IV. 95.] Meeting assigned at Ninus' Tomb. 39 ex aequo captis ardebant mentibus ambo: conscius omnis abest; nutu signisque loquuntur. 25 Quoque magis tegitur, tectus magis aestuat ignis. fissus erat tenui rima, quam duxerat olim cum fieret, paries domui communis utrique. id vitium nulli per saecula longa notatumquid non sentit amor? — primi vidistis, amantes, et vocis fecistis iter; tutaeque per illud murmure blanditiae minimo transire solebant. saepe, ubi constiterant, hinc Thisbe, Pyramus illinc, inque vices fuerat captatus anhelitus oris, 'Invide' dicebant' paries, quid amantibus obstas? quantum erat, ut sineres toto nos corpore jungi, aut hoc si nimium, vel ad oscula danda pateres ! + + nec sumus ingrati; tibi nos debere fatemur, 65 70 75 sub noctem dixere vale, partique dedere oscula quisque suae non pervenientia contra. 80 Postera nocturnos aurora removerat ignes, solque pruinosas radiis siccaverat herbas : ad solitum coïere locum. Tum murmure parvo multa prius questi, statuunt ut nocte silenti fallere custodes foribusque excedere temptent, 85 cumque domo exierint, urbis quoque tecta relinquant ; neve sit errandum lato spatiantibus arvo, conveniant ad busta Nini, lateantque sub umbra arboris arbor ibi niveis uberrima pomis : ardua morus erat, gelido conterminą fonti. Pacta placent; et lux, tarde discedere visa, praecipitatur aquis, et aquis nox surgit ab îsdem. callida per tenebras versato cardine Thisbe egreditur fallitque suos, adopertaque vultum pervenit ad tumulum, dictaque sub arbore sedit. 90 95 audacem faciebat amor. Venit + quam procul ad lunae radios Babylonia Thisbe vidit, et obscurum trepido pede fugit in antrum, dumque fugit, tergo velamina lapsa reliquit. 104161 ut lea saeva sitim multa compescuit unda, dum redit in silvas, inventos forte sine ipsa ore cruentato tenues laniavit amictus. Serius egressus, vestigia vidit in alto 20-7 pulvere certa ferae, totoque expalluit ore Pyramus. Ut vero vestem quoque sanguine tinctam repperit, Una duos' inquit nox perdet amantes: 94 6 e quibus illa fuit longa dignissima vita, 100 nostra nocens anima est: ego te, miseranda, peremi, et scelerata fero consumite viscera morsu, 105 sed timidi est optare necem.'-Velamina Thisbes 115 tollit, et ad pactae secum fert arboris umbfam. utque dedit notae lacrimas, dedit oscula vesti, Accipe nunc, inquit 'nostri quoque sanguinis haustus !'. quoque erat accinctus, demisit in ilia ferrum; 58 nec mora, ferventi moriens e vulnere traxit. .6.7 1041 585 Ut jacuit resupinus humo, cruor emicat alte : non aliter, quam cum vitiato fistula plumbo scinditur, et tenui stridente foramine longas ejaculatur aquas, atque ictibus aëra rumpit, arborei fetus aspergine caedis in atram vertuntur faciem, madefactaque sanguine radix puniceo tinguit pendentia mora colore. -13-23.3 95 Ecce metu nondum posito, ne fallat amantem, + illa redit, juvenemque oculis animoque requirit, 120 125 IV. 163.] Death of both the Lovers. quantaque vitarit narrare pericula gestit. .106 133 120 quod tremit, exigua cum summum stringitur aura. Sed postquam remorata suos cognovit amores, percutit indignos claro plangore lacertos, FO-178.7 104 12-236 et laniata comas, amplexaque corpus amatum, Ad nomen Thisbes oculos jam morte gravatos quae postquam vestemque suam cognovit, et ense vidit ebur vacuum, Tua te manus' inquit amorque perdidit, infelix. Est et mihi fortis in unum hoc manus, est et amor; dabit hic in vulnera vires. 