225 230 235 240 245 433 Huc celer et socii Datus cunctusque popellus Ungue rapit volucrem, notaque ad antra fugit; Dati belli timent, spicula, sive minas. "Date sagax, nostras modo quae res vexit ad arces Dedere mavis equum, quo faleratus abis, Nam quem poscis equum non unquam dedere dignor; Nec mora, crudelis matrem consistit in arce, Ille quidem frendens vestem conscindit, et atros Et sequitur verbis, iterumque iterumque profana 227. crocitant: 'croak loudly.'-232. belli: note shortening. 234. cacinnosa: 'of loud laughter'; 2 (4). —235. vexit: 3E (6) (a). 236. namque: 1B (6); the loose use of namque has become a mannerism.—242. age: note lengthening. 433. Ille: the hero seeks to break through the lines to get help from Corduba. "O Mauri celeres, quo nunc fiducia cessit? Sese praecipitem in agmina densa dedit. 440 445 450 455 Infelix nec habet quo eruat ingenio. Mox capitur; merito vincitur, haud mora, loris, 460 Fama volans totam turbat terroribus urbem, Ingeminant luctum matresque patresque iuvencli, Nec minor in castris passim sonus aethera pulsat, 442. linteola: 'tents.'-444. Fors: sc. est eos. notā note quantity. - 455. cavallum: for caballum; 2 (2). —458. eruat: instead of erumpat. — 463. iuvencli: 'young men'; 2 (5); sc. et. 466. unanimi = constructio ad sensum. 465 470 Interea, nox atra cadens, Aurora reportat Atque suis famulis dicta benigna dedit. Captus adest nolens, vinctusque tenetur inermis 475 Fac, Vilhelme, suos possit quo cernere muros, 480 "Seu fortuna nequam, prospera sive cadat, Nescio; si casu Francorum incurrero turmis, Vos tamen, ut dixi, castra tenete, precor." Tum manus ad muros tendens vocitabat amicos; "Pandite iam, socii, claustra vetata diu.". 485 Ingeniosus item digitos curvabat, et ungues Figebat palmis, haec simulanter agens, Hoc autem inditio signabat castra tenenda, Sed tamen invitus "pandite" voce vocat. Hoc vero agnoscens Vilhelmus concitus illum aroused. Percussit pugno, non simulanter agens; Dentibus infrendens versat sub pectore curas, 490 Miratur Maurum, sed magis ingenium. 467. nox atra cadens: 3A (2). — 471. Zadun: the Moorish chieftain of the city. 475. Fac: sc. ducatur. - 485. digitos curvabat: in token that the gates were really to be kept closed, in spite of what he said aloud. — 487. inditio: 2 (3). Hrabanus Maurus, like his great predecessor, Alcuin, was devoted chiefly to teaching, especially at Fulda. Born at Mainz in 776, or thereabouts, he lived for eighty years, and had many famous pupils, such as Walafrid, Lupus, and Otfrid. In these rude hexameters the rules of quantity are often neglected. The text of his poems may be found in Traube's Poetae Latini Aevi Karolini, Vol. II. A PRAYER O deus aeterne, mundi sanctissime rector, Te mea mens ambit, animaeque ac vivida virtus, Da mihi nunc veniam misero, et mea crimina laxa; 5 10 15 WALAHFRIDI STRABI CARMINA Walafrid Strabo was a pupil of Hrabanus Maurus, and himself taught at Reichenau. He belongs to the ninth-century group who produced so easily and held aloft the torch of learning in this period of the "first renaissance." The text may be found in Traube's Poetae Latini Aevi Karolini, Vol. II. 155 160 165 170 ON HORTICULTURE Denique vernali interdum conspergitur imbre Sideris accessum lateris negat obice duri, Non tamen ulla sibi fuerant quae credita pridem 163. Areola 'little garden.'-169. crementi: 'increase.' |