Non tam creber agens hiemem ruit aequore turbo,
Quam multae pecudum pestes. Nec singula morbi
Corpora corripiunt, sed tota aestiva repente,

470

Spemque gregemque simul, cunctamque ab origine
gentem.

Tum sciat, aërias Alpis et Norica si quis
Castella in tumulis et Iapydis arva Timavi
Nunc quoque post tanto videat, desertaque regna
Pastorum, et longe saltus lateque vacantis.

Hic quondam morbo coeli miseranda coorta est
Tempestas totoque autumni incanduit aestu,

475

Et genus omne neci pecudum dedit, omne ferarum, 480
Corrupitque lacus, infecit pabula tabo.

Nec via mortis erat simplex; sed ubi ignea venis
Omnibus acta sitis miseros adduxerat artus,
Rursus abundabat fluidus liquor omniaque in se
Ossa minutatim morbo collapsa trahebat.

Saepe in honore deum medio stans hostia ad aram,
Lanea dum nivea circumdatur infula vitta,
Inter cunctantis cecidit moribunda ministros.
Aut si quam ferro mactaverat ante sacerdos,
Inde neque impositis ardent altaria fibris,
Nec responsa potest consultus reddere vates,
Ac vix suppositi tinguuntur sanguine cultri,
Summaque jejuna sanie infuscatur arena.
Hinc laetis vituli vulgo moriuntur in herbis,
Et dulcis animas plena ad praesepia reddunt;
Hinc canibus blandis rabies venit, et quatit aegros
Tussis anhela sues ac faucibus angit obesis.
Labitur infelix studiorum atque immemor herbae
Victor equus, fontesque avertitur et pede terram
Crebra ferit; demissae aures; incertus ibidem
Sudor, et ille quidem morituris frigidus; aret
Pellis et ad tactum tractanti dura resistit.
Haec ante exitium primis dant signa diebus;
Sin in processu coepit crudescere morbus,

Tum vero ardentes oculi atque attractus ab alto
Spiritus, interdum gemitu gravis, imaque longo
Ilia singultu tendunt, it naribus ater

485

490

495

500

505

474-481. Introduction to a striking description of an autumnal epidemic among cattle in the Noric Alps and its neighbourhood. 482-485. Complicated nature of the disease. -486-493. Its sudden effects on sheep. 494, 495. Its sudden effects on heifers in the pastures. 496, 497. On dogs and swine. 498-502. Commencement of the disease in horses.-503-514. Progress of the disease in horses.

Sanguis, et obsessas fauces premit aspera lingua.
Profuit inserto latices infundere cornu
Lenaeos; ea visa salus morientibus una.
Mox erat hoc ipsum exitio, furiisque refecti
Ardebant, ipsique suos jam morte sub aegra-
Di meliora piis, erroremque hostibus illum !-
Discissos nudis laniabant dentibus artus.
Ecce autem duro fumans sub vomere taurus
Concidit et mixtum spumis vomit ore cruorem
Extremosque ciet gemitus. It tristis arator,
Moerentem abjungens fraterna morte juvencum,
Atque opere in medio defixa relinquit aratra.

510

515

Non umbrae altorum nemorum, non mollia possunt 520
Prata movere animum, non, qui per saxa volutus
Purior electro campum petit amnis; at ima

Solvuntur latera, atque oculos stupor urguet inertis,
Ad terramque fluit devexo pondere cervix.

530

Quid labor aut benefacta juvant? quid vomere terras 525
Invertisse gravis? Atqui non Massica Bacchi
Munera, non illis epulae nocuere repostae:
Frondibus et victu pascuntur simplicis herbae,
Pocula sunt fontes liquidi atque exercita cursu
Flumina, nec somnos abrumpit cura salubris.
Tempore non alio dicunt regionibus illis
Quaesitas ad sacra boves Junonis, et uris
Imparibus ductos alta ad donaria currus.
Ergo aegre rastris terram rimantur, et ipsis
Unguibus infodiunt fruges, montisque per altos
Contenta cervice trahunt stridentia plaustra.

