I call thee to His Supper,
for so The Master spake:
Thou sayest 'No,' pretending
thou must thy oxen take.
Farewell, O thou unworthy
and wholly useless guest;
Thy oxen for the Supper
in truth were better prest. G.
CXXIV.
D. Paulum, verbo sanantem claudum, pro Mercurio Lystres adorant. Act. xiv. 8-18.
Quis Tagus hic, quae Pactoli nova volvitur unda?
Non hominis vox est haec: Deus ille, Deus.
Salve, mortales nimium dignate penates:
Digna Deo soboles, digna tonante Deo.
O salve, quid enim, alme, tuos latuisse volebas?
Te dicit certe vel tua lingua Deum.
Laudem hanc haud miror: meruit facundus haberi,
Qui claudo promptos suasit habere pedes.
St. Paul, healing the lame man with a word, is worshipped by the Lystrians as Mercury.
What Tagus, what Pactolus here is rolled?
'Tis not man's voice: a God, a God behold.
Hail, too much honour thou to men hast done,
Of Jove, of thundering Jove the worthy son.
Hail, Lord, for why wouldst hide thee from thine own?
A God e'en by thy tongue assuredly art known.
The praise of eloquence for him was meet
Who could persuade the lame to use swift feet. R. Wi.
CXXV.
In S. Columbam ad Christi caput sedentem.
Cui sacra siderea volueris suspenditur ala?
Hunc nive plus niveum cui dabit illa pedem?
Christe, tuo capiti totis se destinat auris,
Qua ludit densae blandior umbra comae.
Illic arcano quid non tibi murmure narrat,
Murmure mortales non imitante sonos?
Sola avis haec nido hoc non est indigna cubare:
Solus nidus hic est hac bene dignus ave.[71]
Πῆ ταχύεργος ἄγει πτέρυγ' ἀστερόεσσαν ἐρετμός;
Ἢ τίνι κεῖνα φέρει τὴν πόδα χιονέην;
Χριστὲ, τεῇ κεφαλῇ πάσαις πτερύγεσσιν ἐπείγει·
Πῆ σκιά τοι δασίοις παῖζε μάλα πλοκάμοις.
Ποῖά σοι ἀῤῥήτῳ ψιθυρίσματι κεῖν' ἀγορεύει;
Ἀῤῥήτ', οὐκ ἠχῆς ἶσα μὲν ἀνδρομέης.
Μοῦνα μὲν ἥδ' ὄρνις καλιᾶς ἐστ' ἀξία ταύτης·
Ἀξία δ' ὄρνιθος μοῦνα μὲν ἡ καλιά.