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Verum seu pisces seu porrum et caepe trucidas,
Utere Pompeio Grospho et, si quid petet, ultro
Defer; nil Grosphus nisi verum orabit et aequum.
Vilis amicorum est annona, bonis ubi quid deest.
Ne tamen ignores, quo sit Romana loco res,
Cantaber Agrippae, Claudi virtute Neronis
Armenius cecidit; jus imperiumque Phraates
Caesaris accepit genibus minor; aurea fruges
Italiae pleno defundit Copia cornu.

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philosophy or that of the Stoics is false. For the joke's sake he names as the representative of the latter a certain ridiculous philosopher called Stertinius, who, as the scholiasts tell us, had written 220 books of Stoica. Stertinium acumen = Stertinius acutus.-21. A joke in regard to Iccius's simple fare. The word trucidare is used ludicrously of vegetables.-23. Verum = rectum.-24. A proverb: one can easily gain friends when brave men are in want of anything-namely, by supplying their need.-26. Cantaber. See Carm. ii. 6. As to Tiberius Claudius Nero's expedition to Armenia, see Epist. i. 3. King Phraates of Parthia restored, in the year 20 B. C., the prisoners and standards taken in the unfortunate campaigns of Crassus and Antony. On coins of Augustus we find a representation of the Parthian monarch kneeling (genibus minor), and doing homage to the emperor.-29. As to the horn of plenty, see Carm. Saec., 60.

EPISTOLA XIII.

AD VINIUM ASELLAM.

THE poet gives injunctions to his servant, C. Vinius Fronto Asella, to whom he has intrusted some of his poems to be taken to the emperor at Rome.

Ur proficiscentem docui te saepe diuque,
Augusto reddes signata volumina, Vini,
Si validus, si laetus erit, si denique poscet;
Ne studio nostri pecces, odiumque libellis
Sedulus importes opera vehemente minister.
Si te forte meae gravis uret sarcina chartae,

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2. Signata = obsignata. Vinius is not to open them by the way, nor shew them to any one.-4. Studio nostri, from love to me.' Do not be too zealous in your services (sedulus minister), lest your hurry to give Augustus the poems should prejudice him against them.— 6. Uret. A heavy load inflames the shoulder on which it rests. The joke which follows is founded on Asina, the nickname of Vinius's

Abjicito potius, quam, quo perferre juberis,
Clitellas ferus impingas, Asinaeque paternum
Cognomen vertas in risum et fabula fias.
Viribus uteris per clivos, flumina, lamas ;
Victor propositi, simul ac perveneris illuc,
Sic positum servabis onus, ne forte sub alá
Fasciculum portes librorum, ut rusticus agnum,
Ut vinosa glomus furtivae Pyrrhia lanae,
Ut cum pileolo soleas conviva tribulis.
Nec vulgo narres te sudavisse ferendo

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Carmina, quae possint oculos auresque morari
Caesaris; oratus multa prece, nitere porro.

Vade, vale; cave, ne titubes mandataque frangas.

father. The figure is taken from an ass, which, when it reaches its destination, madly eager to get rid of its packsaddle, pushes against a wall, and thus breaks it off. 9. Fabula fias; that is, become the subject of a story among the wits at court, about the boorish fashion in which my poems were brought to the emperor.-11. Victor propositi, ' when thou hast fulfilled thy resolution' to carry the poems to the emperor.-12. The messenger is not to carry in the packet under his arm, but elegantly in his right hand, and thus to hand it to the emperor. -14. Pyrrhia, the name of a slave in a play by a certain Titinnius. She stole a bundle of wool, and carried it so that it was seen, and she was caught.-15. Tribulis, properly, a member of a tribe,' which every Roman was; but in the time of Augustus the tribes had become associations for charitable purposes, and hence tribulis comes to mean a poor Roman-one who received assistance from his tribe. Still, as he has a right to vote in the comitia, he is invited to dinner by men of rank, and, having no slave, he carries with him into the banquet-room his slippers (see Satires, ii. 8, 77), and his bad little hat (pileolus) under his arm.-18. Oratus multa prece; though thou shouldst be besought most earnestly to shew what thou art carrying, do not turn aside, but hurry on (nitere porro) to Augustus.

