Pagina:Ad Alpes.djvu/243

“Ūna tamen erat,” inquit Drūsilla, “quam marītī adulēscentis tantopere miseruit, ut foribus patefactīs eum dīmitteret, ut patrem et patriam repeteret incolumis.”

“Eam summīs laudibus extulit poēta Horātius,” inquit Pūblius. “Nam ab eō ‘splendidē mendāx’ vocātur, et ‘in omne^[1] virgō nōbilis^[2] aevum.’ Nec quidquam eīs verbīs^[3] generōsius est, quibus illa marītum dīmittit:

“‘Mē pater saevīs oneret^[4] catēnīs,

Quod virō clēmēns^[5] miserō pepercī;

Mē vel^[6] extrēmōs^[7] Numidārum in agrōs

Classe relēget:^[8]

Ī pedēs quō tē rapiunt et aurae,^[9]

Dum favet^[10] nox et Venus;^[11] ī secundō

Ōmine, et nostrī^[12] memorem^[13] sepulchrō^[14]

Scalpe^[15] querellam.’”

“Quid vērō puellā factum est, māter?” inquit Cornēlia.

“Prīmō in vincula coniecta est,” inquit Drūsilla. “Sed posteā resēdit īra patris, et marītus revocātus spōnsam^[16] ad sē recēpit.”

Iam autem tempus abeundī erat. Quārē omnēs, cum surrēxissent, ad raedās rediērunt, brevīque rūrsus Cōmum versus prōgrediēbantur.

“Quam vellem,” inquit Cornēlia, “pater quoque nunc

1. omne: modifier of aevum.
2. nōbilis, famed (cf. nōscō).
3. eīs verbīs: abl.
4. onerō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus, tr., load down; oneret, hort. subjv. with concessive force.
5. clēmēns, -entis, adj., merciful(ly).
6. vel, even.
7. extrēmōs, far distant.
8. relēgō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus, tr., banish.
9. pedēs … aurae: with reference to travel by land and sea.
10. faveō, favēre, fāvī, fautūrus, intr., be propitious.
11. Venus: i.e., love.
12. nostrī: for meī; obj. gen.
13. memor, -oris, adj., reminding (of).
14. sepulchrō: place where.
15. scalpō, scalpere, scalpsī, scalptus, tr., carve, inscribe.
16. spōnsa, -ae, f., bride.