per cunctos iit ille gradus aulaeque labores emensus tenuit summae fastigia sedis Eoum stabili moderatus iure senatum. hic splendor iuveni. cunabula prima puellae Danuvius veteresque Tomi. Mavortia matris 70 nobilitas spoliis armisque exultat avitis inmensamque trahit Celerini robore lucem, qui quondam Meroën iussus Nilumque tueri, cum sibi post obitus et Parthica fulmina Cari[83] sceptra daret miles rebusque imponere vellet, 75 despexit fremitus et praetulit otia regno; respuit ingestum, quod vi, quod poscere ferro posthabita pietate solent. tum purpura primum inferior virtute fuit meruitque repulsam obvia maiestas. doluit Fortuna minorem 80 se confessa viro. magnum delata potestas, maiorem contempta probat. “Cognomina sumpsit plena ducum genitor. paulatim vectus ad altum princeps militiae, qua non inlustrior extat altera, cunctorum tabulas adsignat honorum, 85 regnorum tractat numeros, constringit in unum sparsas imperii vires cuneosque recenset dispositos: quae Sarmaticis custodia ripis, quae saevis obiecta Getis, quae Saxona frenat vel Scottum legio, quantae cinxere cohortes 90 Oceanum, quanto pacatur milite Rhenus. [83] Birt _caro_ (the reading of E and V); _Cari_ Heinsius. * * * * * Page 211 every rung of the ladder of honours, has held every place at court, and reached the highest of all offices, directing the deliberations of the senate of the East with a sure authority. Such is the bridegroom’s brilliance. The bride first saw the light in the old city of Tomi by the mouth of the Danube. She is descended on her mother’s side from noble ancestors famed in war and enriched by war’s spoils and derives especial glory from the renown of that stalwart Celerinus who, when appointed to the defence of Meroë and the Nile, and, after the death by lightning of Carus[84] in Parthia, offered the throne and dominion of the world by his soldiers, paid no heed to their clamour and preferred repose to an empire. Of his own will he refused when it was offered that which men will use every sort of violence and outrage every sort of right to acquire. For the first time virtue was reckoned above a throne and sovereignty, making offer of herself, met with a refusal. Sadly did Fortune confess herself beaten by a mortal. Great it is to deserve high office, still greater to have despised it.