The Satyricon of Petronius ArbiterPetronius Arbiter
General
The Satyricon of Petronius Arbiter
Petronius Arbiter
Rome -- Fiction; Satire, Latin -- Translations into English
"More civilly, I beseech ye," said Echion the hundred-constable; "it
is one while this way, and another while that, said the country-man
when he lost his speckled hogg: What is not to day may be to morrow;
and thus is life hurried about, so help me Hercules, a country is said
not to be the better that it has many people in it, tho' ours at
present labours under that difficulty, but it is no fault of hers: We
must not be so nice, Heaven is equally distant every where; were you
in another place you'd say hoggs walked here ready dress'd: And now I
think on't, we shall have an excellent show these holy-days, a
fencing-prize exhibited to the people; not of slaves bought for that
purpose, but most of them freemen. Our patron Titus has a large soul,
but a very devil in his drink, and cares not a straw which side gets
the better: I think I should know him, for I belong to him; he's of a
right breed both by father and mother, no mongril. They are well
provided with weapons, and will fight it out to the last: the theatre
will look like a butchers shambles, and he has where-withal to do it;
his father left him a vast sum, and let him make ducks and drakes with
it never so much, the Estate will bear it, and he always carries the
reputation of it. He has his waggon horses, a woman-carter, and
Glyco's steward, who was taken a-bed with his mistress; what a busle's
here between cuckolds and cuckold-makers! But this Glyco a
money-broker, condemned his steward to fight with beasts; and what was
that but to expose himself for another? where lay the servant's crime,
who perhaps was oblig'd to do what he did: She rather deserv'd to be
brain'd, than the bull that tossed her; but he that cannot come at the
arse, thrashes at the pack-saddle: yet how could Glyco expect
Hermogine's daughter should make a good end? She'd have pared the
claws of a flying kite; a snake does not bring forth a halter: Glyco
might do what he would with his own; but it will be a brand on him as
long as he lives; nor can any thing but Hell blot it out; however,
every man's faults are his own. I perceive now what entertainment
Mammea is like to give us; he'll be at twopence charges for me and my
company; which if he does, he will pull Narbanus clean out of favour;
for you must know, he'll live at the full height; yet in truth what
good has he done us? He gave us a company of gittiful sword-players,
but so old and decrepid, that had you blown on them, they'd have
fallen of themselves: I have seen many a better at a funeral pile; he
would not be at the charge of lamps for them; you'd have taken them
for dunghil cocks fighting in the dark; one was a downright fool, and
withal gouty; another crump-footed, and a third half dead, and
hamstrung: There was one of them a Thracian, that made a figure, and
kept up to the rule of fighting; but upon the whole matter, all of
them were parted, and nothing came of this great block-headed rabble,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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