Κλύθί μευ, 'Αργυρότοξ, ὃς Χρύσην ἀμφιβέβηκας
Κίλλαν τε ζαθέην, Τενέδοιο τε ἶφι ἀνάσσεις.
Σμινθεῦ, εἴποτέ τοι χαρίεντ' ἐπὶ νηὸν ἔρεψα,

40 ἢ εἰ δή ποτέ τοι κατὰ πίονα μηρί ̓ ἔκηα

ταύρων ἠδ ̓ αἰγῶν, τόδε μοι κρήηνον ἐέλδωρ
τίσειαν Δαναοὶ ἐμὰ δάκρυα σοῖσι βέλεσσιν.

13

14

Ὣς ἔφατ' ευχόμενος· τοῦ δ ̓ ἔκλυε Φοίβος Απόλλων. βῆ δὲ κατ' Οὐλύμποιο καρήνων, χωόμενος κῆρ,

45 τόξ ̓ ὤμοισιν ἔχων ἀμφηρεφέα τε φαρέτρην,
ἔκλαγξαν δ ̓ ἄρ ̓ ὀϊστοὶ ἐπ ̓ ὤμων χωομένοιο
αὐτοῦ κινηθέντος· ὁ δ ̓ ἤτε νυκτὶ ἐοικώς.
ἕζετ ̓ ἔπειτ ̓ ἀπάνευθε νέων, μετὰ δ ̓ τὸν ἕηκεν·
δεινὴ δὲ κλαγγὴ γένετ' ἀργυρέοιο βιοῖο.

50 οὐρῆας μὲν πρῶτον ἐπώχετο καὶ κύνας ἀργούς
αὐτὰρ ἔπειτ ̓ αὐτοῖσι βέλος ἐχεπευκὲς ἐφιείς,
βάλ'· αἰεὶ δὲ πυραὶ νεκύων καίοντο θαμειαί.
ἐννῆμαρ μὲν ἀνὰ στρατόν ώχετο κῆλα θεοῖο.

"Lord of the flashing bow! who hast coursed round

Chrysa and holy Killa, and whose sway

O'er Tenedos is great, give ear to me.

If e'er for Thee, O God who gave that sign,
I've covered o'er with reeds a sightly church,
And if for Thee I've burned the fatted thighs
Of oxen and of goats, then grant me this,
This one especial wish-through shafts of thine
Let the Danaoi rue those tears of ours."

So prayed the priest; effulgent Light gave ear.
From ether's highest pinnacles He came,
Grieved in his heart, with bow and quiver cased
On shoulders; and, while grieved in heart He moved,
The arrows on those shoulders rattled loud,

And like to night He went. Then steering far,
Far off, He stayed his course, sent back a shaft—

And shrill the noise was of the silver bow.

Mules he shot first, and then the lazy hounds:

But pointing after this a venomed shaft,

He loosed it on themselves—and heaps of slain
Cremated were with intermission none.

For nine days went God's weapons through the troops.

17

18

19

OVID I., AMOR, IV.

Who is the "vir" of Ovid? Who the "domina"? Those were burning questions in the days of Augustus Caesar; and questions they have been for men of later ages whose widened. knowledge of "the Bridegroom" and "our Lady" should have suggested a train of thought leading to the right conclusion.

The first three of the Amores are more or less introductory of Ovid's true design and ambitious intent, with all the hopes and fears attached thereto. This, the fourth, begins the real work, brings upon the scene the "Vir" who was coming to feast with mankind, and is devoted to marking the Name of the heavenly Spouse.

Scheme: His picture is the initial verse,

Vir tuus est epulas nobis aditurus easdem.

Part of this ("Vir tuus est") is already finished; the rest is mere canvas, and two curtains hide the whole. Pulling them apart, he exposes "epulas nobis" to view, and begins the delightful task-the "dulce opus" (to use his own words).

(1) His first efforts are concentrated on making "the Bridegroom" stand forth from nobis, and "the Christian" from epulas (the christian woman who is supposed to read his poems-since epistles of an amatory nature could not well be addressed to a christian man), and on the mental resolution that he will ultimately enlarge "the Bridegroom" so as to embrace epulas.

