CARMEN XIII.

AD AMICOS.

HORRIDA tempestas cœlum contraxit, et imbres
Nivesque deducunt Jovem ; nunc mare, nunc siluæ
Threïcio Aquilone sonant. Rapiamus, amici,
Occasionem de die; dumque virent genua,
Et decet, obducta solvatur fronte senectus.

Tu vina Torquato move Consule pressa meo.
Cætera mitte loqui: deus hæc fortasse benigna
Reducet in sedem vice. Nunc et Achæmenio
Perfundi nardo juvat, et fide Cyllenea

5

Levare diris pectora sollicitudinibus.
Nobilis ut grandi cecinit Centaurus alumno:-
“Invicte, mortalis dea nate puer Thetide,
Te manet Assaraci tellus, quam frigida parvi

10

Findunt Scamandri flumina, lubricus et Simoïs;
Unde tibi reditum certo subtemine Parcæ
Rupere; nec mater domum cærula te revehet.

15

ποιῆν τι δεῖ ἃς (i. e. ἕως) γόνυ
χλωρόν.
Theocr. xiv. 70. 284.
For the general sentiment comp.
Theogn. 977.:

15. certo subtemine. Subtemen
(in form. corr.to examen for exagmen)

Illic omne malum vino cantuque levato,
Deformis ægrimonia dulcibus alloquiis."

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CARMEN XIV.

AD MECENATEM.

MOLLIS inertia cur tantam diffuderit imis

Oblivionem sensibus,

Pocula Lethæos ut si ducentia somnos
Arente fauce traxerim,

Candide Mæcenas, occidis sæpe rogando :
Deus, deus nam me vetat

Inceptos, olim promissum carmen, iambos
Ad umbilicum adducere.

Non aliter Samio dicunt arsisse Bathyllo
Anacreonta Teïum,

5

10

is for subtegmen or subteximen, from | Flacc. iii. 609. No doubt Horace text, the woof or main texture substituted the word for the more and body of the web woven.' Cp. usual duxerim, on account of the the descr. in Ov. Met. vi. 56.: preceding ducentia. It is found in inseritur medium radiis subtemen. a kindred phrase, viz. auras ore

Here it may be construed simply the thread of fate.' Cp. Catull.

lxiv. 328.:

The original of Gray's (The Bard, ver. 49.)

"Weave the warp and weave the woof."

trahit, Ov. Met. ii. 230.; and corresponds to the Gr. Akw, Éλków, as in Eur. Cycl., 417., Ion. 1200.

7. olim promissum. "De hoc toto libro accipe qui nunc Epodon inscribitur.. significat magnam fuisse hominum de his Epodis expectationem." Bentl.

8. ad umbilicum adducere. i. e. to complete.

18. dulcibus alloquiis, 'the sweet Trist. I. i. 8.) were bosses upon the The umbilici or cornua (Ov.

solace.'

end of the rollers on which the sheet of the volumen was rolled. Therefore, as evolvere librum is to open or begin,' ad umbilicum venire, or ducere, is to come or bring to a close.' Mart. iv. 91-2. 10. Teïum. Fide Teïa, Carm. I. xvii. 18.

4

Qui persæpe cava testudine flevit amorem,

Non elaboratum ad pedem.

Ureris ipse miser: quod si non pulchrior ignis

Accendit obsessam Ilion,

Gaude sorte tua; me libertina, neque uno
Contenta, Phryne macerat.

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CARMEN XV.

AD NEERAM.

Nox erat, et cælo fulgebat Luna sereno

Inter minora sidera,

Quum tu, magnorum numen læsura deorum,
In verba jurabas mea,

Artius, atque hedera procera adstringitur ilex,
Lentis adhærens brachiis;

Dum pecori lupus, et nautis infestus Orion

Turbaret hibernum mare,

Intonsosque agitaret Apollinis aura capillos,

Fore hunc amorem mutuum,

O dolitura mea multum virtute Neæra,
Nam, si quid in Flacco viri est,

10

11. cavâ test. amorem. Cp. Virg. | seems properly used of repeating the Georg. iv. 464.

