Luciferi rudis, exclamet Melicerta perisse Frontem de rebus. Tibi recto vivere talo Ars dedit? et veri speciem dinoscere calles, Ne qua subærato mendosam tinniat auro ? Quæque sequenda forent, quæque evitanda vicissim, Illa prius creta, mox hæc carbone notasti? Es modicus voti, presso lare, dulcis amicis : Jam nunc astringas, jam nunc granaria laxes: Inque luto fixum possis transcendere nummum ; Nec glutto sorbere salivam Mercurialem ? Hæc mea sunt, teneo, cum vere dixeris, esto Liberque, ac sapiens, prætoribus, ac Jove dextro, Sin tu, cum fueris nostræ paulo ante farinæ, Pelliculam veterem retines, et fronte politus Astutam vapido servas sub pectore vulpem : Quæ dederam supra repeto, funemque reduco. Nil tibi concessit ratio, digitum exere, peccas: Et quid tam parvum est? sed nullo thure litabis, Hæreat in stultis brevis ut semuncia recti. Hæc miscere nefas: nec cum sis cætera fossor, Treis tantum ad numeros satyri moveare Bathylli. Liber ego, unde datum hoc sumis tot subdite rebus ? An dominum ignoras, nisi quem vindicta relaxat ? I puer, et strigiles Crispini ad balnea defer. Si increpuit, Cessas nugator? servitium acre. Te nihil impellit: nec quicquam extrinsecus intrat, Quod nervos agitet, sed si intus, et in jecore ægro Nascantur domini, quî tu impunitior exis,

Atque hic, quem ad strigiles scutica,et metus egit herilist

Indignant Nereids through the deep would cry,
That shame had left the earth, and sought the sky.
Has art instructed thee to reason well?

Its semblance, from the truth, at once to tell?
On fleeting things to set their proper price,
And mark the bounds of virtue and of vice?
Dost thou know when to save, and when to spend,
A prudent master, but a generous friend?

Canst thou unmoved another's wealth behold,
The treasure view, nor sigh to gain the gold?—
When virtues, such as these, belong to thee,
Then let propitious Jove ordain thee free.
But if beneath a new and glossy skin,
The same envenom'd serpent lurk within;
If still thy passions do their power retain,
I must retract, and call thee slave again.
Imperious reason holds despotic rule,
And even his slightest actions mark the fool.
In vain for him whole clouds of incense rise,
In vain he wishes to be counted wise.

The clown shall sooner, when soft music plays,
By nimble motion catch the people's gaze,
With young Bathyllus in the group advance,
And lead, like him, the graces in the dance.
Imagine not, while passions keep their sway,
That you no master but yourself obey.

What though you've knelt beneath the prætor's wand,
And in your turn submissive slaves command:
Are there not tyrants which usurp your soul,

Divide your bosom, and your will control?

Mane piger stertis: Surge, inquit Avaritia; eja
Surge, negas, instat, Surge, inquit. Non queo. Surge.
Et quid agam? Rogitas? saperdas advehe Ponto,
Castoreum, stuppas, hebenum, thus, lubrica Coa:
Tolle recens primus piper è sitiente camelo.
Verte aliquid; jura. Sed Jupiter audiet: eheu.
Varo, regustatum digito terebrare salinum
Contentus perages, si vivere cum Jove tendis.
Jam pueris pellem succinctus, et œnophorum aptas
Ocyus ad navem nihil obstat, quin trabe vasta
Ægæum rapias, nisi sollers luxuria ante

Seductum moneat: Quò deinde insane ruis? quò?
Quid tibi vis calido sub pectore mascula bilis
Intumuit, quam non extinxerit urna cicuta.
Tun' mare transilias? tibi torta cannabe fulto
Cœna sit in transtro, Vejentanumque rubellum
Exhalet vapida læsum pice sessilis obba ?

Quid petis? ut nummi, quos hic quincunce modesto
Nutrieras, pergant avidos sudare deunces ?

But hark, a voice ;—'tis Avarice that cries,
"The day advances fast, for shame, arise."
Back on his bed the drowsy sluggard falls ;
Again he sleeps, again his tyrant calls.
“Arise, I say, arise." But what to do?
"Wealth through the world at every risk pursue.
"Bring luscious wines from Coa's fruitful shores;
"Transport from Asia half its vaunted stores;
"Dare the wild wastes of Afric's sterile soil:
"Thy camels load with Oriental spoil;
"Defraud, deceive, make money if you can,
"Nor think that Jove will disapprove the plan:
"He who on earth for heaven alone shall live,
"Will know full soon how much the gods can give."
Awhile the voice of Avarice prevails;

Already in your thoughts you spread the sails;
The famed Egean in your mind explore,

And brave the stormy Euxine's barbarous shore.
But still as on your downy bed you lie,
You hear the voice of Luxury reply.

"Whither, O madman, whither wouldst thou run;
"Across what seas, beneath what sultry sun?
"Is then thy bile so hot as to require
"Whole urns of hemlock to assuage the fire;
"A sparing supper canst thou stoop to eat,
"Bad wine thy beverage, and a rope thy seat:
"And this, to add a trifle to thy store,
"And swell the sum, which was enough before?
"Ah think, vain schemer, how the moments fly;
"The instant now observed is time gone by.

Indulge genio, carpemus dulcia: nostrum est,
Quod vivis cinis, et manes, et fabula fies.

Vive memor leti: fugit hora: hoc, quod loquor, inde est.
En quid agis? duplici in diversum scinderis hamo:
Hunccine, an hunc sequeris? subeas alternus oportet
Ancipiti obsequio dominos; alternus oberres.
Nec tu, cum obstiteris semel instantique negaris
Parere imperio, Rupi jam vincula, dicas.
Nam et luctata canis nodum abripit: attamen illi
Cum fugit, à collo trahitur pars longa catena.
Dave, cito, hoc credas jubeo, finire dolores
Præteritos meditor: (crudum Chærestratus unguem
Abrodens ait hæc) An siccis dedecus obstem
Cognatis? an rem patriam rumore sinistro
Limen ad obscœnum frangam, dum Chrysidis udas
Ebrius ante fores extincta cum face canto?
Euge puer, sapias: diis depellentibus agnam
Percute. Sed censen', plorabit Dave relicta?
Nugaris solea, puer, objurgabere rubra,
Ne trepidare velis, atque artos rodere casses.

Nunc ferus, et violens: at si vocet, Haud mora, dicas,
Quidnam igitur faciam ? ne nunc, cum accersat, et ultro
Supplicet, accedam? Si totus et integer illinc
Exieras, nec nunc, hic hic, quem quærimus, hic est:
Non in festuca, lictor quam jactat ineptus.

Jus habet ille sui palpo quem ducit hiantem
Cretata ambitio? Vigila, et cicer ingere large
Rixanti populo, nostra ut Floralia possint