CARMEN III.

AD NAVEM, qua Virgilius Athenas proficifcens vehebatur.

Virgilio fauftam navigationem precatur Horatius, et impiam hominum audaciam infectatur.

S

IC te Diva potens Cypri,

Sic fratres Helene, lucida fidera,

Ventorumque regat pater,

'Obstrictis aliis, præter Iapyga, Navis, quæ tibi creditum

Debes Virgilium; finibus Atticis

Reddas incolumem, precor,

Et ferves animæ dimidium meæ.

Illi robur et æs triplex

Circa pectus erat, qui fragilem truci Commifit pelago ratem

Primus, nec timuit præcipitem Africum Decertantem Aquilonibus,

Nec triftes Hyadas, nec rabiem Noti; Quo non arbiter Adria

Major, tollere feu ponere vult freta.

Quem mortis timuit gradum,

Qui ficcis

oculis monftra natantia,

Qui vidit mare turgidum, et

Infames fcopulos Acroceraunia?

*Rectis. Bentl. Fixis. Sanad.

10

15

20

Nequicquam

To the SHIP, in which VIRGIL was about to fail to ATHENS.

HORACE wishes VIRGIL a good voyage, and inveighs against the impious boldness of mankind.

O may the powerful Cyprian Goddess; fo may

fo may the father of the winds, confining all except Iapyx †, direct thee, O Ship, who art intrusted with Virgil: my prayer is that thou may land him fafe on the Athenian fhore, and preserve the half of my foul. Sure oak and threefold brass furrounded his heart, who first trusted a frail veffel to the merciless ocean, nor was afraid of the impetuous African wind contending with the Northern storms, nor of the mournful Hyades, nor of the rage of the South-west wind, than which there is not a more abfolute controller of the Adriatic, to either raise, or to affuage its waves at pleasure. What form of death could terrify him, who beheld unmoved the rolling monsters of the deep; who beheld unmoved the tempestuous swelling of the fea, and the Acroceraunians-infamous rocks!

*Caftor and Pollux. A westerly wind.

In

Nil mortalibus arduum

eft.,

Coelum ipfum petinis ftultitia ; neque

Per noftrum patimur fcelus

1

Iracunda Jovem ponere fulmina.

CARMEN IV.

AD SESTIUM.

40

Veris adventu et vitæ brevitate nos ad hilaritatem invitari.

OLVITUR acris hiems grata vice veris et

SOLVI Favoni:

Trahuntque ficcas machine carinas :

* Vetitum et nefas.

† Ardui.

Ac

In vain hath God in his wisdom divided the countries of the earth by the feparating ocean, if notwithstanding profane fhips bound over waters which ought not to be violated. The race of man, prefumptuous enough to fupport every thing, rushes on thro' forbidden wickedness*. The prefump tuous fon of Iapetus † by an impious ‡ fraud brought down fire into the world: After fire was thus stolen from the celestial manfions, consumption, and a new train of fevers fettled upon the earth; and the flow approaching neceffity of death, which till now was remote, accelerated its pace. Dædalus eflayed the empty air with wings not defigned for men: The labour of Hercules broke through Acheron. There is nothing too arduous for mortals to attempt. We aim at heaven itself through folly $ ; neither do we suffer by our wickedness Jupiter to lay afide his revengeful thunderbolts.

He exhorts him to pleasure, on the confiderations of the approach of Spring, and the brevity of life. EVERE winter is relaxed by the agreeable

breeze; and engines haul from shore the dry fhips:

*Or if, with Hemelius and Senad, we read upon the authority of an ancient M. S. vetitum et nefas-breaks thro' all human and divine laws.

+ Prometheus. + Or unhappy.
§ Alluding to the fable of the giants.

VOL. I.

C

And

Ac neque jam ftabulis gaudet pecus, aut arator igni} Nec prata canis albicant pruinis.

Jam Cytherea choros ducit Venus,imminente

luna:

Jun&tæque Nymphis Gratia decentes

5

Alterno terram quatiunt pede; dum graves Cyclopum

Vulcanus ardens urit* officinas.

Nunc decet aut viridi nitidum caput impedire 5.75 myrto,

Aut flore, terræ quem ferunt folutæ.

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Nunc et in umbrosis Fauno decet immolare lucis, : Seu pofcat agnam, five malit hoedum. (a) Pallida mors æquo pulfat pede pauperum tabernas, Regumque turres. O beate Sefti,

Vita fumma brevis fpem nos vetat inchoare longam,

Jam te premet nox, fabulæque Manes,

Et domus exilis Plutonia: quo fimul mearis,
Nec regna vini fortiere talis,

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Nec tenerum Lycidam mirabere, quo calet juventus Nunc omnis, et mox virgines tepebunt.

CARMEN V.

AD PYRRHAM.

Miferos effe qui illius amore teneantur: fe ex eo, tanquam è naufragio, enatasse.

UIS multa gracilis te puer in rofa
Perfufus liquidis urget odoribus

Q

Urget. Scaliger.

(a) Agna-hado.

Grato