Aut ursum aut pugiles; his nam plebecula gaudet.
Verum equitis quoque iam migravit ab aure voluptas
Omnis ad incertos oculos et gaudia vana.
Quattuor aut pluris aulaea premuntur in horas,
Dum fugiunt equitum turmae peditumque catervae;
Mox trahitur manibus regum fortuna retortis,
Esseda festinant, pilenta, petorrita, naves,
Captivum portatur ebur, captiva Corinthus.
Si foret in terris, rideret Democritus, seu
Diversum confusa genus panthera camelo
Sive elephas albus volgi converteret ora;
Spectaret populum ludis attentius ipsis,
Ut sibi praebentem nimio spectacula plura;
Scriptores autem narrare putaret asello
Fabellam surdo. Nam quae pervincere voces
Evaluere sonum, referunt quem nostra theatra?
Garganum mugire putes nemus aut mare Tuscum,
Tanto cum strepitu ludi spectantur et artes
Divitiaeque peregrinae, quibus oblitus actor
Cum stetit in scaena, concurrit dextera laevae.
'Dixit adhuc aliquid?' Nil sane. Quid placet ergo?'
'Lana Tarentino violas imitata veneno.'
Ac ne forte putes me, quae facere ipse recusem,
Cum recte tractent alii, laudare maligne;
Ille per extentum funem mihi posse videtur
Ire poeta, meum qui pectus inaniter angit,
Inritat, mulcet, falsis terroribus implet,
Ut magus, et modo me Thebis, modo ponit Athenis.
Verum age et his, qui se lectori credere malunt
Quam spectatoris fastidia ferre superbi,
Curam redde brevem, si munus Apolline dignum
Vis complere libris et vatibus addere calcar,
Ut studio maiore petant Helicona virentem.
Multa quidem nobis facimus mala saepe poetae —
Ut vineta egomet caedam mea
Sollicito damus aut fesso; cum laedimur, unum
Si quis amicorum est ausus reprehendere versum;
Cum loca iam recitata revolvimus inrevocati;
Cum lamentamur, non apparere labores
Nostros et tenui deducta poemata filo;
Cum speramus eo rem venturam, ut simul atque
Carmina rescieris nos fingere, commodus ultro
Arcessas et egere vetes et scribere cogas.
Sed tamen est operae pretium cognoscere, qualis
Aedituos habeat belli spectata domique
Virtus, indigno non committenda poetae.
Gratus Alexandro regi Magno fuit ille
Choerilus, incultis qui versibus et male natis
Rettulit acceptos, regale nomisma, Philippos.
Sed veluti tractata notam labemque remittunt
Atramenta, fere scriptores carmine foedo
Splendida facta linunt. Idem rex ille, poema
Qui tam ridiculum tam care prodigus emit,
Edicto vetuit, ne quis se praeter Apellen
Pingeret, aut alius Lysippo duceret aera
Fortis Alexandri voltum simulantia. Quod si
Iudicium subtile videndis artibus illud
Ad libros et ad haec Musarum dona vocares,
Boeotum in crasso iurares aëre natum.
At neque dedecorant tua de se iudicia atque
Munera quae multa dantis cum laude tulerunt
Dilecti tibi Vergilius Variusque poetae,
Nec magis expressi voltus per aënea signa,
Quam per vatis opus mores animique virorum
Clarorum adparent.
Nec sermones ego mallem
Repentis per humum quam res componere gestas
Terrarumque situs et flumina dicere et arces
Montibus impositas et barbara regna, tuisque
Auspiciis totum confecta duella per orbem,
Claustraque custodem pacis cohibentia Ianum,
Et formidatam Parthis te principe Romam,
Si quantum cuperem possem quoque; sed neque parvum
Carmen maiestas recipit tua, nec meus audet
Rem temptare pudor quam vires ferre recusent.
Sedulitas autem stulte quem diligit, urget;
Praecipue cum se numeris commendat et arte:
Discit enim citius meminitque libentius illud
Quod quis deridet, quam quod probat et veneratur.
Nil moror officium quod me gravat, ac neque ficto
In peius voltu proponi cereus usquam
Nec prave factis decorari versibus opto,
Ne rubeam pingui donatus munere et una
Cum scriptore meo capsa porrectus operta
Deferar in vicum vendentem tus et odores
Et piper et quicquid chartis amicitur ineptis.
