Incipe, vivendi recte qui prorogat horam, Quæritur argentum, puerifque beata creandis 45 50 Qui cupit aut metuit; juvat illum fic domus, et res, Sincerum eft nifi vas, quodcunque infundis, acefcit. 55 Majus tormentum. qui non moderabitur iræ, 61 Ira furor brevis eft. animum rege; qui nifi paret, 70. (a) Fomenta podagrum. Benil. (b) Dolor quod fuaferit exmens, H. Steph. EPISTOLA Jently. He who poftpones the hour of living well, like the hind in the fable, waits till all the water in the river is run off: whereas it flows, and will flow ever rolling in a continued ftream. Money is fought for, and a wife fruitful in bearing children, and wild woodlands are reclaimed by the plow. To what end all this? He that has got a competency, let him wish for no more. Not a house, and farm, not a heap of brafs and gold can remove fevers from the body of their fick master, or cares from his mind. The poffeffor must be well, if he thinks of enjoying the things he has heaped together. He that is a flave to defire or to fear, his house or estate does him just as much good as paintings do a fore eyed perfon, fomentations do the gout, mufic does the ears that are afflicted with collected matter. Unless the veffel is fweet, whatever you pour into it turns four. Despise pleasures: pleasure bought with pain is hurtful. The covetous man is ever in want: fet a certain limit to your wishes. The envious perfon wastes at the thriving condition of another: Sicilian tyrants never invented a greater torment than envy. He that will not curb his paffion, will wish that undone which his wild grief and refentment prompted him to, while he violently plies his revenge with unfated rancour. Rage is a fhort madness. Rule your paffion; which commands, if it does not obey; do you restrain it with a bridle, do you with fetters. The groom forms the docile horse while his neck is yet tender, to go the way which his rider directs him: the young hound, from the time that he barked at the deer's fkin in the hall, campaigns it in the woods. Now, while you are young, with an untainted mind imbibe inftruction; now apply yourfelf to the best mafters of morality. A cafk will long preferve the flavour, with which, when new, it was once impregnated.-But if you lag behind, or vigoroufly push on before; I neither wait for the loiterer, nor strive to overtake those that precede me. * Brafs was a very valuable part of the Roman currency. EPISTLE EPISTOLA AD JULIUM III. FLORUM. Quædam de Tiberio ac fuis amicis percontatus, Florum ad fapientiæ ftudium cohortatur. ULI Flore, quibus terrarum militet oris 5 Claudius Augufti privignus, fcire laboro. Ut valet? ut meminit noftri? fidibufne Latinis 10 Quid mihi Celfus agit? monitus, multumque monen dus Privatas ut quærat opes, et tangere vitet Scripta, Palatinus quæcunque recepit Apollo: 15 20 Ne, fi forte fuas repetitum venerit. olim, (a) Currentia terras. (b) Nec turpiter hirtum. Seu EPISTLE III. To JULIUS FLORUS. After enquiring after Claudius Tiberius Nero, and fome of his friends, he exhorts Florus to the ftudy of philofophy. I * Long to know, Julius Florus, in what regions of the earth Claudius, the ftep-fon of Auguftus, is -leading war. Do Thrace and Hebrus bound with icy chains, or the narrow fea running between the neighbouring towers, or Afia's fruitful plains and hills detain you? What works are the studious † train planning? In this too I am anxious. Who takes upon himself to write the militaryatchievements of Auguftus? Who diffufes into diftant ages, the glory of his wars, and the prudence of his peaces? What is Titius about, who will shortly be celebrated by every Roman tongue? who dreaded not to drink of the Pindaric fpring, daring to difdain common waters and open ftreams; How does he do? How mindful is he of me? Does he employ himself to adapt Theban measures to the Latin lyre, under the direction of his mufe? or does he form and fwell in the pompous style of tragic art? What may I expect from Celfus? He has been advised, and the advice is still often to be repeated, to acquire a stock of his own, and forbear to touch whatever writings the Palatine Apollo has received; lest, if it chance that the flock of birds fhould fome time or other come to demand their feathers, he, like the daw ftript of his stolen colours, be exposed to ridicule. What do undertake? What thyme are you busy hovering about? Your genius is not fmall, is not uncultivated, and shamefully rough. Whether you edge your tongue for pleading causes, or whether you pre you *The Hellefpont, between Seftos and Abydos. Young gentlemen of learning, who formed the court and guard of Auguftus. Or, his military and peaceful honours? pare Seu linguam caufis acuis, feu civica jura Hoc opus, hoc ftudium parvi properemus et ampli ; Debes hoc etiam refcribere, (a) fi tibi curæ, Quantæ conveniat, Munatius; an male farta Gratia nequicquam coit, et refcinditur; ac vos Seu calidus fanguis, feu rerum infcitia vexat, Indomita cervice feros? ubicunque locorum Vivitis, indigni fraternum rumpere fœdus, Pafcitur in veftrum reditum votiva juvenca. EPISTOL A IV. 25 ვი 35 AD ALBIUM TIBULLU M. Dotes ejus prædicat, et propofita mortis cogitatione ad bilaritatem convertit. LBI, noftrorum fermonum candide judex, Quid nunc te dicam facere in regione Pedana ? Curantem quidquid dignum fapiente bonoque eft? 5 Quid voveat dulci nutricula majus alumno, (b) Qui fapere, et fari poffit quæ fentiat; et cui Gratia, fama, valetudo contingat abunde, (c) Et mundus victus, (d) non deficiente crumena ? Inter fpem curamque, timores inter et iras, Omnem crede diem tibi diluxiffe fupremum. (a) Sit tibi curæ. Si tibi curæ eft, Bentl. (b) Quam fapere, et fari ut poffit, quæ fentiat; utque Qui fapere, et fari ut poffit, quæ fentiat, et cui, Lamb. (c) Et modus et victus. Et domus, et victus, Bentl (d) Non deficiente Camena, Boivinas. Grata |