AMOR INERMIS. At revocans animos, fraudem sub pectore versat, Tum solvens zonam, pueri per brachia ducit, Sopitum lædunt divum nova vincula; Somne, Ter filum vano tentat diffringere nisu, 77 Ter frustra ad celerem tenditur ala fugam. Et trepidam quatiens pennam, cum fletibus inquit, Fortunæ ignoscas, blanda puella, meæ ; Ignoscas, si cæcum, inquit, me devius error Duxerit ad pectus, candida virgo, tuum : Devius error erat certe ; namque heu ! bene norâm, Quod sedes illic non habiturus eram. Dimittas captivum, oro; qui nil tibi, nympha, est Molitus, certe nil tibi, nympha, mali. Nec scio, nec me scire juvat, cui rettulit illa, Non mihi, quæ latebræ, quæ sint habitacula, curæ est, At non dimittam; neque enim tibi credo; parabas Nam certe insidias, insidiasque mihi. Virgineum quæ curæ urgent tibi pectus inanes! 78 CHLOE HUNTING, Agreed! secure my virgin heart; The God disarm'd, e'er since that day, E'er since that day, the beauteous maid, Gives grief, or pleasure; spares, or kills. CHLOE HUNTING. PRIOR. BEHIND her neck her comely tresses tied, Her i. 'ry quiver graceful by her side, A hunting Chloe went : she lost her way, CHLOE VENATRIX. Virgineum defende meum de vulnere pectus, Et mihi des arcus, et mihi tela lubens : Se deus hinc lusu puerili exercet inermis, Hinc arcus pharetramque gerens funestaque tela, CHLOE VENATRIX. FORTE Chloe, pulchros nodo collecta capillos Post collum, pharetraque latus succincta decora, Venatrix ad sylvam ibat; cervumque secuta Elapsum visu, deserta per avia tendit 79 80 CHLOE HUNTING. Apollo passing by, beheld the maid; And, Sister dear, bright Cynthia, turn, he said: Go, with thy Cynthia, hurl the pointed spear At the rough boar, or chace the flying deer: I and my Chloe take a nobler aim: At human hearts we fling, nor ever miss the game. PRIOR. CHLOE VENATRIX. Incerta. Errantem nympham conspexit Apollo, 81 Improbus hæc audivit Amor, lepidumque cac hin num Attollens, Poterantne etiam tua numina falli ? Hinc quæso, bone Phoebe, tuam dignosce sororem, Et melius venerare meam. Tua Cynthia longe Mæandri ad ripas, aut summi in vertice Latmi, Versatur; nostra est soror hæc, nostra, inquit, amica est: Hæc nostros promit calamos, arcumque sonantem Meque Chloenque manet; nos corda humana feri mus, Vibrantes certum vulnus, nee inutile telum. 1 |