Pervenit Haemoniam, positisque e corpore pennis Adjicit his vocem Morpheus, quam conjugis illa Crederet esse sui; fletus quoque fundere veros 655 660 665 670 675 680 is to be taken as one conception: a time of delay; hence the adjective agrees with tempus. So Metam. x. 568: instantem turbam procorum.-652. Haemoniam, Thessalam; that is, to Trachis.-653. Abit, a frequent expression in transformations. Metam. iv. 396: Pars abit in vites; xiv. 498: comaeque. In plumas abeunt. -654. Luridus. In such accounts, the dead appear in the same form as that which they had last in life.-659. Respice. According to the usual idea, the form places itself behind the head of the sleeper, and bends over him; hence respice in the strict sense: look behind thee.662. Falso tibi me promittere noli, as v. 576: reditusque sibi promittit inanes. Sibi promittere, equivalent to sperare; hence: noli me falso sperare vel exspectare.-667. Ambiguus, incertus, de quo ambigere debeas.-669. Lugubria, sc. vestimenta, as we say, mourning. Trist. iv. 2, 73: Illa dies veniet mea qua lugubria ponam. 670. Inania Tartara, unsubstantial Tartarus, as the realm of shadows. -672. Crederet, ita ut non posset non credere.-674. Lacrimas movet atque lacertos, the verb belongs to both objects, but with a difference of meaning. Lacrimas movet, equivalent to profundit. -680. Postquam with the present is also poetical, but passed also into the Percutit ora manu, laniatque a pectore vestes, 685 690 695 700 705 710 latter prose.-681. Laniatque a pectore vestes, a shortened expression for rapit vestes a pectore laniatque.. 682. Solvere, to unloose the braids.-684. Nulla est, expression of the most violent sorrow: separated from Ceyx, there is no Alcyone longer. -685. Tollite, omittite. 690. Nitebat. Above, xi. 271: Patriumque nitorem Ore ferens Ceyx, with reference to the brightness of Lucifer.-695. Sequerere. In the vividness of her sensations, she passes from the third to the second person.-700. Absens, separated from thee. See above, v. 424.-702. Ducere, perducere. -706. Littera. See above, v. 429. The inscription on the tomb-stone at least shall unite us. —' Dumqua-acta. Dumque reminiscitur acta quae notata oculis erant, while she remembers the past, which had been impressed on her 714. Prospicit, in liquida spatio distante tuetur Nescio quid quasi corpus aqua, primoque, quid illud 715 Et, tanquam ignoto lacrimam daret, 'Heu miser,' inquit 720 Quisquis es, et si qua est conjux tibi!' Fluctibus actum Fit propius corpus: quod quo magis illa tuetur, 725 Hoc minus et minus est mentis. Jam jamque propinquae 730 Dumque volat, maesto similem plenumque querelae Ora dedere sonum, tenui crepitantia rostro. 735 Ut vero tetigit mutum et sine sanguine corpus, 740 745 mind by her eyes (sight), and therefore comes at once to her recollection.-715. Tuetur, intuetur. Compare v. 722.-719. Omine mota est, she was struck by the significance of the sight, from its reference to her own fate, quia naufragus.—723. Hoc minus-est mentis, sc. ei, eo amentior fit.-729. Facta manu, facta opera humana.—741. Superis miserantibus. According to others, it was Thetis; some also mention Jupiter.-742. Alite, collective, as miles, pedes, &c. Martial, ix. 561: quo plurima mittitur ales. Alite mutantur, the rarer form for in alitem mutantur. Alite is a kind of ablative of the instrument. Metam. iv. 396: quae modo fila fuerunt Palmite mutantur. The bird into which they were changed is the kingfisher (Alcedo ispida, L.); it is somewhat larger than the sparrow, of a dark-blue colour, sprinkled with purple and white feathers, with a thin raised neck.-745. Perque dies-Alcyone. The bird broods for seven days. These days are called placidi, which is more particularly explained v. 747. Ovid says hiberno tempore; some writers state definitely the time at the shortest day, others Incubat Alcyone pendentibus aequore nidis. mention February, others April.-746. Pendentibus aequore nidis. According to the old fabulous account, the kingfisher builds his nest on the surface of the sea; in reality, it builds its nest on the cliffs and in the holes of the rocks. But the nest is often washed away by the waves, and hence the fable.-747. Tum via tuta maris. During the brooding-time of this bird a calm reigns, especially in the Mediterranean Sea, off Sicily. Hence this period was called the Alcyon (Halcyon) days.—748. Praestatque, praebetque, tutum praestat a periculis, conceditque ut ibi nidos faciant. METAMORPH. LIB. XII. CYGNUS ET ACHILLES. ORBE locus medio est inter terrasque fretumque 39. The delineation of the goddess Fama is a favourite subject with the ancient poets, and has been handled by many of them in longer or shorter descriptions: that of Virgil in the fourth book of the Aeneid is a celebrated one. We have, however, no reason to suppose that Ovid had any of these passages in his eye; his own poetic vein was rich enough to furnish him with all the features in this picture.-10. Triplicis confinia mundi. In these words the poet sums up what he has just said: the threefold world is therefore heaven, earth, and sea.-41. Regionibus is ablative of reference; quamvis for quantumvis; hence quantumvis regionibus absit, at however great a distance it may be with reference to the localities in which it takes place.-43. Summa in arce. Arx, height, elevation.-46. Patent, sc. limina. Tota est, sc. domus.-49. Parvae murmura vocis. Parvae, submissae, low; for rumour comes softly, like a secret.-52. Increpuit. Increpare, to cause to sound; a rare, only po Atria turba tenet; veniunt leve vulgus euntque, Vanaque Laetitia est, consternatique Timores Agmina, perque acies aut Cygnum aut Hectora quaerens 75 Congreditur Cygno: decimum dilatus in annum etic, use of the word. Extrema tonitrua, the thunder dying away. We have already called attention to this use of extremus, above, ii. 117: Extrema Luna.-53. Leve vulgus, credulum vulgus. Agreeably to the sense, the verb follows in the plural.-54. Commenta Milia rumorum, mille rumores commenticii.-56. Hi-Hi, alii-alii, as above, xi. 539.58. Novus auctor. The same story has therefore many authors, each person being the author of that part which he adds.59. All the phenomena connected with rumour, either as causes or effects, are here personified as surrounding Fama.-61. Repens, sudden, suddenly breaking out; not to be connected with repere. Susurri, whispers, of which no one knows, or admits that he knows, the raiser.-62. Rerum, to be joined with quid.-63. Totumque inquirit in orbem. So i. 148: Filius ante diem patrios inquirit in annos. Inquirere in aliquid is not uncommon also in law-prose. -65. Neque, ideoque non. In armis Hostis for hostis armatus. So in toga for togatus.-67. Fataliter, according to the oracle; for it had been announced to the Greeks, that he who first touched the hostile shore should die. 68. Commissaque proelia, here in the original sense: the beginning of the battle. Magno Stant Danais, cost the Greeks dear; namely, by the death of Protesilaus. -69. Cognitus, spectatus, cognitus qualis esset. Fortis animae, still referring to Protesilaus.-71. Senserunt, perceived to their hurt. Sigea Litora, from Sigeum, a promontory of Troas. -72. Cygnus, son of Neptune, king of Coronis in Troas. The name is of frequent occurrence in the Greek mythology.-76. Decimum dilatus in |