CARMEN XXXIV.

Fita Palinodia Deorum providentiam prorfus evertit.

DARCUS Deorum cultor & infrequens,
Infanientis dum fapientiæ
Confultus erro; nunc retrorfum
Vela dare, atque iterare curfus
Cogor [a] relictos. Namque Diefpiter
gni corufco nubila dividens

Plerumque, per purum tonantes

Egit equos volucremque currum;
Quo bruta tellus, & vaga flumina,
Quo Styx, & invifi horrida Tænari
Sedes, Atlanteufque finis

Concutitur. Valet ima fummis
Mutare, & [b] infignem attenuat Deus,
Obfcura promens: hinc apicem rapax
Fortuna cum ftridore acuto

Suftulit; hic pofuiffe gaudet.

[a] Cogor relectos. HIENS.

[b] Infignia attenuat.

CARMEN

ODE XXXIV.

In a pretended recantation, he abfolutely overthrows the arguments in favour of the providence of the gods.

I

:

WAS an unfrequent and remifs worshipper of the gods, while I professed the errors of a senselefs philofophy; but now I am obliged to set fail back again, and to renew the course that I had deferted for Jupiter, who ufually cleaves the clouds* with his gleaming lightning, lately drove his thundering horfes and rapid chariot through the clear ferene: at which the fluggish earth, and wand'ring rivers; at which Styx, and the horrid feat of detested Tænarus, and the utmost boundary of Atlas was fhaken. The deity is able to make an exchange between the highest and loweft, and diminishes the exalted, by bringing to light the obfcure: rapacious fortune, with a fhrill whizzing, hath borne off the plume from one head, and delights in having placed, not fixed, it on another.

* It was the opinion of the Epicureans, that thunder was caused by the collifion of one cloud against another. But Horace hearing thunder in a cloudlefs fky, gives up their doctrine.

CARMEN XXXV.

AD FORTUNAM.

Pro republica, Augufto, Romanis exercitibus de

precatur.

DIVA, gratum quæ regis Antium, Præfens vel imo tollere de gradu Mortale corpus, vel fuperbos

Verete funeribus triumphos:

Te pauper ambit folicita prece
Ruris colonus; te dominam æquoris,
Quicunque Bithyna laceffit

Carpathium pelagus carina.

Te Dacus afper, te profugi Scythæ,
Urbefque, gentefque, & Latium ferox,
Regumque matres barbarorum, &
Purpurei metuunt tyranni ;

Injuriofo ne pede proruas

Stantem columnam; neu populus frequens

Ad arma ceffantes, ad arma

Concitet, imperiumque frangat.

Te femper anteit [a] fæva neceffitas
Clavos trabales & cuneos manu
Geftans ahena: nec feverus

Uncus abeft, liquidumque plumbum.

Te Spes, & albo rara Fides colit
Velata panno, nec comitem abnegat,
Utcunque mutata potentes

Vefte domos inimica [b] linquis.

At vulgus infidum, & meretrix retro

[a] Serva neceffitas. [b] Inimica vertis. BENTL.

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ODE XXXV.

To FORTUNE.

He prays to her for the commonwealth, Auguftus,

and the Roman armies.

Goddefs, who prefideft over beautiful Antium; thou that art ready to exalt mortal man from the most abject state; or to convert fuperb triumphs into funerals. Thee the poor countryman folicits with his anxious vows; and whofoever ploughs the Carpathian fea with the Bithynian veffel, importunes thee as mistress of the fea. Thee, the rough Dacian; thee, the wandering Scythians, and cities, and nations; the warlike Latium also, and the mothers of barbarian kings, and tyrants, clad in purple, are in dread of. Spurn not with deftructive foot, that column which now ftands firm, nor let popular tu mults rouse those who now reft quiet to arms,-tc arms-and break the empire. Inexorable neceffity always marches before you, holding in her brazer hand huge spikest and wedges, nor is the torment ing hook abfent, or the melted lead. Thee hope re verences and fidelity rare, robed in a white gar ment; nor does the defert thee, howfoever in wrat thou change thy robe and abandon the houses the powerful. But the faithlefs crowd of compa

These were feveral inftruments of punishment an death, which were sculptured in the temple of Fortune Antium.

Perjura cedit: diffugiunt cadis
Cum fæce ficcatis amici,

Ferre jugam pariter dolofi.

Serves iturum Cæfarem in ultimos
Orbis Britannos, & juvenum recens
Examen Eois timendum

Partibus, Oceanoque rubro.

Eheu! cicatricum & fceleris pudet,
Fratrumque. Quid nos dura refugimus
Atas? Quid intactum nefasti

I

Liquimus? Unde manum juventus

Metu Deorum continuit? Quibus
Pepercit aris? O utinam nova
Incude diffingas [a] retufum in
Maffagetas Arabafque ferrum.

CARMEN XXXVI.

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35

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Plotio Numida fauftum ex Hifpania reditum gratu latur.

FT thure & fidibus juvat

Placare, & vituli fanguine débito

Cuftodes Numidæ Deos:

Qui nunc Hefperia fofpes ab ultima, Caris multa fodalibus,

Nulli plura tamen dividit ofcula, Quam dulci Lamiæ, memor

Acte non alio rege puertiæ,

[a] Defingas recufum.

Muta