_He complains of his mistress, whom he has found to be forsworn._
|Go to, believe that the Gods exist; she who had sworn has broken her
faith, and still her beauty remains [550] just as it was before. Not yet
forsworn, flowing locks had she; after she has deceived the Gods, she
has them just as long. Before, she was pale, having her fair complexion
suffused with the blush of the rose; the blush is still beauteous on
her complexion of snow. Her foot was small; still most diminutive is the
size of that foot. Tall was she, and graceful; tall and graceful does
she still remain. Expressive eyes had she, which shone like stars; many
a time through them has the treacherous fair proved false to me. [551]
Even the Gods, forsooth, for ever permit the fair to be forsworn, and
beauty has its divine sway. [552] I remember that of late she swore both
by her own eyes and by mine, and mine felt pain. [553] Tell me, ye
Gods, if with impunity she has proved false to you, why have I suffered,
punishment for the deserts of another? But the virgin daughter of
Cepheus is no reproach, _forsooth_, to you, [554] who was commanded to
die for her mother, so inopportunely beauteous. 'Tis not enough that I
had you for witnesses to no purpose; unpunished, she laughs at even the
Gods together with myself; that by my punishment she may atone for her
perjuries, am I, the deceived, to be the victim of the deceiver? Either
a Divinity is a name without reality, and he is revered in vain, and
influences people with a silly credulity; or else, _if there is any_
God, he is fond of the charming fair, and gives them alone too much
licence to be able to do any thing.
Against us Mavors is girded with the fatal sword; against us the lance
is directed by the invincible hand of Pallas; against us the flexible
bow of Apollo is bent; against us the lofty right hand of Jove wields
the lightnings. The offended Gods of heaven fear to hurt the fair; and
they spontaneously dread those who dread them not. And who, then, would
take care to place the frankincense in his devotion upon the altars? At
least, there ought to be more spirit in men. Jupiter, with his fires,
hurls at the groves [555] and the towers, and yet he forbids his
weapons, thus darted, to strike the perjured female. Many a one has
deserved to be struck. The unfortunate Semele [556] perished by
the flames; that punishment was found for her by her own compliant
disposition. But if she had betaken herself off, on the approach of her
lover, his father would not have had for Bacchus the duties of a mother
to perform.
Why do I complain, and why blame all the heavens? The Gods have eyes as
well as we; the Gods have hearts as well. Were I a Divinity myself,
I would allow a woman with impunity to swear falsely by my Godhead. I
myself would swear that the fair ever swear the truth; and I would not
be pronounced one of the morose Divinities. Still, do you, fair one,
use their favour with more moderation, or, at least, do have some regard
[557] for my eyes.