Part 28 (1/2)

Not for due cause I hoped to find thee (Gellius!) faithful In this saddest our love, love that is lost and forlore, Or fro' my wotting thee well or ever believing thee constant, Or that thy mind could reject villany ever so vile, But that because was she to thyself nor mother nor sister, 5 This same damsel whose Love me in its greatness devoured.

Yet though I had been joined wi' thee by amplest of usance, Still could I never believe this was sufficient of cause.

Thou diddest deem it suffice: so great is thy pleasure in every Crime wherein may be found somewhat enormous of guilt. 10

Not for other reason, Gellius, did I hope for thy faith to me in this our unhappy, this our desperate love (because I knew thee well nor thought thee constant or able to restrain thy mind from shameless act), but that I saw this girl was neither thy mother nor thy sister, for whom my ardent love ate me. And although I have had many mutual dealings with thee, I did not credit this case to be enough cause for thee. Thou didst find it enough: so great is thy joy in every kind of guilt in which is something infamous.

Lx.x.xXII.

Lesbia mi dicit semper male nec tacet umquam De me: Lesbia me dispeream nisi amat.

Quo signo? quia sunt + totidem mea: deprecor illam Absidue, verum dispeream nisi amo.

Lx.x.xXII.

ON LESBIA.

Lesbia naggeth at me evermore and ne'er is she silent Touching myself: May I die but that by Lesbia I'm loved.

What be the proof? I rail and retort like her and revile her Carefully, yet may I die but that I love her with love.

Lesbia forever speaks ill of me nor is ever silent anent me: may I perish if Lesbia do not love me! By what sign? because I am just the same: I malign her without cease, yet may I die if I do not love her in sober truth.

Lx.x.xXIII.

Nil nimium studeo Caesar tibi belle placere, Nec scire utrum sis albus an ater h.o.m.o.

Lx.x.xXIII.

ON JULIUS CaeSAR.

Study I not o'ermuch to please thee (Caesar!) and court thee, Nor do I care e'en to know an thou be white or be black.

I am not over anxious, Caesar, to please thee greatly, nor to know whether thou art white or black man.

Lx.x.xXIIII.

Mentula moechatur. moechatur mentula: certe.

Hoc est, quod dic.u.n.t, ipsa olera olla legit.

Lx.x.xXIIII.

AGAINST MENTULA (MAMURRA).

Mentula wooeth much: much wooeth he, be a.s.sured.

That is, e'en as they say, the Pot gathers leeks for the pot.

Mentula wh.o.r.es. By the mentule he is be-wh.o.r.ed: certes. This is as though they say the oil pot itself gathers the olives.

Lx.x.xXV.

Zmyrna mei Cinnae nonam post denique messem Quam coeptast nonamque edita post hiemem, Milia c.u.m interea quingenta Hortensius uno * * * *

Zmyrna cavas Satrachi penitus mittetur ad undas, 5 Zmyrnam cana diu saecula pervoluent.

At Volusi annales Paduam morientur ad ipsam Et laxas s...o...b..is saepe dabunt tunicas.