Horace. The best of lyrick poets. Containing much morality, and sweetnesse. Together with Aulus Persius Flaccus, his satyres. Translated into English by Barten Holyday sometime student of Christ-Church in Oxford.

Ode XXIX. TO MAECENAS. Hee inviteth him to a merry Supper, lay∣ing publique cares aside.

Tyrrhena regum.

OH my Maecenas, sprung from royall straine, Of Tyrrhene Kings; Behold, I doe retaine, Long since by mee reserved, to be thine, A vessell, yet unbroach'd of milder wine; Soft rosie flowers, for thee I will prepare, And supple Unguents, pressed for thy haire. Then free thee from delay: Nor alwayes yeeld, To view from farre AEsulus hanging field, Moyst Tybour's Site. Nor let thy eyes abide, On hills of Telegon, the Parricide. Leave off to see, successefull Rome rejoyce, In smoaky hopes, much wealth, and vulgar voyce. To great men, changes oft-times gratefull are: And under humble roofes, neat frugall fare, Without rich hangings, or gay purple state, Doth the most busie brow to mirth dilate. Now bright Andromeda's refulgent Sire, Shewes to this under-world, his hidden fire: Now Procyon, and the raging lyon swayes, Pheabus reducing drie, and parched dayes. The Shepherd tyr'd with his faint flok doth hie, To find coole shades, or trembling current nigh, And rough Silvanus thickets: while the shore, Becalmed stands, from wind's tumultuous rore.

Meane time the good of Rome, in mind you bear•• And of her much sollicitous, doe feare What Scres plot, or Bactria Cyrus state, Or, Tanais warlike dweller perpetrate. All knowing God, with cloudy night doth close, Events of future times, and laughs at those, Who beyond reason feare: Thy present state, See then with equall mind thou moderate. All other things, like to a River's source, Who in the middle Channell of his course, Now to the Tyrrhene Sea in silence straye; But when fierce Deluges, calme Rivers raise, He then in heaps rowls down with dreadful soūd Stones billow gnawn, & trees torn frō the groūd With house, and cattell borne along the flood, Frighting the hill with noyse, & neighboring wood, He after of himself, lives merry daies, Who (this day I have liv'd) and truly saies; To morrow (Iove) with black clouds heav'n im∣brac Or let the Sun shew forth his golden face. Yet notwithstanding God will not agree That what is passed once shall frustrate be Nor what the once swift sliding hour hathwroght Will he unfashion'd leave, or bring to nought, Fortune in adverse chances, sportive ever, And bold in scornfull pastime to persever Transferreth her uncertaine honours: Now To me propitious, instantly to you. I praise her, while she stayes; but if she shake Her fleet wings, I restore what I did take: And me with my own vertue, doe invest; Making thin honest povertie my guest. Tis not for me, in prayer time to wast, When wracking Southern wind hath rēt the Mast

And bargain with the gods, that the vast floods, May to their wealth, not add my Tyrian goods: When I into such dangerous hazard fall, The Wind, and Pollux with his brother, shall Me with a poore two oared Vessels ayd, See, safely through Aegean stormes convayd.