Martial, : the twelve books of Epigrams,.

MARTIAL'S EPIGRAMS
XXVI
TO CANDIDUS
THE harvest of your vast estate
And all the hoarded wealth you own,
Your cup of gold and priceless plate
Are all reserved for you alone.
Your Massic and Opimian rare
For others are too exquisite,
And no man is allowed to share
The products of your learned wit.
These things are yours, I don't dispute
So plain a fact: upon my life
Your ownership is absolute
In all you have-except your wife.
XXVII
TO GALLUS
You ask me not to dine although
I've often entertained you;
If all your hosts were treated so
I never had arraigned you;
But you are mean to me alone,
So neither can be blameless;
That I'm a fool I freely own
And, Gallus, you are shameless.
* XXVIII
TO NESTOR
You wonder why Marius' ear smells so vile?
You've been whispering to him, good sir, quite a while.
XXIX
ON ZOILUS
Now Zoilus, the knight, to Saturn brings
Fetters and chains; they were his former rings.
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