Читать книгу The History of Roman Literature - Charles Thomas Cruttwell - Страница 58

"Quid faculam praefers, Phileros, qua nil opus nobis?

Ibimus, hoc lucet pectore flamma satis.

Illam non potis est vis saeva exstinguere venti,

Aut imber caelo candidus praecipitans.

At contra, hunc ignem Veneris, si non Venus ipsa,

Nulla est quae possit vis alia opprimare."

We have quoted these pieces, not from their intrinsic merit, for they have little or none, but to show the painful process by which Latin versification was elaborated. All these must be referred to a date at least sixty years after Ennius, and yet the rhythm is scarcely at all improved. The great number of second-rate poets who wrought in the same laboratory did good work, in so far that they made the technical part less wearisome for poets like Lucretius and Catullus. With mechanical dexterity taste also slowly improved by the competing effort of many ordinary minds; but it did not make those giant strides which nothing but genius can achieve. The later developments of the Epigram will be considered in a subsequent book.