DA. loquere matris nomen hic quid in securicula siet. perditum. DA. filiam meam esse hánc oportet, Gripe. Gr. sit per me quidem. qui te di omnes perdant, qui me hodie oculis vidisti tuis, meque adeo scelestum, qui non circumspexi centiens, priu' me ne quis inspectaret quam rete extraxi ex aqua ! PA. post sicilicula argenteoļa et duae conexae maniculae et sucula-Gr. quin tu i derecta cum sucula et cum porculis. PA. et bulla aurea est pater quam dedit mi natali die. DA. ea est profecto. contineri quin complectar non queo. filia mea, salve. ego is sum qui te produxi pater, ego sum Daemones et mater tua eccam hic intus Daedalis. PA. salve, mi pater insperate. DA. salve. ut te amplector lubens! 75 80 TR. volup est quom istuc ex pietate vostra vobis contigit. DA. capedum, hunc si potes fer intro vidulum, age, Trachalio. 85 TR. ecce Gripi scelera ! quom istaec res male evenit tibi, Gripe, gratulor. Da. age eamus, mea gnata, ad matrem tuam, quae ex te poterit argumentis hanc rem magis exquirere, quae te magi' tractavit magi'que signa pernovit tua.PA. intro eamus omnes, quando óperam promiscam damus. sequere me, Ampelisca. -Ам. quom te dí amant voluptati est mihi. 90 Gr. sumne ego scelestus qui illunc hodie excepi vidulum ? aut quom excepi, qui non alicubi in solo apstrusi loco ? credebam edepol turbulentam praedam eventuram mihi, quia illa mihi tam turbulenta tempestate evenerat. 95 credo edepol ego illic inesse argenti et auri largiter. quid meliust quam ut hinc intro abeam et me suspendam clanculum, saltem tantisper dum apscedat haec a me aegrimonia ? PLAUTUS, Rudens Iv. iv. 1093 sqq. (Circ. 200 в. с.) §6 Brother and Sister quarrel over the Looking-glass. PRAECEPTO monitus saepe te considera. Habebat quidam filiam turpissimam, idemque insignem pulchra facie filium. Phaedrus, Fabulaeiii. 8. (Circ. A. D. 35.) § 7 The Discretion of the Young Papirius. A Roman boy, placed on his honour, refuses to tell political secrets, even to his mother and at her urgent request. M OS antea senatoribus Romae fuit, in curiam cum praetextatis filiis introire. tum, cum in senatu res maior quaepiam consultata eaque in diem posterum prolata est placuitque ut eam rem quam tractavissent, ne quis enuntiaret priusquam 5 decreta esset, mater Papirii pueri, qui cum parente suo in curia fuerat, percontata est filium, quidnam in senatu patres egissent. puer respondit, tacendum esse neque id dici licere. mulier fit audiendi cupidior; secretum rei et silentium pueri animum eius ad inquirendum incendit: quaerit igitur violentius. ΙΟ Tum puer, matre urgente, lepidi atque festivi mendacii consilium capit. actum in senatu dixit, utrum videretur utilius exque republica esse, unusne ut duas uxores haberet, an ut una apud duos nupta esset. hoc illa ubi audivit, animus compavescit, domo trepidans egreditur ad ceteras matronas. 15 pervenit ad senatum postridie matrum familias caterva. lacrimantes atque obsecrantes orant, una potius ut duobus nupta fieret quam ut uni duae. senatores ingredientes in curiam quae illa mulierum intemperies et quid sibi postulatio istaec vellet mirabantur. 20 Puer Papirius in medium curiae progressus, quid mater audire institisset, quid ipse matri dixisset, rem sicut fuerat, denȧrrat. senatus fidem atque ingenium pueri approbat, consultum facit uti posthac pueri cum patribus in curiam ne introeant, praeter ille unus Papirius; atque puero postea 25 cognomen honoris gratia inditum Praetextatus' ob tacendi loquendique in aetate praetextae prudentiam. 6 AULUS GELLIUS, Noctes Atticae i. 23. (Circ. A. D. 160.) $ 8 The artificial needs of man's children-nurses, rattles, variety of clothing, Sc.-never felt by the offspring of that sturdy and beautiful mother, Nature. TVM porro puer, ut saevis proiectus ab undis ΤΥ navita, nudus humi iacet, infans, indigus omni nec varias quaerunt vestis pro tempore caeli, 5 IO 5 10 15 denique non armis opus est, non moenibus altis, S I.UCRETIUS, V. 222-34. (Circ. 60 в.с.) §9 Unpleasant Medicine. For a simile of the same kind cf. IV. 4 and VI. 1, 11. 24-7. versibus in nostris possem, dum perspicis omnem V LUCRETIUS, i. 936-50. AMUSEMENTS AND PETS THE popular and elusive subject of a nation's amusements is not reflected much in the pages of its literature. Two modern types of amusement were popular with the Romans, ball-games and horse-racing. The former, which they borrowed from the Greeks, were not of a type that would appeal much to Northern nations, who play in an invigorating climate instead of a dusty heat. Roman ball-games, however, were very varied, and included at least one type of football. Becker's Gallus should be consulted. Note Pliny's tennis-court (II. 4) and Virgil's account of rustic sports (V. 8). Horse-racing had little of the modern spirit of sport, just as much partisanship and betting as is prevalent now, and an element of real danger. Collisions and horrible accidents appealed to the Latin temperament, and, as even they failed to provide enough blood, horse-racing could never compete with prize-fighting, gladiatorial shows, and beast fights in the popular esteem. In the section which deals with public shows and games, however, evidence will be found that the more refined Romans, like Cicero, spurned the coarser elements. But popular sympathy, then as now, was overpowering; and it is a relief to turn to their gentler hobbies, their love of animals and domestic pets, and the cultured amusements of their literary men. § I A Favourite Yacht. Compare R. L. Stevenson's beautiful little poem, 'The Canoe speaks': 'On the great streams the ships may go About men's business to and fro. But I, the egg-shell pinnace, sleep On crystal waters ankle-deep.'... &c. HAT you see there, friends, yonder boat W And never a timber now afloat It could not race past, whether or not Past, It needed oars or sails to fly. 5 This lowering Adriatic's coasts And Cyclad Isles could not deny, Proud Rhodes, or barbarous Thrace, it boasts, Propontis or rude Pontic sea; Where, what was after boat, of yore 10 Was leafy wood, and rustled free Cytore, the boat says it was thine, |
