The satires of Decimus Junius Juvenalis / translated into English verse by William Gifford.

  • Juvenal
Date:
1802
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The satires of Decimus Junius Juvenalis / translated into English verse by William Gifford. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

    172/574 (page 92)
    And when our purse supplies the charge no more, Borrow, unblushing, from our neighbour’s store: This is the reigning vice; and thus we flaunt. Proud in distress, and prodigal in want! Briefly, my friend, here all are slaves to gold. And words, and smiles, and every thing, is sold. What will you give for Cossus’ nod? how high Will you Veiento’s gracious silence buy?— For these, O Heavens! we to the temples bear The firstlings of the favourite’s beard and hair; With tributary sweet-meats swell his hoard, And bribe the page for leave to bribe his lord. He renders. In his white cloak the magistrate appears. The country bumkin the same livery wears.” which is directly contrary, not only to the intent, but to the words of his author. Vee. 279* What will you give for Cossus' 7iod‘? ^c.] I know nothing of Cossus. Veiento is mentioned in the fourth Satire, and again in the sixth. He had been a great favourite with Nero; which probably recommended him to Domitian ; in whose reign this Satire appears to have been written. After the death of his execrable master, he fell into disesteem, and lived, I believe, to see the day when neither his silence nor his speech was worth the purchase. Vee. 281. For these, O Heavens! we to the temples bear The Jirstlings of the favourite's beard and hair;^ It was the custom of the wealthier Romans to dedicate the first shavings of their beard, and pollings of their hair, after they arrived at a state of manhood, to some deity. Thus Suetonius and Dio tell us, among a variety of other instances, that Nero inclosed his in a golden pix adorned with pearls, and offered it with great state to the Capitoline Jove, xi/sS’ms tu A» tw Ka-nr»Tw?\.ivw. The day this was done by the rich, was kept as a festival, and presents were expected