Nondum etiam Ascraeos norunt mea carmina fontes, 25 Sed modo Permesi flumine lavit Amor.

III. (Lib. II. xii.)

Quicumque ille fuit, puerum qui pinxit Amorem,
Nonne putas miras hunc habuisse manus?
Hic primum vidit sine sensu vivere amantes
Et levibus curis magna perire bona.
Idem non frustra ventosas addidit alas,
Fecit et humano corde volare deum ;
Scilicet alterna quoniam iactamur in unda,
Nostraque non ullis permanet aura locis:
Et merito hamatis manus est armata sagittis,

Et pharetra ex humero Cnosia utroque iacet;
Ante ferit quoniam, tuti quam cernimus hostem,
Nec quisquam ex illo vulnere sanus abit.
In me tela manent, manet et puerilis imago:
Sed certe pennas perdidit ille suas ;

Evolat heu nostro quoniam de pectore nusquam
Assiduusque meo sanguine bella gerit.

Quid tibi iocundum siccis habitare medullis?
Si pudor est, alio traice tela tua.

Intactos isto satius temptare veneno:

Non ego, sed tenuis vapulat umbra mea.
Quam si perdideris, quis erit qui talia cantet?—
Haec mea Musa levis gloria magna tua est-
Qui caput et digitos et lumina nigra puellae
Et canat ut soleant molliter ire pedes?

25. Ascraeos] Hesiod was born at Ascra.

26. Permesi] Cf. Hes. Theog. 5.

III.-3. sine sensu] 'Without taking notice of things.'

4.] And that through trifling anxieties important advantages are

lost.'

6. humano corde] 'In the heart of man.' Cf. infr. 15. Herzberg. So infr. 16, meo sanguine.

7. alterna]Alternately rising and sinking. Paley compares i. 9. 24, Nullus amor cuiquam faciles

10

15

20

ita praebuit alas, Ut non alternâ presserit ille manu'

8.] No steady breeze carries onward the ship of the lover.

10.] And a Cretan quiver hangs from both shoulders.' Cf. v. 6. 40, where Apollo's quiver is said to hang ex humeris, not ex humero.

13. puerilis imago] 'The boyish shape."

·

23. digitos] Cf. ii. 2. 5, Fulva coma est longaeque manus, et maxima toto Corpore et incedit vel Iove digna soror.'

XXIII. (Lib. II. xxvii.)

At vos incertam, mortales, funeris horam
Quaeritis, et qua sit mors aditura via,
Quaeritis et caelo, Phoenicum inventa, sereno,

Quae sit stella homini commoda quaeque mala,
Seu pedibus Parthos sequitur seu classe Britannos,
Et maris et terrae caeca pericla viae;
Rursus et obiectum fletis capiti esse tumultum,
Cum Mavors dubias miscet utrimque manus,
Praeterea domibus flammam, domibusque ruinas,
Neu subeant labris pocula nigra tuis.
Solus amans novit, quando periturus et a qua
Morte, neque hic Boreae flabra neque arma timet.
Iam licet et Stygia sedeat sub arundine remex,
Cernat et infernae tristia vela ratis:

Si modo damnatum revocaverit aura puellae,
Concessum nulla lege redibit iter.

XXXII. (Lib. II. xxxiv.)

Cur quisquam faciem dominae iam credit amico?
Sic erepta mihi paene puella mea est.
Expertus dico, nemo est in amore fidelis:
Formosam raro non sibi quisque petit.
Polluit ille deus cognatos, solvit amicos

Et bene concordes tristia ad arma vocat.
Hospes in hospitium Menelao venit adulter:
Colchis et ignotum nonne secuta virum est?
Lynceu, tune meam potuisti tangere curam?

Perfide, nonne tuae tum cecidere manus ? Quid si non constans illa et tam certa fuisset? Posses in tanto vivere flagitio?

XXIII.-9.] For the dangerous state of the houses at Rome, cf. Juv. Sat. iii. 190 sqq.

10.] Neu et ne.-tuis-mortalis cujusque.

15. aura] Voice,' especially if clamantis be the right reading instead of damnatum, doomed.' Otherwise

5

10

15

5

10

glimpse,' as of a rapidly passing object, as Jacob, Herzberg, and Paley, who compare Hor. Od. ii. 8. 24, 'tua ne retardet aura maritos.'

XXXII.-8. Colchis] Medea.virum, Jason.

Tu mihi vel ferro pectus vel perde veneno:
A domina tantum te modo tolle mea.

*

*

*

*

*

Ipse meas solus, quod nil est, aemulor umbras,
Stultus, quod stulto saepe timore tremo.
Una tamen causa est, qua crimina tanta remitto,
Errabant multo quod tua verba mero.
Sed numquam vitae fallet me ruga severae:
Omnes iam norunt, quam sit amare bonum.
Lynceus ipse meus seros insanit amores.
Solum te nostros laetor adire deos.
Quid tua Socraticis tibi nunc sapientia libris
Proderit aut rerum dicere posse vias?

Aut quid Erechthei tibi prosunt carmina lecta?
Nil iuvat in magno vester amore senex.
Tu Latiis Meropem Musis imitere Philetam
Et non inflati somnia Callimachi.

Nam cursus licet Aetoli referas Acheloi,
Fluxerit ut magno fractus amore liquor,

Atque etiam ut Phrygio fallax Maeandria campo
Errat et ipsa suas decipit unda vias,
Qualis et Adrasti fuerit vocalis Arion,
Tristis ad Archemori funera victor equus:

19. aemulor] Look on my own shadow as a rival.'

23. vitae ruga severae] 'Wrinkled philosophy. This and seros in 25 show that Lynceus was not a young man.

25. seros amores] Cognate object of insanit.

