University of Virginia Library

Horace his Epistles to Mæcenas

O thou the matter of the first
the matter of these laste
Uerses of myne, (Mecenas Lorde)
this is thy very cast
Yet once againe t'acquaint me with
my wonted ryming game,
Me, that am throughlie tryde in that
and victor in the same.
Not age a lyke nor minde a like,
the valiant man of warre
May leaue his armes, and liue at lengthe
a parte from scirmage farre.
Him needes not when his race is run
the people much to praye,
He hath lycence by lawe of armes
in time to goe his waye.
A thinge I haue within my selfe
that beates vpon mine eare,
And dassheth often in such sort
that clearely I may heare,
How it doth warne me to be wyse
to rid me from this race,
And timely to, lest I becum
a tyred iade in space.
A croked caple, who when he
hath trauailde any whyle
Will halt downe right at length & pante,
and make a number smyle.
And therefore now I lay my rimes.
and other toyes a syde
Deuysing things of hone stie,
and therin holy byde.
That whych may serue to guide my selfe
I muse vppon and make.
And leaste thow aske what Chifetan I,
to what sect I do take,
To none so bound, to sweare vnto
what s'euer he shall saye.
To where the tempest carieth me
a straunger borne away.
Sumtymes I skude abowt the towne
in ciuyll matters drounde,
A champion roughe and practyser
of vertue straite and sounde.
Sumtymes on Aristippus lore
by stealthe I cease on it,
The thinges to me, not me to things,
I would they should submit.
Long is the night to them whose griefe
alrest doth quyte exyle:
The labouringe man doth thinke one daye
a longe, and dreary whyle:
Slowe seames the yeare vnto the warde
which houlden downe must be
In custodie of stepdame straite:
Slowe slydes the time to me,
Unwelcome tymes, which do forslow
my hope, and fixed mynde,
With corage to accomplishe that
which ritche and poore shall finde
Of proffit like, the which thinge to
if it be left vntolde,
The not knowing therof may be
like hurte to younge and olde
Remaynes, with these fewe principles
my selfe to rule, and stay,
And throughe my skill surcreasd in me
thus to my selfe to saye.
Though one cannot lyke Linceus
with pearsing eyesight see,
To mende his sighte he maye not grudge
inoynted for to be
Lyke lustie Glyco thou dispayres
in lymmes to be so stoute
Yet maye thou exercyse thy selfe
to shun the knottie gowte.
A man maye clim a step, or twayne
thoughe he goe not beyonde.
Thy breste doth boyle with couetyse,
with lustinge vyle, and fonde,
Sainges there be, and sawes there be
to cure thy greedie care:
To master thyne assaltynge fyttes
to purchase thy welfare.
And doste thou swell with loue of prayse?
Such sacred salues there be,
Rede the prescriptions through but thryse
and I dare warraunte the,
Th' enuyouse, angrye, drunken, slowe,
the louer lewde and wylde
None so outeragiouse, but in tyme
he maye becume full mylde.
If he to good aduertisemente
will retche his listenyng eare,
And meekely byde with pacience
the counsaile he shall heare.
It is virtue, vice t'auoyde
and wysedome cheefe of all
Follie to wante: these two ills lo
do vex the at thy gall.
A slender stocke, and sharpe repulse.
to shun, and voyde these twayne,
Howe dost not thou disease thy mynde,
and plye thyne heade wyth payne?
A pace thou scuddes to traffique with
the furdeste folke of Inde,
Through Seas and rockes, throughe fyer and all
leste thou be caste behynde.
Contemne those things, which sodainelie
thou doste wishe, and admire:
Wilte thou not learne nor heare, nor truste,
the wyse at his desyre?
Who would (sayest thou) goo practise fence
In euerie towne, and streate,
And then refuse Olympus crowne
if he with it mighte meate,
A pleasaunte thinge, so pleasauntlye
without muche stiflynge duste:
Good toylinge faste, and for the beste
since trauaile needes I muste.
Siluer is baser muche then gould,
and goulde then virtew worse.
O, neyghbours, neyghbours, first get coyne
firste hardlye pragge the purse,
And then seeke virtue after gould,
so saye our marchauntes lo:
So chaunte the younge, so chat the olde,
all occupyers so.
