1.27. The manner of Poesie by which they uttered their bitter taunts, and priuy nips, or witty scoffes and other merry conceits.
Bvt all the world could not keepe, nor any ciuill ordinance to the contrary so
preuaile, but that men would and must needs vtter their splenes in all
ordinarie matters also: or else it seemed their bowels would burst,
therefore the poet deuised a prety fashioned poeme short and sweete (as we
are wont to say) and called it Epigramma in which euery mery
conceited man might without any long studie or tedious ambage, make his
frend sport, and anger his foe, and giue a prettie nip, or shew a sharpe
conceit in few verses: for this Epigramme is but an inscription or
writing made as it were vpon a table, or in a windowe, or vpon the wall or
mantell of a chimney of some place of common resort, where it was allowed
euery man might come, or be sitting to chat and prate, as now in our
tauernes and common tabling houses, where many merry heades meete, and
scrible with ynke with chalke, or with a cole such matters as they would
euery man should know, & descant vpon. Afterward the same came to be
put in paper and in bookes, and vsed as ordinarie missiues, some of
frendship, some
of defiaunce, or as other messages of mirth:
Martiall was the chiefe
of this skil among the Latines, & at these days the best Epigrammes we
fine, & of the sharpest conceit are those that haue bene gathered among
the reliques of the two muet
Satyres in Rome,
Pasquill and
Marphorius, which in time of
Sede vacante, when merry
conceited men lifted to gibe & iest at the dead Pope, or any of his
Cardinales, they fastened them vpon those Images which now lie in the
open streets, and were tollerated, but after that terme expired they were
inhibited againe. These inscriptions or Epigrammes at their beginning had
no certaine author that would auouch them, some for feare of blame, if they
were ouer saucy or sharpe, others for modestie of the writer as was that
disticke of
Virgil which he set vpon the pallace gate of the
emperour
Augustus, which I will recite for the breifnes and quicknes
of it, & also for another euente that fell out vpon the matter worthy to
be remembred. These were the verses.
Nocte pluit tota, redeunt spectacula mane
Diuisum imperium cum Ioue Caesar habet.
Which I haue thus Englished,
It raines all night, early the shewes returne
God and Caesar, do raigne and rule by turne.
As much to say, God sheweth his power by the night raines. Caesar his
magnificence by the pompes of the day.
These two verse were very well liked, and brought to th'Emperours Maiestie,
who tooke great pleasure in them, & willed the author should be knowen.
A sausie courtier profered him selfe to be the man, and had a good reward
giuen him: for the Emperour him self was not only learned, but of much
munificence toward all learned men: whereupon Virgill seing him
self by his ouermuch modestie defrauded of the reward, that an impudent
had gotten by abuse of his merit, came the next night, and fastened vpon the
same place this halfe metre, four times iterated. Thus.
Sic vos non vobis
Sic vos non vobis
Sic vos non vobis
Sic vos non vobis
And there it remained a great while because no man wist what
it meant, till
Virgill opened the whole fraude by this deuise. He
wrote aboue the same halfe metres this whole verse
Exameter.
Hos ergo versiculos feci tulit alter honores.
And then finished the foure half metres, thus.
Sic vos non vobis. Fertis aratra boues.
Sic vos non vobis. Vellera fertis oues.
Sic vos non vobis. Mellificatis apes.
Sic vos non vobis. Indificatis aues.
And put to his name Publius Virgilius Maro. This matter came by and
by to Th'emperours eare, who taking great pleasure in the deuise called for
Virgill, and gaue him not onely a present reward, with a good
allowance of dyet a bonche in court as we vse to call it: but also held him
for euer after vpon larger triall he had made of his learning and vertue in so
great reputation, as he vouchsafed to giue him the name of a frend
(amicus) which among the Romanes was so great an honour and
speciall fauour, as all such persons were allowed to the Emperours table, or
to the Senatours who had receiued them (as frendes) and they were the only
men that came ordinarily to their boords, & solaced with them in their
chambers, and gardins when none other could be admitted.