TO POMPONIUS NUMIDA.

For whofe return from Spain, he rejoices with much exula

tation.

WITH the fweet cenfer and the lyre,

And fatted calf upon the facred fire,

The tutelary Gods we bless,

That we our Numida once more carefs ;
Who fafe and found from fartheft Spain,
Dear to a thousand friends, is come again
And yet to none fuch love he bears,
With none the fond embrace fo warmly shares,
As with lov'd Lamia, mindful still

That they were form'd by one preceptor's skill,
And both together chang'd their gown-
Set the good day in white memorials down;
The ready cask by no means fpare,
Nor let your feet the morrice-dance forbear.
Yet Damalis the tippler check,

Left Baffus fhe out-drink-the table deck
With store of parsley, many a rose
And lily, that in tranfient sweetness blows.

PROSE INTERPRETATION.

tion. Let there be no prescription refpecting the ready jar, nor, after the manner of the Salians, let there be any reft of footing it: nor let the tippling Damalis exceed Baffus in toffing off the Thracian cup; nor let there be roses wanting to the good cheer, nor ever-green parfley, nor fhort bloom

VOL. I.

K

ing

Omnes in Damalin putres

Deponent oculos: nec Damalis novo

Divelletur adultero,

Lafcivis ederis ambitiofior.

PROSE INTERPRETATION.

ing lily. All will fix their putrid eyes on Damalis but she, more ambitious than the luxuriant ivy, will not be forced from her new cully.

ODE

They all will turn their putrid eyes
On Damalis, who will not quit her prize;
But her new conqueft hugs in hold,
As the ambitious ivies the tall oak infold.

Quos hortatur ad indulgendum genio ob victoriam Alliacam.

NUNC eft bibendum, nunc pede libero

Pulfanda tellus: nunc Saliaribus

Ornare pulvinar deorum

Tempus erat dapibus fodales.
Antehac nefas depromere Cæcubum
Cellis avitis, dum Capitolio
Regina dementes ruinas,
Funus & imperio parabat,
Contaminato cum grege turpium
* Morbo virorum: quidlibet impotens
Sperare, fortunâque dulci

Ebria. Sed minuit furorem

Vix una fofpes navis ab ignibus:
Mentemque lymphatam Mareotico
Redegit in veros timores

Cæfar, ab Italiâ volantem

Remis adurgens (accipiter velut

Molles columbas, aut leporem citus

Legendum (opinor) orbo virorum. S.

PROSE INTERPRETATION.

O my companions, now we must drink, now the ground must be beaten with a free foot: now was the proper time to adorn the couch of the Gods with Salian banquets. Before this it was a fin to draw out the old Cæcuban, the cellars of our ancestors, while the queen (Cleopatra) with a vitiated crew of base emafculated fellows, was preparing wild ruin

for

TO HIS COMPANIONS.

Whom he invites to indulge their geniuses on occafion of the victory at Allium.

To

O drink and dance with all the glee

Of men that find their country free

Now, now's the time- now deck the hallow'd fhrine,

Like Mars his active priests, and make the temple fine.
Before it was no lawful thing

The long-kept Cæcuban to bring,
While for th' imperial capitol the queen
Ruin and wrath prepar'd, and every deadly fcene,

With her contaminated train

Of eunuchs, arrogant and vain,

In hopes to compass every point at last, Drunk with a long fuccefs, and her good fortune paft. But now her rage is fomewhat tame,

Since fcarce a ship escap'd the flame,

And, tho' at large the Egyptian grape fhe fwill'd, With real horrors now her frantic foul is fill'd. For as from Italy fhe flies,

His urgent oar Auguftus plies,

PROSE INTERPRETATION.

for the capitol, and deftruction for the empire, being weak enough to expect any thing, and drunk with the sweets of good fortune, But hardly a fingle fhip, faved from the flames, has leffened her fury, and Cæfar reduced her mind, maddened with Egyptian wine, to real fears urging her, as he fled from Italy, with his oars (as the hawk the tender doves

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