Martial, : the twelve books of Epigrams,.

BOOK NINE

Who bears the name of Artemis should rate
Love at a price far meaner; and its charm,
To him that's called from beauty, prove a bait
Much more alluring than a dirty farm.
XXII
TO PASTOR
FRIEND, if for larger wealth I seem to pine,
It is not as the vulgar herd desire it;
They long that Rheims may toil to give them wine,
And slave-drive half a county to acquire it;
They hunt for ormolu and Adams fine
Or gilded ' Empire ' stuff,-I don't admire itAnd quaff from crystals of the rarest sort
Dark draughts of richest Burgundy or Port.
The liveried menial lies beneath my ban,
I seek no crowd of fools to bow before me,
Let others keep the pampered serving-man,
To see a six-foot flunkey standing o'er me,
To drive a four-in-hand, or spick-and-span
To ride the Row-these things would simply bore me.
What do I want? (may heaven upon me frown
If this is false.)-To beautify the town.
* XXIII
TO CARUS, ON A IWREATHED BUST
OF DOMIITIA N
Martial: Tell me where now the golden garland lies
That Alban Pallas gave thee for thy prize.
Cams: See'st thou our master's face in marble wrought?
To grace his locks my crown took wings unsought.
Martial: The pious oak may grudge the olive now
Its glory; for it wreathes our victor's brow.
* XXIV
ON THE SAiME
WHO carved our master's bust from Latin stone
And so the Phidian ivory outshone?
'Tis Jove's own face; nay 'tis the world we see:
So the god thunders when from clouds lie's free.
Athena gave thee more than that one crown;
She too this worshipped image once did own.
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