132

7. Thefe Jnowy locks, do chill my blood,
Cf wrangle, and fierce battle proud,
* Yet-tell him, if he's crufty,
I'd not have bore't in Plancus day,
When, I was young and lufty.

• Yet tell him, if he's crusty,
'Tis, what my matter wou d' not bear,
When, Conful Tullus fill'd the chair,
When he was young and lusty.

45

1.T

O DE XV. To CHLORIS.

Uxor pauperis Ibyci,

Tandem nequitia fige modum tuæ,
Famofifque laboribus.

Maturo propior define funeri,
Inter ludere virgines,

Et Stellis nebulam fpargere candidis.

'HOU wife of Ibycus the poor,

Difguifing guilt, in fordid name,
At length, thy famous toils give o'er
And life, of diffolutest shame,
Forbear mature, near thy long home,
To sport with nymphs in virgin bloom,
Dispreading, as the baneful night,

A cloud, mid conftellations bright;

5

What

When the proftitutes of Rome grew old, that they might continue their infamous commerce with impunity, they married fome poor wretch who was more their flave than hufband. Pauperes eligunt, ut nomen tantum virorum habere videantur, qui patienter rivales fuftineant, fi muffitaverint, illico projiciendi. S. JEROME. Such were Chloris and Ibycus. TORR. DAC.

Famofifque laboribus. Alluding to the toils of Hercules, in which, fhe was as inde fatigable in her way. This is the livelieft phrafe in the whole Ode, yet omitted by all our tranflators. What they do not fee, they are not obliged to translate.

What well becomes the gay fifteen,
At fifty-with abhorence feen;
Nor vie, in tapers' dying flame,
With Pholoes' eye, of lucid beam,
'Tis now thy buxom daughter's place,
To ftorm our doors with better grace,

a

ΤΟ

Like madding Evies, when the bounds, a Bacchanals 15
The cymbals waking Orgie-founds,

She newly ftung by Nothus' loves,
Wild as a wanton filly roves,
Or as in hot lascivious play,
The frisking kid, in burning day;
Thy wools, with juice Tarentine stain'd,
The spindle, and the web, command,
Not, foft guitar, with trembling hand,
Nor glances of lack-luftre eye,
Nor Maffic cafks exhaufted, dry,
Nor rofy vernal bloom difplay'd,
Become a wintry, wither'd head.

Become gray, wintry, wither'd jade.

20

25

ODE XVI.

Inclufam Danaen, turris ahenea,
Robuftæque fores, et vigilum canum
Trites excubiæ, munierant fatis,
Nocturnis ab adulteris.

NCLOSED Danaé, tow'rs of brass,

I

1. INCI

And gates, inpenetrable pass,

And watchful dogs, a furly race, a And fentry dogs, in Hor.

Had

Had, fafe and well, fecur'd the maid,

From midnight quefters of ‡ incestuous bed,

2. Had not with Jove, fair Venus, smil'd,

How old Acrifius would be guil'd,
The trembling keeper of his child,
When he o'er all a way should find,
Safe leading, to the nymph confined
For well they knew, no fort could hold,
Against a God, when chang'd to gold.

;

3. Gold walks directly through the guard,
Or, breaks through rocks, and castles barr'd,
Stronger than Fulmen's winged course,
Impelling, with refiftless force,
*The Argive Augur's race was struck,
The house, with defolation fhook,
By bribe, to Eryphílé frail,

Wife, husband, fons, all-victims fell.

4. + The man of Macedon, like thunder,
Burst brazen walls, and gates afunder,
And by his fapping arts, o'erthrown,
The jealous Kings, around him won,
Nor is the hard fea-Captain's heart,
Steel proof, against this poys'nous dart.

5. With growing wealth, comes, growing care,
And thirst of more, with much to spare;

5. With N. B. Horace ufes adulterous and incestuous for wicked and forbidden. *The Argive Augur. Amphiaraus knowing by oracles, that he should never return, refus'd to go to the Siege of Thebes, where he, and his fon perifh'd; his wife Eryphylé, difcover'd him, in his concealment; the furviving fon Adraftus, flew his mother for her treachery, and Eryphyle's brother kill'd Him. Thus by the bribe of a pearl necklace, fet in gold, the whole family was ruined. Hor. could not have chofe

an example more a propos to his fubject.

+ The Man of Macedon. Philip, was the moft confummate Politician of his age, and by bribing fume, and fiding with others, he fo weaken'd all parties, that he cafily avercame them, one after the other.

39

But I, have juftly had in dread,
Mæcenas Knighthood's grace,

Abroad, a vain confpicuous head,
Invidiously, to raise.

6. The more we to ourselves deny,
The more, the bounteous Gods fupply,
I leave the standards of the high,
And to the banners of the poor,
(Contented troops-uncraving more)
A willing, nude, deferter fly,

7.

More fplendid Lord, of decent seat,
Tho' fneer'd at by the proud, and great,
Than if I'd all Apulias' plains,

Well cultur'd by her sturdy fwains,

35

40

Poffeffor of vaft hoarded store,

Amidst abundant plenty, poor.

8. A stream, pure gliding through his ground, A wood, with a few acres bound,

45

Others take it in the fenfe of beguiles, foils, and flings, as vulgarly faid; like Æfop, when he chole the bread-basket the heaviest lot at first, but foon becoming the lighteft, he beguiled, foiled and flung his fellow flaves by a better choice; it will then be as above. And foiling, &c,

Nor flocks, far led from gallic mead,

Are bleating o'er my Sabin vale;

10. Yet, above fordid meanness, shewn,

And indigency importune,

Nor would, my friend, kind to the mufe,

If I could afk it, more retufe.

11. BETTER, for me to regulate
My paffions to my rents,

And thus
Reftraining many + vents,

extend a small eftate,

a

Than if I held, in my command The treasures of all Lydia's land; 12. Who, covet much, forever will,* Infatiate, find much wanting ftill,+

'Tis well, to whom kind heaven,

Sufficient, and with sparing hand,

a wants.

The just enongh hath given.. 6 Hath competeney given ̧

60

65

70

ODE

Gallie Mead. Cifalpine Gaul, betwixt the Alps and the Po, famous for her breed of theep and fine wool.

Extend my fmall eftate. So Sanadon. Dacier, and others explain it thus

For

Or thus:

Better for me to regulate

My paffions, and each idle bent,

Extending thus a fmall eftate,

I eafler yield my flender rent,

Than, if I'd thoufands at command,
-The man, of thoufands, covets more,
Still wanting in encreasing store,

Better for me to regulate,

My paffions, and each idle bent,
I eafier yield my flenderent,

Than, if I'd all the Phrygian state
And Alyatius, land &c.

The man of much, yet covets more,

Still wanting, &c. and therefore

'Tis well, &c.

'Tis well, &c.

Vents. Extravigances, outlets, outgoings, to gratif paffions and inordinate.deres, better regulated, and kept under, to make my eltate go farther.

For-who covet much. The omilions, of these particles in Lyric poetry make many people imagine, that Horace is flighty and unconnected; not readily feeing, the CATCH-WORD, he farts from. Vid. Ode 42 of this B. Stanza 11, and the notes.

Still wanting. Perhaps, alluding to Craffus, who tho' poffefsed of immenfe trea fures, undertook the Parthian expedition, in which he perished, for the fake of Perfias plunder, and in his journey to the Eaft, ftript the Temple of Jerufalem of its richek Ors naments, and the golden beam, over the Sanctuary. Vid. Jofephus.