Di&tus, erit nulli proprius ; fed cedet in ufum 135 Colloquutus cum Horatio Damafippus hoc Stoica philofophia paradoxum probat, omnes propemodum homines infanire. (a) S'Membranam pofcas, scriptoram quæque re raro fcribis, ut toto non quater anno texens, Iratus tibi, quod vini fomnique benignus Atqui vultus erat multa et præclara minantis, Quorfum pertinuit ftipare Platona Menandro ? 5 10 (d) Eupolin, Archilocho? (e) comites educere tantos ? Invidiam placare paras, virtute relicta? Contemnere, mifer. vitanda eft improba Siren 15 Ponendum æquo animo. Di te, Damafippe, Dexque (a) Sic raro fcribis. (b) Quid fiet ab ipfis. (c) Efto. Bentl. (4) Eupelin, Archilochum. (e) Comites educere? quin tu. Rutg. Excullys will turn to my use one while, and by and by to that of another. Wherefore, my lads, live undaunted; and oppose gallant breasts against the strokes of adverfity. SATIRE III. Damafippus, in a converfation with Horace, proves this paradox of the Stoic philofophy, that most men are actually mad you write fo feldom, as not to call for parchment four times in the year, bufied in reforming your for mer writings, yet are you angry at yourself, that indulging in wine and fleep you produce nothing worthy to be the fubject of converfation; what will be the confequence? But you took refuge here, it feems, at the very celebration of the Saturnalia, out of pure fobriety. Dictate therefore fomething worthy of your promifes: come, begin. There is nothing. The pens are found fault with to no purpose, and the harmless wall, which must have been built under the difpleafure of Gods and poets, fuffers to no end. But you had the look of one that threatened to perform many and excellent things when once your villa had received you free from avocation, under its warm roof. To what purpose was it to ftow Plato upon Menander? Eupotis upon Archilochus? For what end did you bring abroad fuch companions? What, are you setting about to appease envy by deserting virtue? Wretch, you will be despised. That improbous Siren, Sloth, must be avoided; or whatever acquifitions you made in the better part of your life, muft with equanimity be given up. May the Gods and Goddeffes, O Damafippus, prefent you with a barber for your found advice. But by what means did you get fo well acquainted with me? Since all my fortunes were diffipated at the middle of the * exchange, being detached from all bufi * Laterally, the middle Janus. There was a ftatue of Janus in the middle of the Forum: E 6 nef's Excuffus propriis. olim nam quærere amabam, 20 23 Ut lethargicus hic cum fit pugil, et medicum urget. 30 angit, Infanos qui inter vereare infanus haberi. 35 40 Primum nam inquiram, quid fit furere: hoc fi erit inte Solo; nil verbi, pereas quin fortiter, addam. Quem mala ftultitia, et (b) quemcunque infcitia veri Cecum agit, infanum Chryfippi porticus et grex Autumat. hæc populos, hæc magnos formula reges, 45 (a) Te malus urget, (b) Cujufque. Cunn. Excepto nefs of my own; I mind that of other people. For formerly I used to take a delight in enquiring, in what *vase the crafty Sifyphus might have washed his feet; what was carved in an unworkman-like manner, and what rougher caft than it ought to be: being a connoiffeur, I offered an hundred thousand fefterces for his ftatue I was the only man who knew how to purchase gardens and fine feats to the best advantage: from whence the crouded streets gave me the firname of Mercurial. I know it well; and am amazed at you being cured of that disorder. Why a new diforder expelled the old one in a miraculous manner; as it is accustomed to do when the pain of the afflicted fide, or the head, is turned upon the stomach: or as it is with a man in the lethargy, when he turns boxer, and attacks his phyfician. As long as you do nothing like this, be it even as you pleafe. O my good friend, do not deceive yourself: you likewise are mad, and 'tis almost fools all, if what Stertinius infifts on has any truth in it; from whom, being of a teachable dispofition, I derived these admirable precepts, at the very time, when, having given me confolation, he ordered me to encourage a philofophical beard, and to return chearfully from the Fabrician bridge. For when, my affairs being defperate, I had a mind to throw myself into the river, having covered my head for that purpofe; he fortunately was at my elbow: and addressed me to this effect. Take care how you do any thing unworthy of yourself. A falfe fhame, fays he, afflicts you, who dread to be esteemed a madman amongst nothing but madmen. For in the first place I will enqure, what it is to be mad; and if this distemper be in you alone; I will not add a fingle word, to prevent you from dying bravely. The school and fect of Chryfippus deem every man mad, whom vicious folly, or whomfoever the ignorance of any truth drives blindly on. This definition takes in whole nations, this even great kings them *Of fuch antiquity, that it might have been used in the days of Sifyphus. felves, Excepto fapiente, tenet, nunc accipe quare Ille finiftrorfum, hic detrorfum abit; (a) unus utrique 60 65. Infanit veteres ftatuas Damafippus emendo : Integer eft mentis Damafippi creditor? efto: Accipe, quod nunquam reddas mihi, fi tibi dicam ; Tunc infanus eris, i acceperis? an magis excors Rejecta præda, quam præfens Mercurius fert? Scribe decem a Nerio: non eft fatis:. adde Cicuta (a) Unus utrinque error. Cunn. Nodofi |