'vilis Europe,' pater urget absens : pendulum zona bene te secuta laedere collum. sive te rupes et acuta leto saxa delectant, age te procellae crede veloci, nisi erile mavis carpere pensum regius sanguis dominaeque tradi perfidum ridens Venus et remisso 60 deliver the infamous bullock to my anger, I would strive to rend it with the steel and break the horns of the monstrous creature just now so fondly loved. Shameless, I left my household gods; shameless, I keep Orcus waiting. Oh, if any god hear these laments, let me wander naked among lions! Before hideous wasting seizes upon my comely cheeks and the fresh life-blood departs from the tender victim, while beauteous still, I seek to feed the tigers. 'Worthless Europa,' my father, though far distant, urges, 'why dost thou hesitate to die? On this ash thou canst hang thyself with the girdle that happily has followed thee. Or if the cliffs and rocks sharp for death allure thee, come! give thy body to the hurrying gale, if thou wilt not rather card a mistress' wool, thou of royal blood, and be given o'er, a concubine, to the mercies of some barbarian queen!' As she thus complained, Venus with treacherous laugh stood by, and her son with unstrung bow. Soon when the goddess had had sport enough, "Refrain from anger and hot passion," she exclaimed, "when the hated bull shall give thee his horns to be mangled! Thou knowest not that thou art the wife of Jove invincible. Cease thy sobs! Learn to bear becomingly thy great destiny! A region of the earth shall take thy name." XXVIII FESTO quid potius die Neptuni faciam? prome reconditum, Lyde, strenua Caecubum munitaeque adhibe vim sapientiae. inclinare meridiem sentis ac, veluti stet volucris dies, parcis deripere horreo cessantem Bibuli consulis amphoram. nos cantabimus invicem Neptunum et virides Nereidum comas; tu curva recines lyra Latonam et celeris spicula Cynthiae ; summo carmine, quae Cnidon fulgentesque tenet Cycladas et Paphum iunctis visit oloribus; dicetur merita Nox quoque nenia. 10 |