Apta quadrigis equa, te bis Afro Vestiunt lanae: mihi parva rura et 35 40 CARMEN XVII. AD MAECENATEM. Dated variously from A.U.C. 728-734. An Ode to Maecenas, designed to comfort him in the endurance of the continued sleeplessness and fever under which he laboured for so many years of his life. The poet assures his friend of the unalterable affection with which he regards him-expresses his determination to die along with him-adverts to the identity of their destinies; and concludes by reminding him of the hairbreadth escape they severally made-the one from a dangerous malady, and the other from the falling tree, which had nearly crushed him to death. CUR me querelis exanimas tuis? Nec dîs amicum est nec mihi, te prius Grande decus columenque rerum. Ah te meae si partem animae rapit CARM. 17.-6. alteram, some Codd. most precious kind of deep-shaded purple). 38. spiritum tenuem, i. e. 'some little talent.' 39. Parca non mendax verax (as it is in Carm. Saecul. 25), 'the truth-telling Fate.' 40. et (dedit) spernere, poetic. construction with the infinut spernerem-malignum = invidum, iniquum in eos qui aliquâ laude excellunt, jealous of superior excellence.' Carm. 17.-1. querelis, sc. de morbo tuo, with thy complaints '-exanimas, a strong expression for conturbas, af 5 ficis summo moerore, 'why doest thou kill, distress me.' 2. amicum est, like the Greek píλov éσTí = placet. 4. decus (comp. C. 1, 1, 2) rerum mearum decus meae vitae, decus meum -columen, the Greek epeioμa, ‘pillar' (Pind. Ol. 2, 6 calls Theron epeiσμ' 'Akpáуavros, and Fragm. 46 Athens: Ελλάδος ἔρεισμα, κλειναὶ ̓Αθᾶναι), synonymous with praesidium, in C. 1, 1, 2. 5. partem animae meae, comp. C. 1, 3, 8: animae dimidium meae. 6. maturior vis, sc. leti, 'an earlier force, death'-altera, sc. pars. 8. illa, some Codd.-14. gigas, some Codd.; Gyges, Bentl.-17. Scorpius, some Codd.-19. fatalis and natalis, some Codd. Parcisque (comp. note to C. 1, 30, 6). 17. sq. Libra, Scorpios, Capricornus, &c., an allusion to the belief of the ancients, that the constellations under which a man was born exercised a favourable or unfavourable influence on his life aspicit, 'looks upon me' (at my birth). 18. pars violentior, i. e. the predominant power or star of my birthhour. 19 and 20. tyrannus, poetic. as exciting tempests in the western Ocean. 22. sq. construe: tutela Jovis, refulgens, eripuit te impio (= infesto, iniquo) Saturno (dative, belonging to refulgens as well as to eripuit); refulgens: fulgens ex adverso, shining in opposition to Saturn.' = 24. sq. volucris Fati (poetic. = immi Tardavit alas, quum populus frequens Dextrâ levâsset, Mercurialium 25 The poet expresses entire satisfaction with his lot, and reprobates the folly of those wealthy misers, whose rapacity is not checked by the fear of that death which as surely awaits them as the very poorest of their victims. Dated about A.U.C. 726. NON ebur neque aureum Meâ renidet in domo lacunar, Non trabes Hymettiae Premunt columnas ultimâ recisas Africâ, neque Attali Ignotus heres regiam occupavi, 26. festum (inst. of laetum), some Codd. nentis, impendentis mortis, &c.) alluding to the dangerous illness of Maecenas and to the cordial reception which he met with in the theatre after his recovery (see above C. 1, 20, 3 and 4); as to the wings of death comp. below S. 2, 1, 58: Seu mors atris circumvolat alis-comp. C. 2, 13. 