Minor Latin poets; with introductions and English translations

NEMESIANUSit< full time and bring forth at the due hour ofbirth.'* This child the Nymphs, the aged Faunsand wanton Satyrs, and I as well, did nurture inthe green cave of Nysa.*' Nay, the veteran Silenus,nursling in his bosom, or holdstoo, fondles his littlehim in his cradling arms, or wakes a smile with hisfinger, or woos repose by rocking him, or shakesrattles in tremulous hands. Smiling on him, theui'd plucks out thehairs which bristle on his breast,ir with the fingers pulls his peaked ears, or pats^\ith the hand his crop-horned"^ head or his shortchin, and with tender thumb pinches his snub nose.Meanwhile the boy's youth blooms with the comingof manhood, and his yellow temples have swollenwith full-grown horns. Then first the tendril outsj^readsthe gladsome grapes. Satyrs are amazedat the leaves and fruitage of Lyaeus. Then saidthe god, 'Pluck the ripe produce, ye Satyrs, be firstto tread the bunches whose full power ye know not.'Scarce had he uttered these words, when theysnatched the grapes from the vines, carried them inbaskets and hastened to crush them on hollowedstones with nimble foot. On the hill-tops the vintagegoes on apace, grapes are burst by frequent tread,and naked breasts are besprinkled with piu-ple must.Then the wanton troop of Satyrs snatched the goblets,each that which comes his way. What chanceoffers, their need seizes. One keeps hold of atankard ; another drinks from a curved horn ; one* Xysa, the fabled birthplace of Bacchus, was by someafcounts placed in Arabia Felix, by others in India.* " crop-homed " (r/. '' crop-eared ") is meant to suggest thestumpy or cropped horns with wliich Silenus was represented.Wemsdorf, following Heinsius, took mutilum as " bald " : cj.turpepecus mutilum, Ovid, A.A. III. 249.475