READ OUT LOUD. Choose which marked text you prefer to practice with - macrons in verse form, or macrons in prose order, or accent marks in prose order, or focusing on the iambic meter. You will find materials for all of these options below. :-)
VERSE MACRONS. Here is the verse text with macrons:
Mustēla ab homine prēnsa, cum īnstantem necem
effugere vellet, "Quaesō, parce" inquit "mihi,
quae tibi molestīs mūribus pūrgō domum."
Respondit ille "Facerēs sī causā meā,
grātum esset et dedissem veniam supplicī.
Nunc quia labōrās ut fruāris reliquiīs,
quās sunt rōsūrī, simul et ipsōs dēvorēs,
nōlī imputāre vānum beneficium mihi."
Atque ita locūtus improbam lētō dedit.
Hōc in sē dictum dēbent illī āgnōscere,
quōrum prīvāta servit ūtilitās sibi,
et meritum ināne iactant imprūdentibus.
PROSE MACRONS. Here is the same text with macrons written out in prose word order:
Mustēla, ab homine prēnsa, cum necem īnstantem vellet effugere, inquit: Quaesō, parce mihi, quae domum tibi pūrgō mūribus molestīs. Ille respondit: Sī causā meā facerēs, grātum esset et tibi supplicī veniam dedissem. Nunc quia labōrās ut fruāris reliquiīs, quās mūrēs rōsūrī sunt, simul et ipsōs dēvorēs, nōlī mihi imputāre beneficium vānum. Atque ita locūtus, improbam lētō dedit. Hōc in sē dictum āgnōscere dēbent illī quōrum ūtilitās prīvāta sibi servit, et meritum ināne imprūdentibus iactant.
STRESS (ACCENT) MARKS. Here is the prose text with accents, plus some color-coding for the words of three or more syllables (blue: penultimate stress; red: antepenultimate stress):
Mustéla, ab hómine prensa, cum necem instántem vellet effúgere, inquit: Quaeso, parce mihi, quae domum tibi purgo múribus moléstis. Ille respóndit: Si causa mea fáceres, gratum esset et tibi súpplici véniam dedíssem. Nunc quia labóras ut fruáris relíquiis, quas mures rosúri sunt, simul et ipsos devóres, noli mihi imputáre benefícium vanum. Atque ita locútus, ímprobam leto dedit. Hoc in se dictum agnóscere debent illi quorum utílitas priváta sibi servit, et méritum ináne imprudéntibus iactant.
IAMBIC METER. Here is the verse text with some color coding to assist in the iambic meter. The disyllabic elements (iambs/spondees) are not marked, but the trisyllabic elements are color-coded: dactyls are red, anapests are purple, and tribrachs are green (as is any proceleusmaticus, although that is a rare creature):
Mustē·l~ ab homi·ne prēn·sa, c~ īn·stantem· necem
effuge·re vel·let, Quae·sō, par·c~ inquit· mihi,
quae tibi· moles·tīs mū·ribus· pūrgō· domum.
Respon·dit il·le Face·rēs sī· causā· meā,
grāt~ es·set et· dedis·sem veni·am sup·plicī.
Nunc quia· labō·rās ut· fruā·ris reli·quiīs,
quās sunt· rōsū·rī, simul· et ip·sōs dē·vorēs,
nōl~ im·putā·re vā·num bene·ficium· mihi.
Atqu~ ita· locū·tus im·probam· lētō· dedit.
Hōc in· sē dic·tum dē·bent il·l~ āgnō·scere,
quōrum· prīvā·ta ser·vit ū·tilitās· sibi,
et meri·t~ inā·ne iac·tant im·prūden·tibus.
IMAGE. Here is an illustration for the story (image source).
What follows is an unmarked version of the prose rendering to faciliate word searches:
Mustela, ab homine prensa, cum necem instantem vellet effugere, inquit:Quaeso, parce mihi, quae domum tibi purgo muribus molestis. Ille respondit: Si causa mea faceres, gratum esset et tibi supplici veniam dedissem. Nunc quia laboras ut fruaris reliquiis, quas mures rosuri sunt, simul et ipsos devores, noli mihi imputare beneficium vanum. Atque ita locutus, improbam leto dedit. Hoc in se dictum agnoscere debent illi quorum utilitas privata sibi servit, et meritum inane imprudentibus iactant.
