THE METAMORPHOSES OF PUBLIUS OVIDIUS NASO

272 P. OVIDII NASONIS Lisa* IV.
Palmite mutantur: de stamine pampinus exit:
Purpura fulgorem pictis accommodat uvis.
Jamque dies txactus erat, tempusque subibat,
Q.uod tu nee tenebras, nee posses dicere lucem ;
Sed cum luce tamen dubiaj confinia noctis.
Tecta repente quati, pinguesque ardere videntur
Lampades, et rutilis collucere ignibus ffides ;
Falsaque sa;varum simulacra ululare ferarum.
Fumida jamdudum latitant per tecta sorores ;
Diverssque locis ignes ac lumina vitant.
125
1SS. Sorores jamdil-
dum lat taut per fumi-
loU da tectn, diversxqne
Dumque petunt latebras ; parvos membrana per artus iumrnJ 1""" 'gne* '*
Porrigitur, tenuique inducit brachia penna.
Nee, qua perdiderint veterem ratione figuram,
Scire sinunt tenebrs. Non illas pluma levavit:
Sustinucre tamen se perlucentibus alis. 135
Conataeque loqui, minimam pro corpore vocem
Emittunt; peraguntque leves stridore querelas;
Tectaque, non sylvas, celebrant; lucemque perossB
Nocte volant: seroque trahunt a vespere nomen.
NOT-ffi.
122. Purgura. The purple of the cloth |
gives its brightness to the red grapes that
make their appearance in the webs.
128. Falsa simulacra: false forms. Bac
chus caused vain apparitions of wild beasts
to move through the house.
128. Ferarum. Tigers, lynxes, panthers,
&c. Oppian, in his Cynegeties, says that
the panthers were formerly Bacchae, and
retaining their ancient fondness for wine,
are the most readily taken by placing it
where they can drink until they are in
toxicated.
129. Latitant sorores. The sisters con
ceal themselves through terror.
131. Membrana. A thin skin which en
tirely covers the uody of the bat.
134. Non pluma levavit. Feathers did
not bear them up into the air, but cartila
ginous wings.
136. Pro corpore: vrhen compared with
the body.
were Pyramus and Thisbe ?
Where did they live ? Was Babylon a
remarkable city ?
By whom was Babylon built ?
What impediment was there to the union
of Pyramus and Thisbe ?
How were they accustomed to converse ?
What appointment did they make ?
Who came first to ihe place of meeting?
138. Tecta celebrant. BatB frequent barns
and houses.
138. Lucemque peroscs: hating the light.
The moral application of the metamorpho
sis of the Minyc'ides is excellent. The
profane and irreligious who fly from the
light of truth, and love the darkness of
error, are appropriately represented as
changed into bats, animals that come out
at night. So the Evangelist:
Light is come into the world, and men loved
darkness rather than light, because their deeds
were evil. For every one that doethevil./ialefA
tht light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds
should be reproved. ST. JOHN iii. 19, 20.
139. Vespere. Bats are called vesperti-
Hones, from vesper, evening, because they
fly in the twilight and night. From the
similarity to tela, a web, which the latter
part of vfspcrtilio exhibits, may have
arisen the ideft of their being weavers who
were changed to bats.
QU^ESTIONES.
What happened to her as she came ?
What induced Pyramus to suppose
Thisbe was killed ?
What did he do in consequence ?
Did Thisbe arrive before he expired ?
When she perceived ihe cause of his
death, what did she do ?
What petition did »he make before her
death ?
FABULA II. METAMORPHOSEON.
Did her parents grant her request ?
What change took -place in the tree be
neath which they lay ?
How many kinds of mulberry-trees are
there ?
Do white mulberry-trees ever bear black
fruit?
Might this have given rise to the fiction ?
After the Minye'ides had ended their
relation, what took place ?
85
273
What sounds were heard?
What took place in the webs that they
were engaged upon ? '
What apparitions were seen ?
veTdeaf hanee took place m lhe Min
'hey 6aid * be into
At n* t ,- J de.rivat!on of VeBpertiliol
At what time do bats come out f
r