111

Inviti quoque avaritiam exercere jubentur.
Fallit enim vitium specie virtutis et umbra,
Quum sit triste habitu, vultuque et veste severum.
Nec dubie tamquam frugi laudatur avarus,
Tamquam parcus homo et rerum tutela suarum
Certa magis, quam fortunas si servat easdem
Hesperidum serpens aut Ponticus. Adde quod
hunc, de

115

Quo loquor, egregium populus putat atque verendum Artificem quippe his crescunt patrimonia fabris. Sed crescunt quocumque modo, majoraque fiunt Incude adsidua semperque ardente camino. The old Et pater ergo animi felices credit avaros, miser,

120

Qui mirantur opes, qui nulla exempla beati
Pauperis esse putant. Juvenes hortatur, ut illam
Ire viam pergant et eidem incumbere sectae.
Sunt quaedam vitiorum elementa: his protenus illos
Imbuit et cogit minimas ediscere sordes.
Mox acquirendi docet insatiabile votum.
Servorum ventres modio castigat iniquo,
·Ipse quoque esuriens :

umquam

125

: neque enim omnia sustinet

Mucida caerulei panis consumere frusta,
Hesternum solitus medio servare minutal

i. 1. 65), “rem, Si possis, recte; si non, quocunque modo rem."

118.] i. e. by ceaseless toil. 119. animi] "in mind." Cf. Hor. Sat. i. 9. 11, 12, "O te, Bolane, cerebri Felicem!"

126. modio — iniquo] A slave's allowance was four (or perhaps five) modii of corn a month. This was called 'menstruum.' When the allowance was daily, it was called 'diarium, and consisted of a pound of See Hor. Sat. i. 5. 69. 127. esuriens] "half-starved." 128. caerulei] i. e. blue with mould.

corn.

129. minutal] "mince-meat." 129, 130. medio Septembri] See Sat. vi. 517 and note.

Septembri: nec non differre in tempora coenae 130
Alterius conchem aestivam cum parte lacerti
Signatam vel dimidio putrique siluro,

Filaque sectivi numerata includere porri.
Invitatus ad haec aliquis de ponte, negabit.
Sed quo divitias haec per tormenta coactas,
Quum furor haud dubius, quum sit manifesta
phrenesis,

Ut locuples moriaris, egentis vivere fato?

Interea pleno quum turget sacculus ore,

135

141

145

Crescit amor numi, quantum ipsa pecunia crescit;
Et minus hanc optat, qui non habet. Ergo paratur
Altera villa tibi, quum rus non sufficit unum,
Et proferre libet fines; majorque videtur
Et melior vicina seges: mercaris et hanc et
Arbusta et densa montem qui canet oliva.
Quorum si pretio dominus non vincitur ullo,
Nocte boves macri lassoque famelica collo
Jumenta ad virides hujus mittuntur aristas;
Nec prius inde domum, quam tota novalia saevos
In ventres abeant, ut credas falcibus actum.
Dicere vix possis, quam multi talia plorent
Et quot venales injuria fecerit agros.

150

"Sed qui sermones ? quae foedae buccina famae ?" Quid nocet hoc? inquit. Tunicam mihi malo lupini, Quam si me toto laudet vicinia pago

131. conchem aestivam] i. e. coarse. They were tender only in the spring. 132. signatam]" sealed;" to prevent the slaves eating from it. "Numerata," 1: 133, for the same reason. ib. dimidio] See note on Sat. v. 84.

133. sectivi-porri] See note on Sat. iii. 293.

134. aliquis de ponte] See note on Sat. iv. 116.

ib. negabit] "decline the invitation." So Hor. Ep. i. 7. 63, 64, where Philippus has sent his slave to invite Mena to supper, who declines: "Neget ille mihi" (Philippus asks)? Negat improbus, et te

Negligit aut horret."

141. altera villa] "a second farmproperty." This would of course be as an investment, not for residence.

145. quorum] scil. of the property which the miser wishes to purchase.

146-151.] He (the miser) turns cattle in to eat the crops, and so, by making them valueless, induces the owner (1. 151) to sell. "Hujus," scil. "domini.'

151. injuria] "a wrong of this kind. "Venales-fecerit," "brough.t into the market."

153. tunicum] "skin."

154, 155.] Than if I were poor, and the admiration of all the neigh

Exigui ruris paucissima farra secantem.
Scilicet et morbis et debilitate carebis

Et luctum et curam effugies, et tempora vitae
Longa tibi post haec fato meliore dabuntur,
Si tantum culti solus possederis agri,

155

Quantum sub Tatio populus Romanus arabat. 160
Mox etiam fractis aetate et Punica passis
Proelia vel Pyrrhum immanem gladiosque Molossos
Tandem pro multis vix jugera bina dabantur
Vulneribus. Merces ea sanguinis atque laboris
Nullis visa umquam meritis minor, aut ingratae 165
Curta fides patriae. Saturabat glebula talis
Patrem ipsum turbamque casae, qua feta jacebat
Uxor et infantes ludebant quatuor, unus
Vernula, tres domini: sed magnis fratribus horum
A scrobe vel sulco redeuntibus altera coena
Amplior et grandes fumabant pultibus ollae.
Nunc modus hic agri nostro non sufficit horto.
Inde fere scelerum causae, nec plura venena
Miscuit aut ferro grassatur saepius ullum
Humanae mentis vitium, quam saeva cupido
Indomiti census: nam dives qui fieri vult,
Et cito vult fieri. Sed quae reverentia legum,
Quis metus aut pudor est unquam properantis
avari?