EPISTOLA XVI.

AD QUINCTIUM.

THIS epistle is addressed to one Quinctius, probably the T. Quinctius Crispinus who was consul in the year 9 B. C. We see from the epistle that he was rich, respected, and a favourite of the people, so that he had already held various offices of state. The object of the epistle is to shew that external advantages cannot make a man happy, but

that the virtuous man alone is truly free and happy. The poet commences with a description of his Sabine farm, and his contented life upon it.

NE perconteris, fundus meus, optime Quincti,
Arvo pascat herum an baccis opulentet olivae
Pomisve an pratis an amicta vitibus ulmo,
Scribetur tibi forma loquaciter et situs agri.
Continui montes, ni dissocientur opaca

Valle, sed ut veniens dextrum latus adspiciat sol,
Laevum discedens curru fugiente vaporet.
Temperiem laudes. Quid, si rubicunda benigni
Corna vepres et pruna ferunt? si quercus et ilex
Multa fruge pecus, multa dominum juvat umbra?
Dicas adductum propius frondere Tarentum.
Fons etiam rivo dare nomen idoneus, ut nec
Frigidior Thracam nec purior ambiat Hebrus,
Infirmo capiti fluit aptus et utilis alvo.
Hae latebrae dulces et, jam si credis, amoenae,
Incolumem tibi me praestant Septembribus horis.
Tu recte vivis, si curas esse, quod audis.
Jactamus jam pridem omnis te Roma beatum;
Sed vereor, ne cui de te plus quam tibi credas,
Neve putes alium sapiente bonoque beatum,
Neu, si te populus sanum recteque valentem
Dictitet, occultam febrim sub tempus edendi
Dissimules, donec manibus tremor incidat unctis.

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2. That is, whether I cultivate it as an arable farm or an orchard, a sheep farm or a vineyard. Horace does not answer these questions, but merely describes its pleasant situation.-3. Amicta vitibus ulmo. See Epode 2, 10.-5. Continui montes, scil. sunt. Ni = praeterquam quod.-6. For a description of the position of the villa, see the Introduction.-7. Curru fugiente. Compare Carm. Saec. 9, and Carm. iii. 6, 44. 8. Laudes, potential subjunctive, one might praise.' 11. Join adductum propius. The trees on my farm are as beautiful as those about Tarentum. See Sat. ii. 4, 34, and Carm. ii. 6, 11.— 12. Rivo dare nomen idoneus. The water wells up so abundantly that this single fountain could supply a rivulet.-14. The spring was good for bathing the head in or drinking from.-16. Septembribus horis, in autumn,' the most unhealthy season in Italy. Compare Sat. ii. 6, 19. -17. Quod audis, 'what is said of thee;' namely, that thou art beatus, as stated in the next line.-20. Alium sapiente bonoque alium ac sapientem bonumque. See Zumpt, § 470.-22. The meaning of the figurative expression is: do not, at the time when thou canst throw off vices, pretend that thou hast them not, putting off the thought of freeing thyself from them till it is too late.-23. Manus unctae are

Stultorum incurata pudor malus ulcera celat.
Si quis bella tibi terra pugnata marique
Dicat, et his verbis vacuas permulceat aures,
Tene magis salvum populus velit an populum tu,
Servet in ambiguo, qui consulit et tibi et urbi
Jupiter,' Augusti laudes agnoscere possis :
Quum pateris sapiens emendatusque vocari,
Respondesne tuo, dic sodes, nomine? Nempe
Vir bonus et prudens dici delector ego ac tu.
Qui dedit hoc hodie, cras si volet auferet, ut, si
Detulerit fasces indigno, detrahet idem.

'Pone, meum est,' inquit. Pono tristisque recedo:
Idem si clamet furem, neget esse pudicum,

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Contendat laqueo collum pressisse paternum;

Mordear opprobriis falsis mutemque colores?
Falsus honor juvat et mendax infamia terret

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Quem nisi mendosum et medicandum? Vir bonus est quis?

