Page:Statius (Mozley 1928) v1.djvu/89

out the thirsty bard and conspiring Pirene^[1] be not granted me, yet dearer are the lavish draughts snatched from the flood of thy own fountain, whether thou dost create free and flowing prose or whether thy sweet eloquence is broken in to rules of art and obeys our laws.^[2] Wherefore come—if we make return to Ceres of her gifts and to Lyaeus of his wine, and if Diana though rich in booty yet receives spoils in every temple and the Lord of War our trophies of the fight—and spurn not, Gallicus, since thou hast a mightier utterance and aboundest in wealth of speech sublime, spurn not the worship of a humbler lyre. The wandering moon is ringed with stars, and lesser streams run down into the Ocean.

What rich reward for thy virtues did the City’s loving anxiety give thee! What famous Senators and Knights, what champions of the obscure multitude saw I then in tears! The prosperous Curia feared not so when Numa was failing, nor the noble Knights at Pompey’s danger nor the women at Brutus’ death.^[3] And this is the cause thereof: thou wert loth to hear the sullen chains, didst spare the scourge nor go as lofty office bade thee, but didst renounce much of thy armed force, and deign to regard the petitions of the lowly and their humble prayers; thou broughtest back justice to the Forum nor didst vex the curule magistrates, but temperedst force by law. So is a way won to the deep places of the heart, so doth reverence trust the love wherewith it mingles. Terrible too to all was the dire severity of P ate and the impetuous violence of the sudden peril, as the mischief tarried not. ’T'was not the fault of thy age—scarce had that begun to withdraw from its twelfth lustre—but of straining toil