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النشر الإلكتروني

O dolitura mea multum virtute, Neæra:
Nam fi quid in Flacco viri eft,

Non feret affiduas potiori te dare noctes;
Et quæret iratus

parem :

Nec femel offenfæ cedet conftantia forma,

Si certus intrarit dolor.

At tu, quicunque es felicior, atque meo nunc
Superbus incedis malo;

Sis pecore et multa dives tellure licebit,

Tibique Pactolus fluat,

Nec te Pythagoræ fallant arcana renati,

Formaque vincas Nirea;

Eheu, tranflatos alio marebis amores :
Aft ego viciffim rifero.

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Phocæorum exemplo Romam deferendam effe, quam Deorum ira bellis civilibus lacerandam objicit.

ALTERA jam teritur bellis civilibus ætas ;
Suis et ipfa Roma viribus ruit.

Quem neque finitimi valuerunt perdere Marfi,
Minacis aut Etrufca Porfene manus,

Emula nec virtus Capur, nec Spartacus acer,
Novifque rebus infidelis Allobrox;

Nec fera cærulea domuit Germania pube,

Parentibufque abominatus Annibal;

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Impia perdemus devoti fanguinis ætas :
Ferifque rurfus occupabitur folum.

Barbarus, heu, cineres infiftet victor, et Urbem

Eques fonante verberabit ungula;

Quæque carent ventis et folibus offa Quirini (Nefas videre) diffipabit infolens.

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Forte (a) quid expediat, communiter, aut melior pars,

Malis carere quæritis laboribus.

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(a) Forte (quod expediat). Rutg.

Nulla

greatly grieved on account of my merit: for if there is any thing of manhood in Horace, he will not endure that you shou'd dedicate your nights continually 'to another, whom you prefer; and, exafperated, will look out for a mistress who will return his love and tho' an unfeigned forrow fhou'd take poffeffion of you, yet my firmnefs fhall not give way to that beauty which has once given me difguft. But as for you, whoever you are that are more fuccefsful than me, and now strut proud of my misfortune: tho' you be rich in flocks, and abundance of land, and all Pactolus flow for you, nor the mysteries of tranfmigrating Pythagoras efcape you, and you excel Nireus in beauty; alas! in a short time you fhall bewail her love transfer'd elsewhere: but I shall laugh in my turn.

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To the ROMAN PEOPLE.

That Rome, which the wrath of the Gods delivers up to be torn in pieces by inteftine wars, fhou'd be deferted after the example of the Phocæans.

OW is another age worn away by civil wars,

N and Rome herfelf falls by her own ftrength.

Whom neither the bordering Marfi cou'd destroy, or the Etrurian band of the menacing Porfena, nor the rival valour of Capua, nor the bold Spartacus, and the perfidious Gauls with their innovations; nor did the fierce Germany fubdue her with its blue-ey'd youth, or Hannibal, detefted by parents; but we, an impious race, whofe blood is devoted to perdition, fhall deftroy her and this land fhall again be poffefs'd by wild beasts. The victorious barbarian, alas! shall trample upon the afhes of the city, and the horfemen fhall fmite it with the founding hoofs; and (horrible to fee!) he thall infultingly difperfe the bones of Romulus, which, as yet, are free from the injuries of wind and fun. Perhaps you all, in general, or the better part of you, are inquifitive to know what may be expedient, in order to escape fuch dreadful evils. There

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can

Nulla fit hac potior fententia: (Phocæorum
Velut profugit exfecrata civitas

Agros atque lares patrios, habitandaque fana
Apris reliquit et rapacibus lupis)

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Ire, pedes quocunque ferent, quocunque per undas Notus vocabit, aut protervus Africus.

Sic placetan melius quis habet fuadere? fecunda
Ratem occupare quid moramur alite?

Sed juremus in hæc fimul imis faxa renarint
Vadis levata, ne redire fit nefas :

Neu converfa domum pigeat dare lintea, quando
Padus Matina laverit cacumina ;

In mare ceu celfus procurrerit Apenninus,
Novaque monitra junxerit libidine

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Mirus amor: juvet ut tigres fubfidere cervis,

Adulteretur et columba milüo;

Credula nec (a) ravos timeant armenta leones ;

Ametque falfa levis hircus æquora.

Hæc, et que poterunt reditus abfcindere dulces, 35
Eamus omnis exfecrata civitas,

Aut pars indocili melior grege: mollis et exfpes
Inominata perprimat cubilia.

Vos quibus eft (b) virtus, muliebrem tollite luctum,

Etrufca præter et volate litora.

Nos manet Oceanus circumvagus: arva, beata
Petamus arva, divites et infulas,

Et imputata floret ufque vinea;

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Reddit ubi Cererem tellus inarata quotannis,

Germinat et nunquam fallentis termes olivæ,
Suamque pulla ficus ornat arborem ;

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Mella cava manant exilice; montibus altis
Levis crepante lympha defilit pede.

Illic injuffæ veniunt ad mulêtra capella,
Refertque tenta grex amicus ubera;
Nec vefpertinus circumgemit urfus ovile,
Nec intumefcit alta viperis humus;

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(a) Nec fævos timeant leones. (b) Vos quibus eft animus,

Plura

can be no determination better than this: namely, to go wherever our feet will carry us, wherever the fouth, or boisterous fouth-weft, fhall fummon us thro' the waves, (in the fame manner as the whole ftate of the Phocæans fled, after having utter'd execrations against fuch as fhould return, and left their fields, and proper dwellings, and temples, to be inhabited by boars and ravenous wolves.) Is this agreeable? Or has any one a better scheme to advise? Why do we delay to go a fhip-board under an aufpicious omen? But first let us fwear to thefe conditions-the ftones fhall fwim upwards, lifted up from the bottom of the fea, as foon as it fhall not be impious to return: nor let it grieve us to direct our fails homewards then, and not before, when the Po fhall wash the tops of the Matinian fummits;. or the lofty Apennine fhall remove into the sea, or a miraculous appetite fhall unite monfters by a strange kind of luft; infomuch that tigers may delight to couple with hinds, and the dove be polluted by the kite; nor the fimple herds may dread the tawny lions; and the he-goat, grown fmooth, may love the briny main. After having fworn to these things, and whatever elfe may cut off the pleafing hope of returning, let us go, the whole city of us, or, at least, that part which is fuperior to the illiterate mob: but let the idle and defpairing part remain upon these inaufpicious habitations. But ye, that have bravery, away with effeminate grief, and fly beyond the Tufcan fhore. The circumambient ocean awaits us : let us feek the plains, the happy plains, and fortunate iflands, where the untilled land yearly produces corn, and the unpruned vine-yard punctually flourishes; and where the branch of the never-failing olive bloffoms forth, and the purple fig adorns its native tree; honey diftils from hollow oaks; and the light water bounds down from the high mountains with a murmuring pace. There the fhe-goats come to the milk-pails of their own accord, and the friendly flock return with their udders diftended; nor does the evening bear growl about the sheepfold, nor does the rifing ground fwell with vipers:

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and

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