128 at tu, quae ramis arbor miserabile corpus nunc tegis unius, mox es tectura duorum, signa tene caedis, pullosque et luctibus aptos -125 semper habe fetus, gemini monumenta cruoris.' Dixit, et aptato pectus mucrone sub imum ∙16-375. incubuit ferro, quod adhuc a caede tepebat. 41 130 135 140 145 155 160 1125 vota tamen tetigere deos, tetigere parentes: nam color in pomo est, ubi permaturuit, ater; quodque rogis superest, una requiescit in urna. 165 VI. PERSEUS AND ANDROMEDA. [Book IV.-615-803.] [A second sister tells of Leucothoë, an eastern princess, beloved by the sun-god, who is by him changed after her burial into the herb frankincense; and of Clytie, who, pining with hopeless love of the same divinity, becomes a sun-flower (IV. 167-270). The third sister, Leuconoë, tells the fable of the fountain-nymph Salmacis, to whose waters was given the power to unman whosoever might bathe in them (271-388). But the three sisters, who had despised the rites of Bacchus, are themselves converted into bats (389415). Ino also, daughter of Cadmus and nurse of Bacchus, having affronted Juno, is with her husband Athamas maddened by a Fury, despatched from Tartarus; so that, while he slays their eldest son, taking him for a wild beast, Ino casts herself with Melicerta into the sea, becoming the sea divinity Leucothea, and her companions are changed to stones and birds (416-562). Cadmus and his wife Hermione, in great age, having witnessed these sorrows of their house, are at length converted into serpents, consoled only by the glories of their grandson Bacchus (563-614).] Perseus, returning from the slaying of Medusa, is refused hospitality by the Titan Atlas, whom by the Gorgon's head he converts into a mountain (615-662). Flying over Æthiopia, he discovers the princess Andromeda, daughter of Cepheus and Cassiopeia, fastened to a cliff to be devoured by a sea-monster, which he attacks and slays, and so wins Andromeda for his bride (663-739). The marvellous effect of Medusa's head, which changes leaves and twigs to coral; and the tale told at Perseus' wedding feast, of Medusa, daughter of Phorcus, whose golden locks were by the wrath of Minerva changed to serpents. VIPEREI referens spolium memorabile monstri 4.45.164-m 40-123 aëra carpëbat tenerum stridentibus alis; cumque super Libycas victor penderet arenas, Gorgonei capitis guttae cecidere cruentae, quas humus exceptas varios animavit in angues: unde frequens illa est infestaque terra colubris. Inde per immensum ventis discordibus actus nunc huc, nunc illuc, exemplo nubis aquosae fertur, et ex alto seductas aethere longe despectat terras, totumque supervolat orbem. ter gelidas Arctos, ter Cancri bracchia vidit: saepe sub occasus, saepe est ablatus in ortus. jamque cadente die, veritus se credere nocti, constitit Hesperio, regnis Atlantis, in orbe; exiguamque petit requiem, dum Lucifer ignes 620 625 evocet Aurorae, currus Aurora diurnos. 630 Hic hominum cunctos ingenti corpore praestans H.322. Iapetionides Atlas fuit. Ultima tellus A.79.164-b. 35=72+ rege sub hoc et pontus erat, qui Solis anhelis 41-158 39-89 P.P. ex auro ramos, ex auro poma tegebant. ‹ Hospes,' ait Perseus illi, seu gloria tångit te generis magni, generis mihi Juppiter auctor ; sive es mirator rerum, mirabere nostras: 13-253 615 635 640 H.327-1. hospitium requiemque peto.' Memor ille vetustae 45.163sortis erat; Themis hanc dederat Parnasia sortem : 'Tempus, Atla, veniet, tua quo spoliabitur auro P.P arbor, et hunc praedae titulum Jove natus habebit.' id metuens, solidis pomaria clauserat Atlas moenibus, et vasto dederat servanda draconi, arcebatque suis externos finibus omnes. |