IDEM LATINE. Prosiluit regina uiro dare brachia circum hic se nostra domus, solium hic se tollit eburnum : me sors illa tamen minime prohibere ualebat, 5 10 15 20 He thought of that high feast at which he swore That this fair wife, if won, he would adore Whereon, loud thunder-peals were heard without And how he sent the queen his lover's-prayer, How days passed by, till on an eve were seen That time had gone: fresh longing seized the king, The skilful work of Samian Theodore's hand. And lo! one morn came Theodore to the king, And as a tribute to his lord he brought The priceless emerald in the priceless ring: Thus wakeful Gods may hear the unspoken thought. And ere the morrow's sun had yet gone down, A tramp of men was heard about the port, And swift-winged Rumour blazed through Juno's town, That king Amasis came with all his court, To learn if sooth were said in distant lands, And fortune grants his scarcely-framed desires. And king Amasis long at Samos bode, And saw the strange-bred herds, the pillared court In Juno's temple, and the fleet that rode One happy night it came in triumph home, At next eve's feast in honour of the fight, And while they sang his glory and his fame And how his works through boundless time should stand, And how his children should uphold his name, Far seen, like lofty towers o'er level land. And while the royal company were glad, And red wine foamed and jewelled beakers shone Amasis by his side sat pale and sad, Then whispered leaning from his ivory throne: "O King for fortune, in her wanton might "Supreme of heroes-bravest, noblest, best! Thou found'st-and I forgive thee-here thou art— "But thou, though capable of sternest deed, As when their breath enrich'd Thessalian air. Jove frown'd in heaven: the conscious Parca threw "This visage tells thee that my doom is past: "Be taught, O faithful consort, to control "Learn by a mortal yearning to ascend "o decus heroum præstans, dux optime Graium, non iam uirtutem Laodamia dolet, tu dum mille duces dubia formidine pressi deficiunt, audax litora dira petis; impulit-ignosco tibi enim, qui proximus astaspectore te uirtus ad meliora meo. mitis eras idem quiduisque audere paratus ingenium atroci pectore molle foues. 25 30 iam quoque cuius ades facili mihi numine iussit inuida te mortis fallere fata deus; pulcra coma est, tibi pulcra rubent uelut ante labella, 35 Thessalis ut facta est gratior aura tua. iam non umbra mihi loqueris neque inanis imago; tu lateri, iuvenis floride, iunge latus; oscula fige toro mihi coniugialia noto, nunc etenim sponso nupta beata iugor.” Contraxit frontem Pater: infecere sorores 40 optati Stygio labra colore uiri. "hic mea fata docet pallor; tu parce dolere : quippe alio uirtus foedere nulla foret; 43 si possent citius semper iucunda referri gaudia, quæ nobis nunc fugitiua cadunt. rite uoluptates tellus quoque delet, et odit ibi requies alta suusque dolor. orcus disce, precor, coniux animum compesce rebellem: ne tumeant nimium feruida corda caue. 50 dis altum ingenium, non qui breuis æstuat ardor, feruidus acceptus, nec uiolentus amor. tu menti moderare tuæ, summissaque plora auolsum (dabitur non mora longa) uirum; et desiderio mortali docta memento 56 spernere mortales dum petis astra uices. namque ut pandat iter cæli demisit Amorem; scilicet has artes sic fouet ipse Pater: immo etiam stimulis diris instigat amantem, excidat ut penitus pectore cura sui; 60 ac uelut excussus somno sua uincula rumpit, sic praua omnis amans ambitione uacet." |