Gellius est tenuis: quid ni? cui tam bona mater Tamque valens vivat tamque venusta soror Tamque bonus patruos tamque omnia plena puellis Cognatis, quare is desinat esse macer? Qui ut nihil attingit, nisi quod fas tangere non est, 5 Quantumvis quare sit macer invenies. LXXXVIIII. ON GELLIUS. Gellius is lean: Why not? For him so easy a mother Lives, and a sister so boon, bonny and buxom to boot, Uncle so kindly good and all things full of his lady- Cousins, how can he cease leanest of lankies to be? Albeit, touch he naught save that whose touch is a scandal, 5 Soon shall thou find wherefor he be as lean as thou like. Gellius is meagre: why not? He who lives with so good a mother, so healthy and so beauteous a sister, and who has such a good uncle, and a world-*full of girl cousins, wherefore should he leave off being lean? Though he touch naught save what is banned, thou canst find ample reason wherefore he may stay lean. LXXXX. Nascatur magus ex Gelli matrisque nefando Coniugio et discat Persicum aruspicium: Nam magus ex matre et gnato gignatur oportet, Si verast Persarum inpia relligio, Navos ut accepto veneretur carmine divos 5 Omentum in flamma pingue liquefaciens. LXXXX. ON GELLIUS. Born be a Magus, got by Gellius out of his mother (Marriage nefand!) who shall Persian augury learn. Needs it a Magus begot of son upon mother who bare him, If that impious faith, Persian religion be fact, So may their issue adore busy gods with recognised verses 5 Melting in altar-flame fatness contained by the caul. Let there be born a Magian from the infamous conjoining of Gellius and his mother, and he shall learn the Persian aruspicy. For a Magian from a mother and son must needs be begotten, if there be truth in Persia's vile creed that one may worship with acceptable hymn the assiduous gods, whilst the caul's fat in the sacred flame is melting. LXXXXI. Non ideo, Gelli, sperabam te mihi fidum In misero hoc nostro, hoc perdito amore fore, Quod te cognossem bene constantemve putarem Aut posse a turpi mentem inhibere probro, Sed neque quod matrem nec germanam esse videbam 5 Hanc tibi, cuius me magnus edebat amor. Et quamvis tecum multo coniungerer usu, Non satis id causae credideram esse tibi. Tu satis id duxti: tantum tibi gaudium in omni Culpast, in quacumque est aliquid sceleris. 10 LXXXXI. TO GELLIUS.