Qui dies mensem Veneris marinae Jure sollemnis mihi sanctiorque Telephum, quem tu petis, occupavit, Terret ambustus Phaethon avaras Bellerophontem, Semper ut te digna sequare, et ultra Non enim posthac alia calebo Whether the Virgil of this Ode was the great epic bard, or one of his relations, or a perfumer or trafficker of some other sort, is a question which successive commentators have earnestly discussed without materially elucidating. I rather incline to the commercial theory; not at all liking to suppose that the concluding portion of the poem can have been applicable to the author of the Georgics and the Aeneid. The story referred to in the second stanza is very differently told by different writers, and it is not solely for convenience' sake that I follow Doering and Dillenburger in supposing Philomela and not Procne to have been intended by Horace to be represented as the mother and murderess of Itys. Now do Spring's retinue, light Thracian gales, Of Cecrops' house, unhappy Philomel, Who on foul lust of kings wrought vengeance fell. With spikenard must you that same liquor buy. XII. AD VIRGILIUM. JAM veris comites, quae mare temperant, Jam nec prata rigent nec fluvii strepunt Nidum ponit, Ityn flebiliter gemens, Regum est ulta libidines. Dicunt in tenero gramine pinguium Custodes ovium carmina fistula, Nardi parvus onyx eliciet cadum Will draw, of new hopes prodigal, nor less To which regale if you would hasten, come The late Lord Lytton seems greatly to have admired this effusion. In my humble judgment, its chief interest consists in its showing how coarsely the most polished of Roman poets could write when in a Locksley Hall humour. LYCE, the gods have listened to my prayer, Lovely you fain would still appear, And tope and frisk with shameless leer, On blooming Chia's damask cheek- With teeth emblackened and with brow Spes donare novas largus, amaraque Ad quae si properas gaudia, cum tua Verum pone moras et studium lucri; Dulce est desipere in loco. XIII. AD LYCEN. AUDIVERE, Lyce, di mea vota, di Ludisque et bibis impudens, Pulchris excubat in genis. Importunus enim transvolat aridas Quercus, et refugit te, quia luridi Dentes, te quia rugae Turpant et capitis nives. |