The Jews seeking to cast Christ headlong from a precipice.

What daring leads you on, ungodly crew,

To that which ev'n the Devil durst not do?

Ye dare what he dares not? If truth be told,

Ye tempt the Devil's self to be more bold.

LXXX.

In draconem praecipitem, Rev. xii. 9.

I, frustra truculente; tuas procul aurea rident
Astra minas, coelo jam bene tuta suo.
Tune igitur coelum super ire atque astra paralas?
Ascensu tanto non opus ad barathrum.

The casting-down of the dragon.

Go, Dragon: the fair stars smile at thy threat,
Secure, serene, in native skies a-glow.

G.

Thy throne o'er sky and stars thou fain would't wt; Thot need not razit so high to plunge wo low, G

Queen! thy faith's working is full well rewarded; God's daughter, thou God's mother art on earth. G.

LXXXII.

Licetne Caesari censum dare? Marc. xii. 14.

Post tot Scribarum, Christe, in te proelia, tandem
Ipse venit Caesar; Caesar in arma venit.
Pugnant terribiles non Caesaris ense, sed ense
Caesare: quin Caesar vineeris ipse tamen.
Hoc quoque tu conscribe tuis, Auguste, triumphis.
Sie vinci dignus quis nisi Caesar erat?

Is it lawful to give tribute to Cæsar?
After so many battles with the Scribes, O Lord,
Casar himself comes; Cæsar with his sword.
They fight not arm'd with Caesar's sword indeed;
But Cæsar as their sword with craft they plead.
Conquer'd thyself, O Caesar, make it known-
Who save thee, worthy so to be o'erthrown.

G.

LXXXIII.

In tibicines et turbam tumultuantem circa dejunctam.
Matt. ix. 23.

Vani, quid strepitis? nam quamvis dormiat illa,1
Non tamen e somno est sie revocanda suo.

Expectat solos Christi sopor iste susurros:

Dormit enim; sed non omnibus illa tamen.

1 Ver. 21. Non enim mortua est puella, sed dormit. CR.

The minstrels and crowd making a noise about the dead.

Vain mourning this; why make ye such loud noise?
She sleeps indeed, but so will not awake.
Her sleep waits for the whisper of His voice
Who a great promise to her father spake.

LXXXIV.

Piscatores vocati. Matt. iv. 19.

Ludite jam, pisces, secura per aequora: pisces
Nos quoque, sed varia sub ratione, sumus.
Non potuisse cápi, vobis spes una salutis:
Una salus nobis est, potuisse capi.

The fishermen called.

Play, fishes, in your waters, safely play :

We become fishes too, another way.

Not to be taken, to you safety brought:

G.

But we are then most safe when we are caught. B.

ANOTHER RENDERING.

Careless, aneath the waves, ye fishes, play:

We too are fishes, in a different way;

Ye die, we live, being caught; and that for aye. G.

ANOTHER.

Sport, fishes, now, within the secure sea:

Lo, fishes too, in different kind, are we.

In shunning nets your hope of safety lay;
Our safety is to be the netter's prey.

VOL. II.

A.

n

Iitur vil te, te di natur asellum,

Onn về tua non bene dine tua !

Heu, quibus han 1 pugnat Claisti patientia monstris! Hoc quo lie feiten. ho quoque ferre fuit.