At her deaf doors, with some vile serenade?-- Well hast thou freed thyself, his man replies, Go, thank the gods, and offer sacrifice.-- Ah, says the youth, if we unkindly part, Will not the poor fond creature break her heart?-- Weak soul! and blindly to destruction led! She break her heart! she'll sooner break your head. She knows her man, and when you rant and swear, Can draw you to her with a single hair.-- But shall I not return? Now, when she sues! Shall I my own and her desires refuse?-- Sir, take your course; but my advice is plain: Once freed, 'tis madness to resume your chain. Ay; there's the man, who, loosed from lust and pelf, Less to the prætor owes than to himself. But write him down a slave, who, humbly proud, With presents begs preferments from the crowd;[251] That early suppliant, who salutes the tribes, And sets the mob to scramble for his bribes, That some old dotard, sitting in the sun, On holidays may tell, that such a feat was done: In future times this will be counted rare. Thy superstition too may claim a share: When flowers are strewed, and lamps in order placed, And windows with illuminations graced, On Herod's day;[252] when sparkling bowls go round, And tunny's tails in savoury sauce are drowned, Thou mutter'st prayers obscene; nor dost refuse The fasts and sabbaths of the curtailed Jews. Then a cracked egg-shell thy sick fancy frights,[253] Besides the childish fear of walking sprites. Of o'ergrown gelding priests thou art afraid; The timbrel, and the squintifego maid Of Isis, awe thee; lest the gods for sin, Should with a swelling dropsy stuff thy skin: Unless three garlic heads the curse avert, Eaten each morn devoutly next thy heart. Preach this among the brawny guards, say'st thou, And see if they thy doctrine will allow: The dull, fat captain, with a hound's deep throat, Would bellow out a laugh in a bass note, And prize a hundred Zeno's just as much As a clipt sixpence, or a schilling Dutch. FOOTNOTES: [229] Note I. [230] Note II. [231] Note III. [232] Note IV. [233] Note V. [234] Note VI. [235] Gemini. [236] Libra. [237] Note VII. [238] Note VIII. [239] Note IX. [240] Note X. [241] Note XI. [242] Note XII. [243] Note XIII. [244] Note XIV. [245] Note XV. [246] Note XVI. [247] Note XVII. [248] Note XVIII. [249] A leathern pitcher, called a black jack, used by our homely ancestors for quaffing their ale. E. [250] Note XIX. [251] Note XX. [252] Note XXI. [253] Note XXII. NOTES ON TRANSLATIONS FROM PERSIUS. SATIRE V. Note I. _Progne._--P. 252.