THE GROWTH OF THE TIE 83 



love deserves a recompense. The lady throws over 

 the soldier and returns to the poet. He is delighted, 

 and thanks Apollo and the Muses. But his bliss is 

 of short duration ; he discovers that he has rivals. 

 He forgives Cynthia her infidelities, however, and 

 raves about her beauty, her elegance, and her accom- 

 plishments. Soon he has reason to change his note. 

 Cynthia's amours are the talk of the town. He leaves 

 her, but resumes his chain. It is now her turn to be 

 jealous, and Propertius recognises that he is in truth 

 a sad dog. Once more the tables are turned upon 

 the lover, who seeks consolation in the wine-cup. 

 Another reconciliation is followed by further scenes, 

 and the climax is reached when Cynthia makes the 

 poet the laughing-stock of her numerous rivals, death 

 then cutting short her follies. Tibullus confesses to 

 three important attachments, all unfortunate. Delia, 

 Nemesis, and IsTeaera vie with each other in venal or 

 capricious excesses, constant only in their inconstancy. 

 All due allowance being made for literary embellish- 

 ment or exaggeration, the loves of the Augustan poets, 

 it must be confessed, present a sorry spectacle. No 

 modern writer would own to being inspired by, or 

 would dare to vaunt the charms of, such women as 

 Corinna and Cynthia. The Eomans made an advance 



D 