Qui consulta patrum, qui leges juraque servat,
Quo multae magnaeque secantur judice lites,
Quo res sponsore et quo causae teste tenentur.
Sed videt hunc omnis domus et vicinia tota
Introrsum turpem, speciosum pelle decora.
'Nec furtum feci nec fugi,' si mihi dicit
Servus, 'Habes pretium, loris non ureris,' aio.

"Non hominem occidi.' 'Non pasces in cruce corvos,'

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'hands soiled with eating greasy food.'-24. Stultorum is emphatic: they are fools, whose.' Incurata is, without healing them.' 25. Tibi for a te.-27. Tene, etc., are lines composed by the poet Varius (Sat. i. 10, 44) in reference to Augustus. The sense of lines 25-31 is this: if one were to call you a great military hero, you would answer that such praise was not appropriate to you, but to Augustus ; but if another were to call you a wise man, would you not reply: 'Yes, that praise is justly given to me?' So much is man disposed to attribute to himself inward excellence.-30. Pateris, construed here with the simple infinitive, instead of the accusative with the infinitive. -36. Si belongs to clamet, neget, and contendat.-37. Laqueo collum pressisse paternum = jugulasse patrem.-40. Medicandum, one who, according to the Stoic notion, is insanus, and consequently needs to be cured. Vir bonus est quis? namely, according to the opinion of the multitude.-41. Consulta patrum. The written law at Rome consisted of the twelve tables, the bills passed by the people, and the decrees of the senate.-42. Secantur = deciduntur, decernuntur.-43. Tenentur = obtinentur (law-pleas) are won.'-45. Compare Sat. ii. 1, 64.-48. Only

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'Sum bonus et frugi.' Renuit negitatque Sabellus.
Cautus enim metuit foveam lupus, accipiterque
Suspectos laqueos, et opertum miluus hamum,
Oderunt peccare boni virtutis amore,

Tu nihil admittes in te formidine poenae.

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Sit spes fallendi, miscebis sacra profanis.

Nam de mille fabae modiis quum surripis unum,

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Damnum est, non facinus mihi pacto lenius isto.

Vir bonus, omne forum quem spectat et omne tribunal,
Quandocunque deos vel porco vel bove placat,

'Jane pater' clare, clare quum dixit' Apollo,'

Labra movet metuens audiri: 'Pulchra Laverna,
Da mihi fallere, da justo sanctoque videri,
Noctem peccatis et fraudibus objice nubem.'
Qui melior servo, qui liberior sit avarus,

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In triviis fixum quum se demittit ob assem,

Qui metuens vivet, liber mihi non erit unquam.
Perdidit arma, locum virtutis deseruit, qui
Semper in augenda festinat et obruitur re.
Vendere quum possis captivum, occidere noli;
Serviet utiliter: sine pascat durus aretque,
Naviget ac mediis hiemet mercator in undis,

Non video; nam qui cupiet, metuet quoque; porro

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70

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slaves were crucified at Rome, not freemen, and, above all things, not Roman citizens.-49. Sabellus. This race, living among the Apennines, had the reputation of being rough and uncultivated, but brave and honourable. 53. Nihil admittes in te, thou wilt commit offence.'-54. Miscere sacra profanis is said of a thorough scoundrel, who minds neither human nor divine law.-56. Damnum lenius est, non facinus. When one steals a trifle, the loss to the person robbed is of course lighter, but the crime is just as great as if it were a theft of valuable property.-57. Vir bonus, in the opinion of the multitude. 59. He invokes the gods with a loud voice, either Father Janus' or Apollo,' but he secretly prays that he may be protected in his crimes.-60. Laverna, the goddess of thieves, had a temple on the via Salaria. Thieves used to pray to her before they attempted any theft.-63. Qui quomodo.-64. As fixus in triviis is an as lying in the public street among the mud, which no one but a miser would lift.67. Perdidit arma, locum deseruit. The figure is taken from a soldier, for whom it is the highest disgrace to have lost his arms, especially his shield, in battle (see Carm. ii. 7, 10), or to have left the post assigned to him. Hence the sense of the passage is: he who gives himself up to a passion is a conquered man-a captive. The poet (lines 69-72) gives us the thoughts of the passion represented as a person. She resolves not to kill the captive, as, according to the laws of war, she

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