The Works of Tibullus Containing his Love-Elegies. Translated by Mr Dart. To which is added, The Life of the Author; with Observations on the Original Design of Elegiack Verse; and the Characters of the most Celebrated Greek, Latin and English Elegiack Poets |
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| I. |
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| II. |
| III. |
| IV. |
| V. | ELEGY V. |
| VI. |
| VII. |
| VIII. |
| IX. |
| X. |
| II. |
| I. |
| II. |
| III. |
| IV. |
| V. |
| VI. |
| III. |
| I. |
| II. |
| III. |
| IV. |
| V. |
| VI. |
| VII. |
| IV. |
| IV. |
| II. |
| III. |
| IV. |
| V. |
| VI. |
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| X. |
| XI. |
| XII. |
| XIII. |
| XIV. |
 | The Works of Tibullus |  |
ELEGY V.
To bear our parting I when angry swore,
But now my boasted Courage is no more;
I'm hurry'd like a Top which Boys for Sport,
Lash on the Pavement of some level Court;
Do rage and tame my Proud licentious Tongue,
And teach me patiently to bear my wrong;
Yet spare I beg you, by thy conscious Bed,
By Venus and by our united Head.
I when with Sickness spent, you Fainting lay
Your Beauties to the pale Disease a Prey,
With Pray'rs unweary'd did the Gods appease,
And snatch'd you dying from the dire Disease;
My self with Sulphur purify'd you round,
Whilst the old Woman grov'ling on the Ground,
With Incantations the Lustration bound;
Least in your Sleep pernicious Dreams should steal,
I made the Off'ring of the salted Meal;
In Linnen veil'd my Head with Fillets bound,
And Garments loosly flowing on the Ground;
In Midnight hours when silence reign'd below,
I made to Trivia Three times Thrice my Vow;
All dues I paid, yet now another shares,
The sweet Effects of all my labour'd Pray'rs;
But now my boasted Courage is no more;
I'm hurry'd like a Top which Boys for Sport,
Lash on the Pavement of some level Court;
29
And teach me patiently to bear my wrong;
Yet spare I beg you, by thy conscious Bed,
By Venus and by our united Head.
I when with Sickness spent, you Fainting lay
Your Beauties to the pale Disease a Prey,
With Pray'rs unweary'd did the Gods appease,
And snatch'd you dying from the dire Disease;
My self with Sulphur purify'd you round,
Whilst the old Woman grov'ling on the Ground,
With Incantations the Lustration bound;
Least in your Sleep pernicious Dreams should steal,
I made the Off'ring of the salted Meal;
In Linnen veil'd my Head with Fillets bound,
And Garments loosly flowing on the Ground;
In Midnight hours when silence reign'd below,
I made to Trivia Three times Thrice my Vow;
All dues I paid, yet now another shares,
The sweet Effects of all my labour'd Pray'rs;
30
But I, if you recover'd Health again,
Fancy'd this happy Scheme of Life, in vain.
I'll to the Country and my Delia there,
Will make my Corn and Garden-Fruits her Care;
Or watch the heap'd up clusters of my Vines
Stand by the Vat and see 'em press the Wines;
Tunn'd up with care the frothy Liquor see,
And save the choicest of the Juice for me;
To count my Sheep she will her time employ,
Or dandle on her Knee the pratling Boy;
She'll Offer to the Pow'rs that guard the Fields,
For Vines the Clusters that my Vineyard yields;
For yellow Harvests bearded Sheaves preferr,
And rural Banquets for my fleecy Care;
She shall intirely govern all Affairs,
Whilst I am pleas'd to be excus'd from Cares;
Hither Messala'll come, whom Delia'll please,
With Fruits Selected from my choicest Trees;
Use all the sweetest Carriage that she can
To show Respect to the illustrious Man;
Her self, with busie Hands, prepare the Treat,
Proud to attend him while he sits at Meat:
With such Designs I strove my self to please,
And fill'd my Head with fancy'd Joys like these.
But now, no more alas, those Hopes I mind,
Tost by the Air, and scatter'd in the Wind.
Fancy'd this happy Scheme of Life, in vain.
I'll to the Country and my Delia there,
Will make my Corn and Garden-Fruits her Care;
Or watch the heap'd up clusters of my Vines
Stand by the Vat and see 'em press the Wines;
Tunn'd up with care the frothy Liquor see,
And save the choicest of the Juice for me;
To count my Sheep she will her time employ,
Or dandle on her Knee the pratling Boy;
She'll Offer to the Pow'rs that guard the Fields,
For Vines the Clusters that my Vineyard yields;
For yellow Harvests bearded Sheaves preferr,
And rural Banquets for my fleecy Care;
She shall intirely govern all Affairs,
Whilst I am pleas'd to be excus'd from Cares;
Hither Messala'll come, whom Delia'll please,
With Fruits Selected from my choicest Trees;
31
To show Respect to the illustrious Man;
Her self, with busie Hands, prepare the Treat,
Proud to attend him while he sits at Meat:
With such Designs I strove my self to please,
And fill'd my Head with fancy'd Joys like these.