26. Solum laetor] 'My only satisfaction is.'-nostros deos, Cupid

and Venus.

29.] Erechthei= Atheniensis, i. e. Aeschylus, who is immediately afterwards called vester senex. Cf. infr. 41.

31.] I have given Schneidewin's emendation of this line. Merops was a king of Cos, of which island Philetas was a native. The inhabitants were called Meropes. For the sentiment compare the beginning of the next Elegy.

32. somnia] The Airia. Herzberg.

33.] You may write on all kind of heroic subjects, it will do you no good (39, 40). Cf. infr. 72. The river Achelous was a rival of Hercules for the hand of Deianira, and lost a horn in the contest. The myth probably signifies the reclaiming of a tract of land by banking in

the river.

Amphiaraeae haud prosint tibi fata quadrigae,
Aut Capanei magno grata ruina Iovi.
Desine et Aeschyleo componere verba cothurno!
Desine! et ad molles membra resolve choros.
Incipe iam angusto versus includere torno,
Inque tuos ignes, dure poeta, veni.
Tu non Antimacho, non tutior ibis Homero:
Despicit et magnos recta puella deos.
Sed non ante gravi taurus succumbit aratro,
Cornua quam validis haeserit in laqueis,
Nec tu tam duros per te patieris amores:
Trux tamen a nobis ante domandus eris,
Harum nulla solet rationem quaerere mundi,
Nec cur fraternis Luna laboret equis,
Nec si post Stygias aliquid re'st arbiter undas,
Nec si consulto fulmina missa tonent.

Aspice me, cui parva domi fortuna relicta est,
Nullus et antiquo Marte triumphus avi,
Ut regnem mixtas inter conviva puellas

Hoc ego, quo tibi nunc elevor, ingenio.
Me iuvet hesternis positum languere corollis,
Quem tetigit iactu certus ad ossa deus,
Actia Virgilium custodis litora Phoebi,
Caesaris et fortes dicere posse rates,
Qui nunc Aeneae Troiani suscitat arma
Iactaque Lavinis moenia litoribus.
Cedite Romani scriptores, cedite Graii:

41.] Note the short ě in Aeschyleo. 43.1 'tornus is a lathe in which substances to be cut or polished are fastened, includuntur.' Paley.

45.] Antimachus of Colophon was enamoured of Lyde; the name of Homer's mistress is unknown.

46. recta] Cf. iii. 9. 25, 'Ut natura dedit, sic omnis recta figura est.' -recta 'as it should be,' une demoiselle comme il faut.'

40

45

50

55

60

65

tressed through her brother's steeds.' As if the eclipses of the moon were owing to the action of the sun and not to the interposition of the earth.

53.] Cf. infr. v. 11. 19. I have given Mr. Munro's restoration of the text in his notes on the Aetna, p. 39. He compares Prop. v. 7. 1, Sunt aliquid Manes.'

54.] Cf. Lucr. vi. 387-422.
55.] Cf. v. 1. 121–134.

59. positum, &c.] As I recline with yesterday's garland on my head,' the festivities having been kept up till morning.

61. Virgilium] Supply iuvet.
63. suscitat] Is reviving.'

Nescio quid maius nascitur Iliade.

Tu canis umbrosi subter pineta Galaesi

Thyrsin et attritis Daphnin arundinibus,

Utque decem possint corrumpere mala puellas,
Missus et inpressis haedus ab uberibus.
Felix, qui viles pomis mercaris amores !-

70

Huic licet ingratae Tityrus ipse canat :—
Felix intactum Corydon qui temptat Alexin
Agricolae domini carpere delicias!
Quamvis ille sua lassus requiescat avena,
Laudatur facilis inter Hamadryadas.
Tu canis Ascraei veteris praecepta poetae,
Quo seges in campo, quo viret uva iugo.
Tale facis carmen, docta testudine quale
Cynthius inpositis temperat articulis.

75

80

Non tamen haec ulli venient ingrata legenti,
Sive in amore rudis sive peritus erit.

Nec minor his animis-aut, si minor, ore canorus

Anseris indocto carmine cessit olor.

Haec quoque perfecto ludebat Iasone Varro,

85

Varro Leucadiae maxima flamma suae.

Haec quoque lascivi cantarunt scripta Catulli,
Lesbia quis ipsa notior est Helena.
Haec etiam docti confessa est pagina Calvi,
Cum caneret miserae funera Quintiliae.

67.] Addressing Virgil, who re-
sided in that neighbourhood. For
the Galaesus cf. Hor. Od. ii. 6. 10.
68. attritis]Well-worn.'
69. corrumpere] 'Influence,' Virg.
Ecl. iii. 70.

70. inpressis] Unmilked.'

72.] To this ungrateful girl, Cynthia, Tityrus himself may sing, and sing in vain' An abrupt reference to his own unhappiness.

75. ille] Virgil. The allusion is to Virgil's Georgics, which were written after the Eclogues, when he was, as it were, weary of rural lovepoetry.

77. Tu] Virgil.-Ascraei-poetae, Hesiod.

79. facis] You are composing.'curmen, the Aeneid.

90

81. haec] Virgil's minor poems on amatory subjects.

83.]Nor in these subjects, inferior in animation-or, if inferior, still tuneful-has the swan departed with the rude cackle of a goose." Virgil has never fallen below the level of the poems above alluded to, or, if he has, he has still been always tuneful. Never has he fallen to the level of the poetaster Anser. There is a playful allusion to Ecl. ix. 35: "Nam neque adhuc Vario videor nec dicere Cinnâ Digna, sed argutos inter strepere anser olores.' For Anser see Ov. Trist. ii. 435. For cessit cf. supr. i. 20. 31.

85. Haec] My subjects,' i. e. amatory subjects.