asperius, cum prompta Venus; tum durius irae 265 consulitur, cum poena patet. sed comprime motus nec tibi quid liceat, sed quid fecisse decebit occurrat, mentemque domet respectus honesti. “Hoc te praeterea crebro sermone monebo, ut te totius medio telluris in ore 270 vivere cognoscas, cunctis tua gentibus esse facta palam nec posse dari regalibus usquam secretum vitiis; nam lux altissima fati occultum nihil esse sinit, latebrasque per omnes intrat et abstrusos explorat fama recessus. 275 “Sis pius in primis; nam cum vincamur in omni munere, sola deos aequat clementia nobis. neu dubie suspectus agas neu falsus amicis rumorumve avidus: qui talia curat, inanes horrebit strepitus nulla non anxius hora. 280 non sic excubiae, non circumstantia pila quam tutatur amor. non extorquebis amari; hoc alterna fides, hoc simplex gratia donat. nonne vides, operum quod se pulcherrimus ipse mundus amore liget, nec vi conexa per aevum 285 conspirent elementa sibi? quod limite Phoebus contentus medio, contentus litore pontus et, qui perpetuo terras ambitque vehitque, nec premat incumbens oneri nec cesserit aër? qui terret, plus ipse timet; sors ista tyrannis 290 convenit; invideant claris fortesque trucident, * * * * * Page 307 life harder when love is at call; then is it a sterner task to govern anger when vengeance is to hand. Yet master thine emotions and ponder not what thou mightest do but what thou oughtest to do, and let regard for duty control thy mind. “Of this too I cannot warn thee too often: remember that thou livest in the sight of the whole world, to all peoples are thy deeds known; the vices of monarchs cannot anywhere remain hid. The splendour of their lofty station allows nought to be concealed; fame penetrates every hiding-place and discovers the inmost secrets of the heart.