With terrors round, can reason hold her throne, 310 In spite of witches, devils, dreams, and fire? Canst thou endure a foe, forgive a friend? Or will you think, my friend! your bus'ness done, 319 Learn to live well, or fairly make your will; You've play'd, and lov'd, and ate, and drank your fill. Walk sober off, before a sprightlier age Comes titt'ring on, and shoves you from the stage: 325 Leave such to trifle with more grace and ease Whom folly pleases, and whose follies please. 327 Ambitione? caret mortis formidine et ira? Lenior et melior fis accedente senecta? Lusisti satis, edisti satis, atque bibisti; HORACE, BOOK IV. ODE 1. TO VENUS. AGAIN new tumults in my breast? Ah, spare me, Venus! let me, let me rest! I am not now, alas! the man As in the gentle reign of my queen Anne. Nor circle sober fifty with thy charms. Turn, turn, to willing hearts your wanton fires; 5 There spread round Murray, all your blooming loves; HOR. LIB. IV. ODE I. AD VENEREM. INTERMISSA Venus diu, Rursus bella moves? parce, precor, precor. Non sum qualis eram bonæ Sub regno Cynaræ. desine, dulcium Mater sæva Cupidinum, Circa lustra decem flectere mollibus Jam durum imperiis. abi Quo blandæ juvenum te revocant preces. 11 Noble and young, who strikes the heart With ev'ry sprightly, ev'ry decent part; To charm the mistress, or to fix the friend: Shall stretch thy conquests over half the kind: Make but his riches equal to his wit. 15 Then shall thy form the marble grace, (Thy Grecian form) and Chloe lend the face; His house, embosom'd in the grove, 20 Sacred to social life, and social love, Where Thames reflects the visionary scene; Tempestivius in domo Pauli, purpureis ales oloribus, Si torrere jecur quæris idoneum : Late signa feret militiæ tuæ. Et, quandoque potentior Largis muneribus riserit æmuli, Albanas prope te lacus Ponet marmoream sub trabe citrea. Thither the silver-sounding ly res Shall call the smiling Loves and young Desires; 25 There ev'ry Grace and Muse shall throng, There youths and nymphs, in consort gay, Shall hail the rising, close the parting day. 30 With me, alas! those joys are o'er; For me the vernal garlands bloom no more. The still-believing, still renew'd desire! Illic plurima naribus Duces thura; lyræ et Berecynthiæ Delectabere tibiæ Mistis carminibus, non sine fistula. Illic bis pueri die Numen cum teneris virginibus tuum Laudantes, pede candido In morem Salium ter quatient humum. Me nec fœmina, nec puer Jam, nec spes animi credula mutui, Nec vincire novis tempora floribus. 35 Why words so flowing, thoughts so free, Stop, or turn nonsense, at one glance of thee? 40 Absent I follow thro' th' extended dream; Now, now I seize, I clasp thy charms, And now you burst (ah, cruel!) from my arms! Sed cur, heu! Ligurine, cur Manat rara meas lacryma per genas? Cur facunda parum decoro Inter verba cadit lingua silentio ? Nocturnis te ego somniis Jam captum teneo, jam volucrem sequor Te per gramina Martii Campi, te per aquas, dure, volubiles. |