to live content with only one husband,
Praise is and truest of praise ever bestowed upon wife.
Praise is and truest of praise ever bestowed upon wife.
Catullus - Carmina
CX.
TO AUFILENA.
Aufilena! for aye good lasses are lauded as loyal:
Price of themselves they accept when they intend to perform.
All thou promised'st me in belying proves thee unfriendly,
For never giving and oft taking is deed illy done.
Either as honest to grant, or modest as never to promise, 5
Aufilena! were fair, but at the gifties to clutch
Fraudfully, viler seems than greed of greediest harlot
Who with her every limb maketh a whore of herself.
Aufilena, honest harlots are always praised: they accept the price of what
they intend to do. Thou didst promise that to me, which, being a feigned
promise, proves thee unfriendly; not giving that, and often accepting, thou
dost wrongfully. Either to do it frankly, or not to promise from modesty,
Aufilena, was becoming thee: but to snatch the gift and bilk, proves thee
worse than the greedy strumpet who prostitutes herself with every part of
her body.
CXI.
Aufilena, viro contentam vivere solo,
Nuptarum laus e laudibus eximiis:
Sed cuivis quamvis potius succumbere par est,
Quam matrem fratres _efficere_ ex patruo.
CXI.
TO THE SAME.
Aufilena!
to live content with only one husband,
Praise is and truest of praise ever bestowed upon wife.
Yet were it liefer to lie any wise with any for lover,
Than to be breeder of boys uncle as cousins begat.
Aufilena, to be content to live with single mate, in married dame is praise
of praises most excelling: but 'tis preferable to lie beneath any lover
thou mayest choose, rather than to make thyself mother to thy cousins out
of thy uncle.
CXII.
Multus homo es Naso, neque tecum multus homost qui
Descendit: Naso, multus es et pathicus.
CXII.
ON NASO.
Great th'art (Naso! ) as man, nor like thee many in greatness
Lower themselves (Naso! ): great be thou, pathic to boot.
A mighty man thou art, Naso, yet is a man not mighty who doth stoop like
thee: Naso thou art mighty--and pathic.
CXIII.
Consule Pompeio primum duo, Cinna, solebant
Mucillam: facto consule nunc iterum
Manserunt duo, sed creverunt milia in unum
Singula. fecundum semen adulterio.
CXIII.
TO CINNA.
