terrenum équitem gravatus
Bellerophonten.

Semper ut te digna fequare; et, ultra
Quam licet fperare nefas putando,
Difparem vites, age, jam meorum
Finis amorum

(Von enim pofthac alia calebo

Foemina) condifce modos, amanda

Voce quos reddas: [a] minuentur atrae

Carmine curae.

CARMEN XII.

AD VIRGILIUM.

25

30

35

Illum ad coenam vocat, ea lege ut fuum fecum. adferat Symbolum.

JA

AM veris comites, quae mare temperant,
Impellunt animae lintea Thraciae :

Jam nec prata rigent, nec fluvii ftrepunt
Hiberna nive turgidi :

Nidum ponit, Ityn flebiliter gemens,
Infelix avis, et Cecropiae domus

Aeternum opprobrium; [b] quod male barbaras

Regum eft ulta libidines:

[a] Minuuntur atrae.
[b] Quae male barbaras.

Dicunt