O EPISTLE IX. To CLAUDIUS TIBERIUS NERO. He recommends Septimius to him. F all the men in the world Septimius furely, O Claudius, knows beft the fhare I have in your regards. For when he requests, and by his intreaties in a manner compels me to undertake to recommend and introduce him to you, as one worthy of the confidence and the houshold of Nero, who ever chooses deferving objects, as thinking I discharge the office of an intimate friend with you; he fees and knows better than myself what I can do. Indeed I said a great deal, in order that I might come off excused: but I was afraid left I should be fufpected to pretend my interest with you was lefs than it is, to be a diffembler of my own power, and ready to serve myself alone. So, avoiding the reproach of a greater fault, I have put in for the prize of town-bred confidence. If now you approve of modefty's being fuperfeded at the preffing intreaties of a friend; enrol this perfon among your retinue, and believe him to be brave and good. EPISTLE X. To ARISTIUS FUSCUS. He praises a country before a city life, as more agreeable to nature, and more friendly to liberty. WE E who love the country falute Fuscus that loves the town; in this point alone we are much unlike, but in other things almost twins, of brotherly fentiments: whatever one denies, the other too denies : we affent together; like old and conftant doves, you keep the neft; I praise the rivulets, the rocks over grown Quid quæris; vivo et regno, fimul ifta reliqui 10 15 Vivere naturæ fi convenienter oportet, Ponenda que domo quærenda eft area primum; Noviftine locum potiorem rure beato? Eft ubi plus tepeant hiemes? ubi gratior aurą Leniat et rabiem Canis,, et momenta Leonis, Cum femel accepit folem furibundus acutum ? (a) Est, ubi divellat fomnos minus invida cura? Deterius Libycis olet aut nitet herba lapillis? Purior in vicis aqua tendit rumpere plumbum, Quam quæ per pronum trepidet cum murmure rivum? (b) Nempe inter varias nutritûr filva columnas, Laudaturque domus, longos quæ profpicit agros. Naturum expelles furca; tamen ufque recurret. Et mala (c) perrumpet furtim fastidia victrix. Non, qui Sidonio contendere callidus oftro Nefcit Aquinatem (d) potantia vellera fucum, Certius accipiet damnum, propiufve medullis, Quam qui non poterit vero diftinguere falfum. Quem res plus nimio delectavere fecundæ, Mutatæ quatient. fi quid mirabere, pones Invitus. fuge magna licet fub paupere tecto Reges et regum vita præcurrere amicos. 20 25 30 36 Cervus equum pugna melior communibus herbis Pellebat: donec minor in certamine longo Imploravit opes hominis, frenumque recepit: (e) Sed poftquam victor victo difceffit ab hofte, Non equitem dorfo, non frenum depulit ore. Sic qui pauperiem veritus, potiore metallis Libertate caret; dominum vehit improbus, atque 40 (b) Nempe inter Parias. (a) Eft ubi depellat fomnos. Serveit grown with mofs, and the groves of the delightful country. Do you ask why? I live and reign, as foon as I have quitted thofe things which you extol to the skies with joyful applause. And, like a priest's fugitive. flave, I reject lufcious wafers; I defire plain bread, which is more agreeable to me now than honied cakes. If we must live fuitably to nature, and a plot of ground is to be first fought for, to raise a house upon; do you know any place preferable to the blissful country? Is there any spot where the winters are more temperate? where a more agreeable breeze moderates the rage of a dog-ftar, and the season of the lion, when once that furious fign has received the fcorching fun? Is there a place where envious care lefs difturbs our flumbers? Is the grafs inferior in smell or beauty to the Lybian pebbles? Is the water, which by being forced strives to burst the lead in the streets, purer than that which trembles in murmurs naturally down its floping channel? Why, trees are nurfed among the varigated colums of the city; and that houfe is commended which has a profpect of distant fields. Drive out nature by violence (with a fork); yet still she will return, and, becoming infenfibly victorious, will break through men's improper difgufts. Not he, who is not skilful enough to compare the fleeces that drink up the dye of Aquinum, with the Sidonian purple, and to diftinguish them; will receive a more certain damage, and nearer to his marrow, than he who fhall not be able to distinguish false from true. He who has been overjoyed by profperity, will be shocked by a change of things. If you admire any thing greatly, you'll be unwilling to refign it. Avoid great things under a mean roof one may outstrip kings, and the favourites of kings, in a happy life. The stag, fuperior in fight, drove the horse from the common pasture: till the latter, ftill worsted in the long conteft, implored the aid of a man, and received the bridle: but after he had parted conqueror from his conquer'd enemy, he cou'd not shake the rider from his back, nor the bit from his mouth. So he, who afraid of poverty, forfeits his liberty, which is more valuable Serviet æternum, (a) quia parvo nesciet uti. Hæc tibi dictabam poft fanum putre Vacunæ ; 45 50 Ex Afia, quo bellorum civilium tædio profectus fuerat, Romam revocare conatus, monet animi ægritudinem non peregrinationibus, fed recta animi compofitione levari. QUE UID tibi vifa Chios, Bullati, notaque Lefbos? Quid concinna Samos? quid Crofi regia Sardis ? Smyrna quid, et Colophon? majora minorane fama? Cunctane præ Campo et Tiberino flumine fordent? An venit in votum Attalicis ex urbibus una ? An Lebedum laudas, odio maris atque viarum? (c) Scis Lebedus quid fit: Gabiis desertior atque Fidenis vicus: tamen illic vivere vellem, Oblitufque meorum, oblivifcendus et illis, (a) Qui parvo nefciet uti. (b) Vivas---dimittas. (c) Scis, Lebedus quam fit Gabiis defertior. Neptunum valuable than mines of treafure; fhall be fo wretched as to carry a master, and shall eternally be a flave, for not knowing how to use a little. When a man's condition does not fuit him; it will be as a shoe at any time, which, if too big for his foot, will throw him down; if too little, will pinch him. If you are chearful and fatisfied with your lot, Ariftius, you will live wifely; nor fhall you let me go uncorrected, if I appear to scrape together more than enough, and not have done. Accumulated money is the master or flave of each owner, deferving rather to follow than to lead the twisted rope. These I dictated to you behind the mouldering temple of * Vacuna; in all other things happy, except that you was not with me. EPISTLE TLE XI. Το BULLATIUS, Endeavouring to recall him back to Rome from Afia whither he had retreated through his weariness of the civil wars, be advifes him to eafe the difquietude of his mind, not by the length of his journey, but by forming his mind into a right difpofition. W HAT, Bullatius, do you think of Chios, and of the celebrated Lefbos? What of neat Samos? What of Sardis, the royal refidence of Crœfus? What of Smyrna, and Colophon? Are they greater or lefs than fame makes them? Are they all contemptible in comparison of the Campus Martius and the river Tiber? Does some one of Attulus's cities enter into your with? Or do you admire Lebedus, through a furfeit of the fea and of travelling. Yor know what Lebedus is; it is a more unfrequented town than Gabii, and Fidena: yet there would I be willing to live, and, forgetful of my friends and forgot by them, The Godds of vacations or of idleness. |