A RENUNCIATION OF LYRIC POETRY.
1. Occasion of the Epistle: In this letter to Julius Florus, to whom i. 3 is also addressed, Horace expresses at greater length the same general sentiments as in i. 1. He intends to devote himself to philosophy and to write only in the field represented by the Sermones and Epistulae.
1. Horace reminds his friend, that while he promised to write to him, he expressly said that he was not a good correspondent. He is therefore no more liable to blame than a slave-dealer would be, who had sold a slave with the admission that he had once played truant, 1-24;
2. He accounts for his failure to send Florus some verses by saying that he has renounced poetry:
a) He no longer feels the necessity of writing verse. The story
of the veteran of Lucullus, 24–54 ;
b) He is too old for such youthful folly, 55-57;
c) He cannot please everybody; his readers are like guests at
58-64;
a banquet, who all call for something different,
d) It is impossible to write amid the distractions of the city:
1) He has many visits to pay and duties to attend to
in widely separated parts of the town, 65-70;
2) The noises and dangers in the streets prevent quiet
thought, 70-76;
3) Poets need seclusion. Even in quiet Athens one cannot always write acceptably; how much less in Rome, 77-86;
e) To succeed one must form an alliance for mutual admiration, 87-101;
ƒ) Careful and conscientious work is not appreciated, 102
g) To write poetry in such times one would need to be blind to his surroundings, like the madman of Argos, 126-140; 3. Horace therefore proposes to devote himself to philosophy, as a more profitable study and one more appropriato to his time of life, 141–145;,
a) If one were suffering from disease, he would consult a physician. One ought to be equally anxious to be cured
of false views of life, 146-154 ;
b) Riches cannot make a man wise or permanently happy. Death finally makes all men equal, 155–179;
c) True happiness consists in following the golden mean, avoiding both avarice and extravagance, and in indifference to material blessings, 180–204 ;
d) It is not enough to be free from one fault; one must reAnd when a man has sufficiently nounce them all.
enjoyed life, he must be ready to withdraw from it like a satisfied guest, 205–216.
3. Time: Between 20 and 17 B.C.
Flore, bono claroque fidelis amice Neroni,
Si quis forte velit puerum tibi vendere natum
Tibure vel Gabiis, et tecum sic agat: Hic et
Candidus et talos a vertice pulcher ad imos
Fiet eritque tuus nummorum milibus octo,
Verna ministeriis ad nutus aptus erilis
Litterulis Graecis imbutus, idoneus arti
Cuilibet, argilla quidvis imitaberis uda;
Quin etiam canet indoctum sed dulce bibenti.
Multa fidem promissa levant, ubi plenius aequo
Laudat venalis qui volt extrudere merces.
Res urget me nulla; meo sum pauper in aere.
Nemo hoc mangonum faceret tibi; non temere a me
Quivis ferret idem. Semel hic cessavit et, ut fit,
In scalis latuit metuens pendentis habenae;'
Des nummos, excepta nihil te si fuga laedat;
Ille ferat pretium poenae securus opinor.
Prudens emisti vitiosum, dicta tibi est lex;
Insequeris tamen hunc et lite moraris iniqua?
Dixi me pigrum proficiscenti tibi, dixi
Talibus officiis prope mancum, ne mea saevus
Iurgares ad te quod epistula nulla rediret.
Quid tum profeci, mecum facientia iura
Si tamen attemptas?
Quereris super hoc etiam, quod
Exspectata tibi non mittam carmina mendax.
Luculli miles collecta viatica multis
Aerumnis, lassus dum noctu stertit, ad assem
Perdiderat; post hoc vemens lupus et sibi et hosti
Iratus pariter, ieiunis dentibus acer,
Praesidium regale loco deiecit, ut aiunt,
Summe munito et multarum divite rerum.
Clarus ob id factum, donis ornatur honestis,
Accipit et bis dena super sestertia nummum.
Forte sub hoc tempus castellum evertere praetor
Nescio quod cupiens, hortari coepit eundem
Verbis, quae timido quoque possent addere mentem
'I bone, quo virtus tua te vocat, i pede fausto,
Grandia laturus meritorum praemia. Quid stas?'
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