horruerim voces Furiarum et facta duarum ? nam displosa sonat quantum vesica pepedi diffissa nate ficus: at illae currere in urbem. Canidiae dentes, altum Saganae caliendrum excidere atque herbas atque incantata lacertis vincula cum magno risuque iocoque videres.

45

50

of the two Furies-though not unavenged? For as loud as the noise of a bursting bladder was the crack when my fig-wood buttock split. Away they ran into town. Then amid great laughter and mirth you might see Canidia's teeth and Sagana's high wig come tumbling down, and from their arms the herbs and enchanted love-knots.

IX

AN UNWELCOME COMPANION

WHILE taking a morning stroll, Horace is joined by a mere acquaintance, who insists on accompanying him, hoping through closer intimacy to secure an introduction to Maecenas. The poet vainly endeavours to shake him off, and it is only when the man's adversary in a lawsuit appears on the scene— a genuine deus ex machina-that Horace is rescued from his unhappy position.

The delightful humour, the skilful dramatic treatment of the theme, and the poet's well-established position in Maecenas's circle which is assumed, indicate that this is one of the latest Satires, in point of composition, in the first book. It may be compared with the sixth Satire, in which Horace gives an account of his introduction to Maecenas.

For the connexion of this Satire with Lucilius see Introduction C.

IX.

Ibam forte Via Sacra, sicut meus est mos nescio quid meditans nugarum, totus in illis. accurrit1 quidam notus mihi nomine tantum, arreptaque manu, “quid agis, dulcissime rerum ? "suaviter, ut nunc est," inquam, "et cupio omnia quae vis."

66

5

Cum adsectaretur, num quid vis?" occupo. at ille, noris nos," inquit ; docti sumus. "hic ego, pluris hoc," inquam," mihi eris." misere discedere quaerens, ire modo ocius, interdum consistere, in aurem dicere nescio quid puero, cum sudor ad imos2 manaret talos. 'o te, Bolane, cerebri

felicem ! aiebam tacitus, cum quidlibet ille garriret, vicos,3 urbem laudaret..

Ut illi

nil respondebam, " misere cupis," inquit," abire ; iamdudum video; sed nil agis; usque tenebo; persequar1 hinc quo nunc iter est tibi."

est te

1 occurrit.

2 Bentley punctuated so as to take cum

aiebam.

3 ficos, II, Charisius.

10

15

nil opus

a The Sacra Via was the oldest and most famous street in Rome, running into the Forum; see Via Sacra in Index.