LIBER XXI 



I. In hortis seri et coronamenta iussit Cato, 

 inenarrabili florum maxime subtilitate, quando nulli 

 potest facilius esse loqui quam rerum naturae 

 pingere, lascivienti praesertim et in magno gaudio 

 2 fertilitatis tam variae ludenti. quippe reliqua usus 

 alimentique gratia genuit, ideoque saecula annosque 

 tribuit his, flores vero odoresque in diem gignit, 

 magna, ut palam est, admonitione hominum, quae 

 spectatissime floreant celerrime marcescere. sed ne 

 pictura quidem sufficit ^ imagini colorum reddendae 

 mixturanimque varietati, sive alterni atque niulti- 

 phces inter se nectuntur,^ sive privatis generum funi- 

 culis in orbem, in oblicum, in ambitum quaedam 

 coronae per coronas currunt. 



^ sufficit Dal. : sufficienti aiit sufficiente codd. : sufficiet 

 Mayhojf. Posl marcescere comma ponil Detlefsen, qui suf- 

 ficiente scribit. 



^ nectuntur Dellefsen : nectantur cum codd. Muyhoff, qui 

 eliam currant coni. 



« R.r. VIII. § 2. 



* The old editors put a full stop at amhitum. The MSS. 

 have nectantitr and currunt. Detlefsen has two indicatives 

 and Mayhoff two subjunctives. 



Altemi : two kinds of flowers interwoven alternately. 

 Multiplices : several kinds interwoven according to 

 various patterns. 



Privatis genenim funiculis : strings or festoons of flowers, 

 one kind only on each string. These are made into hoops 

 or rings, which pass through one another, each ring being a 

 link in a chain. This chain of rings could easily be shaped 



l6o 



