ous Persia pours,
The wealth of Phrygia's fertile range,
Or warm Arabia's spicy shores,

For one light ringlet of the hair,
Which shades thy sweet Licinia's face,
In that dear moment when the Fair,
In flying from thy fond embrace,

Relenting turns her snowy neck,
To meet thy kisses half their way,
Or when her feign'd resentments check
The ardors thy warm lips convey?

While in her eyes the languid light
Betrays a yielding wish to prove,
Amid her coy, yet playful flight,
The pleasing force of fervent Love;

Or when, in gaily-frolic guise,
She snatches her fair self the kiss,
E'en at the instant she denies
Her Lover the requested bliss.

1: Of that artful caution, which marks the character of Horace, this
Ode forms a striking instance. He declines the task appointed by his
Patron, that of describing the Italian Wars, because he foresees that
in its execution he must either disoblige the Emperor, and his
Minister, by speaking too favorably of their Enemies, or offend some
Friends, whom he yet retained amongst those, who had exerted
themselves against the Caesars. Horace endeavours to soften the effect
of this non-compliance by a warm panegyric upon Licinia, the
betrothed bride of Maecenas. She is in other places called Terentia.
Both these names have affinity to those of her Brothers, Licinius,
afterwards Augur, and her adopted Brother, Terentius.

Horace mentions _plainly_ the Numantian Wars, and those with
Hannibal, but artfully speaks of those of Brutus, and Cassius, and of
the Character of Antony, under _fabulous_ denomination, sufficiently
understood by Augustus, and his Minister. Dacier justly observes how
easy it is to discern, that by the Lapithae, and Giants, defeated by
Hercules on the plains of Thessaly, the Poet means the Armies of
Brutus, and Cassius, defeated by Augustus, almost in the same place,
at the Battle of Philippi. He concludes also that by Hylaeus is meant
Mark Antony, who assumed the name of Bacchus, and ruined himself by
his profligate passion for Cleopatra. Another Commentator observes,
that as the Giants, and Lapithae, are said to have made the Palace of
Saturn shake, so also did Brutus, and Cassius, and afterwards Mark
Antony, make all Italy tremble, and that it is Rome itself that
Horace would have to be understood by the _magnificent Palace of
Saturn_. Some Critics seek to destroy all the common sense, beauty,
and character o