Ennius won the right, born in the Calabrian mountains, to be placed close to you, great Scipio.
Now the ivy lies without honor, and the wakeful care devoted to the learned Muses holds the name of laziness.
But it is useful to stay awake for fame: who would know Homer, if the Iliad, an eternal work, had remained hidden?
Who would know Danae, if she had always been shut up, and had grown old hidden away in her tower?
§3.417Utilis est vobis, formosae, turba, puellae.
The crowd is useful to you, beautiful girls.
§3.418Saepe vagos ultra limina ferte pedes.
Often carry your wandering feet beyond the threshold.
The she-wolf goes toward many sheep, so that she may prey upon one, and the bird of Jupiter flies down among many birds.
§3.421Se quoque det populo mulier speciosa videndam: §3.422Quem trahat, e multis forsitan unus erit.
Let a beautiful woman also offer herself to the people to be seen: perhaps there will be one out of many whom she may attract.
Let her remain eager to please in all places, and let her take care of her beauty with her whole mind.
Chance is powerful everywhere; let your hook always hang: in the pool where you least believe it, there will be a fish.
Often dogs wander in vain on the wooded mountains, and the stag comes into the net with no one driving it.
What had been less for bound Andromeda to hope for, than that her tears could please anyone?
A husband is often sought at the funeral of a husband; to go with loose hair and not to have restrained tears is fitting.
But avoid men who profess grooming and beauty, and who put their hair in order.
What they say to you, they have said to a thousand girls: love wanders and remains in no fixed seat.
What is a woman to do, when a man is more fickle than she herself, and perhaps can have even more lovers?
You will hardly believe me, but believe: Troy would remain, if Priam had used the precepts of his daughter.
There are those who go about under a false appearance of love, and seek shameful gains through such approaches.
§3.443Nec coma vos fallat liquido nitidissima nardo, §3.444Nec brevis in rugas lingula pressa suas: §3.445Nec toga decipiat filo tenuissima, nec si §3.446Anulus in digitis alter et alter erit.
Let neither hair shining brightly with liquid nard deceive you, nor the short shoe-strap pressed into its folds: let neither the toga of very thin thread deceive you, nor if there is ring after ring on his fingers.
Perhaps the most refined among the number of these is a thief, and burns with love for your dress.
'Restore mine!' the despoiled girls often cry, 'Restore mine!' with their voice resounding through the whole forum.
You, Venus, and your Appiads calmly watch these disputes from your temples radiating with much gold.
There are also certain bad names of no doubtful reputation: many have the crime of a deceived lover.
Learn to fear for your own from the complaints of another; let the door not be open to a deceitful man.
Forbear, daughters of Cecrops, to believe Theseus when he swears: the gods whom he will make witnesses, he made so before.
And to you, Demophoon, heir to the crime of Theseus, no trust is left since Phyllis was deceived.
If they promise well, promise with as many words: if they have given, you also give the agreed joys.
§3.463Illa potest vigiles flammas extinguere Vestae, §3.464Et rapere e templis, Inachi, sacra tuis, §3.465Et dare mixta viro tritis aconita cicutis, §3.466Accepto venerem munere siqua negat.
She is able to extinguish the watchful flames of Vesta, and to snatch the sacred objects from your temples, daughter of Inachus, and to give aconite mixed with crushed hemlock to her husband, if any woman denies love once she has accepted a gift.
My mind moves to stand closer: hold back the reins, Muse, and do not be thrown from the running chariot.
Let words written on fir-wood tablets try the shallow water: let a suitable maid-servant receive the sent marks.
§3.471Inspice: quodque leges, ex ipsis collige verbis, §3.472Fingat, an ex animo sollicitusque roget.
Examine them: and from the words themselves gather what you read, whether he is feigning, or asks from his heart and with anxiety.
§3.473Postque brevem rescribe moram: mora semper amantes §3.474Incitat, exiguum si modo tempus habet.
And write back after a short delay: delay always incites lovers, provided it has a brief duration.
But neither promise yourself easily to the requesting youth, nor yet deny stubbornly what he asks.
§3.477Fac timeat speretque simul, quotiensque remittes, §3.478Spesque magis veniat certa minorque metus.
Make him fear and hope at the same time, and as often as you write back, let a more certain hope and a smaller fear come.
§3.479Munda, sed e medio consuetaque verba, puellae, §3.480Scribite: sermonis publica forma placet; §3.481A! quotiens dubius scriptis exarsit amator, §3.482Et nocuit formae barbara lingua bonae!
Write elegant but ordinary and familiar words, girls: the public form of speech pleases; Ah! how often has a doubtful lover burned because of writings, and a barbarous tongue harmed a beautiful form!
§3.483Sed quoniam, quamvis vittae careatis honore, §3.484Est vobis vestros fallere cura viros, §3.485Ancillae puerique manu perarate tabellas, §3.486Pignora nec iuveni credite vestra novo.
But since, although you lack the honor of the headband, you have a care to deceive your men, write tablets by the hand of a maid-servant or a boy, nor entrust your pledges to a new youth.
§3.489Perfidus ille quidem, qui talia pignora servat, §3.490Sed tamen Aetnaei fulminis instar habent.
He is indeed treacherous who keeps such pledges, but yet they have the force of Etna's lightning.
I myself have seen girls pale with that terror suffering a wretched servitude for all time.
§3.491Iudice me fraus est concessa repellere fraudem,
In my judgment, fraud is permitted to repel fraud.