71. IN CECILIANUM.

DIXERAT, O MORES! O TEMPORA! Tullius olim,
Sacrilegum strueret cum Catilina nefas :
Cum gener atque socer diris concurreret armis,
Moestaque civili cæde maderet humus.
Cur nunc, o MORES! cur nunc, O TEMPORA! dicis?
Quod tibi non placeat, Cæciliane, quid est?
Nulla ducum feritas, nulla est insania ferri:

Pace frui certa, lætitiaque licet.

Non nostri faciunt, tua quod tibi tempora sordent,
Sed faciunt mores, Cæciliane, tui.

10

NOTES.

FABLES OF PHEDRUS,

PHEDRUS was originally a slave, and was brought from Thrace or Macedonia, in the days of Augustus, to Rome, where he learnt the Latin language. Many of his fables are transfusions from those of Esop; others are the offspring of his own invention. They are written in Iambic metre, with many licenses.

FABLE I.

THE WOLF AND THE LAMB. 2. superior] "higher up the

stream."

3. fauce improbâ] "by his ravenous appetite."

4. latro].i. e. the wolf. 6. laniger] sub. inquit.

FABLE II.

THE FROGS IN SEARCH OF A KING.

2. miscuit] "confused."

3. frænum] i. e. the restraints of discipline.

7. crudelis] sub. erat.
grave] sub. erat.

8. omnino insuetis] i. e. to men utterly unaccustomed to any restraint.

7. quod quereris] "what you complain of." The accusative neuter of a pronoun is often thus subjoined to intransitive verbs, to mark the compass of an action; e. g. 'utrumque lætor,' "I am glad on See L. E. p. 140 (c). both grounds:" 15. missum vadis] on the waters."

12. qui compesceret] "to control." The subjunctive is used, because the relative is employed in a final sense, being equivalent tout is.'

'cetera assentior," "I agree to the rest," etc. See L. E. Rule VIII. p. 21.

8. ad meos haustus] i.e. to the part of the stream where I am drinking.

9. ante hos sex menses] "six months ago."

'Hic' is used, in such phrases, to denote "how long ago:" e. g. 6 ante hos quadringentos annos,' "400 years ago."

13. correptum] sub. agnum.

"launched

17. diutius] "for a long time." In Latin and Greek, comparatives are often used in a general sense, without reference to a purpose or standard: e. g. 'Senectus est naturâ loquacior,' "old age is naturally rather talkative." Cic. 18. una] sub. e ranis. 19. explorato rege] "the king," i. e. the log of wood, "having been closely examined."

24. esset] is used instead of 'erat,'

FABLE V.

1. societas] "an alliance."
2. propositum] "sentiment,"

1. virtutis] courage."
expers] sub. homo.

2. ignotos] "strangers."

est derisui]" becomes a jest." 'Derisui' is the "dative of the purpose," which is used with 'sum' and 5. vasti corporis] "of great"to whom is it an advantage?" many other verbs: e. g. ' cui bono est? size:" the genitive of description.

"assertion."

6. partibus factis] i. e. the stag having been divided into four portions.

9. me sequetur] i. e. will belong to me.

10. malo afficietur] lit. "he will be visited with harm:" i. e. will pay dear.

the company of an ass."
3. asello comite] abl. abs. "in

6. ipse]"while he himself :" i. e.

the lion.

8. novo miraculo]" by a strange portent." The ass being covered up,

the other animals could not account for the noise.

12. vocem premere] "to cease braying."

13. opera, etc.] i. e. the service rendered you by my braying.

FABLE IX.

THE STAG AT THE STREAM.

1. The order of the words is as follows: hæc narratio exerit [ea] quæ contempseris, sæpe inveniri utiliora

THE FROG WHICH BURST, AND THE has lost his purse."