12. non elaboratum. i. e. in easy, simple strain.

13. quod si, etc. 'But think yourself a fortunate man, since Helen was not more beautiful.'

16. macerat. Carm. I. xiii. 8.

EPODE XV.

3. numen læsura, i. e., by faithlessness, perjury. (Compare the Ode to Barine, Carm. 1. viii.) Cp. Ov. Her. ii. 43.

4. in verba jurabas. This phrase

military oath. Citati milites apud trib. mil. in verba P. Scipionis jurarunt, Liv. xxviii. 29. (as, conversely, præire verba, to prescribe the form of oath ').

jurare in verba, Epist. L. i. 14., is used of adopting a particular teacher's rules; comp. below, Epod. xvi.

Non feret assiduas potiori te dare noctes,
Et quæret iratus parem,

Nec semel offensæ cedet constantia formæ,

Si certus intrarit dolor.

At tu, quicunque es felicior, atque meo nunc
Superbus incedis malo,

Sis pecore et multa dives tellure licebit,

Tibique Pactolus fluat,

Nec te Pythagoræ fallant arcana renati,
Formaque vincas Nirea;

Eheu! translatos alio morebis amores:
Ast ego vicissim risero.

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20

CARMEN XVI.

AD POPULUM ROMANUM.

ALTERA jam teritur bellis civilibus ætas,
Suis et ipsa Roma viribus ruit.

Quam neque finitimi valuerunt perdere Marsi,
Minacis aut Etrusca Porsenæ manus,

"Nor amnis." Impregnated with gold by Midas: Ov. Met. xi. 137.

15. nec semel offense. will my resolution yield to your charms when once I have taken of fence at, or dislike to, them.'

offensus is used together and synonymously with invisus by Cicero, Pro Sext. 58.

16. Compare above, Epod. xi. 15. 17. Tibull. 1. v. 69.:

At tu, qui potior nunc es, mea fata timeto.

Cp. Carm. I. v. 6. sq.

19. licebit for licet, as in Sat. II. ii. 59.

19-22. Cp. (on a diff. subject) Tyrtæus Eleg. :

21. renati. An allusion to the doctrine of metempsychosis. Carm. I. xxviii. 10.

22. Nirea. Carm. III. xx. 15.

EPODE XVI. Written probably with the same reference as Epode 7.

2. suis viribus. "Hoc est quod Titus Livius ait (in his Preface) ut magnitudine laboret suâ."" V. Schol. 3. Marsi. Marsi duelli, Carm. III. xiv. 18.

quam neque, etc. Comp. Tacitus (Hist. iii. 72.) on the burning of the Capitol: Nullo externo hoste... quam non Porsena dedita urbe, neque Galli captâ, temerare potuissent, vicinus Sardibs furore Principum exscindi.

οὐδ ̓ εἰ Τιθωνοῖο φυὴν χαριέστερος εἴη Πλουτοίη δὲ Μίδεω καὶ Κινύρεω βάθιον. 20. Pactolus,

Emula nec virtus Capuæ, nec Spartacus acer,
Novisque rebus infidelis Allobrox;
Nec fera cærulea domuit Germania pube,
Parentibusque abominatus Hannibal :
Impia perdemus devoti sanguinis ætas ;
Ferisque rursus occupabitur solum.

Barbarus, heu! cineres insistet victor, et Urbem
Eques sonante verberabit ungula;

Nefas videre! dissipabit insolens.

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10

Quæque carent ventis et solibus, ossa Quirini,

Forte quid expediat communiter aut melior pars
Malis carere quæritis laboribus.

15

Nulla sit hac potior sententia; Phocæorum
Velut profugit exsecrata civitas :

Agros atque Lares proprios, habitandaque fana
Apris reliquit et rapacibus lupis:

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Ire, pedes quocunque ferent, quocunque per undas
Notus vocabit, aut protervus Africus.

Sic placet? an melius quis habet suadere? secunda
Ratem occupare quid moramur alite?

Sed juremus in hæc :-Simul imis saxa renarint 25
Vadis levata, ne redire sit nefas;