text_original: licans; and Claudius had been warned not to meddle with so perilous a theme. Lucan, therefore, may well have given offence to the instinc  choice of tive jealousy of a despot, though he was not s>jbjcct sparing of his flattering words, as when he bids him take a central place among the heavenly constellations, for fear of disturbing the equilibrium of the world ; and in the opening books, at least, which alone had seen the light, he was wary and cautious in his tone.
text_transcription: LICANS AND CLAUDIUS HAD BEEN WARNED NOT TO MEDDLE WITH SO PERILOUS A THEME LUCAN THEREFORE MAY WELL HAVE GIVEN OFFENCE TO THE INSTINCTIVE JEALOUSY OF A DESPOT THOUGH HE WAS NOT SPARING OF HIS FLATTERING WORDS AS WHEN HE BIDS HIM TAKE A CENTRAL PLACE AMONG THE HEAVENLY CONSTELLATIONS FOR FEAR OF DISTURBING THE EQUILIBRIUM OF THE WORLD AND IN THE OPENING BOOKS AT LEAST WHICH ALONE HAD SEEN THE LIGHT HE WAS WARY AND CAUTIOUS IN HIS TONE
phonemes: lˈɪkənz; ænd klˈɔːdɪəs hɐdbɪn wˈɔːɹnd nˌɑːt tə mˈɛdəl wɪð sˌoʊ pˈɛɹɪləs ɐ θˈiːm. lˈuːkən, ðˈɛɹfɔːɹ, mˈeɪ wˈɛl hæv ɡˈɪvən əfˈɛns tə ðɪ ˈɪnstɪŋk tʃˈɔɪs ʌv tˈaɪv dʒˈɛləsi əvə dˈɛspɑːt, ðˌoʊ hiː wʌz nˌɑːt ˈɛs dʒˌeɪbˌiːdʒˈeɪsˌiːsˌiːtˈiː spˈɛɹɪŋ ʌv hɪz flˈæɾɚɹɪŋ wˈɜːdz, æz wɛn hiː bˈɪdz hˌɪm tˈeɪk ɐ sˈɛntɹəl plˈeɪs ɐmˌʌŋ ðə hˈɛvənli kˌɑːnstɪlˈeɪʃənz, fɔːɹ fˈɪɹ ʌv dɪstˈɜːbɪŋ ðɪ ˌiːkwɪlˈɪbɹiəm ʌvðə wˈɜːld ; ænd ɪnðɪ ˈoʊpənɪŋ bˈʊks, æt lˈiːst, wˌɪtʃ ɐlˈoʊn hæd sˈiːn ðə lˈaɪt, hiː wʌz wˈɛɹi ænd kˈɔːʃəs ɪn hɪz tˈoʊn.