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ὃς κειμένῳ σοι κἀμὲ συντεθειμένην θέλγειν ἔσαινες καὶ τρέφειν νεὸν δέμας, ἄλλοις μὲν ἄχθος, τῇ δὲ τικτούσῃ γάνος. ὦ πρός σε μαστῶν τῶνδε καὶ ψυχῆς ἐμῆς, θεοὺς σέβου σὺ κἀμὲ καὶ τὴν σὴν φρένα, μή σοι μάχηται πάντα. τίς δ ̓ ἐπίσταται, τίς ἐν τίσι στροφαῖσιν αἰόλου χρόνου ἄνεμος κακῶν κλυδῶνα προσφέρει φανείς ; οὐδὲν μὲν ἀνθρώποισιν ἔμπεδον μένει, ὃ μὴ κυκᾷ τὸ θεῖον· εἰ δ ̓ ἄρ ̓ ἓν μόνον, ὦ παῖ, περισσὰ καρτερεῖ τε καὶ κρατεῖ, ἢ κάρτ ̓ ἔρως ὁδ' ἐμπέδως προσημμένος ἐμοί τε καί σοι, πικρὸς ἀλλήλοις φλέγων, πάντων βέβαιος μᾶλλον εἰς τέλος μενεῖ. τί δ ̓ ἀντὶ τοῦ λέκτρ ̓ εἰσάγεις ξέν' ; ἢ φθερῶν κεὰρ τόδ'; ἀλλ ̓ ἥμαρτον ἐν κωφοῖς λόγοις, χὴ πρόσθεν ἔμφρων μωρίας ἔπη πλέα νῦν ἡλίωσα, καὶ δοκῶ πεπληγμένη αὐτὴ πρὸς αὑτῆς, οὐδ ̓ ἐπήβολος φρενών διαστρόφων ἔτ ̓ οὖσα, καὶ γνώμη καλὴ, πάντων, ὅσ ̓ ἐστὶ, κτημάτων ὑπέρτατον, ἀποστατεί τε καὶ βέβηκε, κἀξ ἕδρας ἀνεῖσ ̓ ἀνόλβους νῦν ὑποπτήσσω φρένας, οὖσ ̓ οὐδέν· ἀλλὰ πρὸς θεῶν φρόντιζε δὴ· εἴ σοι δοκεῖ ζῆν, ζητέον μὲν, εἰ δὲ μὴ ἤτοι γε σώζειν ἢ βίον φθείρειν θέμις· ἀλλ ̓ οὐ θανεῖ σύ γ', ὥσπερ οὑπίων βροτῶν, θανὼν δὲ λήσει κἀμὲ συμφθείρων ὁμοῦ.

ENGLISH TRANSLATION

BY

WILLIAM GOODCHILD.

THE STORY OF VIRGINIUS.

LIVY. BK. III. CH. xlvi-lii.

"Non ut sollenni more sacrorum
Perfecto posset claro comitari Hymenæo,
Sed casta inceste nubendi tempore in ipso
Hostia concideret mactatu mæsta parentis."

LUCRET I. 96.

XLVI. An angry crowd had gathered and a struggle seemed imminent; the lictors had taken their post around Icilius, but as yet the multitude confined themselves to threats. Appius spoke as follows. "It is not the defence of Virginia that is the real object of Icilius; it is the attempt of a turbulent fellow, who is is even now aspiring to the tribunicial power, to find an opportunity for a seditious outbreak. I shall not give him the means of doing so today, but, that he may know that this concession. is made, not on account of his insolence, but in consideration of the absence of Virginius, of the claims of a father and of Liberty, I shall not take the case or make any order; I will request Marcus Claudius to waive his right and permit the girl to go on bail until tomorrow. But if I find tomorrow that her father has not arrived, I can tell Icilius and all such men as Icilius, that I mean to carry out my own law and to act with the firmness which becomes a decemvir. I shall not in any case summon the lictors of my colleagues to repress the fomenters of discord, I shall find my own lictors sufficient."

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