A First Latin Reader/74

by Herbertus Chester Nutting

Herbert Chester Nutting

A First Latin Reader

Lesson 74
The Treasure Seekers

1912

fons: librum vide

73. A Tale of Brave Women	75. A Dangerous Conspiracy

LESSON 74

The Treasure Seekers

Et^[1] hāc et aliīs aetātibus^[2] hominēs crēdulī^[3] cōnsuēverant in cavernīs^[4] maris frūstrā quaerere nāvēs, quae ōlim gazā onustae in marī naufragium^[5] fēcisse dīcuntur; interdum autem fortūnā prōsperiōre ūsī sunt^[6]. Sīcut abhinc multōs annōs quīdam negōtiātor, ē Britanniā Novā paucīs cum comitibus profectus, ad locum nāvigāvit longinquum, ubi gaza maxima multīs ante annīs naufragiō āmissa esse dīcēbātur. Quō cum vēnisset, arborem altissimam statim excīdit scaphamque fēcit, quae ad freta fīnitima explōranda ūsuī esset^[7].

Aliquamdiū nihil repertum est. Ōlim tamen, cum nautae tōtō diē^[8] diligenter labōrāvissent ac spē omnī^[9] paene sublātā ad nāvem sē dēfessī cōnferrent, quīdam^[10] ex eīs forte^[11] submersam^[12] animadvertit algam^[13] fōrmōsam^[14], cuius pulchritūdine^[15] captus servum^[16] Indum ē scaphā exsilīre eamque carpere iussit; ille vērō, ubi cum algā sē ex aquā ēmersit^[17], sub marī cōnfīrmāvit sēsē^[18] multa arma vīdisse. Quō audītō, omnēs ecfrēnātē gaudēbant, cum sentīrent sē iam dēmum nāvigium invēnisse, quod mēnsēs multōs quaesīverant. Quārē statim in mare exsiluērunt Indī aliī; ā quibus brevī ē nāvigiō lāminae^[19] argenteae complūrēs ēlātae sunt. Posterō diē nautae, cum eōdem prīmā lūce^[20] cum praefectō redīssent, ē marī vim argentī incrēdibilem ūnā cum gemmīs^[21] plūrimīs facile recēpērunt.

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1. Et . . . et: cf. p. 7, l. 2.
2. aetātibus: i.e. temporibus.
3. crēdulī: crēdulus, -a, -um: credulous.
4. cavernīs: caverna, -ae: f., cavern.
5. naufragium: naufragium, -ī: n., navis + frangō, shipwreck.
6. ūsī sunt: they have had.
7. ūsuī esset: see the Vocab..
8. tōtō diē: translate as if acc..
9. omnī: freely, entirely.
10. quīdam: as noun (sing.).
11. forte: cf. the note on p. 85, l. 12.
12. submersam: submersus, -a, -um: part., i.e. under the surface, submerged.
13. algam: alga, -ae: f., seaweed.
14. fōrmōsam: fōrmōsus, -a, -um: graceful.
15. pulchritūdine: pulchritūdō, -inis: f., beauty.
16. servum: helper.
17. sē . . . ēmersit: ēmergō, 3, -mersī, -mersus: emerged, or came up.
18. sēsē: i.e. sē.
19. lāminae: lāmina, -ae: f., plate, or strip.
20. prīmā lūce: cf. vespere prīmō, p. 77, l. 1.
21. gemmīs: gemma, -ae: f., jewel.