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Cætera de genere hoc (adeo funt multa) loquacem Delaffare valent Fabium. ne te morer, audi Quo rem deducam. fi quis Deus, en ego, dicat, Jam faciam quod vultis: eris tu, qui medo miles, Mercator; tu confultus modo, rufticus. hinc vos, Vos hinc mutatis difcedite partibus. eia, Quid ftatis? Nolint: atqui licet effe beatis. Quid caufæ eft, merito quin illis Jupiter ambas 20 Iratas buccas inflet, neque fe fore pofthac Tam facilem dicat, votis ut præbeat aurem ?

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Præterea, ne fic (a), ut qui jocularia, ridens Percurram (quanquam ridentem dicere verum Quid vetat ? ut (b) pueris olim dant crustula blandi Doctores, elementa velint ut difcere prima. Sed tamen amoto quæramus feria ludo.) Ille gravem duro terram qui vertit aratro, Perfidus hic caupo (c), miles, nautæque, per omne Audaces mare qui currunt, hac mente laborem Sefe ferre, fenes ut in otia tuta recedant, Aiunt, cum fibi fint congefta cibaria: ficut Parvula (nam exemplo eft) magni formica laboris Ore trahit quodcunque poteft, atque addit acervo Quem ftruit, haud ignara ac non incauta futuri. Qua, fimul inverfum contriftat Aquaris annum, Non ufquam prorepit, et illis utitur ante Quæfitis (d) fapiens: cum te neque fervidus æftus Demovcat lucro, neque hiems, ignis, mare, ferrum; Nil obftet tibi, dum ne fit te ditior alter. Quid juvat immenfum te argenti pondus et auri Furtim defoffa timidum deponere terra ?

(a) Prætero ne fic. Anon. (b) Et. Sanad. cus vafer hic. Markl., (d) Quæfitis patiens.

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(c) Caufidi

Quod

live in the city. The other infances of this kind (they are fo numerous) would weary out the loquacious Fabius to repeat them. Not to keep you in fufpence, attend to what an iffue I will bring this matter. If any God fhould fay, Lo! I will effect what you defire : you that was just now a foldier, fhall be a merchant, you that was lately a lawyer, ball be a farmer. Do ye depart one way, and ye another, having exchangedthe parts you are to act in life. How now! why do you ftand? They are unwilling, and yet it is in their power to be happy. What reafon, then, can be affigned, but that Jupiter fhould deservedly diftend both his cheeks in indignation, and declare that for the future he will not be fo indulgent as to lend an ear to their prayers? But furthermore, that I may not run over this in a laughing manner, like those who treat on ludicrous fubjects: (tho' what hinders one to be merry and tell the truth? As good-natur'd teachers at first give cakes to their boys, that they may be willing to learn their first rudiments. However, raillery apart, let us investigate ferious matters.) He that turns the lumpish glebe with the hard plough-share, this fraudulent adulterer of the law, the foldier, and the failors, who dauntless run thro' every sea, profeis that they endure toil with this intention, that, when old men, they may retire into a fecure refting-place, when once they have got together a fufficient provifion.

Thus the little ant (for the may serve for an example,) of great induftry, carries with her mouth whatever she is able, and adds to her heap, which she piles up, by no means ignorant of, and not improvident for the future.

Which ant, nevertheless, as foon as Aquarius faddens the inverted year, never creeps abroad, but wifely makes use of thofe ftores which were provided before hand while neither fultry fummer, nor winter, fire, ocean, fword, can drive you from the pursuit of gain. You furmount every obftacle, that no other man may be richer than yourself. But what pleasure is it for you, anxious to depofit an immenfe weight of filver and gold in the earth dug up by stealth, to hide it?

A 4

But

Quod fi comminuas, vilem redigatur ad affem.
At, niid fit, quid habet pulchri constructus acervus ?
Millia frumenti tua triverit area centum ;

Non tuus hoc capiet venter plus quam meus: ut fi
Reticulum panis venales inter onufto

Forte vehas humero; nihilo plus accipias quam
Qui nihil portarit. vel dic, quid referat intra
Naturæ fines viventi, (a) jugera centum, an
Mille aret? at fuave eft ex magno tollere acervo.
Dum ex parvo nobis tantundem haurire relinquas,
Cur tua plus laudes cumeris granaria noftris ?
Ut, tibi fi fit opus liquidi non amplius urna,
Vet cyatho; et dicas, Magno de flumine malim
Quam ex hoc fonticulo tantundem fumere. eo fit
Plenior ut fi quos delectet copia jufto,

Cum ripa fimul avulfos ferat Aufidus acer.

