He spake no more but still in human form clove a furrow of light through the clouds; he passes to Luna’s globe, leaves Mercury’s threshold and hastens to the gentle airs of Venus. Hence he traverses Phoebus’ path, Mars’ baleful fires and Jupiter’s quiet quarters, and stands upon the very crown of the sky, cold Saturn’s frozen zone. Heaven’s fabric opens, unbidden the shining doors swing back. Boötes prepares a place in the vault of the northern sky, sword-girt Orion unbars the portals of the south; they offer welcome to the new star, uncertain each in turn to what region he will betake himself, what constellation he will grace with his presence, or in what quarter he will elect to shine alone. O glory of heaven as once thou wert of earth, the ocean that laves the shores of the land of thy birth receives thee wearied with thy nightly course, Spain bathes thee in thy natal waves. Happy father, when first thou risest above the horizon thou lookest upon Arcadius, when thou dippest to thy setting the sight of Honorius delays thy westering fires. Through whichever hemisphere thou takest thy wandering
natorum per regna venis, qui mente serena maturoque regunt iunctas moderamine gentes, saecula qui rursus formant meliore metallo. luget Avarities Stygiis innexa catenis 185 cumque suo demens expellitur Ambitus auro. non dominantur opes nec corrumpentia sensus dona valent: emitur sola virtute potestas. Unanimi fratres, quorum mare terraque fatis debetur, quodcumque manus evasit avitas, 190 quod superest patri: vobis iam Mulciber arma praeparat et Sicula Cyclops incude laborat, Brontes innumeris exasperat aegida signis, altum fulminea crispare in casside conum festinat Steropes, nectit thoraca Pyragmon 195 ignifluisque gemit Lipare fumosa cavernis. vobis Ionia virides Neptunus in alga nutrit equos, qui summa freti per caerula possint ferre viam segetemque levi percurrere motu, nesciat ut spumas nec proterat ungula culmos. 200 iam video Babylona rapi Parthumque coactum non ficta trepidare fuga, iam Bactra teneri legibus et famulis Gangen pallescere ripis gemmatosque humilem dispergere Persida cultus. ite per extremum Tanaim pigrosque Triones, 205 ite per ardentem Libyam, superate vapores solis et arcanos Nili deprendite fontes, Herculeum finem, Bacchi transcurrite metas: vestri iuris erit, quidquid complectitur axis, vobis Rubra dabunt pretiosas aequora conchas, 210 Indus ebur, ramos Panchaia, vellera Seres.