love her. You must go under the yoke knowingly, and put all your fortune, and livelihood, and your reputation, together with your limbs, into the power of an enraged husband, Have you escaped? I suppose then you will be afraid for the future, and, being warned, will be cautious. No, you will feek occafion when again you may be in terror, and again may be likely to perifh. O fo often a flave! What beast, when it has once escaped, by breaking its toils, ever abfurdly trusts itself to them again? You fay, "I am 66 no adulterer." Nor, by Hercules, am I a thief, when I wifely pafs by the filver vafes. Take away the danger, and vagrant nature will fpring forth, when all restraints are removed. Are you then, my master, fo much my inferior, by being fubjected to the dominion of fo many things and perfons? Whom vengeance, tho' inflicted three or four times over, can never free from this wretched folicitude? Add to what has been faid above, a thing of no less weight: for whether he be an underling, who obeys the mafter-flave, as it is your custom to affirm; or only a fellow-flave; what am I in refpect of you? You, for example, who have the command of me, are in fubjection to other things, and are led about, like a puppet which is moveable by the means of wires not its own. Who then is free? The wife man, who has dominion over himself: whom neither poverty, nor death, nor chains affright: brave in the checking of his appetites; and in contemning honours; and perfect in himself, polish'd and round; fo that nothing can retard him in his level courfe: against whom misfortune ever advances ineffectually. Can you, out of all these recognize any thing applicable to yourself? A woman demands five talents of you, plagues you, and after you are turn'd out of doors, the bedews you with cold The Romans of diftinction had one flave that prefided over the reft. + Your paffions. Alluding to a globe, which having no afperities, goes fmoothly on in its courfe water; Perfundit gelida; rurfus vocat. eripe turpi 95 Qui peccas minus atque ego, cum Fulvi Rutubæque 105 Prælia, rubrica picta aut carbone, velut fi cem. 110 115 Unde mihi lapidem ? Quorfum eft opus? Unde fagittas ? Aut 1 water; fhe calls you again. Rescue your neck from this vile yoke: Come fay, I am free, quite free. You are not able; for an implacable mafter oppreffes your mind, that claps the fharp fpurs to your jaded appetite, and forces you on tho reluctant. When you, a fool, quite languish at a picture by Paufias; how are you lefs to blame than I, when I admire the combats of Fulvius, and Rutuba, and Placideianus, with their bended knees, painted in crayons, or charcoal, as if the men were actually engaged, and push, and parry, moving their weapons? Davus is a fcoundrel, and a loiterer; but you have the character of an exquifite and expert connoiffeur in antiquities. If I am allured by a fmoaking pafty, I am a good-for-nothing fellow: Does your great virtue and foul refift the temptation of delicate entertainments? A tenderness for my belly is too destructive for me: Why fo? For does not my back pay for it? But how do you come off with more impunity, fince you hanker after fuch dainties, as cannot be had for a little expence? Then thofe delicacies, perpetually taken, pall upon the ftomach; and your mistaken feet will not fupport your fickly body. Is that boy guilty, who by night pawns a ftolen *fcraper for fome grapes? And has he nothing fervile about him, who, in indulgence to his guts, fells his eftates? Add to this, that you yourself cannot be an hour by yourself, nor difpofe of your leisure in a right manner; and defert yourself as a mere fugitive and vagabond, one while endeavouring with wine, another with fleep, to cheat care: in vain; for the gloomy companion preffes upon you, and pursues you in your flight. Where can I ftone? What occafion is there for get a it? Where can I get fome darts? The man is either *The firigil was an inftrument made of either iron, brass, or filver, that the Romans made ufe of intheir bagnios to fcrape off the fweat: there is a figure of one of them to be seen in Batteley's ANTIQUITATES RUTUPINE. mad Aut infanit homo, aut versus facit. Ocius hinc te Ni rapis, accedes opera agro nona Sabino. SATYRA VIII. Avarum inepte prodigum falfe defcribit. T Nafidieni juvit te cœna beati ? UT Nam mihi quærenti convivam, dictus here illic In primis Lucanus aper; leni fuit Auftro (b) Divitias miferas! fed queis cœnantibus una, Fundani, pulchre fuerit tibi, noffe laboro. 5 15 21 Summus ego, et prope me Vifcus Thurinus, et infra, Si memini, Varius; cum Servilio Balatrone Vibidius, quos Mæcenas adduxerat umbras. (a) Dic fi grave non eft. (b) Divitias miras! Heinf. Nomen mad, or making of verfes. If you don't take your* and make a ninth fhall felf in an instant, you go SATIRE VIII. Afmart defeription of a mifer ridiculously acting the extravagant.. Ow did the entertainment of that happy fellow Nafidienus please you? For yesterday, as I was feeking to make you my gueft, you was faid to be drinking there from mid-day. It pleafed me fo, that I never was happier in my life. Say, if it is not troublefome) what food firft calmed your raging appetite. In the first place there was a Lucanian boar; which was taken while the gentle fouth wind blew, as the father of the entertainment affirmed; around it poignant rapes, lettuces, radishes; and fuch things as provoke a languid appetite; fkirrets, anchovies, dregs of Coan wine. These once removed, one flave, tuck'd high, with a purple cloth wiped the maple table, and a fecond gathered up whatever laid ufelefs, and whatever could offend the guests; fwarthy Hydafpes advances, like an Attic maid with Ceres' facred rites, bearing wines of Cæcubum; Alcon brings thofe of Chios, undamaged by the feat. Here the mafter cries; Mace. nas, if Alban or Falernian wine delight you more than those already brought; we have both. Ill-fated riches! but, Fundanius, I am impatient to know, who were fharers in this feaft where you fared fo well. I was highest, and next me was Vifcus Thurinus, and below, if I remember right, was Varius; Vibidius, with Servilius Balatro, whom Mecenas had * There were eight already at hard labour at Horace's country house. + Vinegar made of fuch. Or, that never was at fea: home-brewed. brought |