28. sustulerat, nisi...levasset, the indicative in an hypothetic sentence instead of the subjunct. (sustulisset), 'would have killed' (comp. Virg. A. 2, 54 sq.: si mens non laeva fuisset, Impulerat, &c.) 29. levâsset ictum, poetic. for deflexisset, avertisset (prop. lifted up the blow in falling down upon my head) 5 Mercurialium virorum, i. e. poets, as under the special protection of Mercury (comp. above C. 2, 7, 13 sq.) 30. reddere, &c., remark the skill with which the poet suggests the contrast between the opulence of his patron and his own comparative poverty. Carm. 18.-2. aureum lacunar, 'a gilded ceiling' (comp. above C. 2, 16, 11 laqueata tecta). 3. trabes Hymettiae, i. e. architraves formed of the famous white marble of mount Hymattus (near Athens) 6. ignotus, ironically, although personally unknown to him' (Attalus). Nec Laconicas mihi Trahunt honestae purpuras clientae. At fides et ingeni Benigna vena est, pauperemque dives 10 Deos lacesso nec potentem amicum Satis beatus unicis Sabinis. Truditur dies die, Novaeque pergunt interire lunae. Locas sub ipsum funus et, sepulcri 15 Marisque Bajis obstrepentis urges 20 Parum locuples continente ripâ. Salis avarus? In sinu ferens deos 25 Pellitur paternos Et uxor et vir sordidosque natos. Nulla certior tamen Rapacis orci fine destinatâ 30 CARM. 18.-25. limitem, some Codd.-30. capacis, Bentl. conj.-sede (inst. of fine), some Codd., Bentl. nex, morti jam vicinus, thou, on the very brink of the grave.' 20 and 21. construe: et urges summovere litora maris obstrepentis Bajis, see Excurs. to C. 3, 4. 23. quid, quod, &c., elliptical expression (also in classic prose, e. g. Cic. de Senect. 23, 83), for: what shall be said to this that, &c.? 'nay, moreover' -usque, 'continually.' 24. revellis, poetic. = exaras, moves, 'pluckest up, tearest up, removest' (the landmarks). 26. pellitur, in sing. with several subjects, see note to C. 1, 2, 38--salis, ' over-leapest' (neglecting the landmarks of thy client). 28. sordidos, i. e. ill-clad, squalid. Aula divitem manet Herum. Quid ultra tendis? Aequa tellus Regumque pueris, nec satelles Orci Revexit auro captus. Hic superbum 35 Genus coërcet, hic levare functum Pauperem laboribus Vocatus atque non vocatus audit. 40 CARMEN XIX. IN BACCHUM. A Hymn to Bacchus, composed, probably, in imitation of some Greek dithyramb. From a description of Bacchus, as the patron of rustic enjoyment, and the promoter of social festivity, our author, rising into a loftier strain of poetry, represents him as the husband of the starry Ariadne as the destroyer of Pentheus and Lycurgus-the conqueror of India-the champion of the gods in their wars with the giants, and the terror of the hell-dog Cerberus. BACCHUM in remotis carmina rupibus Evoe, recenti mens trepidat metu, 82. Erum, some Codd.-36. revinxit, some Codd. manet divitem herum certior fine destinatá (quam finis destinata) rapacis Orci. 32. sq. Aequa tellus, &c., comp. above C. 1, 4, 13: Pallida Mors aequo pulsat pede pauperum tabernas Regumque turres. 34. satelles Orci, i. e. Charon. 35. Promethea, see above C. 2, 13, 37. 36. nec...auro captus, comp. below Ep. 2, 2, 179: Orcus non exorabilis aurohic, i. e. Orcus (not Charon). 38. levare, belonging to vocatus atque non vocatus ut levet - -functum 5 laboribus, sc. vitae, having finished the labours of life (comp. Cicero's translation of a verse of Euripid. in Tusc. 1, 48, 115 Qui labores morte finîsset graves; Greek: πόνων πεπαυμένον). 40. audit, poetic. = exaudit, levat, ' relieves.' Carm. 19.-1. carmina, i. e. mystic hymns belonging to his worship. 3 and 4. Nymphs and Satyrs, as companions of Bacchus. 5. mens, sc. mea. 6. construe: et (mens mea) laetatur |