A First Latin Reader/64

by Herbertus Chester Nutting

Herbert Chester Nutting

A First Latin Reader

Lesson 64
Unwelcome Visitors

1912

fons: librum vide

63. The Battle of Saratoga	65. The Boyhood of Daniel Boone

LESSON 64

Unwelcome Visitors

Britannī, cum iam iterum cum Americānīs gererent bellum pugnīsque nāvālibus^[1] saepe victī essent, postrēmō cōnstituērunt usque ad Lovīsiānam^[2] classem mittere, sī^[3] ibi fēlīcius rem gerere possent. Quārē appulsīs nāvibus ad eum locum, ubi in mare fertur^[4] flūmen maximum, quem^[5] Indī patrem aquārum vocābant, mīlitēs multī in lītus ēgressī praedia fīnitima explōrāre coepērunt.

Sīc factum est ut^[6] quīdam adulēscēns Americānus, quī in vīllā ōtiōsus hōrā dīeī ferē quārtā^[7] morābātur, mīlitēs complūrīs in hortō latentēs subitō animadverteret. Quā rē^[8] novā graviter commōtus, comitēs ut sine morā latebrās quaererent hortātus est, et ipse prīmō fugā^[9] salūtem petīvit; sed ab hostibus statim circumventus, sē dēdere tum^[10] nōn dubitāvit. At paulō post fenestrā patefactā^[11] ērūpit, cum^[12]que tēla hostium undique in eum conicerentur, incolumis pervēnit in palūdem, ubi Britannī armīs impedītī summō labōre sequēbantur.

Itaque iuvenis, cum dēmum ab^[13] hostibus intervallō satis magnō abesset^[14], arborem nactus idōneam in quā latēret, celeriter cōnscendit. Brevī autem sonum exiguum sub arbore audīvit; cumque dēspēxisset^[15], ibi vīdit canem, quam maximē amābat. Quārē perīculum veritus, comitem fidēlem, quae per palūdem dominum secūta erat, invītus^[16] necāvit, multīsque cum lacrimīs sub foliīs tēxit. Deinde aliquamdiū tacitus in arbore morātus est; postquam^[17] autem Britannī quaerendō^[18] dēfessī ad vīllam sē recēpērunt, magnō circuitū^[19] custōdiās hostium vītāvit, eōrumque dē adventū certiōrem fēcit imperātōrem Americānum, quī oppidum haud longinquum praesidiō tum tenēbat.

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Canis

Just inside the street door of a Pompeian house is found worked into the mosaic of the pavement this representation of a watchdog. The words Cavē canem signify “Beware of the dog.”

Horae

The Romans divided the time between sunrise and sunset into twelve equal hours——long in summer, and short in winter. Above is shown a sundial used to mark the time in the great public baths at Pompeii.

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1. nāvālibus: nāvālis, -is, -e: naval.
2. usque ad Lovīsiānam: freely, to far-away L.'.
3. sī: cf. sī, p. 33, l. 4, in the hope that.
4. fertur: cf. dēlātus, p. 66, l. 15, rolls.
5. quem: for gender, cf. the note on quod, p. 30, l. 6.
6. factum est ut: factum est from fīō, it happened that.
7. hōrā dīeī ferē quārtā: i.e. about 10 A.M. See the note on p. 75.
8. rē: happening.
9. fugā: cf. p. 67, l. 6.
10. tum: i.e. for the time being.
11. fenestrā patefactā: abl. of way by which; translate through.
12. cum: concessive.
13. ab: from.
14. abesset: i.e. was separated.
15. dēspēxisset: dēspiciō, 3, -spēxī, -spectus: cf. suspēxisset, p. 72, l. 10, look down.
16. invītus: cf. p. 35, l. 12.
17. postquam: freely, when at length.
18. quaerendō: cf. nandō, p. 12, l. 17.
19. magnō circuitū: cf. p. 69, l. 20.