535

Non lupus insidias explorat ovilia circum,
Nec gregibus nocturnus obambulat; acrior illum
Cura domat. Timidi damae cervique fugaces
Nunc interque canes et circum tecta vagantur.

540

Jam maris immensi prolem et genus omne natantum

Litore in extremo, ceu naufraga corpora, fluctus
Proluit; insolitae fugiunt in flumina phocae.
Interit et curvis frustra defensa latebris
Vipera, et attoniti squamis adstantibus hydri.
Ipsis est aër avibus non aequus, et illae
Praecipites alta vitam sub nube relinquunt.
Praeterea jam nec mutari pabula refert,

545

515-530. Sufferings of the innocent steers at work. 531-536. Hardships imposed on the people. — 537-547. Other animals experienced the evil effects of the disease. -548-550. All remedies were unavailing.

Quaesitaeque nocent artes; cessere magistri,
Phillyrides Chiron Amythaoniusque Melampus.
Saevit, et in lucem Stygiis emissa tenebris,
Pallida Tisiphone Morbos agit ante Metumque,
Inque dies avidum surgens caput altius effert.
Balatu pecorum et crebris mugitibus amnes
Arentesque sonant ripae collesque supini.
Jamque catervatim dat stragem atque aggerat ipsis
In stabulis turpi dilapsa cadavera tabo,
Donec humo tegere ac foveis abscondere discunt.
Nam neque erat coriis usus, nec viscera quisquam
Aut undis abolere potest, aut vincere flamma;
Ne tondere quidem morbo inluvieque peresa
Vellera, nec telas possunt attingere putris.
Verum etiam invisos si quis tentarat amictus,
Ardentes papulae atque immundus olentia sudor
Membra sequebatur, nec longo deinde moranti
Tempore contactos artus sacer ignis edebat.

550

555

560

565

551-566. Fearful havoc made by the pestilence, and its pernicious effects on the animal system.

LIBER IV.

THE care of bees forms the subject of the fourth Book of the Georgics, which begins with an address to Maecenas, stating the argument, 1-7. The choice of a place fit for bees (8-24), and what should be done to render it advantageous (25-32) are then discussed. Directions are given as to the hives, 3346. Certain things to be avoided, 47-50. How to induce them to settle when they issue forth in early spring, 51–66. What to do when they fight under rival kings, 67-94. Description of the best kind of bees, 95-102. How to keep them at home when in an unsettled state, 103-115. A brief allusion to flower-gardens, 116–124. A description of ground, otherwise useless, profitable as a garden, 125-148. The nature of bees described generally, 149-157. Their ceaseless and varied employments, 158-178. The work of the aged, 178, 179. The work of the young, 180-188. Their night repose, 189, 190. Their employment when rain threatens, 191196. Their mode of producing young bees, 197–209. Their devotion to their king, 210-218. Inference drawn by some philosophers from the nature of bees, 219–227. How to proceed when their honey is desired, 228-238. Precautions

against vermin during winter recommended, 239-250. Dis eases of bees, and their remedies, 251-280. If the swarm of bees has died out, a method of replacing them, from the putrified carcase of a heifer, mentioned as universal in Egypt, and first practised by Aristaeus, 281-294. This method described,

295-314. The origin of it detailed, 315-558. clusion to the Georgics, 559-566.

