Minor Latin poets; with introductions and English translations

* Late Latin for se prolaturam esse conchas.68sTHE FABLES OF AVIANUSrepaired to the lair in his native woods, and his mate,seeing him arrive famished, said, " Why don't youbring back the usual prey ? Why are your cheekswasted and your jaws so drawn and emaciated? ""A mean trick took me in," he said; "so don'tbe surprised that I have been hard put to it toskulk pitifully away—with no spoil. WTiat kill, doyou ask, could come my May ? what prospect couldthere be, when a scolding nurse befooled me " ? **Let anyone who believes in a woman's sincerityreflect that to him these words are spoken and thatit is he whom this lesson censures.IIThe Tortoise and the EagleOnce a tortoise said to the feathered birds that ifone of the swift fliers could carry her away and sether safe on the ground ^ she would at once from thesands of the Erythraean Sea produce shells on'^which their bright-crusted pearl conferred a value.She felt it an outrage that, despite her diligence, herslow pace prevented her doing anything or makingany progress the whole day. She loaded an eaglewith false promises, but her untruthful tongue founda broken troth to match her own. While soaringaloft on the wings whose aid she had bought so ill,the MTretched tortoise met her death by the bird's* Line 2 presents difficulties. It has earn for se ;quisimplying the rare masc. gender for volucrum ; and constituissetinvolving a latent idea. The alternative volucrem means thatthe tortoise asked to be made a bird : this is accepted byBaehrens, who reads ibi for humi.