80 85 Rura fuburbana indictis comes ire Latinis. 95 Metiri fe quemque fuo modulo ac pede, verum est. (a) Qui femel afpexit. EPISTOLA * company Philip to his country feat near the city at the proclaiming of the Latin feftivals. Mounted on horfeback, he ceases not to cry up the Sabine fields and air. Philip fees it, and fmiles and while he is feeking amusement and diversion for himself out of every thing, while he makes him a prefent of feven thou fand fefterces, promises to lend him feven thousand more; perfuades him to purchase a farm: he does make a purchase. That I may not detain you with a long story beyond what is neceffary; from a fmart cit he becomes a downright ruftic, and prates of nothing but furrows and vineyards; prepares his elms; is ready to die with eager diligence, and grows old through a paffionate defire of poffeffing. But when his fheep were loft by theft, his goats by a diftemper; his harvest deceiv'd his hopes, his ox was killed with plowings; fretted with these loffes, at midnight he fnatches his nag, and in a paffion makes his way to Philip's houfe. Whom as foon as Philip beheld rough and unfhaven: Vulteius, fays he, you feem to me to be too laborious and earnest. In truth, patron, replied he, you would call me a wretch, if you would apply to me my true name. I befeech and conjure you then, by your genius, and your right hand, and your houshold Gods; restore to me my former way of life. As foon as a man perceives how much the things he has difcarded excel thofe he purfues; let him return in time, and resume those he before relinquifhed. It is a truth that every one ought to meafure himfelf by his own proper foot and standard. * Indictis Latinis. Philip could go into the country only on the holidays. They were called indictæ or conceptive, because they were not celebrated on any stated days, dies ftatas, but at the pleasure of the conful. They were inflituted in honour of Jupiter, in memory of a peace concluded between Tarquinius Superbus, and the people of Latium. EPISTLE EPISTOLA VIII. Ad CELSUM ALBINOVANUM. " Se neque corpore neque animo valere; Celfo fecundam fortunam modefte farendam esse. ELSO gaudere et bene rem gerere Albinovano, C Mufa rogata, refer, comiti fcribæque Neronis. Si quæret, quid agam: dic, multa et pulchra minan tem, Vivere nec recte, nec fuaviter: haud quia grando Contuderit vites, oleamve momorderit æftus : Nec quia longinquis armentum ægrotet in agris : Sed quia mente minus validus, quam corpore toto, Nil audire velim, nil difcere, quod levet ægrum; Fidis offendar medicis, irafcar amicis, Cur me funefto properent arcere veterno ; Quæ nocuere féquar; fugiam quæ profore credam; Romæ Tibur amem ventofus, Tibure Romam, Poft hæc, ut valeat; quo pacto rem geret et fe; Ut placeat Juveni, percontare, utque cohorti. Si dicet, recte; primum gaudere, fubinde Præceptum auriculis hoc inftillare memento: Ut tu fortunam, fi nos te, Celfe, feremus, 5 10 15 EPISTOLA That he was neither well in body nor in mind; that Cel fus fhould bear his profperity with moderation. M Y Mufe, at my request, give joy, and wifh fuccefs to Celfus Albinovanus, the attendant and the fecretary of Nero. If he fhall enquire, what I am doing; fay, that I, tho' promifing many and fine things, yet live neither well according to the rules of ftrict philofophy, nor agreeably: not because the hail has crushed my vines, and the heat has nipp'd my olives: nor because my herds are diftempered in remote pastures: but because, lefs found in my mind than in my whole body, I will hear nothing, learn nothing that may relieve me, difeafed as I am; that I am difpleased with my faithful phyficians, am angry with my friends, for being industrious to roufe me from a fatal lethargy; that I pursue things that have done me hurt; avoid those things which I am perfuaded would be of fervice to me; inconftant as the wind, at Rome I am in love with Tibur, at Tibur with Rome. After this, enquire how he does; how he manages his business and himself; how he pleafes the young prince, and his attendants. If he fhall fay, well; first congratulate him, then remember to whisper this admonition in his ears: As you, Celfus, bear your fortune, so will we behave to you. * Perhaps this is the only inftance where cur is to be underflood int the fenfe of quod. FRANCIS. EPISTLE S EPISTOLA IX. Ad CLAUDIUM TIBERIUM NERONEM. Septimium ei commendat. EPTIMIUS, Claudi, nimirum intelligit unus, Quanti me facias. nam cum rogat, et prece cogit Scilicet, ut tibi se laudare, et tradere coner, Dignum mente domoque legentis honefta Neronis, Munere cum fungi propioris cenfet amici; Quid poffim videt ac novit me valdius ipfo. Multa quidem dixi, cur excufatus abirem : Sed timui, mea ne finxiffe minora putarer, Diffimulator opis propriæ, mihi commodus uni. Sic ego, majoris fugiens opprobria culpæ, Frontis ad urbane defcendi præmia. quod fi Depofitum laudas ob amici juffa pudorem ; Scribe tui gregis hunc, et fortem crede bonumque. EPISTOLA X. AD ARISTIUM FUS CUM. 10 Rufticam vitam præ urbana laudat, ut naturæ magis confentaneam et magis amicam libertati. URBIS RBIS amatorem Fufcum falvere jubemus (a) Ad cætera. 5 Quid |