PROTENUS aërii mellis caelestia dona

General con

Exsequar. Hanc etiam, Maecenas, aspice partem.
Admiranda tibi levium spectacula rerum,
Magnanimosque duces, totiusque ordine gentis
Mores, et studia, et populos, et proelia dicam.
In tenui labor; at tenuis non gloria, si quem
Numina laeva sinunt auditque vocatus Apollo.
Principio sedes apibus statioque petenda,
Quo neque sit ventis aditus-nam pabula venti

5

Ferre domum prohibent-neque oves haedique petulci 10
Floribus insultent, aut errans bucula campo

Decutiat rorem, et surgentis atterat herbas.
Absint et picti squalentia terga lacerti

Pinguibus a stabulis, meropesque, aliaeque volucres,
Et manibus Procne pectus signata cruentis;

Omnia nam late vastant, ipsasque volantis
Ore ferunt dulcem nidis inmitibus escam.
At liquidi fontes et stagna virentia musco
Adsint, et tenuis fugiens per gramina rivus,

Palmaque vestibulum aut ingens oleaster inumbret,
Ut, cum prima novi ducent examina reges
Vere suo, ludetque favis emissa juventus,
Vicina invitet decedere ripa calori,

15

20

Obviaque hospitiis teneat frondentibus arbos.
In medium, seu stabit iners, seu profluet humor,

25

Transversas salices et grandia conjice saxa,
Pontibus ut crebris possint consistere, et alas
Pandere ad aestivum solem, si forte morantis
Sparserit aut praeceps Neptuno immerserit Eurus.
Haec circum casiae virides et olentia late

Serpylla et graviter spirantis copia thymbrae
Floreat, irriguumque bibant violaria fontem.

30

Ipsa autem, seu corticibus tibi suta cavatis,

1-7. The care of bees forms the subject of this book, which be gins with an address to Maecenas, stating the argument. --8-24. A place suitable for bees should be chosen. -25-32. What should be done to render the place advantageous.-33-46. Directions regard ing the hives.

-

Seu lento fuerint alvearia vimine texta,
Angustos habeant aditus: nam frigore mella
Cogit hiems, eademque calor liquefacta remittit.
Utraque vis apibus pariter metuenda; neque illae
Nequidquam in tectis certatim tenuia cera
Spiramenta linunt, fucoque et floribus oras
Explent, collectumque haec ipsa ad munera gluten
Et visco et Phrygiae servant pice lentius Idae.
Saepe etiam effossis, si vera est fama, latebris
Sub terra fovere larem, penitusque repertae
Pumicibusque cavis exesaeque arboris antro.
Tu tamen e levi rimosa cubilia limo

Ungue fovens circum, et raras superinjice frondis.
Neu propius tectis taxum sine, neve rubentis
Ure foco cancros, altae neu crede paludi,
Aut ubi odor caeni gravis, aut ubi concava pulsu
Saxa sonant vocisque offensa resultat imago.

Quod superest, ubi pulsam hiemem Sol aureus egit
Sub terras, coelumque aestiva luce reclusit,
Illae continuo saltus silvasque peragrant,
Purpureosque metunt flores, et flumina libant
Summa leves. Hinc nescio qua dulcedine laetae
Progeniem nidosque fovent, hinc arte recentis
Excudunt ceras et mella tenacia fingunt.
Hinc ubi jam emissum caveis ad sidera coeli
Nare per aestatem liquidam suspexeris agmen,
Obscuramque trahi vento mirabere nubem,
Contemplator: aquas dulcis et frondea semper
Tecta petunt. Huc tu jussos adsperge sapores,
Trita melisphylla et cerinthae ignobile gramen,
Tinnitusque cie et Matris quate cymbala circum:
Ipsae consident medicatis sedibus; ipsae
Intima more suo sese in cunabula condent.

Sin autem ad pugnam exierint-nam saepe duobus

Regibus incessit magno discordia motu;

Continuoque animos volgi et trepidantia bello

Corda licet longe praesciscere; namque morantis

70

Martius ille aeris rauci canor increpat, et vox

Auditur fractos sonitus imitata tubarum;

Tum trepidae inter se coëunt, pennisque coruscant,
Spiculaque exacuunt rostris, apiantque lacertos,
Et circa regem atque ipsa ad praetoria densae

75

47-50. Certain things to be avoided. 51-66. How to induce the bees to settle when they issue forth in early spring. 67-94. Wha to do when the bees fight under rival kings.