THE METAMORPHOSES OF PUBLIUS OVIDIUS NASO

182 P OVIDII NASONIS LIBER II
Incustoditoe Pylios memorantur in agros
Processisse boves: videt has Atlantide Maia
Natus ; et arte sua sylvis occultat abactas.
Senserat hoc furtum nemo, nisi notus in illo
Rure senex: Eattum vicinia lota vocabant.
Divitis hie saltus herbosaque pascua Nelei,
Nobiliumque greges custos servabat equarum.
Hunc timuit, blandaque manu seduxit; et, eja,
duisquis es, hospes, ait, si forte armenta requiret
Hsec aliquis, vidisse nega; neu gratia facto
Nulla rependatur, nitidam cape proemia vaccam ;
Et dedit. Accepta, voces has reddidit hospes ;
Tutus eas; lapis iste prius tua furta loquatur;
Et lapidem ostendit. Simulat Jove natus abire,
Mox redit: et, versa pariter.cum voce figura,
Rustice, vidisti si quas hoc limite dixit,
Ire boves; fer opem: furtoque silentia deme;
Juncta suo pretium dabitur tibi foemina tauro.
At senior, postquam inerces gcminata, sub illis
Montibus, inquit, crunt; et erant sub montibus illis.
Risk Atlantiades : et, Me mihi, perfide, prodis ?
Me mihi prodis ? ait: perjuraque pectora vertit
In durum silicem ; qui nunc quoque dicitur Index:
Inque nihil merito vetus est infamia saxo.
NOTJE.
9. Pylios. Pylos was a maritime city
of Messenia, built by Pyloa, king of Me-
gara. It was captured and held by Nele-
UB, the father of Nestor. It is now almost
in ruina. There were two other towns of
the same narqf in EHs.
10. Processisse; had advanced; had
wandered away.
11. Natus. Mercury, who was the son
of Jupiter by Maia, one of the daughters
of Atlas.
14. Arte suai by his art; by theft.
Mercury was the god of thieves.
Great lire-supporter, lo rejoice is thine,
In arts gymnastic, and in fraud divine.
ORPHEUS'S HYMN TO MEKCUKY
Artful and cunning to conceal
Whate'er in plajful theft you steal;
When from the cod, who gilds the pole,
Even } ct a boy, nis herds you stole.
With ongry look, t.he threotening power
Bude thee thy fr&udful prey restore,
But of his quiver, too, heguiled,
Tleased with the theft, Apollo smiled. HORACE.
14. Nelei. Nelcus was the father of
Nestor, king of Pylos.
16. Hunc timuit: he feared him. Mer
cury was apprehensive that Battus would
betray him.
18. Vidissf nega : deny that you have
seen them. When Mercury required of
Battus to lie on his account, it was hardly
to be expected that one so lost to principle
would keep faith with him.
10
15
20
25
1G. Mcreurius timuit
hunc, seduxitque
blanda manu, et ait,
eja hospes, quisquis
es.
20. VaccA accept^,
hospes reddidit has
voces: eas tutus; iste
lapis priiis loquatur
tua furta, et osiendit
lapidem.
27. At senior post-
quom merces est ge-
minala, inquit, erunt
sub illis montibus, et
erant sub illis monti-
30 bus.
19. Prasmia. The unprincipled, who
will accept bribes to commit crimes, or to
conceal them, are seldom to be trusted
when more tempting offers are addressed
to their cupidity, as was shown in the case
of Battus.
22. Simulat noire: he feigns to depart.
23. Versa fignra. Having changed his
form and his voice, that Battus might not
recognise him.
28. Et erant. Some writers, and among
them Erasmus, imagine that Battus was a
silly poet, who indulged in vain repetitions.
These reiterations are called lattologia.
The following are in this Fable:
Sub illis
Montibus, inquit, erunt, et erunt sub tnontibui
illis.
Et, me mihi, perfide, prodis?
Me mihi prodis?
29. Atlantiades. Mercury, the grandson
of Atlas.
Thou god of-wit, from Atlas sprung,
Wlio by persuusive power of tongue,
And graceful exercise refined
The savage race of human kind.—HORACE.
31. Index: touchstone. A stone called
by some Lydius lapis, which is used to try
the purity of gold. Tests of gold are now
made by assay, when a portiort of the me
tal is dissolved, and tried by acid.
32. Nihil merito: that deserves none
viz. no infamy.
FABULA X. METAMORPHOSEON.
Why did Apollo become a pastor ?
Whose herds did he attend?
What happened while he was solacing
himself with his pipe ?
Who witnessed the theft ?
What present did Mercury make him to
insure his silence ?
Did Mercury suspect his fidelity ?
How did he test his honesty ?
Did Battus yield to the temptation ?
What did Mercury do to him?
QUjESTIONES.
183
What is the touchstone ?
now is gold tested at present'
How does Homer explain the pastoral
character of Apollo?
Why was he said to feed flocks in
Pherse ?
Of what is Mercury the god ?
What moral does the story of Battus
teach ?
How do you interpret the transformation
of Battus?