'Quod si comminuas, vilem redigatur ad assem." At ni id fit, quid habet pulchri constructus acervus Milia frumenti tua triverit area centum, Non tuus hoc capiet venter plus ac meus: ut si ? Reticulum panis venales inter onusto Forte vehas humero, nihilo plus accipias quam Mille aret? "At suave est ex magno tollere acervo." Cur tua plus laudes cumeris granaria nostris ? Ut tibi si sit opus liquidi non amplius urna, Cum ripa simul avulsos ferat Aufidus acer. At qui tantuli eget, quanto est opus, is neque limo Turbatam haurit aquam neque vitam amittit in undis. "Nor mud imbibe; yet most men more would clutch, "Deceived by greediness, wealth's false renown, "Nor aught to think enough would ever seem; "And cry, who has the most, we most esteem. "What do with such an one? Why, let him be "Unhappy, since it seems he will be so; "Thus it was told at Athens how that he, "The sordid rich man, would all heedless go, "Despising all the folks' scurrility; "Let people hiss,' he cried, 'but well I know "I praise myself when I at home once more "Gaze gladly on my wealth in secret store.'" "From Tantalus' parched lips the rivers rolled "Why laugh? Change names, the tale is told of you; "Greedy you sleep and gape on bags of gold, "Yet them like pictures you would merely view, "Or sacred things; say, were you never told "Of money's use and power; its true design, "To purchase bread, and oil, and cups of wine, "And add besides things human nature grieves "To miss? But would you watch, half dead with fear, At bona pars hominum decepta cupidine falso. "Nil satis est," inquit; "quia tanti, quantum habeas, sis." Quid facias illi? Jubeas miserum esse, libenter Sic solitus: "Populus me sibilat; at mihi plaudo Quis humana sibi doleat natura negatis. A An vigilare metu exanimem, noctesque diesque "Servants, incendiaries, and evil thieves, "Would that please you? The less such "To me the better; I'd be pauper here." MISER: "But should some cold through all your body spread, "Or other illness make you keep your bed, "Cannot wealth buy you watchers, and prepare "Your fomentations, and your doctor pray "To heal you, and restore you, by his care, "To children and dear friends, with least delay ? POET: "You're wrong; your wife or son would never share "Wish for your health; and nothing less than they, "Your neighbours hate you all, and all who know you, "The very boys and girls dislike will show you." "After your money when all things you place, "Not to gain love unearned; is that your wonder? "If friends and natural kin you would embrace "And keep by means like this, no less your blunder "Than his who tries to make a young ass pace "The Campus wide, with reins to keep him under. "Fear poverty no more, nor more require, Formidare malos fures, incendia, servos, Ne te compilent fugientis, hoc juvat? Horum Semper ego optarim pauperrimus esse bonorum. "At si condoluit tentatum frigore corpus, Aut alius casus lecto te adfixit, habes qui Quos tibi dat, retinere velis servareque amicos, In Campo doceat parentem currere frenis. Denique sit finis quærendi, quumque habeas plus, Pauperiem metuas minus et finire laborem Incipias, parto quod avebas, ne facias quod |