Epigraph Vivunt in Venerem ... Alnoque assibilat Alnus Claudian (Claudius Claudianus) (c. 370–c. 404), Epithalamium de nuptiis Honorii Augusti 65–68, somewhat misquoted (“nemus omne per altum” for “omnisque vicissim”, “faedera” for “foedera”, “assibilat” for “adsibilat”): “The very leaves live for love and in his season every happy tree experiences love’s power: palm bends down to mate with palm, poplar sighs its passion for poplar, plane whispers to plane, alder to alder” (trans. Maurice Platnauer).