Martial, : the twelve books of Epigrams,.

BOOK ELEVEN

As we offer at his shrine,
Who is fed on food divine,
Common meats and earthly wine,
Even so
I may send it, may I not?
Though I cannot add a jot
To the blessings you had got
Long ago.
LVIII
CUM me uelle uides tentumque, Telesphore, sentis,
Magna rogas: puta me uelle negare: licet?
Et nisi iuratus dixi ' Dabo ', subtrahis illas,
Permittunt in me quae tibi multa, natis.
Quid si me tonsor, cum stricta nouacula supra est,
Tunc libertatem diuitiasque roget?
Promittam; neque enim rogat illo tempore tonsor,
Latro rogat; res est inperiosa timor:
Sed fuerit curua cum tuta nouacula theca,
Frangam tonsori crura manusque simul.
At tibi nil faciam, sed lota mentula laeua
XatKdaiv cupidae dicet auaritiae.
* LIX
THE IMPECUNIOUS DANDY
Six rings on each finger young Algernon wears,
And keeps them all on in his bath, it appears,
And when he is lying asleep of a night.
'The reason? He has not a ring-case '? That's right.
LX
SIT Phlogis an Chione Veneri magis apta requiris?
Pulchrior est Chione; sed Phlogis ulcus habet,
Ulcus habet Priami quod tendere possit alutam
Quodque senem Pelian non sinat esse senem;
Ulcus habet quod habere suam uult quisque puellam,
Quod sanare Criton, non quod Hygia potest.
At Chione non sentit opus nec uocibus ullis
Adiuuat, absentem marmoreamue putes.
Exorare, dei, si uos tam magna liceret
Et bona uelletis tam pretiosa dare,
Hoc quod habet Chione corpus faceretis haberet
Ut Phlogis, et Chione quod Phlogis ulcus habet.
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