XII. LE CHÈNE DE CÉRÈS.

This short fragment is taken from Ovid, _Met._ viii. 743.

L. 3. _porte un immense ombrage._ I am under the impression that this happy use of _porter_ has been suggested to Chénier by the term used in painting of _ombre portée_, defined by Littré (s.v. _porté_), 'ombre qu'un corps projette sur une surface.' Chénier frequented painters, and himself painted.

L. 5. _bandeaux_, fillets. See _vittae_ in Rich, _Dict. of Roman and Greek Antiq._