Page:Statius (Mozley 1928) v1.djvu/367

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SILVAE, V. iii. 290—{iv. 19

the gentle Nymph ordained for Numa[1] in the Arician grot the sacred rites for his observing, so—as the Ausonians believe—had Scipio nightly visions full of Latian Jove, so too was Sulla not without Apollo.[2]

IV. TO SLEEP

O youthful Sleep, gentlest of the gods, by what crime or error of mine have I deserved that I alone should lack thy bounty? Silent are all the cattle, and the wild beasts and the birds, and the curved mountain summits have the semblance of weary slumber, nor do the raging torrents roar as they were wont; the ruffled waves have sunk to rest, and the sea leans against earth’s bosom and is still. Seven times now hath the returning moon beheld my fixed and ailing eyes; so often have the lights of Oeta and Paphos[3] revisited me, so oft hath Tithonia passed by my groans, and pitying sprinkled me with her cool whip.[4] Ah! how may I endure? Not if I had the thousand eyes of sacred[5] Argus, which he kept but in alternate watchfulness, nor ever waked in all his frame at once. But now—ah, me!—if some lover through the long hours of night is clasping a girl’s entwining arms, and of his own will drives thee from him, come thence, O Sleep! nor do I bid thee shower all the influence of thy wings upon my eyes—that be the prayer of happier folk!—touch me but with thy wand’s extremest tip—’tis enough—or pass over me with lightly hovering step.

  1. ↑ For Numa and Egeria see Livy, i. 19. 5.
  2. ↑ Scipio was accustomed to visit the temple of Jupiter on the Capitol, where he was said to have communion with the god. Sulla always wore a small image of Apollo, under whose protection he held himself to be.
  3. ↑ i.e., the evening and the morning stars, often spoken of by the ancients as shining on the same day. “Paphiae,” i.e. the planet of Paphian Venus; “Oetaeae,” from Virg. Ecl. viii. 30.
  4. ↑ The whip is that with which she chases the stars, cf. Theb. viii. 274; from it fall drops of dew upon the wakeful poet.
  5. ↑ “sacer,” as being sent by Juno.

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