hic tibi potest facere et servare beatum, quidquius1 repetas opus, hoc postremus omittas. defoditunatum species et gratia praestat,

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mercemur servum, qui dictet nomina, laevum2 qui fodicet latus et cogat trans pondera3 dextram porrigere: "hic1 multum in Fabia valet, ille Velina; cui libet hic fasces dabit eripietque curule

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cui volet importunus ebur." "frater," " pater "adde: ut cuique est aetas, ita quemque facetus adopta.5 55 Si bene qui cenat bene vivit, lucet, eamus quo ducit gula; piscemur, venemur, ut olim Gargilius, qui mane plagas, venabula, servos differtum transire forum populumque? iubebat, unus ut e multis populo spectante referret emptum mulus aprum. crudi tumidique lavemur, quid deceat, quid non, obliti, Caerite cera digni, remigium vitiosum Ithacensis Ulixei, cui potior patria fuit interdicta voluptas. si, Mimnermus uti censet, sine amore iocisque nil est iucundum, vivas in amore iocisque. Vive, vale! si quid novisti rectius istis, candidus imperti; si nil,9 his utere mecum.

1 primum, II.

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2 laevum E: saevum (i.e. scaevum) aM, II; so Pithoeus.

a A slave, called nomenclator, had the duty of informing his master of the names of people he did not know.

The scholiasts explain pondera as the term applied to the high stepping-stones used for crossing the streets as may be seen in Pompeii. Horace, therefore, is picturing the ambitious politicians as hurrying over these to greet a voter on the other side of the street. Other interpretations,

knaves. So if wealth alone can make you happy and keep you so, be the first to go back to this task, the last to leave it off.

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49 If pomp and popularity make the fortunate man, let us buy a slave to call off names," to nudge our left side, and make us stretch out the hand across the streets." This man has much influence in the Fabian tribe; that in the Veline. This man will give the fasces to whom he will, or, if churlish, will snatch the curule ivory from whom he pleases." Throw in "Brother! Father!"-politely adopt each one according to his age.

56 If he who dines well, lives well, then-'tis daybreak, let's be off, whither the palate guides us. Let us fish, let us hunt, like Gargilius in the story. At dawn of day he would bid his slaves with huntingnets and spears pass through the throng in the crowded Forum, that in the sight of that same throng one mule of all the train might bring home a boar he had purchased. While gorged with undigested food, let us bathe, forgetful of what is or is not seemly, deserving to have our place in the Caere class, like the wicked crew of Ulysses of Ithaca, to whom forbidden pleasure was dearer than fatherland. If, as Mimnermus holds, without love and jests there is no joy, live amid love and jests.

67 Live long, farewell. If you know something better than these precepts, pass it on, my good fellow. If not, join me in following these.

such as that pondera means the weights on a shop-counter, are pure conjectures.

• As deserving to be disfranchised. The people of Caere were municipes sine suffragii iure (Gellius, xvi. 13). The word cera refers to the wax-covered tablets on which the lists of citizens were entered.

VII

TO MAECENAS

MAECENAS has apparently reproached Horace for staying in the country longer than he had said he would, when he himself had to remain in Rome, and perhaps he had reminded the poet of his obligations to his patron.

Horace makes a manly and dignified reply. He assures his patron that he is not ungrateful for past benefits, but he must consider his health, and he refuses to surrender his personal independence. If that is demanded, he is willing to give up everything that Maecenas has conferred upon him.

The poet's attitude is illustrated by several stories, the last of which-the tale of Philippus and his client, Volteius Mena-takes up half of the poem. Of this Swift has made a very humorous use in his "Address to the Earl of Oxford."

VII.

Quinque dies tibi pollicitus me rure futurum, Sextilem totum mendax desideror. atque1 si me vivere vis sanum recteque valentem, quam mihi das aegro, dabis aegrotare timenti, Maecenas, veniam, dum ficus prima calorque2 dissignatorem decorat lictoribus atris, dum pueris omnis pater et matercula pallet. officiosaque sedulitas et opella forensis adducit febris et testamenta resignat. quod si bruma nives Albanis illinet agris, ad mare descendet vates tuus et sibi parcet contractusque leget; te, dulcis amice, reviset cum Zephyris, si concedes, et hirundine prima. Non quo more piris vesci Calaber iubet hospes, tu me fecisti locupletem. " vescere, sodes."

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66

5

10

15

iam satis est." at tu quantum vis tolle." "benigne."

non invisa feres pueris munuscula parvis."

tam teneor dono, quam si dimittar onustus.'

"ut libet; haec porcis hodie comedenda relinques.5

1 atqui E, but cf. (e.g.) Terence, Andria 225.

2 colorque Va.

4 concedis E.

3 adducet Rồπ.

5 relinquis pλl.

a Quinque is a round number here. Similarly, decem dies may be used of a long week."

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