I myself faw Canidia, with her fable garment tucked up, walk with bare feet and difhevelled hair, yelling together with the elder Sagana. Palenefs had render'd each of them horrible to behold. They began to claw up the earth with their nails, and to tear a black ewe-lamb to pieces with their teeth. The blood was poured into a ditch, that from thence they might charm out the shades of the dead, ghosts that were to give them answers. There was a woollen effigy too, another of wax; the woollen one larger, which was to inflict fome fort of punishment on the little one of wax. The waxen stood in a fuppliant posture, as ready to perish in a fervile manner. One of the hags invokes Hecate, and the other fell Tifiphone. Then might you see serpents and infernal bitches crawl about them; and the moon with blushes withdrawing behind the lofty monuments, that the might not be a witness to thefe infamous doings.-But if I lie, even a tittle, about this affair, may my head be contaminated with the white filth of ravens; and may Julius, and the effeminate Mifs Pediatius, and the knave Voranus come to urine upon me, and befoul me. Why fhould I mention every particular? viz. in what manner, speaking alternately with Sagana, the ghofts uttered difmal and piercing fhrieks; and how clandeftinely they hid in the earth a wolf's beard, with the teeth of a spotted fnake; and how great a blaze flamed forth from the waxen image? And how I was shocked at the voices and actions of these two furies, a spectator however by no means incapable of revenge? For from my * cleft bum of fig-tree I let a fart, which made as great an explofion as a burften bladder. But they immediately ran into the city: and then, with exceeding laughter and diverfion might you have seen Canidia's artificial teeth, and Sagana's towering tete of false hair falling off, and the herbs, and the inchanted bracelets from her arms. The wood of which he was made, not being perfectly dry, his godhip burft: the witches took the crack for what the poet fays it was, and the god boasts, as a fignalmark of his vengeance. Quantas ab importuni hominis loquacitate exforbendas babuerit moleftias. I' BAM (a) forte via facra, ficut meus est mos, Nefcio quid meditans nugarum, et totus in illis. Accurrit quidam notus mihi nomini tantum ; Arreptaque manu, Quid agis, dulciffime rerum? Suaviter, ut nunc eft, inquam; et cupio omnia quæ VIS. Cum affectaretur; numquid vis? occupo. at ille, Nil refpondebam; mifere cupis, inquit, abire: Jamdudum video: fed nil agis: ufque tenebo: 15 (b) Perfequar hinc, quo nunc iter eft tibi? nil opus eit te : Circumagi quendam volo vifere non tibi notum : Trans Tiberim longe cubat is, prope Cæfaris hortos. Nil habeo quod agam, et non fum piger; ufquc fe quar te. Demitto auriculas, ut iniquæ mentis afellus, (a) Ibam ut forte via facra. Bentl. (b) Profequar hinc. 20 Aut SATIRE IX. He defcribes his fufferings from the loquacity of an impertinent fellow. I Was accidentally going along the Via Sacra, meditating on fome trifle or other, as is my custom, and totally intent upon it. A certain perfon, known to me by name only, runs up; and having feized my hand, "How do you do, my dearest man alive?" Tolerably well, fays 1, as times go; and I wish you every thing you can defire. When I perceived he still fol lowed me; Would you any thing? fays I to him. But he, "You know me, fays he: I am a man of "learning." Upon this account, fays 1, you'll have more of my esteem. Wanting fadly to get away from him, fometimes I walked on apace, now and then I ftopt, and whispered fomething to my boy. When the fweat ran down to the bottom of my ancles; O, fays I to myfelf, + Bollanus, how happy are you in a head-piece! Mean while he kept prating on any thing that came uppermoft, praised the streets, the city and when I made him no anfwer; "You want terribly "fays he, to get away: I perceived it long ago: but you are never the nearer: I shall stick close to you; "Ifhall follow you hence: where are you at present "bound for?" There is no need for your being carried fo much about: I want to see a person who is unknown to you; he lives a greater way off across the Tiber, juft by Cæfar's gardens. "I have nothing to "do, and am not lazy; I will attend you thither." I hang down my ears like a furly afs, when an heavier load than ordinary is put upon his back. He begins again: "If I am tolerably acquainted with myfelf, you will not esteem Vifcus, or Varius, as a friend, "more than me; for who can write more verses, or "in a fhorter time than I? Who can nove his limbs 66 * Or, but, fays he, you know me. + Nothing is recorded of him, but that he was either a very choleric or a very flupid fellow. The latter fense is preferred. VOL. II. D "with Aut citius poffit verfus? quis membra movere Mollius? invideat quod & Hermogenes, ego canto 25 Interpellandi locus hic erat: eft tibi mater, Cognati, queis te falvo eft opus? Haud mihi quifquam: Omnes compofui. Felices! nunc ego refto. Confice namque inftat fatum mihi trifte, Sabella, Quod puero cecinit divina mota anus urna : 30 Hunc neque dira venena, nec hofticus auferet enfis, Nec laterum dolor, aut tuffis, nec tarda podagra; Garrulus hunc quando confumet cunque: loquaces, Si fapiat, vitet, fimul atque adoleverit ætas. Ventum erat ad Vestæ, quarta jam parte diei 35 Præterita & cafu tunc refpondere (a) vadato Debebat; quod ni feciffet, perdere litem. Si me amas, inquit, paulum hic ades. Inteream, fi Aut valeo ftare, aut novi civilia jura: Et propero quo fcis. Dubius fum, quid faciam inquit ; Tene relinquam, an rem. Me fodes. Non faciam, ille; Et præcedere cœpit. ego (ut contendere durum eft Cum victore) fequor. Mæcenas quomodo tecum ? Hinc repetit. Paucorum hominum, et mentis bene fanæ. 45 Nemo dexterius fortuna eft ufus. haberes (a) Vadatus. Bentl. (b) Non ifto vivimus illic. (c) Nilmi efficit unquam, Cuique " with softer grace in the dance? And then I fing, that 66 even Hermogenes may envy me." Here there was an opportunity of interrupting him: have you, Sir, a mother, or any relations, that are interested in your welfare?" Not one have I: I have "buried them all." Happy they! now I remain. Difpatch me for the fatal moment is at hand, which an old Sabine forcerefs, having fhaken her divining urn, foretold when I was a boy: "This child, neither "fhall cruel poison, nor the hostile fword, nor the "crippling gout, nor pleurify, nor cough deftroy; 66 a babbler fhall one day demolish him if he is wife, "let him avoid talkative people, as foon as he comes "to man's estate." One fourth of the day being now past, we came to Vefta's: and, as good luck would have it, he was obliged to appear to his recognizance; which unless he did, he must have loft his caufe. "If you love me, "fays he, ftep in here a little." May I die, if I be either able to stand it out, or have any knowledge of the civil laws and befides, I am in a hurry, you know whither. "I am in doubt what I fhall do, fays "he; whether defert you, or my caufe." Me, I beg of you, Sir." I will not do it," fays he, and began to take the lead of me. I (as it is difficult to contend with one's master) follow him. "How ftands it with "Mæcenas and you?" Thus he begins his prate again. "He's one of few intimates, and of a very "wife way of thinking. No man ever made use of "opportunities with more cleverness. You should "have a powerful affiftant, who could play an under66 part, if you were difpofed to recommend * this man: "may I perifh, if you wou'd not fupplant all the "reft." We do not live there in the manner you imagine there is not a house in Rome that is freer or more remote from evils of this nature. It is never of any differvice to me, that any particular person is wealthier or a better fcholar than I am every indi Pionting to him'elf. + Family broils and jealoufics. D 2 vidual |