170

175

66

bourhood." The construction is "vi-
cinia toto pago,"
'my neighbours
in all the village."

156-172.] "The fact is (scilicet') you would be really happier if you possessed less. Say, as we must not cut you too short, what sufficed for the whole state under the first kings. As to individuals, they, at a much later period, still only had their two acres apiece." This was the amount allotted to soldiers who had served their time ('emeritis').

158. post haec meliore] "with a happier lot in future." v. 57. 162. Molossos] See note on Sat. xii. 108.

177. fieri] sub. "dives."

180

Vivite contenti casulis et collibus istis,
O pueri, Marsus dicebat et Hernicus olim
Vestinusque senex; panem quaeramus aratro,
Qui satis est mensis. Laudant hoc numina ruris,
Quorum ope et auxilio, gratae post munus aristae,
Contingunt homini veteris fastidia quercus.
Nil vetitum fecisse volet, quem non pudet alto 185
Per glaciem perone tegi; qui submovet Euros
Pellibus inversis. Peregrina ignotaque nobis
Ad scelus atque nefas, quodcunque est, purpura
ducit.

Haec illi veteres praecepta minoribus: at nunc
Post finem auctumni media de nocte supinum 190
Clamosus juvenem pater excitat: Accipe ceras,
Scribe, puer, vigila, causas age, perlege rubras
Majorum leges, aut vitem posce libello.
Sed caput intactum buxo naresque pilosas
Adnotet et grandes miretur Laelius alas.
Dirue Maurorum attegias, castella Brigantum,
Ut locupletem aquilam tibi sexagesimus annus
Afferat; aut, longos castrorum ferre labores
Si piget et trepido solvunt tibi cornua ventrem
Cum lituis audita, pares, quod vendere possis 200

184. quercus] i. e. acorns. Cf. Virg. Georg. i. 147-149, "Prima Ceres ferro mortales vertere terram Instituit; quum jam glandes atque arbuta sacrae Deficerent sylvae." 186. submovet] metaphoricè. See on Sat. i. 37.

190. post finem auctumni] It is said to have been the practice of students to commence their 'antelucana lucubratio' (study before daybreak) at this time. But perhaps it only means "just when the nights are getting frosty.'

ib. supinum] "sleeping on his back." The posture of the indolent. See Sat. i. 66 and note.

191. ceras] See note on Sat. i. 63. 192, 193. rubras-leges] The headings of laws were written in rubric.

247, 248, and note.

195

193. libello] The technical name for a petition to the emperor (lit. "a small writing ").

194. buxo] A comb of that ma

terial.

195. grandes-alas] “ shaggy arm

pits."

ib. Laelius] For any general. "Your commanding officer."

·

197. aquilam] i. e. the 'primipilatus,' as the 'primipilus' had the charge of the eagle of the legion. For primipilus,' see note on Sat. x. 94, 95; and for aquila,' see note on Sat. ii. 101. It is called “locupletem aquilam," because the 'primipilatus' was a lucrative appointment. See note on Sat. x. just cited.

199. solvunt] Transl. "disturb." 200, 201. pares-dimidio] i. e. go Vendere," "retail.'

193. vitem posce] "apply for the post of centurion. See Sat. viii. into trade.

66

"

young

one.

Pluris dimidio, nec te fastidia mercis

205

Ullius subeant ablegandae Tiberim ultra: Neu credas ponendum aliquid discriminis inter Unguenta et corium. Lucri bonus est odor ex re Qualibet. Illa tuo sententia semper in ore Versetur, dis atque ipso Jove digna, poetae: "Unde habeas, quaerit nemo; sed oportet habere.” Hoc monstrant vetulae pueris poscentibus assem, Hoc discunt omnes ante alpha et beta puellae. 209 and the Talibus instantem monitis quemcumque parentem Sic possem affari: Dic, o vanissime, quis te Festinare jubet? Meliorem praesto magistro Discipulum. Securis abi: vinceris, ut Ajax Praeteriit Telamonem, ut Pelea vicit Achilles. Parcendum est teneris: nondum implevere medullas Naturae mala nequitiae. Quum pectere barbam Coeperit et longi mucronem admittere cultri, Falsus erit testis, vendet perjuria summa Exigua, Cereris tangens aramque pedemque. Elatam jam crede nurum, si limina vestra Mortifera cum dote subit. Quibus illa premetur Per somnum digitis! Nam quae terraque marique Acquirenda putas, brevior via conferet illi : Nullus enim magni sceleris labor. Haec ego num

215

220

208. poscentibus assem] for a halfpenny."

66

begging

211-214.] Why be in such a hurry? I warrant (praesto') the pupil will excel his teacher in avarice."

215, 216.] The construction is "mala nequitiae nondum implevere medullas naturae;" i. e. the innate qualities (lit. marrow) formed by nature. But maturae and 'nativae' are also read.

·

217. longi-cultri] the razor.
218. summa] "price."
220. nurum] "his (your son's)
"Illi" (1. 223) is the son

wife."

himself.