Rome, have thy Cæsar's arms wrought this for thee,
That Romans only may not Christians be?
Better for thee no Cæsar had waged war,
High-thundering on his fiery steed afar;
Nor eagle's lordly form o'er all the world
Had aye on thy stern ensigns been unfurl'd.
How poor a triumph, Rome, o'er thyself wrought,
By dint of such ambition to be—nought!
Conquering for sin, not Rome; sad laurel-wreath,
More fit to shadow Cerberus' locks beneath.
Old Pluto scarce wears diadem so base,
Sits scarce so swart enthron'd in his own place.
Cæsarean triumphs, Rome, win this for thee—
Cæsarean, that is, highest misery. R. Wi.
CLXII.
Hic lapis fiat panis. Matt. iv. 3.
Et fuit ille lapis, quidni sit dicere? panis,
Christe, fuit: panis sed tuus ille fuit.
Quippe Patris cum sic tulerit suprema voluntas,
Est panis, panem non habuisse, tuus.
Ἀρτος ἔην τοι δῆτ', εἰπεῖν θέμις ἐστὶν, ἐκεῖνος,
Χριστὲ, τοι ἄρτος ἔην και λίθος, ἀλλὰ τεός.
Ἢν οὓτως τοῦ πατρὸς ἔῃ μεγάλου τὸ θέλημα,
Ἄρτος ὅτ' οὐκ ἦν τοι, Χριστὲ, τοι ἄρτος ἔην.
Command that this stone become a loaf.
And so it was; bread was that stone;
Such bread, Christ, as was all Thine own.
Since God so will'd that it should be,
To have no bread was bread to Thee. G.
CLXIII.
Mulier Canaanitis. Matt. xv. 22.
Quicquid Amazoniis dedit olim fama puellis,
Credite: Amazoniam cernimus, ecce, fidem.
Foemina, tam fortis fidei? jam credo fidem esse
Plus quam grammatice foeminei generis.