88

XXVI.

THE POET'S IMMORTALITY.

But thy eternal summer shall not fade
Nor lose possession of that fair thou owest;
Nor shall death brag thou wanderest in his shade
When in eternal lines to time thou growest.
So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.-SHAKESPEARE.

Some of Ovid's detractors had accused him of wasting his years in idle

ness. He replies by showing them how poets live, when all around them dies.- (AMORES, I. 15.)

All the pursuits which you praise, the pursuits of the soldier, the lawyer, the statesman, perish : I seek a more lasting fame. Quid mihi, Livor edax, ignavos obicis annos 106 a

Ingeniique vocas carmen inertis opus ? Non me more patrum, dum strenua sustinet aetas, 153 2

Praemia militiae pulverulenta sequi, Nec me verbosas leges ediscere, nec me

Ingrato vocem prostituisse foro. [perennis 106 2 Mortale est, quod quaeris, opus: mihi fana 107 a

Quaeritur, in toto semper ut orbe canar. P.142 2

Who can now touch Homer, or Hesiod, or Pindar, Sophocles, or Aratus, or Menander ?

Vivet Maeonides, Tenedos dum stabit et Ide, 152 11.2
Io Dum rapidas Simois in mare volvet aquas.
Vivet et Ascraeus, dum mustis uva tumebit,

Dum cadet incurva falce resecta Ceres.
Battiades semper toto cantabitur orbe :
Quamvis ingenio non valet, arte valet.

116 Nulla Sophocleo veniet iactura cothurno :

Cum sole et luna semper Aratus erit.
Dum fallax servus, durus pater, improba lena

Vivent et meretrix blanda, Menandros erit.

And as their names have lived, so will those of our own poets.

Ennius arte carens animosique Attius oris 1191, 128 20 Casurum nullo tempore nomen habent.

Varronem primamque ratem quae nesciet aetas, p.23, note
Aureaque Aesonio terga petita duci ?

107 d Carinina sublimis tunc sunt peritura Lucreti,

Exitio terras quum dabit una dies.
Tityrus et fruges Aeneïaque arma legentur,

Roma triumphati dum caput orbis erit.
Donec erunt ignes arcusque Cupidinis arma,

Discentur numeri, culte Tibulle, tui. Gallus et Hesperiis et Gallus notus Eois, 30 Et sua cum Gallo nota Lycoris erit.

Their immortality shows that it is best to build for posthumous fame, when envy shall be silenced.

Ergo quum silices, quum dens patientis aratri
Depereant aevo, carmina morte carent.

119 6 Cedant carminibus reges regumque triumphi, 106 d

Cedat et auriferi ripa benigna Tagi.
Vilia miretur vulgus: mihi flavus Apollo
Pocula Castalia plena ministret aqua,

119 Sustineamque coma metuentem frigora myrtum :

Atque ita sollicito multus amante legar. Pascitur in vivis Livor : post fata quiescit, 40 Quum suus ex merito quemque tuetur honos. . Ergo etiam quum me supremus adederit ignis, 131

Vivam, parsque mei multa superstes erit.

XXVII.

THE PENITENT LOVER.

To be wroth with one we love
Doth work like madness in the brain.

COLERIDGE, CHRISTABEL.

The poet, in a fit of passion, has struck his mistress, and makes his suit

for pardon.-(AMORES, I. 7.)

What madness can have seized me? madmen can be no excuse for me.

The example of the most famous

ADDE manus in vincla meas,.. meruere catenas...

Dum furor omnis abit, siquis amicus ades. P. 23, note
Nam furor in dominam temeraria brachia movit;

Flet mea vesana laesa puella manu.
Tunc ego vel caros potui violare parentes,

Saeva vel in sanctos verbera ferre deos.
Quid ? non et clipei dominus septemplicis Aiax 127

Stravit deprensos lata per arva greges, Et vindex in matre, patris malus ultor Orestes 132 10 Ausus in arcanas poscere tela deas?

Ergo ego digestos potui laniare capillos?...

Nec dominam motae dedecuere comae.
Sic formosa fuit, talem Schoeneïda dicam

p.141,ix.
Maenalias arcu sollicitasse feras.
Talis periuri promissaque velaque Thesei

Flevit praecipites Cressa tulisse notos.
Sic, nisi vittatis quod erat Cassandra capillis,

Procubuit templo, casta Minerva, tuo. Any one else would have called me “ mad,” but she spoke not a word ; yet her looks made me wish that my guilty hands could fall off.

[dixit?... Quis mihi non “demens!” quis non mihi “barbare!" 20 Ipsa nihil : pavido est lingua retenta metu.

111 Sed taciti fecere tamen convicia vultus :

Egit me lacrimis ore silente reum.

112

115

125

30

107 d

Ante meos humeris vellem cecidisse lacertos :
Utiliter potui parte carere mei.

119, 132 a In mea vesanas habui dispendia vires,

Et valui poenam fortis in ipse meam.
Quid mihi vobiscum, caedis scelerumque ministrae? 107 6

Debita sacrilegae vincla subite manus !
An, si pulsassem minimum de plebe Quiritem p.144, B. III.

Plecterer, in dominam ius mihi maius erit ?
Diomed was bad enough, with his attack on Venus, but I was worse.
A fine victory to boast of, as if angry words were not a strong enough
weapon to use against a woman.

Pessima Tydides scelerum monimenta reliquit.

Ille deam primus perculit: alter ego.
Et minus ille nocens : mihi quam profitebar amare, 107 d

Laesa est : Tydides saevus in hoste fuit.
I nunc, magnificos victor molire triumphos,

Cinge comam lauro, votaque redde Iovi;
Quaeque tuos currus comitatus turba sequetur,

Clamet “io forti victa puella viro est !"

Denique si tumidi ritu torrentis agebar, 40 Caecaque me praedam fecerat ira suam,

99 Nonne satis fuerat timidae inclamasse puellae,

106 a Nec nimium rigidas intonuisse minas? At nunc sustinui, raptis a fronte capillis,

Ferreus ingenuas ungue notare genas.
Her injured looks called me to my senses ; but she rejected my repentant
prayer. Would that she would take her revenge.
Adstitit illa amens albo et sine sanguine vultu, 115

Caeduntur Pariis qualia saxa iugis.
Exanimes artus et membra trementia vidi,

Ut quum populeas ventilat aura comas: 50 Ut leni zephyro gracilis vibratur arundo,

Summave quum tepido stringitur unda Noto.
Suspensaeque diu lacrimae fluxere per ora,

Qualiter humecta de nive manat aqua.
Tunc ego me primum coepi sentire nocentem. 99

Sanguis erat lacrimae, quas dabat illa, meus.
Ter tamen ante pedes volui procumbere supplex :

Ter formidatas reppulit illa manus.

At tu ne dubita... minuet vindicta dolorem...

Protinus in vultus unguibus ire meos.
Nec nostris oculis, nec nostris parce capillis :

Quamlibet infirmas adiuvet ira manus.
Neve mei sceleris tam tristia signa supersint,

Pone recompositas in statione comas.

196 3

60