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Tunc verò Phaethon cunctis e partibus orbeminh, V
Adspicit accensum, nec tantos sustinet æstus ;1
Ferventesque auras, velut e fornace profundâ,
Ore trahit, currusque suos candescere sentit ;
Et neque jam cineres ejectatamque favillam
Ferre potest, calidoque involvitur undique fumo.
Quòque eat, aut ubi sit, piceâ caligine tectus,
Nescit, et arbitrio volucrum raptatur equorum.
Sanguine tum credunt in corpora summa vocato?
Æthiopum populos nigrum traxisse colorem.
Tum facta est Libye, raptis humoribus æstu,
Arida; tum Nymphæ passis fontesque lacusque
Deflevere comis. Quærit Boeotia Dircen,
Argos Amymonen, Ephyre Pirenidas undas.
Nec sortita loco distantes3 flumina ripas
Tuta manent; mediis Tanaïs fumavit in undis,
Peneosque senex Teuthranteusque Caïcus
Et celer Ismenos cum Psophaïco Erymantho,

240

Arsurusque iterum Xanthus flavusque Lycormas, 245
Quique recurvatis ludit Mæandros in undis,
Mygdoniusque Melas et Tænarius Eurotas;
Arsit et Euphrates Babylonius, arsit Orontes,
Thermodonque citus Gangesque et Phasis et Ister;
Estuat Alpheos; ripa Spercheïdes ardent ;
Quodque suo Tagus amne vehit, fluit ignibus, aurum ;
Et, quæ Mæonias celebrârant carmine ripas,
Flumineæ volucres medio caluêre Caystro.
Nilus in extremum fugit perterritus orbem,
Occuluitque caput, quod adhuc latet: ostia septem 255

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1 Nec sustinet tantos æstus, and cannot endure such violent heat. Sustinet is used for potest sustinere, and is equivalent to potest ferre in line 232. 2 Sanguine vocato in summa corpora, from the blood being drawn to the surface of the body.

63 Sortita ripas distantes loco, having obtained, which have banks distant in place, at a distance from each other, i. e. large rivers whose banks are farthest separated.

4 Fluit ignibus, is melted by the fire; flumineæ volucres, the birds of the river, i. e. the swans.

Pulverulenta vacant, septem sine flumine valles. : 1 Fors eadem Ismarios, Hebrum cum Strymone siccat,... √ Hesperiosque amnes, Rhenum Rhodanumque Padumque, Cuique fuit rerum promissa potentia, Thybrin.

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Dissilit* omne solum; penetratque in Tartara rimis: Lumen, et infernum terret cum conjuge regem; Et mare contrahitur; siccæque est campus arenæ, Quod modò pontus erat; quosque altum texerat æquor, Exsistunt montes et sparsas Cycladas augent. Ima petunt pisces, nec se super æquora curvi Tollere consuetas audent delphines in auras. Corpora phocarum summo resupina profundo3 Exanimata jacent ; ipsum quòque Nerea fama est Doridaque et natas tepidis latuisse sub antris. Ter Neptunus aquis cum torvo brachia vultu⭑ Exserere ausus erat: ter non tulit aëris æstus. Alma tamen Tellus, ut erat circumdata ponto, Inter aquas pelagi contractosque undique fontes, Qui se condiderant in opaca viscera matris, Sustulit omniferos collo tenus arida vultus, Opposuitque manum fronti; magnoque tremore Omnia concutiens paulùm subsedit; et infrà, Quàm solet esse, fuit; siccâque ita voce locuta est : Si placet hoc, meruique, quid ô tua fulmina cessant," Summe Deûm! liceat perituræ viribus ignis,7

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1 Septem ostia vacant pulverulenta, his seven mouths are without water and full of dust.

2 Dissilit, gapes-infernum regem cum conjuge, Pluto and Proserpine. 3 Summo profundo, on the surface of the deep; resupina, with the belly upwards, on their back.

4 Brachia cum torvo vultu, his arms and his stern countenance. Allusion is here made to the attitude of the Roman orators, who used, when speaking, to disengage the right arm from the toga. Neptune is here represented as rising from the deep to plead the cause of the world. A. R. A. 350, 5 Omniferos vultus, her all-productive countenance. This epithet is applied to the earth as producing every thing necessary for the support of animal life.

6 The order is, Si hoc placet (tibi), meruique, quid, O summe Deùm, tua fulmina cessant?

7 Liceat (mini) perituræ viribus ignis, may it be allowed me, if I must perish by the force of fire. Viribus ignis are used for igne

Igne perire tuo clademque auctore levare.1
Vix equidem fauces hæc ipsa in verba2 resolvo ;
Presserat ora vapor; tostos en adspice crines,
Inque oculis tantum, tantum super ora favillæ.
Hosne mihi fructus, hunc fertilitatis honorem
Officiique refers, quòd adunci vulnera aratri
Rastrorumque fero, totoque exerceor anno?
Quòd pecori frondes, alimentaque mitia, fruges,
Humano generi, vobis quòd thura ministro?

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Sed tamen exitium fac me meruisse :3 quid undæ, 290
Quid meruit frater? cur illi tradita sorte
Æquora decrescunt et ab æthere longiùs absunt?
Quòd si nec fratris, nec te mea gratia* tangit ;
At cœli miserere tui. Circumspice utrumque ;5
Fumat uterque polus; quos si vitiaverit ignis,
Atria vestra ruent. Atlas en ipse laborat,
Vixque suis humeris candentem sustinet axem.
Si freta, si terræ pereunt, si regia cœli ;

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In Chaos antiquum confundimur. Eripe flammis,
Si quid adhuc superest, et rerum consule summæ.7 300
Dixerat hac Tellus; neque enim tolerare vaporem
Ulteriùs potuit, nec dicere plura; suumque
Retulit os in se propioraque Manibus antra.

