sure, I surely do believe old Nocturnus went to bed this
night in liquor. Why, the Great Bear hasn’t moved a step
anywhere in the sky, and the moon’s just as it was when it
first rose, and Orion’s Belt, and the Evening Star, and the
Pleiades aren’t setting, either. Yes, the constellations are
standing stock still, and no sign of day anywhere.

_Mer._

Perge, Nox, ut occepisti, gere patri morem meo:
optumo optume optumam operam das, datam pulchre locas.

(_aside_) Go on as you have begun, Night: oblige my
father: you’re doing splendidly in a splendid work for a
splendid deity: you’ll find it a fine investment.

_Sos._

Neque ego hac nocte longiorem me vidisse censeo,
nisi item unam, verberatus quam pependi perpetem; 280
eam quoque edepol etiam multo haec vicit longitudine.
credo edepol equidem dormire Solem, atque adpotum probe;
mira sunt nisi invitavit sese in cena plusculum.

I don’t think I ever did see a longer night--barring that
one when I got whipped and was left strung up till morning.
And goodness me, in length this one’s way ahead of even that
one. Gad, I certainly do believe old Sol’s asleep, asleep
and dead drunk. It’s a wonder if he hasn’t drunk his own
health a bit too much at dinner.