Theire powches, and theire counting bookes
are glewed to theire handes,
For this we see, nor can but see,
the case on this sorte standes:
Though thou haste witte and courage good,
and manners mylde by skill,
Thoughe thou beeste craftie, and canst welde
thy pleading tounge at will,
If thou haste all thinges competent:
an other more then the,
Thou arte thoughte course, and he a kinge:
thy better muste he be.
The Romane children haue a songe,
whiche carrall doth they call
A kyng and keaser if to sinne
thy selfe thou doste not thrall.
Not to be giltye or wax wan
at anye falte at all,
A bulwarke that, to beare all bruntes,
be that the brasen wall.
The lawyere Rossy made this lawe,
that all shulde be estemde,
For onely wealthe: that blood, and skill
as nowght worthe should be deemde.
Per frendship whether better nowe
Syr Rossius lawes, and toyes,
Or that whiche I did carrall call
the ballad of the boyes?
That ballad crownes all iuste lyuers,
and euerye woorthie wighte.
Seeke crownes of fame, for well lyuynge,
not goulden crownes for sight.
Who gaue the better counsaile? he
whiche biddes the learne to thryue
By ryghte, if not to catch, and scrape
whilste thou arte man alyue.
To saile in welth, (a ship forsothe
where thou maiste plaine behould
The rufull falles which they haue had
that put theire truste in gould):
Or he, that biddes the stande vprighte
gainste fortune, and hyr pryde,
And chearelye willes the to be bould
not once to skew a syde?
If sum aske me why I ioy not
from barre, or benche to talke
Sythens I vse so commenlye
mongste lawyers for to walke
Why I do not embrase or flye
which moste men loue or hate
As once vnto the Lyon crasde
the fox that suttle pate
Did make reply, so answer I:
the foteprints do me fray
Which lye and looke toward the caue,
none lye or looke this way.
Should wyse men seeke to please the moste?
what proffit, or what gaynes?
Whome should I eye? the people is
a beaste of manye braynes.
Sum men will mell with publique thinges,
and those delite to hyer:
Sum seeking welthie wydowes can
with toyes set them on fyer:
Sum can (like fishes in a truncke)
kepe ould men for their paye:
Manie by secret vserie,
do crepe vp at this day.
But be it so, that diuerse haue
a diuerse trade, and waye:
Doth any one well lyke his trade,
one hole hower of the daye?
No coaste of all the worlde I weane
lyke Baiie towne of pleasure:
Yet sayle the posting carles from thence,
in hope to heape vp treasure.
If (on goddes name) they chāge their place,
whiche way those lurdans drawes,
Th' artificers must beare theire tooles
the carpinters their sawes.
In wedlocke (Lorde) how he admyres
the blesse of single lyfe?
Unmaryed, he sweares him bleste,
alone which hath a wyfe.
What knot can hould this Proteus,
that varies thus in hewe?
The pore man What? merrie I hope
he too muste chaunge his stew.
His parler, and his bedchamber,
Yea he will haue his barge
As surlye as the ritche: a bote
vpon his proper charge.
Mecænas if I meete with the
without my frisled top,
Not notted fyne, and fashion lyke,
thy mannour is to stop,
And ieste at me: my cote is bare,
my gawberdyne amis,
Thou iestes at me: I maruaile muche
what sport thou fyndes at this.
If that my mynde were chaungeable,
and were not alwayes one,
Takinge, reiectinge, retakinge
the fashions lefte, and gone
Glowing in no state of my lyfe
in steddie plighte, and sounde,
Thou thinckes, and knowes me to be mad,
but wilte not ieste at me
In iuster case, as reason would:
as farre forth as I see,
Thou weneste that I do wante no leache,
nor phisickes helpinge cure
From pretor sente: nathles thou arte
a buttres safe, and sure
Of all my state, thou chafes at me
for payring of my nayle
Amisse, at me thy frinde, and eeke
an hangeby at thy tayle.
In fyne, suche follye fondes a man,
and fondlye makes him roue:
The wyseman a nes vnfalliblie,
second to onelye Ioue.
His owne man famouse mannerlye
lastlye of kinges, a kinge.
Healtheful in sowle excepte his corpes
sum kynde of sicknes bringe.