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by an odd syllable, the last foot being always a trochee, while most of the other feet are liable to the same variations as the feet in iambic measures; as,

Pulchrius multō pă|räri | quam cre|ārī | nōbi|lēm.

Auson.

Dănăi des colitě | vēstrās | hic dilēs quæ rīt mănūs.

Seneca.

28. The Sapphic verse, invented by the poetess Sappho, consists of five feet, the first a trochee, the second a spondee and sometimes a trochee, the third a dactyle, and the fourth and fifth trochees; as,

Cæteris major tibi | miles impăr.

Horat.

The strophe or stanza, in which Sappho composed her verses, consists of three Sapphic verses followed by an adonic: its elegance and sweetness made it popular among the Latin poets, and caused it to be often introduced into their elegiac verses.

29. The Phalacian or hendecasyllabic verse consists of five feet, the first of which is generally a spondee, though it is sometimes an iambus or a trochee, the second a dactyle, and the three others trochees; as,

Non est vivěrě | sēd vă lērě | vită.

Martial.

30. The trochaic dimeter consists of four feet, the first and two last of which are always trochees, and the second a trochee, spondee, dactyle, or anapest; as,

Non făcit quod | ōptăt | ipse

Ore torvō commi|nāntes.

CHORIAMBIC MEASURES.

Boeth.

31. The choriambic pentameter consists of a spondee, three choriambi, and an iambus; as,

Ætās carpe diem | quam minimum | credŭlă pōstěrō. Horat.

32. The choriambic tetrameter consists of three choriambi or feet of equal length, followed by a bacchic; as, Omně němus cum fluviis | ōmně cănat profündüm.

Cui resērā tă mūgiūnt | aūrĕă claustră mundi.

Claud.

Serenus

33. The Alcaic epichoriambic tetrameter acatalectic con

sists of the second epitrit, two choriambi, and a bacchic; as, Tē děōs ōrō Sybărin | cur properēs | ǎmandō. Horat. 34. The Asclepiadic tetrameter, invented by the poet Asclepiades, consists of a spondee, two choriambi, and an iambus; as,

Mācēnās ǎtǎvis | ēdítě rēgibūs.

Horat.

The first foot of this verse is sometimes a dactyle; as,

Effugium ēt mísĕrōs | liberă mōrs | vocet. |

Seneca.

This method of scanning the Asclepiadic may be considered as the most correct: it has, however, been sometimes scanned in a different manner, the first foot being made a spondee, the second a dactyle followed by an odd syllable, and the last two feet dactyles; as,

Mæcē nās ǎtǎ vīs | ēdítě | rēgĭbūs.

Horat.

35. The choriambic trimeter or Glyconic consists of three feet, the first a spondee, an iambic, or a trochee, the second a choriambus, and the third an iambic; as,

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the Glyconic deprived of its final syllable, and sometimes having an anapest in the first foot; as,

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38. The ionic a majore or Sotadic consists of three ionics a majore and a spondee: the ionic feet are, however, frequently changed into dichorees, and a long syllable into two short syllables; as,

Vocalia quædam memo|rānt cōnsonă | quædām.

Terentian.

Hās cum gěmi na compědě | dedicat că tēnās,

Sātūrně, tibi Zōilūs, | ānnŭlōs pri|ōrēs.

Martial.

39. The ionic a minore consists of three or four feet, which are all ionics a minore; as,

Půĕr ālēs tibi tēlās opěrōsæ quě Minerva.

Horat.

COMPOUND METRES.

40. The greater Alcaic consists of two iambic feet, which are sometimes changed into spondees, and an odd syllable, followed by a choriambus and an iambus; as,

Vides ut alta | stēt nivě can dĭdūm,
Cœlestis ar cis nobilis in colā.

Horat.

41. The Archilochian heptameter consists of the dactylic tetrameter a priore, followed by three trochees; as,

Nunc děcětļaut viri|di niti dūm căpăt | impě dirě | mỹrto.

Horat.

42. The dactylico-trochaic tetrameter or lesser Alcaic con sists of two dactyles, followed by two trochees; as,

Lēviă personů|ērě | sāxă.

Horat.

The preceding account of the metres in the most common use among the Latin poets will, it is presumed, be found both compre hensive and accurate. The student, who is desirous of more extensive information on this subject, may consult with advantage Carey's Latin Prosody.

In their lyric compositions, the Latin poets seldom confined themselves to one species of verse, but, for the sake of greater variety and harmony, they generally introduced two, and sometimes three different measures into the same ode. This change of metre is found in almost all the lyrics of Horace, and has contributed much to the beauty of his poetry.

The first thirty of the following exercises are designed to be scanned; the succeeding thirty-four require the order of the words to be changed, in order to the lines being formed into verses; the remaining exercises are intended to be translated. The figures prefixed to the exercises refer to the metres of the verses contained in them.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

EXERCISES

No. 8.

Haud sic magni conditor orbis ;
Huic ex alto cuncta tuenti
Nullâ terræ mole resistunt,
Non nox atris nubibus obstat.
No. 9.

Gratiùs astra nitent, ubi Notus
Desinit imbriferos dare sonos;
Lucifer ut tenebras pepulerit,
Pulchra dies roseos agit equos.
No. 16.

Somnos dabat herba salubris,
Potum quoque lubricus amnis,
Umbras altissima pinus;
Nondum maris alta secabat.

No. 31.

Tu ne quæsîeris scire, nefas, quem mihi, quem tibi
Finem dî dederint, Leuconoë; nec Babylonios
Tentáris numeros, ut melius, quidquid erit, pati;
Seu plures hyemes, seu tribuit Jupiter ultimam.
No. 1, 8.

Albus ut obscuro deterget nubila cœlo
Sæpè Notus, neque parturit imbres
Perpetuos, sic tu sapiens finire memento
Tristitiam vitæque labores.

No. 1, 13, 1, 13.

Diffugêre nives; redeunt jam gramina campis,
Arboribusque comæ ;

Mutat terra vices; et decrescentia ripas

Flumina prætereunt.

No. 1, 17, 1, 17.

Mella cavâ manant ex ilice; montibus altis
Levis crepante lympha desilit pede.
Illic injussæ veniunt ad mulctra capellæ,
Refertque tenta grex amicus ubera.

No. 17, 22, 17, 22.

Has inter epulas, ut juvat pastas oves
Videre properantes domum!

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

Videre fessos, vomerem inversum, boves,
Collo trahentes languido.

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Jam veris comites, quæ mare temperant,
Impellunt animæ lintea Thraciæ;
Jam nec prata rigent, nec fluvii strepunt
Hybernâ nive turgidi.

No. 35, 34.

Caris multa sodalibus,

Nulli plura tamen, dividit oscula,
Quàm dulci Lamiæ, memor

Actæ non alio rege puertiæ.

No. 28, 14.

Scandit æratas vitiosa naves

Cura, nec turmas equitum relinquit,
Ocior cervis, et agente nimbos

Ocior Euro.

No. 41, 21.

Solvitur acris hyems gratâ vice veris et Favonî;
Trahuntque siccas machinæ carinas;

Ac neque jam stabulis gaudet pecus, aut arator igni,
Nec prata canis albicant pruinis.

Cur neque militaris

No. 37, 33.

Inter æquales equitat; Gallica nec lupatis

Temperat ora frænis?

Cur timet flavum Tiberim tangere? cur olivum

No. 34, 34, 36, 35.

Vos Tempe totidem tollite laudibus,

Natalemque, mares, Delon Apollinis,

Insignemque pharetrâ

Fraternâque humerum lyrâ.

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