VERTUM NUS

AND

POMONA:

From the FOURTEENTH Book of

OVID'S METAMORPHOSES,

VERTUM NU S

ET

POMO NA,

REGE

EGE fub hoc Pomona fuit: qua nulla Latinas
Inter Hanadryadas coluit folertius hortos,

Nec fuit arborei ftudiofior altera foetûs :

Unde tenet nomen, non fylvas illa, nec amnes;
Rus amat, et ramos felicia poma ferentes.

Nec jaculo gravis eft, fed adunca dextera falce: IC
Qua modo luxuriem premit, et fpatiantia paffim
Brachia compefcit; fiffa modo cortice virgam.
Inferit; et fuccos alieno praeftat alumno,

Nec patitur fentire fitim; bibulaeque recurvas

Radicis fibras labentibus irrigat undis.

IS

Hic amor, hoc ftudium: Veneris quoque nulla cupido. Vim tamen agreftûm metuens, pomaria claudit

Intus, & acceffus prohibet refugitque viriles. 20

VERTUM NUS

AND

POMON A.

TH

HE fair Pomona flourifh'd in his reign;
Of all the Virgins of the fylvan train
None taught the trees a nobler race to bear,
Or more improv'd the vegetable care.
To her the fhady grove, the flow'ry field,

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10

The ftreams and fountains, no delights could yield;
'Twas all her joy the rip'ning fruits to tend,
And fee the boughs with happy burthens bend.
The hook fhe bore inftead of Cynthia's spear,
To lop the growth of the luxuriant year,
To decent form the lawlefs fhoots to bring,
And teach th'obedient branches where to fpring.
Now the cleft rind inferted graffs receives,
And yields an offspring more than nature gives:
Now fliding ftreams the thirsty plants renew,
And feed their fibres with reviving dew.

Thefe cares alone her virgin breaft employ,
Averfe from Venus and the nuptial joy.
Her private orchards, wall'd on ev'ry side,
To lawles fylvans all accefs deny'd.

20

Quid non & Satyri, faltatibus apta juventus,
Fecere, & pinu praecincti cornua Panes,

Sylvanufque fuis femper juvenilior annis,

Quique Deus fures, vel falce, vel inguine terret,

Ut potirentur ea? fed enim fuperabat amando 25
Hos quoque Vertumnus: neque erat felicior illis.
O quoties habitu duri mefforis ariftas

Corbe tulit, verique fuit inefforis imago !

Tempora faepe gerens focno religata recenti,

Defectum poterat gramen verfaffe videri.

Saepe manu ftimulos rigida portabat; ut illum 35
Jurares feffos modo disjunxiffe juvencos.

Falce data frondator erat, vitifque putator:
Induerat fcalas, lecturum poma putares:
Miles erat gladio, pifcator arundine fumta.
Denique per multas aditum fibi faepe figuras
Repperit, ut caperet fpectatae gaudia formae.
Ille etiam picta redimitus temporą mitra,

Innitens baculo, pofitis ad tempora canis,
Adfimulavit anum: cultofque intravit in hortos;

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