Hinc amor, hinc veris et non fallacibus omnes pro te solliciti votis; hinc nomen ubique plausibus, auratis celebrant hinc ora figuris. 175 quae non incudes streperent, quae flamma vacaret fabrilis, quantis fluerent fornacibus aera effigies ductura tuas, quis devius esset angulus aut regio quae non pro numine vultus dilectos coleret, talem ni semper honorem 180 respueres? decus hoc rapiat, quem falsa timentum munera decipiunt, qui se diffidit amari. hoc solus sprevisse potest, qui iure meretur. Undique legati properant generique sub ore in tua centenas optant praeconia voces. 185 grates Gallus agit, quod limite tutus inermi et metuens hostile nihil nova culmina totis * * * * * Page 15 puffed up. Nay, pride itself is far removed from thee, pride, a vice so familiar in success, ungracious attendant on the virtues. All, no matter when or where, may meet and address thee. Talk over the wine is not watched, but each guest, at liberty to say just what he pleases, mingles grave converse with gay and fears not for his words. Each marvels to find an equal in the emperor’s father-in-law and the father of his country, when one so powerful acts the citizen so graciously. With the learned thou discoursest of antiquity, with the aged of experience, with the soldier of valiant deeds, and dost mingle thy talk with such pleasant wit that none would rather hear the strains whereby Amphion built the walls of Thebes or Orpheu’s lute drew the woods to follow him. Hence all love thee, all anxiously pray heaven for thee with no feigned intercession, all shout applause at the mention of thy name and reproduce thy form in gilded statues. What anvil should not ring, what forge be idle, from what vast furnaces should bronze not flow that is to shape thine image? What corner of the world, what region so remote but should worship thy beloved countenance as divine,--hadst thou not always refused such honour? Nay, let him snatch at such glory whom hollow gifts inspired by fear can beguile and who despairs of a people’s love. He who in truth deserves can alone afford to despise them. Embassies arrive from every quarter and in the presence of thy son-in-law pray for a hundred voices to herald thy renown. The Gallic envoy gives thee thanks for that, safe from attack though no legion guards his frontier, and fearing no hostile * * * * * Page 16