At pater omnipotens Superos testatus" et ipsum,
Qui dederat currus, nisi opem ferat, omnia fato
Interitura gravi, summam petit arduus arcem,10

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1 Levare cladem auctore, to alleviate my calamity by the author of it, i. e. let it be inflicted by you rather than be the result of Phaethon's imprudence.

2 In hæc ipsa verba, for these words even.

3 Fac me meruisse, suppose, grant that I have deserved it-undæ (meruerunt)-frater, i. e. Neptune.

54. Quòd si nec (gratia) fratris, nec mea gratia tangit te, but if neither a regard for your brother nor for me affects you.

5 Circumspice utrumque (polum), look to both poles.

6 Si quid adhuc superest, whatever still remains.

7 Consule summæ rerum, provide for the safety of the world.

8 Retulit os in se, drew back her face within herself, i. e. into the earth,

of which she was the goddess.

9 Testatus et ipsum, calling to witness-and him too says.

10 Petit arduus summam arcem, mounts aloft to the highest point of heaven.

Unde solet latis nubes inducere terris;
Unde movet1 tonitrus, vibrataque fulmina jactat.
Sed neque, quas posset terris inducere, nubes
Tunc habuit, nec, quos cœlo demitteret, imbres.
Intonat, et dextrâ libratum2 fulmen ab aure
Misit in aurigam, pariterque animâque rotisque
Expulit,3 et sævis compescuit ignibus ignes.*
Consternantur equi, et saltu in contraria facto
Colla jugo eripiunt, abruptaque lora relinquunt.
Illic frena jacent, illic temone revulsus
Axis, in hac radii fractarum parte rotarum ;
Sparsaque sunt latè laceri vestigia currûs.

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At Phaethon, rutilos flammâ populante capillos,
Volvitur in præceps, longoque per aëra tractu
Fertur; ut interdum de cœlo stella sereno,
Etsi non cecidit, potuit cecidisse videri.
Quem procul a patriâ diverso maximus orbe
Excipit Eridanus, fumantiaque abluit ora.

FAB. II.-The Sisters of Phaethon.

NAÏDES Hesperiæ trifidâ fumantia flammâ

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Corpora dant tumulo,' signantque hoc carmine saxum :
Hic situs est Phaëthon, currûs auriga paterni ;
Quem si non tenuit, magnis tamen excidit ausis.
Nam pater obductos, luctu miserabilis ægro,
Condiderat vultus; et, si modò credimus, unum

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1 Movet, hurls; jactat vibrata fulmina, darts the brandished lightning. A. R. A. 221.

2 Libratum ab dextrâ aure, swung from his right ear.

3 Expulit animâque rotisque, deprived him of life and drove him from the chariot.

4 Compescuit ignes sævis ignibus, quenched the fires (by which the earth was consumed) with cruel fires, i. e. with lightning.

5 Illic-illic, in one place-in another place. A. R. A. 476.

6 Volvitur in præceps, is hurled headlong; potuit videri, may have seemed. 7 Dant tumulo, commit to the tomb, bury. A. R. A. 408. Carmine, inscription, epitaph.

8 Hic situs est, here is buried. These words were frequently used in the beginning of inscriptions on sepulchral monuments. A. R. A. 423. Tenuit, managed.

Isse diem sine Sole ferunt:' incendia lumen
Præbebant ; aliquisque malo fuit usus in illo.

At Clymene, postquam dixit quæcumque fuerunt
In tantis dicenda malis; lugubris et amens
Et laniata sinus2 totum percensuit orbem;
Exanimesque artus primò, mox ossa requirens,
Reperit ossa tamen peregrinâ condita ripâ,
Incubuitque loco; nomenque in marmore lectum
Perfudit lacrimis et aperto pectore fovit.3
Nec minus Heliades fletus et, inania1 morti
Munera, dant lacrimas; et cæsæ pectora palmis
Non auditurum miseras Phaethonta querelas
Nocte dieque vocant; adsternunturque sepulcro.
Luna quater junctis implêrat cornibus orbem :5
Illæ more suo, nam morem fecerat usus,
Plangorem dederant. E quîs Phaëthusa sororum
Maxima, quum vellet terræ procumbere, questa est
Diriguisse pedes; ad quam conata venire
Candida Lampetie, subitâ radice retenta est.
Tertia, quum crinem manibus laniare pararet,
Avellit frondes; hæc stipite crura teneri,
Illa dolet fieri longos sua brachia ramos.

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Dumque ea mirantur, complectitur inguina cortex, Perque gradus uterum pectusque humerosque ma

nusque

Ambit, et exstabant tantùm ora vocantia matrem.
Quid faciat mater, nisi, quò trahat impetus illam,
Huc eat atque illuc, et, dum licet, oscula jungat?
Non satis est: truncis avellere corpora tentat,

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1 Ferunt (homines), they say; isse, passed; lugubris, sorrowful, or dressed in mourning garments. A. R. A. 422.

2 Laniata (secundum) sinus, tearing her bosoma usual mode, especially with women, of expressing grief. A. R. A. 414. See 17.

3 Fovit aperto pectore, warmed it (the name) with her naked breast.

4 Inania, unavailing; morti, to the dead body.

5 Implerat orbem, had completed her disk, i. e. four months had elapsed; usus fecerat morem, custom had made it a habit.

6 Subitâ radice, by a root suddenly growing from her feet.

7 Per gradus, by degrees, gradually; impetus trahat, her phrensy hurries

her.

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