```Conscius ecce duos accepit lectus amantes: ````Ad thalami clausas, Musa, résisté fores. ```Sponte suâ, sine te, celoberrima verba loquentur: ````Nec manus in lecto læva jacebit iners. ```Invenient digiti, quod agant in partibus illis, ````In quibus occulte spicula figit Amor. ```Fecit in Andromache prius hoc fortissimus Hector; ````Nec solum bellis utüis file fuit. ```Fecit et in captâ Lyrneside magnus Achilles, ````Cum premeret mollem lassus ab hoste torum.= ```Illis, te tangi manibus, Brisei, sinebas, ````Imbutæ Phrygiâ quæ nece semper erant. ```An fuit hoc ipsum, quod te lasciva juvaret ````Ad tua victrices membra venire manus? ```Crede mihi, non est Yeneris properanda voluptas: ````Sed sensim tarda prolicienda morâ. ```Cum loca repereris, quæ tangi fcemina gaudet; ````Non obstet, tangas quo minus ilia, pudor. ```Adspicics oculos tremulo fulgore micantes, ```Ut sol a liquida sæpe refulget aquâ. ```Accèdent questus, accedet amabile murmur, ````Et dulces gemitus, aptaque verba loco. ```Sed neque tu dominam velis majoribus usus ````Desine; nec cursus anteat ilia tuos. ```Ad metam properate simul; turn plena voluptas, ````Cum pariter victi foemina virque jacent. ```Hi tibi servandus tenor est, cum libera dantur ````Otia; furtivum nec timor urget opus. ```Cum mora non tuta est, totis incumbere remis ````Utile, et admisso subdere calcar equo.= There is an end now of my task; grant me the palm, ye grateful youths, and present the myrtle garlands to my perfumed locks. As great as was Podalirius [992] among the Greeks in the art of healing, as the descendant of Æacus with his right hand, as Nestor with his eloquence; as great as Calchas [993] was in soothsaying, as the son of Telamon was in arms, as Automedon [994] was in guiding the chariot, so great a Lover am I. Celebrate me as your bard, ye men, to me repeat my praises; let my name be sung throughout all the earth. Arms have I given to you; to Achilles Vulcan gave arms. With the gifts presented to you, prove victorious, as he proved victorious. But whoever subdues the Amazon with my weapons, let him inscribe upon his spoil [995] --"Naso was my preceptor." And lo! the charming fair are asking me to give them my precepts. You then shall be the next care of my song.---- BOOK THE THIRD. |With arms against the Amazons I have furnished the Greeks. Arms remain for me to present, Penthesilea, [1001] to thee and to thy squadrons. Go to the combat equally prepared; and may those prove the victors, whom genial Dione [1002] favours, and the Boy who flies over the whole world. It was not fair for the females unprotected to engage with the men in arms, and so it would have been disgraceful for you to conquer, ye men.