Ut jam vetula, petulantiæ & libidini modum conftituat.

UXOR pauperis Ibyci,

Tandem nequitiæ fige modum tuæ,

Famofifque laboribus.

Maturo propior define funeri

Inter ludere virgines,

Et ftellis nebulam fpargere candidis.

Non, fi quid Pholoën fatis,

Et te, Chlori, dicet. Filia rectius

PROSE INTERPRETATION.

O wife of that poor man Ibycus! at laft put an end to your naughtiness, and your works of ill fame; ceafe, now nearer to your timely funeral, to play amongst the virgins, and to intermix a cloud amidst the bright ftars. If any thing becomes Pholoe fufficiently, it does not you, Chloris, in like

manner;

That now being old, fhe would fet fome bounds to her impudence and lafciviousness.

POOR Ibycus his wife,

At length, methinks, 'tis time To quit your wicked life,

And each flagitious crime:

You should the better, fure, behave,
Now you are verging on the grave.
Sure now you should defift,

Amidst the brilliant stars,

To spread a gloomy mist:

For decency debars

That 'mongst the maidens you

Like Pholoe the young and gay.

B 2

should play,

Expugnat juvenum domos,

Pulfo Thyas uti concita tympano. Illam cogit amor Nothi

Lafcivæ fimilem ludere capreæ: prope nobilem

Te lanæ

Tonfæ Luceriam, non citharæ, decent, Nec flos purpureus rofæ,

Nec poti vetulam fæce tenus cadi.

PROSE INTERPRETATION.

manner; your daughter more excufably ftorms the dwellings of the young men, like the Thyad roufed by the timbrel that is beat upon. Her the love of Nothus makes to gambol about like a wanton fhe-goat. The wool fhorn near the noble Lu

ceria

?

Your daughter, with less shame,

May roufe up our young rakes, While Bacchanalian dame

Her timbrel fhe awakes;

The love of Nothus makes her brisk,
Like goat upon the hill to frifk.
The fair Lucerian fleece

Not rofy wreathes to twine,
Nor harps are of a piece

With fuch an age as thine;

Nor should an antiquated hag

E'er boaft of an exhausted cag.

PROSE INTERPRETATIO N,

ceria befeems you now an old lady, not minstrels, nor the purple flower of the rofe, nor hogfheads drank off even unto the dregs.

AD MECENATEM,

'Auro omnia patent. Horatius vero contentus eft fuâ forte, unde beatus exiftit.

INCLUSAM Danaën turris ahenea,
Robuftæque fores, & vigilum canum
Triftes excubiæ munierant fatis

Nocturnis ab adulteris:

Si non Acrifium, virginis abditæ
Cuftodem pavidum, Jupiter & Venus
Rififfent: fore enim tutum iter & patens,
Converfo in precium deo.

'Aurum per medios ire fatellites,
Et perrumpere amat faxa, potentius
Ictu fulmineo. Concidit auguris
Argivi domus, ob lucrum

Demerfa excidio. Diffidit urbium

Portas vir Macedo, & fubruit æmulos
Reges muneribus. Munera navium
Sævos illaqueant duces.

PROSE INTERPRETATION.

A tower of brafs and oaken doors, and the doleful vigils of watchful dogs, had fufficiently fecured the imprifoned Danae from nightly fornicators, had not Jupiter and Venus derided. Acrifius, the timorous keeper of the fecreted maid, conscious that the way would be fafe and open, the god being transformed into the price of his pleasures. Gold is fond of penetrating through the midnight guard, and to break through ftone-walls, more powerful than the ftroke of thunder. The houfe of the Argive prophet fell immersed in perdition for the fake of gain. The Macedonian hero burst the gates of cities

in