Book XX.

ODE II.

TO CRISPUS SALLUSTIUS.

CRISPUS! thou foe to hoarded wealth
Lock'd in earth's bowels--as by stealth,
Gold cannot give renown or health—

Save to the wise,

Renown shall Proculeius find,
The brother with a father's mind !
Whose name, upborne upon the wind,

Shall reach the skies.

O'er either Carthage didst thou reign,
Or Libya couldst unite to Spain,
Yet, if desires thou canst restrain,

Wider thy rule!

The dropsy, self-indulged, still grows;
In vain its victim seeks repose,

Fugerit venis, et aquosus albo

Corpore languor.

Redditum Cyri solio Phraatem'
Dissidens plebi, numero beatorum
Eximit virtus, populumque falsis

Dedocet uti

Vocibus, regnum et diadema tutum
Deferens uni, propriamque laurum,
Quisquis ingentes oculo irretorto

Spectat acervos.

1 Phraates was nominated king of Parthia by Orodes his father, whom he soon after murdered, as also thirty of his own Till from his veins the fever goes,

And leaves him cool.

Stern Virtue, spite the people's voice,
Lets not Phraates' heart rejoice
When raised to Persia's throne by choice':

Virtue dissents,

And teaches that to him alone
Secure shall stand the laurel throne,
Who views, as though they never shone,

Wealth's ornaments.

brothers, that he might the more securely possess the supreme power.

ODE IV.

AD XANTHIAM PHOCEUM.

Ancillam ab eo sine nota posse adamari.

Ne sit ancillæ tibi amor pudori,
Xanthia Phoceu: priùs insolentem
Serva Briseïs niveo colore

Movit Achillem :

Movit Ajacem Telamone natum Forma captivæ dominum Tecmessæ ; Arsit Atrides medio in triumpho

Virgine raptâ;

Barbaræ postquam cecidere turmæ Thessalo victore, et ademptus Hector Tradidit fessis leviora tolli

Pergama Graiis.

Nescias an te generum beati
Phyllidis flavæ decorent parentes :
Regium certè genus, et Penates

Mæret iniquos.

Crede non illam tibi de scelestâ
Plebe dilectam ; neque sic fidelem,
Sic lucro aversam potuisse nasci

Matre pudendâ.

ODE IV.

TO XANTHIAS PHOCEUS.

PHOCEUS! nor blush, nor be afraid
To own thy passion for thy maid;
Briseis, when of servile grade,

Achilles moved ;

Captive Tecmessa's beauteous frame
Fill’d even Ajax with love's flame;
Atrides-e'en whilst seeking fame-

A virgin loved ;

When Peleus' son swept foes away,
And Hector's fall brought on decay,
Leaving poor Troy an easier prey

To wearied Greeks.

Thou know'st not but her friends are great :
Phyllis for kings is proper mate !
Doubtless her present abject state

Misfortune speaks.

O! think her not of vulgar race;
Faithful of heart as fair of face,
She ne'er was born of mother base,

Or mother bold !