7. Here a Naso, unskilled (inscius) with the lyre without the glory (inglorius) of time,

8. A Caesar, who does not violate (partic.) treaties by the forbidden stream.

Exercise 66

Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard, Continued

Th' applause of listening senates to command,
The threats of pain and ruin to despise,
To scatter plenty o'er a smiling land,
And read their history in a nation's eye-

Their lot forbade: nor circumscribed alone
Their growing virtues, but their crimes confined:
Forbade to wade through slaughter to a throne,
And shut the gates of mercy on mankind.

The struggling pangs of conscious truth to hide,
To quench the blushes of ingenuous shame,
Or heap the shrine of luxury and pride,
With incense kindled at the Muse's flame.

HINTS. 1. To sway the mind of a senate, hanging on his lips (sing.);

2. To scorn severe threats and the penalty (damna) of pain, 3. To scatter gifts with lavish hand (plenu cornu) among nations,

4. To read (scribo, passive); eyes (vultus).

5, 6. Was denied by lot to these; nor did the fates who were envious of their virtues (dative) allow (dare viam) their crimes,

7. But forbade (them) to lay (infero) blood-stained hands upon a throne,

8. And to hasten the ruin of mankind (genus, dat.); 9. To bury noble thoughts within a troubled breast, 10. To struggle lest ingenuous shame should mark the lips,

11, 12. Or to bring to the altars of proud wealth, heapedhigh (accus.) for shame! the gifts of frankincense (adj.) of the Aonian choir.

Exercise 67

Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard, Continued

Far from the madding crowd's ignoble strife,
Their sober wishes never learned to stray;
Along the cool sequestered vale of life,
They kept the noiseless tenor of their way.

Yet e'en these bones from insult to protect,
Some frail memorial still erected nigh,

With uncouth rhyme and shapeless sculpture decked,
Implores the passing tribute of a sigh.

HINTS. 1. Far from ignoble strife and forensic suits (sing.), 2. Each one peacefully made (conficio) his way;

3. Through the pleasant paths (ambages) of life in a sheltered (reductus) vale,

4. They passed (carpo) their days in peace (adj.) and without a fault.

5. Yet, that these bones be untouched by unholy steps (sing.), 6. A memorial (urna memor) of fragile marble is erected, 7, 8. Which in uncouth verse and figures sculptured without art, often bids the traveller to stand (and) weep.

Exercise 68

Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard, Continued

Their names, their years, spelt by th' unlettered muse,
The place of fame and elegy supply:

And many a holy text around she strews,

That teach the rustic moralist to die.

For who to dumb forgetfulness a prey,
This pleasing anxious being e'er resigned,

Left the warm precincts of the cheerful day,
Nor cast one longing lingering look behind?

On some fond breast the parting soul relies,
Some pious drops the closing eye requires;
E'en from the tomb the voice of nature cries,
E'en in our ashes live their wonted fires.

HINTS. 1. The bard, rude in his art, designating their name and years,

2. Can supply whatever they need of praise.

3. And scattering about many a thought from the sacred text, shows

4. What advantage it is for the rustic to live, or what to die.

5, 6. For why should you wish, be you ever unmindful of the past (priora), to have laid aside the delights of a careworn spirit ?

7. Who (ecquis) has deserted the confines of the joyous day,

8. And has not borne to the upper shores a countenance that turned back (reflexus)?

9. Breast (gremium); omit "some."

10. The last hour claims its tear (lacrimula),

11. Even (vel) from the tomb of death (adj.) does nature cry out,

12. Even in our ashes (rogus, sing.) though worn-out (adj.) the living (redivivus) fire still burns.

Exercise 69

Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard, Continued

For thee, who, mindful of th' unhonored dead,
Dost in these lines their artless tale relate,
If chance, by lonely contemplation led,
Some kindred spirit shall inquire thy fate, -

Haply some hoary-headed swain may say,
“Oft have we seen him at the peep of dawn
Brushing with hasty steps the dews away,

To meet the sun upon the upland lawn;

HINTS. 1. But as for thee, mindful of the numbers (turba) at rest (iacens) without honor,

2. Whom it pleases to thus relate (cano, perf. inf.) their artless tales (vices),

3. If perchance a stranger (line 4) grieving for thee (accus.), led by the same feeling,

4. Should seek what was thy fate (pl.) also (et),

5. Perchance an old man whose (dat.) brow (is) white with snow (nive sparsus capillis) may say :—

6. Him (iuvenis); peep of dawn (novus dies); place ire in this line.

7. With hasty step, brushing (quatior) the dew (pl.) from the sward,

8. That he might stand upon the highest ridges at sunrise (abl. absol.).

Exercise 70

Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard, Continued

“There at the foot of yonder nodding beech,
That wreathes its old fantastic roots so high,
His listless length at noon-tide would he stretch,
And pore upon the brook that babbles by.

"Hard by yon wood, now smiling as in scorn,
Muttering his wayward fancies he would rove;
Now drooping, woeful wan, like one forlorn,

Or crazed with care or crossed in hopeless love.

HINTS. 1. "There where the beech stands with lightly nodding (nom.) crest (abl.),

2. Whose trunk, fantastically (mire) twisted, rises from the ground,

3. Stretched out on the soft grass beneath the summer sun, 4. He was wont to receive (capto, imperf.) the gentle murmur of the babbling water.

5. He (ille) wandering by the wood, and marked by his bitter smile,

6. Muttered doubtful sounds, his inmost thoughts (corda), 7. Or miserable and wan, he went along (se agere) unaccompanied,

8. Like to a madman, or (one) whom love has deceived.

Exercise 71

Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard, Continued

"One morn I missed him on the accustomed hill,
Along the heath, and near his favorite tree;

Another came; nor yet beside the rill,

Nor up the lawn, nor at the wood was he;

"The next with dirges due in sad array

Slow through the church-way path we saw him borne,—
Approach and read (for thou canst read), the lay
Graved on the stone beneath yon aged thorn."

HINTS. 1. "On a certain morning, when I sought (partic. dat.) the well-known heights of the hill,

2. The guest of the tree and the accustomed field was missing; 3. Another sun (lux) rises; neither by the stream, ("open comes in this line)

4. Nor yet in the open (line 3) field nor (in) the wood (accus.) was he present.

5. The third (fem.) came; we hear weeping and then

6. We see the sad journey of his body (funus) as it is borne along (elatus),

7. Read, for (namque) thou canst, upon the tomb his written lay (pl.)

8. Advancing (perf. part.) under the aged thorn, where (stands) that stone."