slaughtered by your own pitiable hand, daughter of Lucretius, having suffered the rape of a cruel tyrant.
§304dedit infandi sceleris poenas §305cum Tarquinio Tullia coniunx, §306quae per caesi membra parentis §307egit saevos impia currus §308laceroque seni violenta rogos §309nata negavit.
Tullia, the wife, along with Tarquin, paid the penalties of an unspeakable crime, she who impiously drove her savage chariot over the limbs of her slain father, and, a violent daughter, denied funeral fires to the torn old man.
§310haec quoque nati videre nefas §311saecula magnum, §312cum Tyrrhenum rate ferali §313princeps captam fraude parentem §313bmisit in aequor.
This age of ours also saw a great wickedness of a son, when on a fatal ship the prince sent his mother, captured by deceit, into the Tyrrhenian sea.
§314properant placidos linquere portus §315iussi nautae, §316resonant remis pulsata freta: §317fertur in altum provecta ratis, §318quae resoluto robore labens §319pressa dehiscit sorbetque mare.
The ordered sailors hasten to leave the tranquil harbor, the sea resounds struck by the oars; the ship is carried, driven into the deep, which, sliding apart with its timbers loosened, gapes under pressure and swallows the sea.
A huge clamor is raised to the stars mixed with feminine wailing.
§322mors ante oculos dira vagatur; §323quaerit leti sibi quisque fugam: §324alii lacerae puppis tabulis §325haerent nudi fluctusque secant, §326repetunt alii litora nantes; §327multos mergunt fata profundo,
Dread death wanders before their eyes; each one seeks for himself an escape from death: some, naked, cling to the planks of the torn stern and cut the waves, others swimming seek again the shores; fate submerges many in the deep.
The Empress tears her garments and lacerates her hair, and wets her face with sad weeping.
§331postquam spes est nulla salutis, §332ardens ira, iam victa malis: §333'haec' exclamat 'mihi pro tanto §334munere reddis praemia, nate?
After there is no hope of safety, burning with anger, now conquered by ills, she exclaims: "Do you return these rewards to me, my son, for so great a gift?
§335hac sum, fateor, digna carina, §336quae te genui, quae tibi lucem §337atque imperium nomenque dedi §338Caesaris amens.
I am worthy, I confess, of this boat, who gave birth to you, who madly gave you light and the empire and the name of Caesar.
Put forth your face from Acheron, and feed on my punishments, husband!
I was the cause of your death, pitiable one, and the author of the destruction of your son.
§343en, ut merui, ferar ad manes §344inhumata tuos, §345obruta saevis aequoris undis'. §346feriunt fluctus ora loquentis, §347ruit in pelagus §348rursumque salo pressa resurgit, §349pellit palmis cogente metu §350freta, set cedit fessa labori.
Behold, as I have deserved, I shall be carried to your shades unburied, overwhelmed by the cruel waves of the sea." The waves strike the mouth of her speaking, she falls into the sea, and again rises, pressed by the salt water, driven by fear she beats the waters with her palms, but tired she yields to the struggle.
§351mansit tacitis in pectoribus §352spreta tristi iam morte fides: §353multi dominae ferre auxilium §354pelago fractis viribus audent, §355bracchia quamvis lenta trahentem §356voce hortantur manibusque levant.
Yet there remained in silent breasts a loyalty, with sad death now despised: many dare to bring help to their mistress though their strength is broken in the sea, they encourage with their voice and lift with their hands her who is dragging her slow arms.
What did it profit you to have escaped the waves of the savage sea?
You are about to die by the sword of your own son, whose crime posterity will scarcely, and future ages will always slowly, believe.
§361furit ereptam pelagoque dolet §362vivere matrem §363impius, ingens geminatque nefas: §364ruit in miserae fata parentis §365patiturque moram sceleris nullam.
The impious one rages and grieves that his mother, rescued from the sea, is alive, and duplicates his huge wickedness: he rushes into the death of his miserable parent and allows no delay for his crime.
Sent, the attendant performs his orders: he tears open the breast of his mistress with the sword.
§368caedis moriens illa ministrum §369rogat infelix, §370utero dirum condat ut ensem: §371'hic est, hic est fodiendus' ait §372'ferro, monstrum qui tale tulit §373post hanc vocem §374cum supremo mixtam gemitu §375animam tandem §376per fera tristem vulnera reddit.
Dying, that unhappy woman asks the minister of the slaughter to plunge the dread sword into her womb: "This, this is the place to be pierced," she says, "with the sword, which bore such a monster!" After this speech, mixed with her last groan, she finally returns her sad soul through the fierce wounds.
§377Quid me, potens Fortuna, fallaci mihi §378blandita vultu, sorte contentum mea §379alte extulisti, gravius ut ruerent edita §380. receptus arce totque prospicerem metus?
Why, powerful Fortune, having flattered me with a deceitful face, did you lift me high when I was content with my lot, so that, received into this high citadel, things built high might fall more heavily and I might look out upon so many fears?
§381melius latebam procul ab invidiae malis §382remotus inter Corsici rupes maris, §383ubi liber animus et sui iuris mihi §384semper vacabat studia recolenti mea.
Better was I hidden far away from the evils of envy, removed among the rocks of the Corsican sea, where my mind was free and under its own law, always at leisure for me as I cultivated my studies.
§385o quam iuvabat, quo nihil maius parens §386Natura genuit, operis immensi artifex, §387caelum intueri, §388solis alternas vices §389orbemque Phoebea, astra quem cingunt vaga, §390lateque fulgens aetheris magni decus; §391qui si senescit, tantus in caecum chaos §392casurus iterum: tunc adest mundo dies §393supremus ille, qui premat genus impium §394caeli ruina, rursus ut stirpem novam §395generet renascens melior, ut quondam tulit §396iuvenis, tenente regna Saturno poli.
Oh how pleasing it was to gaze at the sky, than which parent Nature, the artisan of this immense work, produced nothing greater, the alternating turns of the sun, and the orbit of Phoebe, which the wandering stars encircle, and the widely shining glory of the great ether; which, if it grows old, is destined to fall again into blind chaos: then is present for the world that supreme day, which shall crush the impious race by the ruin of heaven, so that a better, reborn sky may generate a new stock, as once the young sky bore it when Saturn held the kingdoms of heaven.
§397tunc illa virgo, numinis magni dea, §398Iustitia, caelo missa cum sancta Fide §399terris regebat mitis humanum genus.
Then that virgin, the goddess of great divinity, Justice, sent from heaven with holy Faith, ruled the human race with mildness on earth.
§400non bella norant, non tubae fremitus truces, §401non arma gentes, cingere assuerant suas §402muris nec urbes: pervium cunctis iter, §403communis usus omnium rerum fuit; §404et ipsa Tellus laeta fecundos sinus §405pandebat ultro, tam piis felix parens
They knew no wars, nor the fierce blasts of trumpets, nations knew no weapons, nor were they accustomed to encircle their cities with walls: there was an open way for all, there was a common use of all things; and Earth herself, glad, was opening her fertile bosom of her own accord, a happy parent to such pious people.