I am a lover of the Muses and in the silent night I too am haunted by that my accustomed task. For meseemed I stood upon the very summit of the starry sky and laid my songs at Jove’s feet, and, in the flattery of sleep, the gods and all the sacred band gathered about Jove’s throne gave applause to my words. I sang of Enceladus and conquered Typhoeus, the first a prisoner beneath Inarime, the second oppressed by the weight of Etna. How * * * * * Page 72 quam laetum post bella Iovem susceperat aether Phlegraeae referens praemia militiae! 20 Additur ecce fides nec me mea lusit imago, inrita nec falsum somnia misit ebur. en princeps, en orbis apex aequatus Olympo! en quales memini, turba verenda, deos! fingere nil maius potuit sopor, altaque vati 25 conventum caelo praebuit aula parem. * * * * * Page 73 joyous was that Jove whom, after the war with the giants, heaven welcomed, enriched with the spoils from Phlegra’s field! My dream has come true; ’twas no vain imagining; nor did the false ivory gate[21] send forth an unaccomplished dream. Behold our lord, behold earth towering to heaven’s height! Here before me are gods such as I then saw, gods worthy of all reverence. Nought greater could dreams have fancied; this noble assembly offers the poet an audience like to that of heaven. [21] A reference to the famous epilogue of Verg. _Aen._ vi. (ll. 893-96). Dreams which come through the ivory gate are false, those which issue from the gate of horn, true. * * * * * Page 74 PANEGYRICUS (XXVIII.) Aurea Fortunae Reduci si templa priores ob reditum vovere ducum, non dignius umquam haec dea pro meritis amplas sibi posceret aedes, quam sua cum pariter trabeis reparatur et urbi maiestas: neque enim campus sollemnis et urna 5 luditur in morem, species nec dissona coetu aut peregrina nitet simulati iuris imago. indigenas habitus nativa palatia sumunt, et, patriis plebem castris sociante Quirino, Mars augusta sui renovat suffragia campi. 10 qualis erit terris, quem mons Euandrius offert Romanis avibus, quem Thybris inaugurat, annus? quamquam omnes, quicumque tui cognominis, anni semper inoffensum dederint successibus omen sintque tropaea tuas semper comitata secures, 15 hic tamen ante omnes miro promittitur ortu, urbis et Augusti geminato numine felix. namque velut stellas Babylonia cura salubres optima tunc spondet mortalibus edere fata, caelicolae cum celsa tenent summoque feruntur 20 * * * * * Page 75 THE PANEGYRIC