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Templa pudicitix quid opus (latuifle puellis. 



Si cuivis nuptE quidlibet effe libet ? 



QutE manus obfcenas depinxit prima tabellas, 



Et pofuit carta turpia vifa -domo, 



Ilia puellarum ingenues corrupit ocellos, 



Nequitixque fuae noluit effe rudes. 



Why teach the tender maid a graceful ihame, 

 If wedded dames unbounded licence claim ? 

 When painters firll licentious deeds pourtray'd, 

 And guilty fcenes along the walls difplay'd, 

 Applauding vice beheld the labour rife, 

 Th'unchafte creation ftain'd the modeft eyes ; 

 The virgin kindled, as the artift wrought, 

 And fighs unhallow'd fpoke infeifled thought. 



Etfi me invito difcedis Cynthia, Roma, 

 XiXtor quod fine me devia rura colis. 

 Nullus erit caftis juvenis corrupter in agris, 

 Qui te blanditiis non finat effe probam. 



Cynthia, with thee, my life and fpirit fled. 

 When thou art abfent, I am worfe than dead. 

 Yet better thus my foul your lofs fuftains. 

 While rural fcenes you haunt, and lonely plains. 

 In thofe chafte dwelHngs, no fedudlive tongue 

 Shall plighted vows and facred friendfhip wrong. 



Propertius feems to be a moft determined enemy to the general cuf- 

 tom of painting, which prevailed among the Roman ladies. Some of 

 his reflexions on the fiabjeft, are equally fenfible and gallant. 



Ut natura dedit lie omnis refla figura 

 Turpis Romano Belgicus ore color. 

 Illi fub terris fiant mala multa puella;. 

 Quae mentita fuas vertit inepta comas. 

 De me, mi poteris certe formofa videri ; 

 Mi formofa fetis, fi mode fape venis. 



Shall 



