th of John's!

_Hemich. a._ Vengeance! let us face the foe-man,
boldly bear the battle's brunt,
With our Placets to assist us
and our chaperons in front!

[_Alarums; Excursions--special trains for voters._]

(_A violation of the rule_ "Ne pueros coram populo Medea trucidet" _is
about to commence, when--_)

_Enter_ APOLLO

(_With apologies to Dr V-rr-ll for his profligate character._)

When all too deftly poets tie the knot
And can't untwist their complicated plot,
'Tis then that comes by Jove's supreme decrees
The useful _theos apo mechanes_. [5]
Rash youths! forbear ungallantly to vex
Your fellow students of the softer sex!
Ladies! proud leaders of our culture's van,
Crush not too cruelly the reptile Man!
Or by experience you, as now, will learn
Th' eternal maxim's truth, that e'en a worm will turn.

[1. Transcriber's note: The words "Pheu" and "pheu" were transliterated
from the Greek as follows: "Pheu"--Phi, epsilon, upsilon; "pheu"--phi,
epsilon, upsilon.]

[2. Transcriber's note: The words "otototoi" and "ototototoi" were
transliterated from the Greek as follows: the "ot" pairs--omicron (with
the rough-breathing diacritical), tau; the trailing "i"--iota.]

[3. Transcriber's note: The word "Nous" was transliterated from the
Greek as follows: Nu, omicron, upsilon, sigma.]

[4. Transcriber's note: The "a" and "B" following each "Hemich" were
transliterated from the Greek "alpha" and "Beta", respectively.]

[5. Transcriber's note: The phrase "theos apo mechanes" was
transliterated from the Greek as follows: "theos"--theta, epsilon,
omicron, sigma; "apo"--alpha, pi, omicron; "mechanes"--mu, eta, chi,
alpha, nu, eta, sigma.]

QUADRIVIAD, ll. 1-51

Arma virosque cano: procul o, procul este profani:
nescio mentiri: si quis mendacia quaerit
in vespertinis quaerat mendacia chartis.
me neque multo iterum Pharsalia sanguine tincta
nec tam Larissa nuper fugitiva relicta
Graecia percussit, quam Curia Municipalis
Principis augusta dextra Cambrensis aperta,
atque novae longis imbutae litibus aedes:
omnia quae vobis canerem si tempus haberem
aut spatium: sed non habeo, varias ob causas.
nunc civilia bella viaeque cruore rubentes
Musae sufficient et Quadrivialis Enyo.
Nox erat et caeio fulgebat luna sereno
desuper: in terris fulgebat Serica lampas
plurima, et ornatis pendent vexilla