But now, no more alas, those Hopes I mind,
Tost by the Air, and scatter'd in the Wind.
Oft have I strove with Wine to drown my Cares,
But powerful Grief converts the Juice to Tears:
Oft for another have my Passion nurst,
In hopes to drown the Mem'ry of the first;
But when I'd rais'd my Passion to the height,
Just ready to receive the wish'd delight,
Venus straight Images my Delia's Charms,
And leaves me languid in the Woman's Arms;
Then springing from the Bed the angry Fair
Says I'm devoted by some Woman's Pray'r;
And so I am, but 'tis by Delia's Charms,
Her Neck, her flowing Hair, and winding Arms;
So on rein'd Dolphins thro' the azure Sea,
To mighty Peleus, Thetis took her way.
But powerful Grief converts the Juice to Tears:
Oft for another have my Passion nurst,
In hopes to drown the Mem'ry of the first;
But when I'd rais'd my Passion to the height,
Just ready to receive the wish'd delight,
Venus straight Images my Delia's Charms,
And leaves me languid in the Woman's Arms;
Then springing from the Bed the angry Fair
Says I'm devoted by some Woman's Pray'r;
32
Her Neck, her flowing Hair, and winding Arms;
So on rein'd Dolphins thro' the azure Sea,
To mighty Peleus, Thetis took her way.
But that which chiefly moves me to despair,
Is that a wealthy Fool enjoys my Fair:
While some vile Bawd has brought the Plot to bear.
As for the Bawd, may Carion fill her Board,
And bloody Morsels baneful Meals afford;
May she with gory Lips attempt the Cup
Of Gall, and quaff the bitter Potion up;
May Ghosts surround her with their hollow cries,
And Owls, and Ravens fright her from the Skies;
May she of ev'ry kind of Food bereft,
Rob Graves, and gnaw the Bones that Wolves have left;
May she run Naked, howling up and down,
And barking Hell-hounds course her through the Town;
This be her Fate, this may the Gods approve,
For surely there are Pow'rs that favour Love;
And Venus will espouse her Vot'ry's Cause,
And rage at the Infringement of her Laws.
Is that a wealthy Fool enjoys my Fair:
While some vile Bawd has brought the Plot to bear.
As for the Bawd, may Carion fill her Board,
And bloody Morsels baneful Meals afford;
May she with gory Lips attempt the Cup
Of Gall, and quaff the bitter Potion up;
May Ghosts surround her with their hollow cries,
And Owls, and Ravens fright her from the Skies;
May she of ev'ry kind of Food bereft,
Rob Graves, and gnaw the Bones that Wolves have left;
May she run Naked, howling up and down,
And barking Hell-hounds course her through the Town;
33
For surely there are Pow'rs that favour Love;
And Venus will espouse her Vot'ry's Cause,
And rage at the Infringement of her Laws.
But you, my Dear, the Bawd's Directions hate;
Take care of Gold, 'tis a perswasive Bait.
Let the poor Lover be thy near Ally'd,
Still at thy Hand, and faithful to thy Side;
He'll close your Arm, his cautious Hand display,
And lead you safely through the crouded Way:
Wou'd you another Man's Embraces meet,
He'll bear it, nay untie your sandal'd Feet.
Alas, in vain I sing, my Words are vain,
Nothing will force the Door but pow'rful Gain.
Take care of Gold, 'tis a perswasive Bait.
Let the poor Lover be thy near Ally'd,
Still at thy Hand, and faithful to thy Side;
He'll close your Arm, his cautious Hand display,
And lead you safely through the crouded Way:
Wou'd you another Man's Embraces meet,
He'll bear it, nay untie your sandal'd Feet.
Alas, in vain I sing, my Words are vain,
Nothing will force the Door but pow'rful Gain.
But you who now possess the treach'rous Fair,
Suspect your Footing, and by me beware:
For light fantastick Fortune never still,
Nor constant, swiftly drives the rolling Wheel.
Ev'n at this time that busie Fellow waits
With some Design, and lurks before the Gates;
Now this, now that way casts his watchful Eyes.
And if discover'd, in Confusion flies,
And feigns to pass the Door in wond'rous Haste,
And hurries back again as soon as past;
Impatiently expects the close Amour,
And hem's to give the Signal at the Door.
I know not what to think of these Affairs,
But sure inventive Love some Plot prepares;
Endeavour to secure the Time you have,
Your Pinnace floats on an uncertain Wave.
Suspect your Footing, and by me beware:
For light fantastick Fortune never still,
Nor constant, swiftly drives the rolling Wheel.
34
With some Design, and lurks before the Gates;
Now this, now that way casts his watchful Eyes.
And if discover'd, in Confusion flies,
And feigns to pass the Door in wond'rous Haste,
And hurries back again as soon as past;
Impatiently expects the close Amour,
And hem's to give the Signal at the Door.
I know not what to think of these Affairs,
But sure inventive Love some Plot prepares;
Endeavour to secure the Time you have,
Your Pinnace floats on an uncertain Wave.
| The Works of Tibullus | |