CARMEN II. AD ANTONIUM IULUM. Invitatus Horatius ad Augufti victorias carmine Pindarico celebrandas ita fe excufat ut id ipfu maxime praflet quod videtur tradare. INDARUM quifquis ftudet æmulari, I Nititur pennis, vitreo daturus Nomina ponto. Monte decurrens velut amnis, imbres Laurea donandus Apollinari, Seu per audaces nova dithyrambos Seu Deos, regefque canit, Deorum Sivé quos Elea domum reducit Dicit, et centum potiore fignis Munere donat: Flebili fponfæ juvenemve raptum Plorat; et vires, animumque, morefque Invidet Orco. ipfum 5 10 15 20 Multa Dircæum levat aura cycnum, 25 Tendit, Aureos reducit in aftra. O DE II. To ANTONIUS IULUS. Horace, being defired to celebrate the victories of Auguftus in Pindaric verfe, excufes himself in fuch a manner, that the very excufe itself very highly performs what he feems to decline. 7HOEVER endeavours, O Iulus, to rival Pindar, makes an effort on wings formed of wax, by art Dedalian, about to communicate his name to the azure fea. Like a river, pouring down a mountain, when fudden rains have increafed it beyond its accuftomed banks; fuch the deep-mouthed Pindar rages and rushes on immeafurable; fure to merit Apollo's laurel, whether he rolls down his new-formed terms thro' the daring dithyrambic, and is born on in numbers exempt from rule: whether he fings the Gods, and kings the offspring of the Gods, by whom the Centaurs perifhed with a juft deftruction, by rubom was quenched the flame of the dreadful Chimera; or celebrates he thofe whom the palm, in the Olym pic games at Elis brings home exalted to the kies-wreftler or fteed, and presents them with a gift preferable to a hundred ftatues: or does he deplore fome youth, fnatched by death from his mournulf bride, he difplays both his strength and courage and golden morals to the ftars, and refcues him from the dark oblivion of the grave. A U 3 strong + Incorrupt, the morals of the golden age. A 7 Tendit, Antoní, quoties in altos Grata carpentis thyma per laborem' Concines majore poëta plectro Quo nihil majus meliufve terris Fata donavere, bonique Divi; Nec dabunt, quamvis redeant in aurum Tempora prifcum.set Concines lætofque dies, et Urbis Publicum ludum, fuper impetrato vulgu 30 35 36940 Fortis Augufti reditu, forumque il modul altoz Litibus orbum. 1700 Tum meæ (fi quid † loquar audiendum) Vocis accedet bona pars; et, ô fol 45 Pulcher, ô laudande, canam, receptors Cæfare, felix. ⠀⠀ Tuque dum procedis, Io triumphenbl Non femel dicemus, Io triumphe, Civitas omnis; dabimufque Divismokers Thura benignis. 50 Te decem tauri, totidemque vaccælos andpo Me tener folvet vitulus, relictand Matre, qui largis juvenefcit herbis for 55 In mea vota; Fronte curvatos imitatus ignes Tertium Tiburis rivos. Bentl. + Si quid loquor audiendum. + Duxque dum procedit. Hiens, Ifque. Bentl. * ftrong air elevates the Dircean fwan, O Antonius, as often as he foars into the lofty regions of the clouds: but I, after the cuftom and manner of the Matinian bee, that laboriously gathers the grateful thyme, I, a diminutive creature, compofe elaborate verfes about the grove and the banks of the watry Tibur. You, a poet.of a fublimer rate, fhall fing of Cæfar, whenever graceful in his merited laurel he fhall drag the fierce Si cambri along the facred hill; Cafar, than whom nothing greater or better the fates and indulgent Gods ever bestowed on the earth, nor will bestow, tho' the times fhou'd return to their primitive gold. You fhall fing both the feftal days, and the public rejoicings on account of the often-implored return of the brave Auguftus, and the forum filent · from law-fuits. Then (if I can offer any thing worth hearing) a confiderable portion of my voice fhall join the general acclamation, and then will I fing, happy at the reception of Cæfar, "O glo"rious day, O worthy art thou to be celebrated," And whilft you move along in proceffion, fhouts of triumph we will repeat, fhouts of triumph the whole city ball repeat, and we will offer frankincenfe to the indulgent Gods. Thee ten bulls and as many heifers Thall abfolve, me a tender fteerling, that, having left his dam, thrives in fpacious paftures for the difcharge of my vows; refembling, by the horns on his forehead, the bright curvature of the moon, when the appears Flies ftrongly. + Matinus was a mountain in Calabria abounding wi Tertium lunæ referentis ortum, Qua notam † duxit, niveus videri, Cætera fulvus. CARMEN HII. AD MELPOMENEN.. бо Acceptum illi refert, quod aliquem inter poetas numerum et locum obtineat. UEM tu, Melpomene, femel Ο Nafcentem placido lumine videris, Illum non labor Ifthmius Clarabit pugilem; non equus impiger Curru ducet Achaico Victorem; neque res bellica Deliis Ornatum foliis ducem, Quod regum tumidas contuderit minas, Oftendet Capitolio: Sed quæ Tibur aquæ fertile præfluunt, Et fpiffe nemorum comæ, Fingent Æolio carmine nobilem. Romæ principis urbiuman Dignatur foboles inter amabiles Vatum ponere me choros ; Et jam dente minus mordeor invido. O teftudinis aureæ Dulcem quæ ftrepitum, Pieri, temperas! O mutis quoque pifcibus Donatura cycni, fi libeat, fonum! Totum muneris hoc tui eft, s Quod monftror digito prætereuntium Romanæ fidicen lyræ : 5 10 20 Quod fpiro, et placeo, fi placeo, tuum eft. CARMEN Lunæ referentis orbem. Qua notam traxit. |