This done, the left-hand curtain is flung back and we see "Christ, O christian, is thy Spouse."

(2) He then draws back the right hand curtain, enlarges
"the Bridegroom" so as to take in epulas nobis aditurus,
places "the christian" (full size) in the background of
easdem, lays down his brush, and presents for view,
"Thy Spouse is Jesus Christ, the Son of God, O chris-
tian."

There are quite a number of dialectical and allotropical changes, such as A for 0; 0 for V, A (or E); B for P, F, V; R for L (or V); CS for X. The divisional forms are also numerous, embracing those of A, E, B, P, D, R, T, M,S,K, and 0 (whether separate or tacked on to B, P, D, R).

Among the reunions will be noticed TV, VV (or their equivalents) for M (S,T or D); TI, DI,SI for A (or E); VV (or CC) for X; ICV and IOV for R; and IV for N.

Two other points in connection with this and other extracts demand attention. The first is the using of his own (or some other person's) name in order to concentrate attention on a picture. This practice dates from the time of Homer and was used by all the poets-not too often, though, nor too conspicuously, lest suspicion should be excited, as we learn from those lines of Ovid (1 Ars Amor. 585):

Tuta frequensque via est per amicum fallere nomen:
Tuta frequensque licet sit via crimen habet.
Inde procurator nimium quoque multa procurat,
Et sibi mandatis plura videnda putat.

It is a safe and beaten way to use

Deception through a friendly name: though safe
And beaten be that way, it has its fault.

Thence also gleans the spy too much, and thinks
That more than what is told him can be seen.

The second point is his covert allusion to Augustus Caesar. Such allusions are met with in Vergil, Horace and other writers of the period, and are too numerous and too pointed to leave any doubt regarding the true estimate placed upon the Roman Emperor by the literati of his day. They have dubbed him "the wolf," "the snake," "the hundred headed Cerberus," etc. Ovid, in this poem, dubs him, “the ruling darkness," and prophesies his punishment ("the darkness of Hades") in the world to come. It may be said here that, when fulsome flattery appears upon the surface of classic poetry in connection with Augustus, the words can always be construed differently-and not to Caesar's credit.

Vir tuus est epulas nobis aditurus easdem.
Ultima coena tuo sit precor illa viro:
Ergo ego dilectam tantum conviva puellam
Aspiciam; tangi quem juvet alter erit;
5 Alteriusque sinus apte subjecta fovebis;
Injiciat collo, cum volet, ille manum.
Desine mirari, posito quod candida vino
Atra cis ambiguos traxit in arma viros.

ΙΟ

I

Nec mihi silva domus, nec equo mea membra cohaerent: 3
Vix a te videor posse tenere manus.

Quae tibi sint facienda tamen cognosce; nec Euris
Da mea nec tepidis verba ferenda Notis.

Ante veni quam vir: nec quid, si veneris ante,
Possit agi video: sed tamen ante veni.

4

5

15 Cum premit ille torum, vultu comes ipsa modesto
Ibis ut accumbas: clam mihi tange pedem;
Me specta, nutusque meos vultumque loquacem.
Excipe furtivas, et refer ipsa, notas;
Verba superciliis sine voce loquentia dicam;

To selfsame feasts with us thy Bridegroom comes.
Let that repast the last be for thy Spouse:
Then as a guest I'll see the chosen maid;
Another there will be whom 'twill delight
To be close touched; and thou, when aptly couched,
Below him, wilt that other's bosom warm;
And, when He'll list, his hand will clasp thy throat.

From wond'ring cease that she, who looks so fair
With drink close by, has drawn from every side
Men using double speech for secret war.
And as for me-the forest's not my home,
Nor are my limbs incorporate with horse;
You see me able just to keep my hands.
Observe, howe'er, the things that thou must do;
And let my words be wasted not upon

The eastern winds or tepid southern blasts.

Come thou before the Spouse-nor know I what
If come thou should'st before Him, might betide!
But, still, come first. When he reclines his weight
Upon the couch, with sober aspect then
Thou'lt go as partner to recline with him:
Touch with furtive hand this foot for me;
Observe myself, my features, talking look.
Take private notes, and imitate thyself;
With eyebrows telling words I'll mutely speak;