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At qui tantuli eget, quanto eft opus, is neque limo Turbatam haurit aquam, neque vitam amittit in undis.

At bona pars hominum decepta cupidine falfo,
Nil fatis cft, inquit : quia tanti, quantum habeas,
Quid facias illi? jubeas miferum effe, libenter (b)
Quatinus id facit. ut quidam memoratur Athenis
Sordidus ac dives, populi contemnere voces
Sic folitus: populus me fibilat; at mihi plaudo
Ipfe domi, fimul ac nummos contemplor in arca.
Tantalus a labris fitiens fugientia captat
Flumina-quid rides ? mutato nomine, de te
Fabula narratur. congeftis undique faccis
Indormis inhians, et tanquam parcere facris
Cogeris, aut pictis tanquam gaudere tabellis.
Nefcis quo valeat nummus, quem præbeat usum?

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fis.

(a) Viventis. Gunn. (b) Jubeas miferum effe libenter. Bentl.

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Panis

But if you should leffen it, it may be reduced in time to a paltry farthing.

But, unless that be the cafe, what beauty has an accumulated hoard? Tho' your thrashing-floor should yield an hundred thousand bufhels of corn, your belly will not on that account contain more than mine: just as if it was your lot to carry on your loaded fhoulder the basket of bread amongst flaves, you would receive no more for your own fhare, than he who bore no part of the burthen. Or tell me, what it is to the purpose of that man, who lives within the compafs of nature, whether he plow an hundred or a thousand acres?

But it is till delightful to take out of a great hoard. While you leave us as much to take out of a moderate fore, why fhould you extol your great granaries, more than our small repofitories? As if you had occafion for no more than a pitcher or glafs of water; and fhould fay, I had rather draw fo much from a great river, than the fame water from this little fountain. Hence it comes, that the rapid Aufidus carries away together with the bank, fuch as an abundance more copious than is juft delights. But he who defires only fo much as is fufficient, neither drinks his water fouled with mud, nor lofes his life in the waves. But

a great majority of mankind, mifled by depraved defire, cry, No fum is enough; because you areeiteemed in proportion to what you poffefs. What can one do to fuch a tribe as this? Why, bid them be wretched, fince their inclination prompts them to it. As a certain perfon is recorded to have lived at Athens, covetous and rich, who was wont to defpife the talk of the people in this manner: The croud hifs me abroad; but I applaud myself at home, as foon as I contemplate my money in my cheft. The thirsty Tantalus catches at the streams that elude his lips. Why do you laugh? The name changed, the tale is told of you. fleep upon your bags, heaped up on every fide, avidionly gaping over them, and are obliged to abstain from them, as if they were confecrated things, or to amule yourself with them, as you would with pictures. Are you ignorant of what real value money is, what use it

A 5

You

can

Panis ematur, olus, vini fextarius; adde,
Queis humana fibi doleat natura negatis.
An vigilate metu exanimem, nocteique diefque
Formidare malos fures, incendia, lervos,
Ne te compilent fugientes; hoc juvat? horum
Semper ego optarim pauperrimus elle bonorum.
At fi condoluit tentatum frigore 'corpus,

Aut alius cafus lecto te (a) affixit; habes qui
Affideat, fomenta paret, medicum roget, ut te
Sufcitet, ac reddat gnatis carifque propinquis?
Non uxor falvum te vult, non filius; omnes
Vicini oderunt, noti, pueri, atque puellæ.
Miraris, cum tu argento post omnia ponas,
Si nemo præftet, quem non merearis, amorem ?
Atqui (b) cognatos nullo natura labore

Quos tibi dat, retinere velis, fervareque amicos;
Infelix operam perdas: ut fi quis afellum

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campo doceat parentem currere frenis. Denique fit finis quærendi: cumque habeas plus, Pauperiem metuas minus; et finire laborem Incipias, parto quod avebas: ne facias quod Umidius quidam (c) (non longa eft fabula) divès 95 Ut metiretur nummos, ita fordidus, ut fe Non unquam fervo melius veftiret; ad ufque Supremum tempus, ne fe penuria victus Opprimeret, metuebat: at hunc liberta fecuri Divilit medium, fortiflima Tyndaridarum.

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(a) Lecto te aflixit. (2) An fi cognatos. (-) Umidius, qui tam, Bentl.

Quid

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